and for general officers. Except such part of the packhorses as could be conveyed in the flotilla, there was no transport landed, but some convoys of the enemy were intercepted, and a number of country vehicles were procured from the Tartars. In this way were collected 350 arabas (the waggons of the country, a rude framework of poles surmounting the axle), and a thousand cattle and sheep, with poultry, barley, fruit, and vegetables.
BATTLE OF THE ALMA
Order of March of the Allies — Operations open to the Russians — The Bulganak reached — The Valley of the Alma — The Russian Bank — Omissions of the Russian Commander — The French ascend the Heights — Position in Front of the British — Russian Forces there- Delay to allow French to gain Heights — English ordered to advance — First Onset of the English — The Light and Second Divisions — The Russian Heavy Guns withdrawn — Our First Onset fails — Advance of the Guards and Highlanders — English Artillery in the Action — General Retreat of the Russians — The Losses — Tactical Views of the Battle — General Advance wanting in ensemble — The Cavalry.
ON the 1 9th the advance of the armies began. The French were on the right, next the sea. The fact that we had cavalry and they had none indicated the inland flank as ours. The four French divisions were ranged in lozenge form, the apex heading south for Sebastopol, the four points marked each by a division with its guns ; and in the space thus enclosed were the Turks, and the convoy of provisions, ammunition, and baggage. The British were formed in two columns of divisions, that next the French of the Second Division followed by the Third ; the other of the Light Division followed by the First and Fourth ; the batteries on the right of their respective divisions. The formation of the divisions was that of double companies from the centre, giving them the means of forming with readiness either to the front or the left flank, which was also the object of placing three
Operations open to the Russians. 43
of the five divisions in the left column. If the Russians, after leaving a sufficient garrison in Sebastopol, were to keep an army in the field, it might, from its natural line of communication with Southern Russia, namely, the road thither by Bakshisarai and Simpheropol, assume a front at right angles to the front of the Allies, and advancing thus, might attack either their flank or rear without risk to its own. On this account, also, the Cavalry Brigade was divided, two of its regiments covering the front, the other two the left flank, while the fifth closed the rear. If the Russians were to threaten that flank, the three divisions of our left column would be the first to confront them, with the other two in second line, while the French and Turks must come up on their right, or left, or both, according to the direction of the Russian attack, and with fair chance, on those open plains, of meeting it in time, and also, if forced to retreat with their backs to the sea, they might expect effectual support from their ships. But, at the best, persistent attacks on this side by the Russians, with such a wide space to manoeuvre on at pleasure, and with cavalry in superior force (as, with our deficiency in that arm, it was certain to be) would greatly, perhaps decisively, embarrass our advance unless we should succeed in inflicting on the enemy a crushing defeat.
The combined armies, then, were moving, in sufficiently compact formation, straight for Sebastopol, about twenty-five miles distant from the starting point of the British ; through their front ran the post-road to that city from Eupatoria ; but roads were needless, for the
44 '1 h-e Bulkanak reached.