This singular rencontre had come about in this way : Menschikoff, after sinking his ships, and making arrangements for the defence of the fortress, had left Sebastopol that morning, with the army which had fought on the Alma, in pursuance of his design of keeping open his communications with Russia by means of holding a position in the open country. The highroad from Sebastopol to Bakshisarai, after ascending steeply from the valley of the Tchernaya, crosses the end of the plateau on which the English were moving at the open space on which stand the buildings and fields of Mackenzie's Farm, before again descending to the plain on the way northward towards the Upper Belbek. He had begun his movement before dawn on the 25th, and the halt we made in the wood had enabled his army to pass by, except some of the baggage and its escort. Prince Menschikoff, with the leading troops, had at this time reached the village of Otarkoi on the Belbek, and thought so little of keeping himself informed of what might be passing near his army (being probably altogether intent on transporting it unobserved into its new positions), that he remained for several days in the belief that the irruption on his rear had been
The English reach the TcJiernaya. 77
made only by a patrol. Some of his baggage train was captured, but many of the vehicles hurried off, on the one side towards Bakshisarai, on the other towards Sebastopol. We had been absolutely unaware of this march of an army across our front till we stumbled on it; while MenschikofT remained in such complete ignorance that the Allied Army was defiling within four or five miles of him, that even on the 28th a messenger from him arrived in Sebastopol, part of whose errand was to get news of the movements and position of the enemy.
The English forces gradually assembled on the ground around the farm, and then resumed their march, descending to the Traktir Bridge, where the road to Balaklava crosses the Tchernaya. There, on the banks of the stream, the leading troops bivouacked after nightfall, while the rear divisions and batteries did not arrive till some hours afterwards. Looking back to the heights we had quitted, the glare in the sky showed that our allies, following in our steps, were bivouacking there.
Cathcart had been left with his division on the Belbek to send the sick to the embarking place on the Katcha, and to cover the march of the armies. A messenger sent by him succeeded in reaching the British headquarters, and returned with news of the progress of the movement, which Cathcart sent on to the Katcha ; and Lyons despatched a naval officer, who also managed to reach Lord Raglan, and to return with a message to the Admiral. Thus the fleet was prepared to co-operate
78 First View of Balaklava.
next day in the seizure of the port of Balaklava, On the 26th Cathcart followed the march of the armies, and arrived unmolested on the Tchernaya.