Allies defeat another resolute Attack. 151
The next attack was made by the Russians with the same troops, diminished by their losses to 6000 men, while the Allies numbered 5000. The disparity in infantry for the actual encounter (for the Russian reserve of 9000 was still held back) was thus rapidly diminishing, but the enemy preserved his great predominance in artillery. Again the hundred guns, which by this time they had in action, swept our crest throughout its extent. The right of our position, from the head of the Quarry ravine to the Sandbag Battery, was now held by some of our rifles, and by a French battalion. Leaving these on their left, the enemy's columns issued from the Quarry ravine, and this time pushed along the post-road against our centre and left. Two of their regiments (eight battalions) were extended in first line, in columns of companies ; behind came the main column, composed of the four battalions of the remaining regiment. This advance was more thoroughly pushed home, and with greater success, than any other which they attempted throughout the day. They once more made their right the head of the attack, and with it penetrated our line on the side of the Careenage ravine, drove back the troops there, and took and spiked some of our guns. The other parts of their front line, coming up successively to the crest, held it for a brief interval, while the main column, driving our troops from the Barrier, passed on in support. But, meanwhile, before it reached the crest, the regiments of the front line had been driven off by a simultaneous advance of French and English, and, after suffering great loss, the main
1 5 2 Allied Artillery begins to prevail.
column also retired. It was pressed by the Allied troops, part of whom re-established themselves across the head of the Quarry ravine, while the French regiment, which had defended the centre, moving to its right, took up, with the other already there, the defence of the ground where the Guards had fought. Here the French had yet another struggle to maintain, and with varying fortunes, for once they entirely lost the advanced ground they had held ; but their last reinforcements arriving, they finally drove the Russians immediately opposed to them not only off that part of our front, but off the field.
It was now eleven o'clock, and the battle, though not ended, was already decided. For not only had the Allies, after deducting losses, 4700 English and 7000 French infantry on the field, against the broken battalions and the 9000 unused infantry of Dannenberg's reserve, but the balance of artillery power, for long so largely against us (the Allies had in action at the close only thirty-eight English and twenty-four French fieldguns) had now been for some time in our favour. At half-past nine the two famous eighteen-pounders had appeared on the field. Forming part of the siege train, they had as yet been left in the depot near the First Division camp, and were now dragged on to the field by 150 artillerymen. Their projectile was not much larger than that of the heavy Russian pieces ; but the long, weighty iron gun, with its heavy charge, was greatly more effective in aim and velocity. The two, though not without heavy losses in men, spread devastation among
What delayed Bosquet. 153
the position batteries on Shell Hill and the lighter batteries on its slopes ; while two French batteries of horse-artillery, passing over the crest on the right of our guns, had established themselves on the bare slope fronting the enemy, and had there gallantly maintained themselves under a shattering fire. For long this combat of artillery was maintained on both sides, though with manifestly declining power on the part of the enemy, while our skirmishers, pressing forward on the centre and left, made such way that they galled the Russian gunners with their bullets.