BATTLE OF BALACLAVA
'Not once or twice in our rough island story,
The path of duty was the way to glory.'
Early on the morning of October 25, the Russian army having received
large reinforcements, General Liprandi advanced in force and attacked
the unfinished redoubts held by the Turks; and although the latter were
supported in the plain by the British cavalry and Maude's troop of
Horse Artillery, they were not able to hold their ground, and, after a
short defence, fell back disordered to Balaclava, leaving their guns
behind, many of the Turks calling out 'Ship--Johnnie--Russ no bono' as
they ran past our troops. It was during this early part of the action
that Captain Maude[8] was seriously wounded and had his horse killed
under him.
Soon after the commencement of the battle, Lord Raglan, General
Canrobert, and their staffs, arrived, and took up a position on
the edge of the Sebastopol plateau overlooking the plain, and thus
gained a complete panoramic view of the scene below. Lord Raglan,
on perceiving the defeat of the Turks in the outlying forts, at once
ordered the First Division under the Duke of Cambridge, and the Fourth
under Sir George Cathcart, to proceed from the front to strengthen
the force at Balaclava. The enemy, having somewhat easily gained an
important advantage by the capture of the Turkish position, after a
short delay made a further movement towards the inner line of defence,
and a large mass of Russian cavalry advanced rapidly and with great
boldness across the plain. One portion approached the 93rd, who
were in line in front of Kadikoi, but, being received with perfect
steadiness by the Highlanders, they did not follow up the attack. The
main body bore down towards the English Heavy Cavalry under General
Scarlett, who, however, wheeled into line as the Russians approached,
and charged straight into them. Having been sent with an order to
Brandling's C Battery of Horse Artillery, it so happened that I was at
the moment only a few hundred yards distant, and witnessed the whole
affair. For a few minutes it seemed as if our cavalry, owing to the
great superiority of the enemy's numbers (estimated at three to one),
were almost surrounded. Then small bodies of red-coats could be seen
vigorously fighting and in close personal combat with the Russians. At
length the latter gave way, their retreat being hastened by the fire
of two batteries of Horse Artillery. Lord Raglan in his despatch said
that the charge was one of the most successful he had ever witnessed.
It was made at an opportune moment, and completely checked the enemy's
movements, their infantry remaining at a distance, partially concealed
behind the captured Turkish forts. A pause now ensued.
Whilst the events just related were taking place, the First and
Fourth Divisions were marching down, and arrived in the plain. In
the meantime, the Light Cavalry under Lord Cardigan had moved to the
outer valley, just beyond the Turkish forts. A small force of French
Chasseurs d'Afrique was on their left. Lord Raglan, being anxious to
recover the position lost by the Turks, sent the following order in
writing to the Earl of Lucan, who was in chief command of the cavalry:
'The cavalry to advance and take advantage of every opportunity to
recover the heights. They will be supported by infantry, which has
been ordered to advance on two fronts.' Instructions of a similar
purport were sent to the infantry divisions. As some delay occurred
and the object was not accomplished, and, further, as Lord Raglan from
his position on the heights observed that the enemy were removing the
captured guns, he sent a second order, _also in writing_, to Lord
Lucan, by Captain Nolan, as follows: 'Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry
to advance rapidly to the front, follow the enemy, and try to prevent
them carrying away the guns. Troop of Horse Artillery may accompany,
French cavalry on your left. Immediate.'
[Illustration: BALACLAVA. SCENE OF LIGHT CAVALRY CHARGE, 25th OCTOBER,
1854]
The fair construction of the above orders would appear to be that the
cavalry were to follow the retreating enemy, and that they were to be
supported by artillery and two divisions of infantry. What followed
is thus related by Lord Lucan himself. 'After carefully reading this
order, I hesitated, and urged the uselessness of such an attack and the
dangers attending it. The aide-de-camp, in a most authoritative tone,
stated that they were Lord Raglan's orders that the cavalry should
attack immediately. I asked, where and what to do, neither enemy nor
guns being in sight? He replied in a most disrespectful but significant
manner, pointing to the further end of the valley: "There, my Lord,
is your enemy; there are your guns." So distinct, in my opinion, was
your written instruction, and so positive and urgent were the orders
delivered by the aide-de-camp, that I felt it was imperative on me to
obey, and I informed Lord Cardigan that he was to advance, and to the
objections he made, and in which I entirely agreed, I replied that the
order was from your Lordship.'
Such are the main outlines of the circumstances which led to the
celebrated Light Cavalry charge.
Formed as shown in the diagram, they moved rapidly and steadily
down the plain. They did not attack the enemy behind the Turkish
entrenchments, nor did they attempt to intercept the captured howitzers
which were being withdrawn, but rode straight into the main body of
the Russian army, far away at the other end of the valley. Artillery
opened upon them on either flank and in front, but still they rode
on, and at length passed right through the enemy's guns; but assailed
by artillery, infantry, and cavalry they were at length almost broken
up, and only scattered fragments of each regiment ever came back.
The Chasseurs d'Afrique, who were on the flank of the Light Brigade,
gallantly charged the enemy on the Fedhukine heights, and thus made
an important diversion, in which they suffered severely. The loss of
the cavalry during the day amounted to 40 officers and 353 men killed,
wounded, and missing; and 381 horses killed.
Formation of Light Brigade
under the Earl of Cardigan.
17th. Lancers 13th. Light Dragoons
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11th. Hussars 4th. Light Dragoons
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8th. Hussars
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Having been sent a second time to Balaclava with orders and my horse
becoming lame, I was returning leisurely just as the charge took
place, but, owing to the ridge of intervening hills intercepting the
view, was not aware of it. Meeting H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge a few
minutes afterwards at the head of the Guards, he spoke of the sad loss
the army had just sustained; and, seeing that I was ignorant of the
circumstances, went forward a little and pointed down the outer valley,
where small groups could be seen in the distance of men and horses of
the Light Cavalry lying about, and in some cases being attended to by
the Russians. The Duke added: 'The officer who brought the order lies
dead in that ditch.' There, a few yards off, was the body of Captain
Nolan, with a large wound in his chest. In the course of the afternoon
part of Sir George Cathcart's division advanced a short distance, and
re-took one of the outlying forts, in which were found two of the lost
howitzers upset in the half-formed entrenchment.
Lord Raglan, in his despatch of the Battle of Balaclava, alluding
to the circumstances which led to the Light Cavalry charge, limited
his remarks to the statement that 'from some misconception of the
instruction to advance, the Lieutenant-General considered that he was
bound to attack at all hazards.' The Earl of Lucan, however, took
exception to this description of his action in the matter, and,
persisting in his objections, was ultimately recalled.
The consequences immediately resulting from the battle of the 25th were
not of a decisive character. The enemy had no doubt achieved a partial
success in getting possession of the outer line of defence, but had
not obtained their main object--the capture of Balaclava. The position
however, was precarious, and two regiments of Highlanders were added to
Sir Colin's force, and a brigade of French infantry were encamped on
the heights in rear. Still Lord Raglan was anxious, and in his despatch
of November 3 says that he should be more satisfied if he could have
occupied the position in considerably greater strength. Greater
anxieties were, however, awaiting him.
On the afternoon following the battle of Balaclava the Russians came
out in considerable strength from Sebastopol (about 6,000 men and
16 guns) and attacked the right of our position on the heights of
Inkerman, but were vigorously met by the artillery and infantry of the
Guards and Second Division, and were driven back into the city with
a loss of about 600 men. This attempt of the enemy proved to be the
shadow of a coming event.
During the next few days no incident of special importance occurred,
but the crisis was approaching, and the Russians, having received
large reinforcements, on November 5 made another determined attack
in great force on the right of the English position, which, had it
succeeded, would not only have raised the siege, but would probably
have entailed the abandonment of the Crimea by the allies. Indeed,
although unsuccessful in its main purpose, still the results of the
great battle on that day were by no means insignificant. The allies
were compelled to postpone any idea of assault, and they thus afforded
the enemy time to complete their defences, which enabled the city to
hold out for ten months longer. In connection with this subject there
is another point which deserves consideration. Although probably
fortuitous, still it is a fact that both on landing in the Crimea, and
on taking up ground in front of Sebastopol, the English army occupied
on each occasion the exposed flank, so that at the three successive
battles the brunt of the actions, and consequently the chief losses,
fell upon them. Not only that, but whilst their numbers--owing to
deaths, wounds, and sickness--were constantly and rapidly diminishing,
they had, in addition to their work in the trenches, to guard a very
extended position. General Canrobert, perhaps unduly cautious, did not
feel able at that time to give us any more assistance in the defence of
Balaclava.[9] Lord Raglan himself so informed me at the time.
As regards the ground at Inkerman on which the great conflict took
place, it did not in itself offer any very inviting facilities to an
enemy's attack. It formed the right-hand corner, as it were, of our
position on the elevated plateau south of the city; and the ascent to
it from Sebastopol and the Chernaya was precipitous, its area being
restricted by the Careening Bay ravine on one side, and by steep slopes
on the other--so that the enemy's columns as they arrived were rather
huddled together, and got in each other's way.
Todleben wrote: 'Although the nature of the ground rendered this
position a strong one in itself, it was to be considered that the
number of English troops which occupied it was very weak.'[10]
The general plan was as follows:[11]
[Illustration: SKETCH TO ILLUSTRATE THE BATTLE OF INKERMAN]
Two corps of the Russian army under General Dannenberg, computed at
40,000 infantry and 135 guns, were detailed for the attack. One under
Dannenberg and Pauloff was to cross the marsh at the mouth of the
Chernaya, climb the heights, and force the English right; whilst the
other, under Soimonoff, was to leave Sebastopol, near the Malakoff,
and advance up the _left side_ of the Careening Bay ravine. These
arrangements would appear to be simple enough, but as it turned out
they were in a great measure frustrated by a singular mistake. It
appears that General Soimonoff, looking from Sebastopol, imagined
that he was to advance up the _left side_ of the ravine as he saw
it from that point of view, whereas the intention was precisely the
reverse. The intention of General Dannenberg seems clear from the
following short extract from his instructions to Soimonoff, issued the
day before. He says: 'Votre flanc gauche sera parfaitement couvert par
le ravin du Carénage, et la coopération des troupes qui traversent la
Chernaya.' Again he says: 'Un ravin profond et très long, connu sous le
nom de ravin du Carénage, nous sépare, le général Soimonoff et moi, au
commencement de l'attaque.'
As it was, however, before daybreak on the 5th Soimonoff led his corps
across the ravine, and marched up on the other side, so that when
Pauloff arrived immediately after he found the heights already occupied
and the battle begun. This initial blunder (although we were of course
ignorant of it at the time) hampered the Russians throughout the day;
and the death of Soimonoff early in the action probably rather added to
their confusion. A Russian account quite confirms this view. It says:
'The disadvantage of this false direction was that from the confined
nature of the ground Soimonoff's troops were very much in the way of
Pauloff's columns, and neither the one nor the other could find space
to deploy.' ... 'While the Russians were moving about in columns, the
English were drawn up in a line two deep, and their long-ranging guns
enabled them to inflict mortal wounds on the Russians at a time when
the latter were unable to reach them at all with their firearms.'
As regards the arrangements of the English previous to the battle, 500
men of the Second Division and three guns were detailed daily to watch
the ground at Inkerman, and one or two slight earthworks were thrown
up; a picket of the Light Division being also posted in the Careening
Bay ravine, which, however, was captured on the morning of the 5th.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 8: The late Sir George Maude, Crown Equerry.]
[Footnote 9: See Lord Raglan to the Duke of Newcastle, November 3,
Kinglake's _Inkerman_, p. 45.]
[Footnote 10: Kinglake's _Inkerman_, p. 56.]
[Footnote 11: See Kinglake's _Inkerman_, pp. 110 and 498; Dannenberg's
orders to Soimonoff.]