GREAT BATTLE ON THE MERSEY.
The long blazing day was one of many battles and much toilsome combat.
Fighting spread over a front of nearly nine miles, and during the
engagement one wing of the Russians was swung across three miles. Hour
after hour the tremendous warfare raged between the armies of Queen
Victoria and the Tsar, and the bloodshed was everywhere terrible.
Small parties of the Russian Telegraph Corps had ferried over the Ship
Canal and the Mersey near Latchford, and wires were run out, and posts
established connecting the headquarters at Altrincham, on the south of
the river, with the well-advanced guard stations on the Liverpool Road
towards Manchester at Woolstone, Hollinfare, and Lower Irlam.
Sending forth a huge division of infantry upon his left, and three
brigades of cavalry in the centre, the Russian General struck hard at
the British line between Stretford and Chorlton-with-Hardy.
Meanwhile, beyond Ashton-on-Mersey the battle was also growing in
intensity, and rifle and cannon were noisily engaged. A strong force of
Russian infantry was at once pushed across to Partington, where they
succeeded in crossing the Ship Canal and the Mersey, subsequently
joining their advance guard at Lower Irlam.
The British reserves at Newton-in-Makerfield, however, swept down upon
them, and a terrible fight quickly ensued. The defenders advanced very
steadily by section rushes, keeping under good firing discipline as they
went, and the enemy were driven on towards Flixton, where they were
simply swept away by the 12-pounder batteries established there, while
at the same time their wires crossing the Mersey were cut, and
communication with their headquarters thus interrupted.
While this was in progress, another and more important attack was being
made on Stretford. The heavy artillery fire and the affairs of outposts
in the earlier stages of the battle had been followed by a
carefully-regulated long-range fire of infantry on both sides.
The tactics the Russians had displayed were as follows:--They had
gradually developed their infantry in front of the Stretford position,
and brought their pontoons in readiness for a dash over the river. Then,
after some tentative movements, designed to feel the strength of our
forces massed at this important point, they apparently determined to
carry it at any cost.
On their right flank the enemy were losing very heavily. A telegraphic
message received at Altrincham gave the headquarters alarming news of
constant reverses. A strong force of infantry marching along the banks
of the Etherow from Compstall, intending to get to Hyde by way of
Mottram and Godley Junction, had been attacked by British infantry and a
couple of 9-pounders, and totally annihilated; while at the same time,
about a thousand men attacking a British battery on the hill at
Charlesworth had been cut up and forced to retreat, being followed by
some Lancers right down to Ludworth Houses, where they were nearly all
killed or wounded.
Indeed, times without number during that memorable day the Russians made
fierce attacks upon our positions on the edge of the Peak district, but
on each occasion they were hurled back with fearful loss by the thin
line of defenders holding the high ground.
A battery we had established on the crown of the hill at Werneth was
charged again and again by Cossacks and Dragoons, but our men,
displaying cool courage at the critical moments, fought desperately, and
mowed down the foe in a manner that was remarkable.
The Russians, having decided to carry Stretford, were making vigorous
demonstrations towards the Peak, and in the direction of Flixton, in
order to distract our attention. They occupied us at many points in the
vast semicircle, and by thus engaging us all along the line, endeavoured
apparently to prevent us from reinforcing the point at Stretford which
they intended gaining. Both invaders and defenders gradually extended in
order to meet outflanking movements, and this was the cause of another
sudden British success. It was a foregone conclusion that such an
extension would exceed the limits of defensive power on one side or the
other, and then blows would be struck with the object of breaking the
too extended line.
What occurred is, perhaps, best related by one of the special
correspondents of the _Daily News_, who, in his account of the battle,
published two days later, said--
"About three o'clock I was at Barton with the force of infantry who were
holding the road to Warrington, when we unexpectedly received
telegraphic information from headquarters of a rapid extension of the
enemy's left flank. A brigade which I accompanied was pushed on at once
down to Hollinfare, where we reinforced those who had been so successful
in cutting up the enemy at Lower Irlam half an hour before. We then
extended along the Liverpool Road, past Warrington, as far as Widnes. I
remained with a small detachment at Hollinfare awaiting developments,
when suddenly we were informed that the enemy had thrown a pontoon
bridge over the Mersey at its confluence with the Bollin, and that a
great body of infantry, with machine guns, had left Lymm, where they had
been lying inactive, and were already crossing. There were not more than
one hundred of us, mostly men of the Loyal Lancashire from Preston and a
few of the Manchester Regiment; but at the word of command we dashed
down the road for nearly a mile, and then leaving it, doubled across the
fields to Rixton Old Hall, where we obtained cover.
"The Russians had chosen the most advantageous spot they could find to
cross, for on the opposite bank there was a small thick wood, and in
this they remained quite concealed until they suddenly dashed out and
got across. Numbers had already reached our side and were deploying,
when our rifles spoke out sharply, and, judging from the manner in which
the enemy were exposed, our fire was quite unexpected. About thirty of
our men, kneeling behind a wall, kept up a vigorous fire, emptying their
magazines with excellent effect upon the grey-coats swarming over the
improvised bridge.
"Still it was impossible to keep them back, for the force effecting a
passage was very much larger than we had anticipated.
"A few minutes later, having ascertained the extent of the attack, our
signallers opened communication with Higher Irlam, and the information
was conveyed on to Barton, whence the heliograph flashed the news down
to Stretford.
"Suddenly, however, in the midst of a shady clump of trees there was a
loud rattle and continuous flashing. The enemy had brought a
10-barrelled Nordenfelt into play, and it was raining bullets upon us at
the rate of a thousand a minute!
"The wall behind which I was crouching was struck by a perfect hail of
lead, and there was a loud whistling about my ears that was particularly
disconcerting. Nevertheless our men had in their sudden dash for the
defence secured an excellent position, and only three were killed and
five wounded by this sudden outburst.
"The struggle during the next few minutes was the most desperate I have
ever witnessed. At the moment of peril our men displayed magnificent
pluck. They seemed utterly unconcerned at their imminent danger, and lay
or crouched, firing independently with calm precision. A dozen or so
fell wounded, however, and a sergeant who knelt next to me, and who was
shooting through a hole in the wall, was shot through the heart, and
fell dead while in the act of making an observation to me.
"The men who had attacked us were a fierce-looking set, mostly composed
of Tchuwakes and Mordwa from the central district of the Volga, and
renowned as among the best infantry that the Tsar can command.
"Rifles bristled from every bit of cover around us, and it was really
marvellous that we scored such success. Indeed, it was only by reason of
the courageous conduct of every individual man that the successful stand
was made against such overwhelming numbers. We knew that if the enemy
forced the passage and annihilated us, they would then be enabled to
outflank our force, and get round to Eccles and Pendlebury--a disaster
which might result in the rapid investment of Manchester. Therefore we
fought on, determined to do our very utmost to stem the advancing tide
of destroyers.
"Time after time our rifles rattled, and time after time the deadly
Nordenfelt sent its hail of bullets around us. Presently, however, we
heard increased firing on our right, and then welcome signals reached us
from Martinscroft Green. We greeted them with loud cheering, for a force
of our infantry and cavalry had returned along the road from Warrington,
and, working in extended order, were bearing down upon the foe.
"We ceased firing in that direction, and ere long we had the
satisfaction of seeing the enemy's pontoon blown up, and then, with
their retreat cut off, they became demoralised, and were driven into the
open, where we picked them off so rapidly that scarcely one man of the
1500 who had set his foot upon the Lancashire bank survived.
"From first to last our men fought magnificently. The whole engagement
was a brilliant and almost unequalled display of genuine British
bravery, and all I can hope is that the defenders of London will act
their part with equal courage when the decisive struggle comes."