On the 28th. of September, the British Siege Train, consisting of eight
companies of Royal Artillery, commenced disembarking, and
notwithstanding the smallness of the harbour of Balaklava, and the want
of suitable facilities for the reception of the guns, shot, and shell,
the whole _matériel_ was landed in five days, the sailors of the Royal
Navy rendering good service on this and other occasions.
The basis of operations, in connection with the fleets, being now
attained, the main body of the British army moved forward towards
Sebastopol, and occupied ground on the western side of the plateau, near
the “Maison d’Eau,” General Bosquet’s division taking up a position
beyond Cathcart’s Hill, on the extreme right. The celebrated Redan and
Flagstaff batteries occupied the centre of the position, and ships of
war were moored in the dockyard and careening creeks, and at the head of
the harbour, in order that their broadsides might be brought to bear on
any lines of approach attempted by the storming parties of the allied
troops. Batteries were at once commenced, to be established in order to
reduce the fire of the enemy’s artillery, and an alteration was made in
the relative positions of the French and English forces, with a view of
bringing the former nearer their base of operations at Kamiesh. To
effect this, the British were ordered to carry on the attacks on the
left of the enemy, for which purpose they moved to the right until their
right was beyond the west of the ridge on which the Russians had a large
advanced white tower, afterwards the famed Malakoff.
It was a busy time for the assailants; guns and siege matériel had to be
brought to the front; ammunition, military stores, and provisions were
conveyed with great labour for seven miles, that being the distance from
the port of Balaklava. Obstacles only nerved the soldiers to increased
exertion, and day by day some new earthwork was completed, some guns
placed, or heaps of ammunition accumulated for the destruction of the
place. Determined efforts at the same time were made by the Russians to
frustrate the efforts of the besieging troops, and their sharpshooters
had frequent skirmishes with the outlying pickets.