Captain Commerell, having ascertained that large quantities of
corn-forage were collected on the Crimean shore of the Sivash,
considered that it was of importance to destroy them, and determined
himself to undertake the dangerous task, accompanied by Mr Lillingston,
mate, William Rickard, quartermaster, and George Milestone, A.B., and
another man. Having left the ship at nightfall, they hauled their small
boat across the spit of Arabat, and traversed the Sivash to the Crimean
shore of the Putrid Sea. Here Mr Lillingston and one man remained in
charge of the boat. They had now a distance of two miles to proceed, to
reach the magazine of corn and forage, amounting to 400 tons, which they
had devoted to destruction. They had also two rivers to ford,--the
Kara-su and Salghir,--the magazine being on the banks of the latter
stream. Near the magazine was a guard-house, and close to it a village,
in which twenty or thirty mounted Cossacks were posted. Nothing
daunted, they pushed on, and, having crossed the two rivers without
being discovered, they set light to the stacks. With unexpected
rapidity the whole blazed up, and soon gave notice to the enemy of what
had occurred. They beat a rapid retreat, and, having recrossed the
Salghir, ran for their lives, pursued by the Cossacks, who soon opened
on them a hot fire. On they ran, fortunately taking the right road, the
Cossacks increasing in numbers. Milestone at length gave signs of being
exhausted. The boat was yet some way off. The Cossacks were scarcely
fifty yards behind, when Milestone fell in some deep mud, from which, in
his tired condition, he had no power of drawing himself out. On this,
Rickard, discovering his condition, entreated his captain to make good
his escape, while he attempted to help Milestone. This he succeeded in
doing, though the Cossacks were now not forty yards from them, Mr
Lillingston and a man who remained in the boat covering them with their
rifles; and there fortunately being some 200 yards of mud for the
horsemen to traverse, all the party reached the boat in safety. Both
Captain Commerell and his brave boatswain Rickard most deservedly
received the Victoria Cross.