Lord Raglan at last became weary of this inactivity—his spirit was
up—he looked around, and saw men on whom he knew he might stake the
honour and fate of Great Britain by his side, and anticipating a
little, in a military point of view, the crisis of the action, he gave
orders for our whole line to advance. Up rose these serried masses,
and passing through a fearful shower of round, case-shot, and shell,
they dashed into the Alma, and floundered through its waters, which
were literally torn into foam by the deadly hail. At the other side of
the river were a number of vineyards, and to our surprise they were
occupied by Russian riflemen. Three of the staff were here shot down,
but led by Lord Raglan in person the rest advanced, cheering on the
men. Now came the turning point of the battle, in which Lord Raglan,
by his sagacity and military skill, probably secured the victory at a
smaller sacrifice than would have been otherwise the case. He dashed
over the bridge, followed by his staff. From the road over it, under
the Russian guns, he saw the state of the action. The British line,
which had been ordered to advance, was struggling through the river and
up the heights in masses, firm indeed, but mowed down by the murderous
fire of the batteries, and by grape, round shot, shell, canister,
case-shot, and musketry, from some of the guns of the central battery
and from an immense and compact mass of the Russian infantry. Then came
one of the most bloody and determined struggles in the annals of war.
The Second Division, led by Sir D. Evans, in the most dashing manner
crossed the stream on the right. The 7th Fusiliers, led by Colonel Yea,
were swept down by fifties. The 55th, 30th, and 95th, led by Brigadier
Pennefather, who was in the thickest of the fight, cheering on his men
again and again, were checked indeed, but never drew back in their
onward progress, which was marked by the fierce roll of Minié musketry,
and Brigadier Adams with the 41st, 47th, and 49th bravely charged up
the hill, and aided them in the battle.... Meantime the Guards, on
the right of the Light Division, and the Brigade of Highlanders were
storming the heights on the left. Their line was almost as regular as
if they were in Hyde Park. Suddenly a tornado of round and grape rushed
through from the terrible battery, and a roar of musketry from behind
it thinned their front ranks by dozens. It was evident that we were
just able to contend against the Russians, favoured as they were by a
great position. At this very time an immense mass of Russian infantry
were seen moving down towards the battery. They halted. It was the
crisis of the day. Sharp, angular, and solid, they looked as if they
were cut out of the solid rock. Lord Raglan saw the difficulties of the
situation. He asked if it would be possible to get a couple of guns to
bear on these masses. The reply was “Yes.” The first shot missed, but
the next and the next and the next cut through the ranks so cleanly
and so keenly that a clear lane could be seen for a moment through the
square. After a few rounds the square became broken, wavered to and
fro, broke, and fled over the brow of the hill, leaving six or seven
distinct lines of dead. This relieved our infantry of a deadly incubus,
and they continued their magnificent and fearful progress up the hill.
“Highlanders,” said Sir C. Campbell ere they came to the charge, “don’t
pull your triggers till you’re within a yard of the Russians.” They
charged, and well they obeyed their chieftain’s wish. Sir Colin had
his horse shot under him, but his men took the battery at a bound. The
Russians rushed out and left multitudes of dead behind them. The Guards
had stormed the right of the battery ere the Highlanders got into the
left, and it is said the Scots Fusilier Guards were the first to enter.