stacles, in the Russian position at the Alma. The only works of any kind were two long low banks of earth over which the guns fired-intended, not to prevent our advance, but the protect the guns and gunners from our fire. The battery at the Inkermann was a high wall of earth, riveted with gabions and sand-bags, sloping at the extremities, and having two embrasures cut in it for the guns to fire through; from end to end it was about twelve paces long.

Now, premising that field-works are said to be inclosed when they afford on all sides a defense against an enemy, and that, when they are so constructed that the defenders behind one face fire along the space in front of them parallel to another face, the one is said to flank the other-a redoubt may be defined as an inclosed work without flank defense. It is either square, circular, or many-sided; and it is evident to the least informed reader, that a continuous parapet and ditch, guarded from behind at all points by musketry, must be a formidable obstacle to assail, and must greatly increase the facilities of defense.

The ruins of Inkermann, which have often been mentioned in this narrative, and which have given a name to a fierce battle, stand on the edge of a cliff-like precipice on the Russian side of the valley, about a mile from the head of the harbor of Sebastopol. They consist of a broken line of gray walls, battlemented in part, with round towers. The yellow cliff they stand on is honey-combed with caverns-in the valley close beneath runs the Tchernaya fringed with trees. Behind them the ground slopes upward to plains covered with coppice, and on two high points stand light-houses to guide ships entering the harbor. Masses of gray stone protrude abruptly through the soil around the ruins, of such quaint sharp-cut forms, that in the distance they might be taken for the remains of some very ancient city. On the 4th of November it was known in our camp that the

Russian army, which had been for some days past assembling north of the town, had received an important augmentation, and the arrival of some persons, apparently of distinction, had been witnessed from our outposts. During the night there was a great ringing of bells in the city; but no warning had reached us of the great enterprise, in preparation of which these were the preliminaries.

CHAPTER XIII.

BATTLE OF INKERMANN.

THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER-MOVEMENTS OF THE RUSSIANS CONCEALED BY FOG-BRITISH OUTPOSTS SURPRISED-POSITION OCCUPIED BY THE RUSSIAN FIELD-ARTILLERY-THE AUTHOR'S SHARE IN THE ENGAGEMENTDESPERATE RUSH OF RUSSIAN INFANTRY-CONFLICT IN THE TWO-GUN

BATTERY-CAPTURE AND RECAPTURE OF BRITISH GUNS-DUEL OF ARTILLERY-FRESH ATTACK OF RUSSIAN INFANTRY-THE AUTHOR'S NARROW ESCAPE-DEATH OF SIR GEORGE CATHCART-AID FROM THE FRENCH -COLONEL DICKSON AND HIS TWO GUNS-HAND TO HAND FIGHT—SIR DE LACY EVANS-FINAL REPULSE OF THE RUSSIANS-PLAN OF THE ENEMYAMOUNT OF THE SLAUGHTER-THE BATTLE FIELD-WOUNDED KILLED

BY RUSSIAN SOLDIERS.

FEW of those who were roused from their sleep by the Russian volleys at daylight on the 5th of November, will cease to retain through life a vivid impression of the scene which followed. The alarm passed through the camps there was mounting in hot haste of men scarce yet half awake, whose late dreams mixed with the stern reality of the summons to battle— many of whom, hastening to the front, were killed before they well knew why they had been so hastily aroused. Breathless servants opened the tents to call their masters—scared grooms held the stirrup--and staff-officers, galloping by, called out that the Russians were attacking in force.

It was a dark, foggy morning, the plains miry, and the herbage dank. Cold mists rose from the valley, and hung heavily

above the plains. During the darkness the enemy had assembled in force in the valley of the Tchernaya, between Inkermann and the harbor. A marsh renders this part of the valley impassable, except by the Woronzoff road, which, after winding round the sides of the steep bluffs, stretches, level, straight, and solid, across the low ground. The Russian artillery had probably crossed this in the night, and been brought with muffled wheels to a level point of the road, where, concealed by the jutting of the hill, it waited till the repulse of our outposts should afford it the opportunity of advancing to its destined position.

At dawn they made their rush upon our advanced posts of the second division, on the crest looking down into the valley, which fell back fighting upon the camp behind the crest, twelve hundred yards in rear. The outposts of the division were well accustomed to skirmish with the enemy on the same ground; but Captain Robert Hume of the 55th, whom I met going out in command of a picket the night before, and who was shot through the knee in the action, told me that the Russians had ceased to molest us there since their repulse on the 26th of October. A picket of the light division, in the ravine on the left, was captured with its officer.

The outposts driven in, the hill was immediately occupied by the enemy's field-artillery and guns of position. These latter are so named, because they are of too large caliber to be moved from point to point with ease, and are generally stationary during a battle, in some position which has been previously selected for them. Their range is greater than that of field-artillery; at shorter ranges their aim is more accurate, and the shells they throw are more destructive. The heaviest guns were placed on the highest point, where they remained throughout the day, and the field-guns spread themselves down the slope, opposite our right. Our field-batteries, coming up the slope in succession,

as they were more or less distant from the second division, found themselves exposed at once to the fire of pieces answering to our 18-pounder guns and 32-pounder howitzers, so placed on the crest of the opposite hill that only their muzzles were visible. Over the brow, and along the face of the gentle acclivity, shot came bounding, dashing up earth and stones, and crashing through the tents left standing lower down the slope, while shells exploded in the misty air with an angry jar. Many men and horses were killed before they saw the enemy. Captain Allix of General Evans' staff was dashed from his saddle, not far from his own tent, by a round shot, and fell dead.

At the first alarm, the crest in front of the tents had been occupied by some troops of the second division. To their left extended the 47th and two companies of the 49th, which were immediately joined by Buller's brigade of the light division. Arriving on the ground, these regiments and companies found themselves close to a Russian column advancing up the ravine, which they at once charged with the bayonet, and drove back. The 41st, with the remainder of the 49th, had been sent to the right with Brigadier Adams, and advanced to the edge of the heights looking upon Inkermann. On arriving at the front, I was sent to this part of the ground with three guns, which opened on a column of the enemy, apparently about five thousand strong, descending the side of a steep hill on the other side of the Woronzoff road, and pursued it with their fire till the side of the ravine hid it from view. Immediately afterward the enemy swarmed up our side of the ravine in such force that the 41st and 49th fell back; but the Guards, marching up by companies, as they could be mustered, came on to that part of the ground in succession, and, passing on each side of our guns, checked the enemy's advance.

Hitherto all that was known had been that there was an at