COMBAT OF THE 26TH OF OCTOBER. 381 expected to come marching up by the Quarry chap. Ravine, thus threatening him on the opposite '. — flank. The announced danger, if existing at all, was not, it would seem, close at hand ; but Champion could not know this, and he instantly ordered his people to fall back to the main picket wall. In order to attain their goal before the announced mass should reach it, they executed this retrograde movement in all haste, and in truth one may say by a rush.* Those of Cham- pion's men who had been hitherto combating on his left flank, drew in rapidly towards the same spot ; and his 4th company (which had been on his right) now also acceding to him, he had a strength of nearly 240 men with which to oppose the strong body of Russians still descending the side of Shell Hill, and approaching the main picket wall.f Against this light obstacle — people afterwards called it ' the barrier ' — a valiant young ensign, Koudriazeff, led forward some men of the Boutirsk regiment. He fell slain, and his attack was repulsed. Champion even made efforts to bring his men into the mood for a charge, stand- ing up all the time whilst he urged them, on the top of the main picket wall ; and although not
- This was evidently the circumstance which led General de
Todleben to state that our pickets fell hack precipitately. + Champion, although of an enthusiastic temperament, was regarded by his brother officers as a man truthful to the extent of extreme accuracy, and he estimated this Russian mass at certainly a very high number. He says : • I suppose our picket ' at the barrier must have stood the attack of 2000.' — Letter, 28th October 1854.
