THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 77 main body of the Russian cavalry, and supported chap. by field-batteries, began to move up the North ' Valley.* the advance . of the Ilus- The 93d Highlanders, now augmented to a sian cavalry strength of about 550 by the accession of the two Jj^SS"' 8 companies under Gordon, were drawn up in line, SJSSJSj two deep, upon that rising ground in front of the p b roa a C hby village of Kadikoi which was afterwards called 8t the ' Dunrobin ' or ' Sutherland ' Hillock. Vers- choyle and Hamilton, two young officers of the Guards, chancing to be in Balaclava this morn- ing with some thirty or forty men, had seized the occasion for showing the warlike quali- ties of energy, high spirit, and prompt judg- ment ; for they gathered their people together, brought them up to the front, ranged them quickly along with the Highlanders, and in this way brought Campbell a small accession of strength to eke out his scant means of defence, -f- The hundred invalids, under Colonel Daveney, were drawn up on the left of the 93 d. + On either flank of the scant body of British infantry thus posted, there stood a battalion of Turks. §
- With respect to the numerical strength of this great hody
of cavalry, see post, p. 97. t I am indebted solely to Colonel (now Sir Anthony) Ster- ling's very valuable MS. letters for the knowledge of the service thus rendered. X Campbell's despatch says the invalids were drawn up ' in ' support ; ' but I have reason for thinking that the statement in the text is accurate. § This account of the disposition made by Sir Colin Campbell may seem to differ in some minute particulars from his pub- lished despatch ; but there are matters on which the testimony
