Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/101

FRENCH NIGHT ATTACK. 69 new Work until the night of the 23d, or rather chap. the early morning of the 24th. They then un- - 1— dertook to assault it with a force of three bat- hhiskRe?" talions, supported by two more in reserve, and entrusted the command of the troops to General Mayran. The attacking part of the force was under the immediate orders of General Monet, and consisted of one battalion column of Zouaves at each flank and one of Marines in the centre. The two battalions ordained to be held in reserve were selected from the troops of the Line. When the moon had gone down, General Monet's three battalions moved forward ; and, although the expedient of attacking at night was not destined to give them the advantage of surprising the enemy, they made good their advance with great spirit, driving in both the line of skirmishers and the line of company columns which constituted the front of the Volhynia regiment, and apparently forcing back also two out of its three massed battalions. The ships in the Roadstead and even the Karabel batteries soon began to intervene with their thunder, if not indeed with their blows ; ( x ) but the onset of the French was not checked. The battalion of Zouaves on the right of the assail- ing force was commanded by Colonel Cler — a daring and brilliant officer much liked and ad- mired by our people. At the head of his Zouaves he turned the flank of the Russians, and pushed forward so vigorously that before long, he car- ried the tumult of midnight fighting to ground on