Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/245

AND CAPTURE OF RIFLE-PITS. 213 anticipated him by twenty-four hours; and it chap. was at nine o'clock on the evening of the 19th _ of April that, commanding in person a detach- ment of his splendid 77th Eegiment, Colonel Egerton-s Egerton assaulted the lodgments. He attacked ment. them with an 'impetuosity' — Lord Eaglan uses the word — which did not prevent the conflict from being severe for a time, but caused it nevertheless to be short. He promptly carried the lodgments, but suffered some loss, and Captain Lempriere of his regiment, a young, though most able officer, was one of the killed. In one of the captured lodgments, our Engineers resolved to establish a lodgment of their own, and to connect it with the head of their sap. This, though only of course incompletely, they found means to do in the course of three or four hours. They determined that they would not retain the other lodgment ; but some men — perhaps eight or ten — were left there on watch for the time. At about one o'clock the Eussians advanced with a whole battalion of their famous Vladimir Eegiment, reinforced by some hundreds of men volunteering from its other battalions for this special service. The assailants drove in our cov- ering sentries and the eight or ten soldiers left watching in the otherwise unoccupied lodgment. Then advancing against the lodgment which our people had resolved to hold fast, the Eussian force moved in its strength ; but the English coming up in good time, soon drove back the Vladimir troops, thus defeating the enemy's efforts