Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/51

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Eights on west flank of sebastopol. 21 caused the choked embrasures to be cleared, and chat. ii. in short restored to the batteries some at least of their lighting capacity. At half-past nine o'clock in the evening, bat- Attack and L l first capture talions commanded by Motterouge advanced from of the cime- " ° ticre coun- their sap on the Hank of Todlebcn's new counter- ter-ap- L 1 1 roach; approach ; and, the "Work being then only occu- pied by about 70 men, was easily seized by the French, who thereupon established themselves in front of the lodgments, thus covering those of their working parties, which had begun to transform the entrenchment; but ' formidable its recap- ture ' masses of Russians ' (it is Pclissier who speaks) came up from the ravine below, and, righting with an extraordinary obstinacy, proved able to recapture the Work. Then, however, advancing once more with num- Third cap- • • i i i tllie of t,ie bers increased, and with resolute purpose, the cimetierc 1 n i <? i counter- French threw their strength on the flank of the approach; counter-approach, swept the enemy out of its precincts from end to end, and drove him down the acclivity of the Zarogodnaia Ravine. The Russian losses were heavy, and included General Adlerberg, who was killed. Then Colonel Gardner (an officer of the Russian rourtneap tUl'C "t tilt) Engineers*) disclosed an inborn capacity for sway- work; ing an infantry fight. Despatched with a fresh

  • I felt prone to infer from his name that this brilliant

officer must be of Scotch or English extraction ; but I learn that he was of Teuton descent, and born in one of the Baltic provinces. He, however, was thoroughly Russian.