Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/103

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ON THE SEBASTOPOL FRONT. 59 oy recurring to the expedient adopted on tlic en a 26th of October.* II If Dannenberg's wish had been followed, the 1100 men brought together by Codrington would have had upon them the whole weight of Soimo- noff' s 20,000 infantry and 38 guns. As it was, no massive and predetermined attack took effect against the Victoria Eidge, but our Lancaster battery was subjected to a severe enfilading fire-i* From this Codrington laboured to shield it by maintaining a careful infantry -fire across the Careenage Kavine ; and his men did not fail to make targets of any Russian battalions which inclined so far west on Mount Inkerman as to come within the power of their rifles. There were some of the enemy's troops in the bed of the Careenage Ravine, which — acting perhaps from mistake or under some fortuitous impulse — made bold to ascend the western accli- vities of the gorge, and advance towards the Lan- caster battery ; but Captain Elrington with a portion of his company of the Rifles drove them down at the point of the bayonet. They retreated

dong the bottom of the ravine and did not return

into the fight.

  • See 'Invasion of the Crimea,' vol. v. of Cabinet Edition,

]i. 384. Some of the enemy's guns were, this time, so placed that Mr Hewitt could not throw down the parapet on the right flank of the work without laying it open to artillery-fire. + Sir Thomas Troubridge, an excellent officer of the 7th Royal Fusiliers, was in the battery when he leceived the cruel blow from a round-shot which all but crushed both his feet. He was the field-officer of the day, and when struck, was sac- ceeded by Major Banbury.