1854

LETTER FROM BURNABY

When I got into the club the ballot had commenced, and I said to Charles Grenfell and George Byng as I went up to the box: "Of course you will vote for George Moore," which they did. As we turned away, Sir John Shelley said: "I hope you have not been voting for that scoundrel Moore." I began to explain when the result was made known, and out of twenty-two balls nineteen were black! It appeared that the candidate had been mistaken for a certain man of the same name who had been turned out of the club years before. In my agony I appealed to Lord Granville, who thought, in the peculiar circumstances of the case, the doors might be locked and the ballot taken again; but "Poodle" Byng said it would be a new departure, and should not. be allowed. So eventually I was authorized to write to George Moore, and to point out to him the palpable mistake that had occurred, and ask him to have his name put down again, which he did, and was unanimously elected.

In London Balaclava filled our thoughts, and all the heroic deeds of that wild charge fired our imaginations. Then followed Inkerman, and it may be of interest to publish a letter written by one who escaped from that bloody conflict, and who told the story while it was fresh in his mind.

"Before SEBASTOPOL, November 7, 1854.

"MY DEAR WEST,-Weeks have elapsed since I have written. What a life we are leading !-we sleep with our clothes on, and bear-skin for a pillow. Our belts and arms are by our sides, ready to turn out at a moment's notice. Our duties are to furnish the outposts and covering parties, in case the working parties should be attacked in the trenches.

"We are on the extreme right. On November 4th Colonel Lindsay and Sir R. Newman relieved Turner and myself at the outpost we were on. This takes place an hour before daybreak, so that all posts may be doubly strong at that hour, for most attacks occur then. On returning to camp one finds all stirring and busy though the sun has not yet risen. Many is the day we have

no time to wash; in fact, I have been three days without. The shirt on our backs is the only one many of us have. Generally we get our salt ration of pork or beef cooked by four o'clock, and every now and then a bit of fresh meat is served out. Three portions of rum we also get; likewise good rice and hard biscuit. After our dinner Turner and I went to bed, having had but little sleep the night before. At daybreak the usual firing began, the bombardment of the town; but the sun of November 5th had not appeared, for the morning was gray and misty, yet a sound of smallarms in the direction of the outposts suddenly came upon us, and the words 'Belts on and fall in' were complied with in less than an instant, and we were under arms. The three battalions of Guards were now together in three columns, Grenadiers in front. I commanded the 3d company, and was the right-hand man of the battalion-as both 1st and 2d companies had that night been on outpost and had not yet been relieved. We were to march in the direction of the firing, which lay over the hill. We are encamped on a plateau out of sight of the town, which is below us, and you do not see Sebastopol until you reach the hill's edge, which is before one's tents. Up this hill we therefore advanced, General Bentinck pointing out the direction; but the continued fire needed little our being directed to it, for we were getting closer to it at every step. Aides-de-camp were galloping about, and all was bustle. In came one of our outpost corporals to say not a firelock would go off, from the rain which had damped them in the night, and as we marched along each man was looking at his piece to get the powder up and put a new cap on. Hardly had we advanced when the Russian Artillery, playing from an opposite hill, sent its fire over the ridge we were ascending. Terrible and shocking was the effect of its accurate direction, for over this very hill had every regiment to pass before it could get up to the redoubts that were being attacked and defended by outposts and a few guns. Shells burst in every direction, knocking over men in all attitudes dead on the spot. Others were crawling about with broken legs; horses were falling all about; a cannon-ball knocked two horses down which were picketed side by side close to me, and the next minute a shell burst before my feet, blowing up the mud and stones. Over I fell senseless, but the strong fur-collar of my great coat protected my neck from the stones, and my pistol by my side saved my life, as the shell only cut my cloak, and my hip was only bruised. I got up, then fell down

again, but soon caught up my battalion. Men were dropping in every direction, and we were now on the top of the hill, and most of the shells and cannon-balls were falling behind us, when the outposts, having held the redoubt as long as possible, were retiring. "They are close to you,' they replied to our questions, and the next minute we were up to the redoubt. The two guns were then put to horses and flew away as we came up, and the Russians also were in the redoubt, but too late to spike the guns. What a fight! The Russians in great numbers were advancing, yet forward we pushed and fought bayonet with bayonet across the sand - bank apertures. The bits of stone and earth that lay on the top even did we throw at each other, but in the midst of this confusion Charge, Grenadiers, charge!' was echoed on all sides, and with a unanimous cheer we jumped over the bank of the redoubt, and away we advanced over the wounded; but we soon fell back behind the redoubt again, their numbers were overpowering-we had no support, bear in mind. We now loaded and fired away as fast as we could. Higginson, the colonel, and the major had their horses here shot under them; men were dropping on all sides, bullets whizzed past my ears in hundreds. Colonel Dawson dropped by my side. I stopped to unbutton his coat and pour a drop of wine down his throat, but I discovered him shot through the heart; the ball had hit the centre of his watch and taken it in with it, nothing but the outer rim remaining.

"At this spot afterwards fell Hubert Greville, Elliott, Mackinnon, Neville, Pakenham, Cowell, Hunter Blair, and others. A support now came up composed of a few companies of the 95th. Some one gave the word to advance-we had just come to the end of our ammunition; two boxes had been opened and served out as far as they would go, but all was confusion, and many were those who leaped over the redoubt and rushed forward to meet the enemy with but a few rounds of ammunition remaining. I was among these-away we went, fighting madly and terribly; Russians heaped together lay in all directions. The ground we were on was oak brushwood, and was on the side of a hill, the top of which might have been some sixty yards from us. Well, away we went, firing and bayoneting hand to hand with the crack regiment of Russian Rifles, come but a few days since in chaises to the Crimea. The massacre was shocking. If I get to England I will tell you all that took place in this advance-how my life was saved, and how I saved those of others. We had gone on a great way; and on looking behind us

perceived no support; and as I turned to the ridge of the hill, the side of which we had come along, I noticed it covered with Russian riflemen and the bayonets of another regiment also. 'Retire !' 'Fall back!' I shouted; but all was mad excitement. We were close to Sebastopol, though we could not see it. Many of the foremost of the men had gone over the bridge below. I had ascended the next hill towards Inkerman. At last they listened to the word and began to retire. Kinloch, an officer of the 95th, and myself were the only officers. We had now not a round of ammunition left. Silently we bent our retiring steps over the high brush-wood of young oaks and rough rocky soil; streaming with heat, exhausted to death, we continued our way. The redoubt lay at the top of the hill, about half a mile away here on the side, and, as I said before, the Russians above us on the ridge. Few men escaped, and they fell like rabbits at every pace they took. A Grenadier was before me-over he fell. I was stepping over him when a Coldstreamer behind me came falling over me. No doubt they picked me out as an officer, for though we wore our cloaks they distinguished us. I had no strength left; my heart was beating in my mouth from fatigue when we heard the Russians were again in possession of the redoubts. Men continued to fall dead and wounded, and we now arrived again where our fire had told so on the Russians. Many of the wounded lay saying their prayers; they nearly all had medals on. At last I got to the redoubt and saw a few bearskins behind it-it had just been retaken. I lay down just on the spot where Dawson fell-his blood was on the ground—and beside me lay a man who had his brains blown out. I was so beat I thought I never could get up. I put a few drops of port to my lips, but could not swallow. How long I lay there I cannot tell; I should think ten minutes. I then got on my legs and retired with the rest. A French regiment now came up, and again we found ourselves retracing our steps over the hill, and came in sight of our tents.

"General Adams passed us on a litter, shot in the leg. I gave him some wine. How shocking was the scene we now saw !--mangled bodies in all attitudes and all directions. We now had ammunition served out, and all the French regiments were moving up. I got a cup of tea and some rum brought me by my servant; but nearly every one had left our tents as the shot and shell came among them. The three battalions of Guards were now two companies, the Grenadiers numbering forty-eight files. Presently the remainder, who

1854

AFTER INKERMAN

had assembled in another place, came up, and our numbers were increased, but we were cut to bits.

"We stayed under the hill before our tents; the shells came dropping over us and among us. I was on horseback, as I had sprained my ankle. Within a yard a shell burst and killed five men of my company.

"I have no time for more, as to tell you all that occurred would take days.

"On November 6th we buried the dead-eight officers of the Coldstreams and Pakenham, and Neville also; Newman's body had been taken away by his brother. The dead are being buried. I returned from the field of battle. How terrible! We shall be a week burying. I saw in the distance a few Greek priests burying Russians, but the battle-field is ours. Heaps upon heaps in all attitudes --the wounded still lying there alive mixed with the dead. I carried water and quenched the poor fellows' thirst. They had all four days' bread, as they intended putting up gabions and forming a position. I spoke to them, for I can speak sufficient Russian to converse on common things-poor fellows! Yet how they murdered our men when they lay wounded! Newman was hit in the leg and unable to walk, and when found he had a bayonet wound in his breast, another in his thigh, and his brains blown out. Young Hubert Greville, hit in the arm and faint from loss of blood, dropped, and was pierced through and through. Neville was carried away on a litter by four drummers, when the enemy advanced, and they set him down to fly the first Russian poked him in the stomach, the next in his forehead, glancing down the ear. He died in the night. The officers killed are 38, wounded 95; there are 2460 killed and wounded of men and non-commissioned officers.

"I hear the French loss is 700. I should say the Russians lost 10,000 at least.

"Thank God in Heaven that he has preserved me to come home to my friends; but we may yet have far more fighting.

"Blair and Bouverie are just buried; the former died last night, the latter was brought in from the field. The French are close to the town, in trenches.

"E. S. BURNABY."