Three Commanders — Chapter Fifteen, part 1

DESCENT ON THE CRIMEA--LANDING TROOPS--TOWING RAFTS--BATTLE OF THE ALMA--TOM AND ARCHIE ON THE BATTLEFIELD--THE HORRORS OF WAR--BRINGING OFF THE WOUNDED--BOMBARDMENT OF SEBASTOPOL--JACK AND MURRAY IN ACTION.

"Just gone seven bells, sir," said Billy Blueblazes, as he entered Jack's cabin, sent according to orders by Mr Mildmay, who had the morning watch on the 7th of September 1854. Jack was speedily on deck, for there was plenty of work to be done that day.

A gentle breeze blew off the shore; not a cloud dimmed the sky, from which the moon cast her beams over the calm surface of the ocean.

By her pale light the sailing-ships in all directions could be seen loosing their canvas, while from numberless funnels wreaths of smoke were ascending, showing that the steamers were preparing to move.

All the officers were quickly assembled on deck; many an eye was cast eastward to watch for the first signs of coming day.

The men were ordered to their stations.

At length a ruddy glow above the eastern horizon announced the approach of day;

shortly afterwards the loud roar of a gun from the lofty side of the _Britannia_ gave the signal to weigh.

The sails hanging from the yards were let fall and sheeted home, the steamers sent forth denser columns of smoke, which, rising in thick wreaths, floated in all directions round the ships' funnels, obscuring the view.

The order had been given to rendezvous forty miles due west of Cape Tarkand.

Instantly the outer ships began to move; Sir Edmund Lyons' ship, the _Agamemnon_, with signals flying at her masthead, proudly gliding through their midst.

The English transports, in five columns of thirty each, obeying his orders, moved slowly eastward; then came the ships of war, the guardians of the fleet, in single column.

The French, more numerous, but with much smaller vessels, sailed out in less compact order, with their warships crowded with troops; the Turkish fleet, similarly encumbered, followed.

Among the English perfect order was maintained, for every captain could thoroughly trust, and well knew that he must obey, his gallant leader.

The French soon became scattered; their general, with some of their line-of-battle ships, had sailed several days before, and what had become of them was not known.

By the morning of the ninth the whole English fleet was anchored at the appointed rendezvous, but as yet the point at which the troops were to land had not been selected.

Next morning Lord Raglan accompanied Sir Edmund Lyons, with several English and French engineer officers, on board the _Caradoc_, which, after passing the mouth of Sebastopol harbour, steered round Cape Chersonesus and looked into Balaclava, surveying those heights ere long to become the scene of many a bloody conflict.

Returning northward, she steered close into the shore, the generals looking eagerly out for a fitting spot on which their legions might land.

A low, sandy beach was at length perceived near Kalametra, with two lakes beyond it.

It was exactly the spot Lord Raglan desired.

Late in the evening the _Caradoc_ returned.

During the two following days the French and Turkish vessels, which could be seen scattered in the far distance, came slowly in; and now it became known that the long looked-for enterprise was at once to be commenced.

Early on the 13th the fleet came off Eupatoria.

A small party, with an interpreter, were sent on shore to summon the town to yield at discretion.

The _Tornado_, with other steamers, being close inshore, Jack sent Jos Green, with Tom and Archie, to obtain some fresh provisions.

They found the old governor a strict disciplinarian, protesting against the strangers landing without having performed quarantine, and he insisted on fumigating the missive sent him before reading it.

They might capture the town, to that he had nothing to say--he was not there in a military capacity, but what he had to do he intended to do in strict accordance with his orders.

As all the military authorities had run away, and only a few invalid soldiers remained, no resistance was made, and Eupatoria became the first place occupied by the British troops in the Crimea.

Jack, having obtained some Russian coin at Constantinople, was able to purchase provisions.

The Tartar inhabitants, finding that they could bring their produce to a good market, were perfectly ready to part with whatever provisions they possessed.

The fleet, now proceeding southward, came to an anchor in a line parallel with the shore, the English to the north, the French and Turks to the south, about five or six miles to the north of the Balaclava River.

During the night of the 13th it was arranged that a buoy should be placed, to divide the English and the French fleets, in the centre of the bay.

When morning dawned it was found to be afloat almost at the northern end of the bay, having been placed in that position, either from ignorance or treachery, by the French.

There was no time for expostulation, the French were found already to have occupied the whole ground.

To avoid the risk of a dispute, Sir Edmund Lyons, like a wise man, knowing that a similar landing-place existed a little farther to the north, also with a lake inside it, at once ordered the transports to proceed there and take up their proper places.

The day was fine and the water smooth, and early in the morning the landing commenced.

So admirably were the arrangements made that the troops landed in the order they were to take on the march, while the line-of-battle ships remained outside, thus keeping up the communication with a steamer stationed off the mouth of Sebastopol harbour, so that, should the Russian fleet sail out, they might at once proceed to meet it, and prevent it from interfering with the transports.

Jack's ship, and other disengaged steamers, were in the meantime sent to cruise up and down the coast and annoy the enemy.

Jack ran down to the south, and communicated with the vessel off the mouth of the harbour.

Greatly to his disappointment, no signs were to be perceived among the Russian fleet that they were likely to come out and give battle.

Now was their opportunity, if they intended to do so, for their scouts on shore must have informed them that the French and Turkish men-of-war were employed in landing their troops, and for what they could tell the English were similarly occupied.

"You may depend on it," observed Jack, "by some means or other they know that our ships are ready to meet them, and they feel pretty sure that they would get the worst of it."

The _Tornado_, keeping clear of the formidable batteries which frowned defiance from the northern side of the harbour, now stood close inshore.

Above her rose a series of cliffs, with a broad plateau on the summit, extending as far as the mouth of the Alma River.

A group of tents were near the edge of the cliff.

"Where there are tents there are men," observed Higson; "are we to fire at them?"

"It is our business to do so," answered Jack, "though it is not much to my fancy to fire at men who cannot return the compliment.

Elevate the guns so as to clear the top of the cliff."

The engines being stopped, the _Tornado_ opened her fire.

Presently one tent went down, then another and another, showing that she had got the exact range.

The figures of men could be discerned scampering off, leaving their tents to their fate.

The engines being put in motion, the ship steamed on till a body of horsemen were discerned, who had apparently come down to ascertain the cause of the firing.

Several shot were sent flying close to them, making them wheel about; but before they had got out of sight two other guns were fired, and a horseman was seen to drop from his saddle.

The rapid movement of the rest showed that they were wisely anxious to avoid a similar fate.

Near the mouth of the Alma a considerable body of infantry were observed; not being aware of the long range of the stranger's guns, they stood watching her approach.

Suddenly stopping her engines, she opened on them with her whole broadside; two or three were seen to fall, but still they stood their ground.

"They are waiting for orders to march," observed Higson; "they would be wiser if they took ours."

With considerable reluctance, Jack gave the order to fire another broadside; he did not like shooting down men in cold blood, but yet he must obey his superiors.

Scarcely had the smoke of the guns cleared away than the Russians were seen beating a rapid retreat, though they still kept together.

Three more shot had the effect of making them increase their speed, and they disappeared behind some rocky ground which afforded them shelter.

Here and there some tents were seen, as well as cavalry and infantry, who, however, moved off as the warship approached, well aware, small as she looked, of the mischief she could do them.

Returning to the fleet, where the landing was taking place, Jack found that the greater part of the English infantry were already on shore.

From what he had seen, he made his report that the enemy was not likely to make any immediate attack on the invading forces.

Still a considerable portion of the cavalry had to be landed; the weather changed for the worse, and rain came down heavily, wetting the troops on shore, who had no tents or protection of any sort, to the skin.

Jack received orders to send two of his boats to assist in towing one of the rafts now alongside the transport to the shore.

Green had charge of one of them, and Tom and Archie the other.

They found two heavy guns already on the raft, with several horses.

The detachment of artillerymen belonging to the guns now came down the ship's side and took their places on board, forming altogether a pretty heavy cargo.

The raft was one of those built at Constantinople, and consisted of two clumsy boats lashed together side by side and boarded over; very well suited for smooth water, but extremely dangerous with a heavy sea running.

However, as it was important to get the guns on shore, Green determined to make the attempt.

Two of the artillery officers were invited into the men-of-war's boats, and all being ready, they shoved off, taking the huge raft in tow.

By this time it was perfectly dark, and the sea increasing made the operation of towing the raft very heavy work.

"Give way, my lads," cried Green; "we haven't far to go; and see, we shall have a warm welcome when we get there."

He pointed to the beach, which was lit up along its whole length by fires which had been kindled with the planks of several disabled boats and rafts.

The heavy swell tossed the raft about not a little, but the crews pulled away lustily as British seamen always do, and the raft at length approached the shore.

The roar on the beach as the surf broke on it was not encouraging; still, orders were to be obeyed.

Just then a snorting noise was heard, and a magnificent horse came swimming by, as he splashed the water with his forefeet, surrounding himself with a blaze of phosphorescent light.

To catch him was impossible.

"He has probably escaped from a raft which has been capsized," observed Green; "his chances of being drowned are considerable, though he may have sense to swim back to the ship which brought him here."

"I hope that won't be the fate of our own raft," observed the artillery officer.

"I can't warrant its safety," said Green; "had I been asked, I should have advised waiting till the morning; however, we'll do our best, and it will be a much harder matter to pull back than it has been to reach the shore."

Just then the light of the fires falling on the raft, showed her to those on the beach, from whence a loud authoritative voice came ordering her to return to the ship.

"More easily said than done," observed Green.

However, he gave the order to Tom and the officer in command of the other boat to pull round and do their best.

Every instant the swell was increasing; the boats' crews, though pretty well tired, pulled as before.

The raft tossed fearfully about, threatening to heave her whole freight of guns, horses, and artillerymen overboard.

The latter, with their arms in their hands, shouted out that the boat was about to sink;

and sad would be the fate, Green saw, of most of them if it did so;

while in the darkness, amid the struggling horses, it would be scarcely possible to pick them all up.

The only thing to be done was to pull away with might and main; sometimes, in spite of all their efforts, the raft seemed drifting back to the shore; at others the waves sent it rushing forward, threatening to stave in the sterns of the boats.

"Here's a pretty piece of work!"

observed Tom; "I only hope we shall be able to get hold of one of the transports before long."

"There's one ahead of us, if we can but reach her," said Archie;

"there's nothing like trying."

Try they did, cheering on the men; and by dint of hard pulling they got within hail of the transport, and asked for help.

"We cannot give it you," was the answer; "we have a boat-load of horses alongside."

A

second transport was neared, and then another and another, but all declared their inability to render assistance.

Green was almost in despair; the artillerymen were shouting out more lustily than before, asserting that the raft was fast filling.

At length the boats managed to tow her up alongside a transport, the master of which responded to their appeal, and assisted them in securing her.

Fortunately the artillerymen she had brought out had not yet been landed, and, the officers turning them out of their berths, they assisted the crew in hoisting the horses and guns on board.

The gun-carriages, however, being too heavy, were left on board the raft, and she was let drop astern.

As, however, their loss made the guns useless, Tom and Archie were sent to the nearest ship to obtain assistance.

As they got alongside, they found that she was the _Briton_, and, Archie having explained matters to his uncle, who was on deck, Commander Murray sent a boat with a fresh crew, by whose means the gun-carriages were at length hoisted on board.

Soon afterwards the sorely-battered raft went to pieces.

Tom and Archie were still alongside, when they caught sight of the noble horse which they had seen coming off from the shore still struggling in the waves.

Instinct had directed it to the very vessel from which it had been disembarked.

Shouting to the crew on deck, they called for slings, which were sent down, and being secured--not without difficulty--round the body of the horse, the animal was lifted safely on board, to all appearance not much the worse for its swim of upwards of two hours.

The weary crews at length got back to their ship.

The next day, the wind going down, more of the artillery and horses were landed, and by the evening of the 18th the whole army was on shore without a man being lost; the disembarkation having been superintended by Captain Dacres of the _Sanspareil_.

The French were posted on the right, close to the sea, the Turks somewhat in their rear, and the English on the left of the line; the duty of protecting the left flank of the army being confided to the British cavalry.

The Turks, accustomed to this sort of work, were at once at home, with their tents well pitched, and surrounded by such luxuries as they deemed necessary; while the young troops of England and France, few of whom had seen active warfare, were sitting wet and comfortless round their camp-fires.

The natives, with their black lambskin caps and long pelisses, came to the camp in considerable numbers, bringing provisions, and, what was of more consequence, camels, and carts drawn by oxen for the conveyance of stores.

On the morning of the 19th of September the bugles sounding through the camp aroused all sleepers, and in a short time the army began its march to the southward.

The transports, having performed their duty, sailed away for the Bosphorus, while the ships-of-war moved slowly on abreast of the army down the coast, coming to an anchor when it halted, and again weighing when it recommenced its march; the larger ones, for want of water, being obliged to keep at some distance out, while the steamers stood in with the lead going as close as possible, somewhat in advance of the army, throwing in their shot and shells whenever they caught sight of any troops at which to fire.

Towards evening the armies reached the first river in their march, the Bulganak, on the banks of which they bivouacked for the night, in order of battle, as it was thought possible that at dawn they would be attacked by the Russians.

The night closed in with rain--bad preparation for the work which all knew would take place on the morrow.

The morning dawned more brightly; it was to be the last day many of those brave men in the allied hosts were to see, but few expected to be among the slain.

A glorious victory was to be gained by their prowess, they believed, though victory was not to be won without hard fighting.

As the sun glanced over the hilltops the steamers got up their steam, and the line-of-battle ships loosed their sails.

Tom and Archie climbed to the masthead, where they determined to remain with telescopes in hand till called down to attend to their duty on deck.

In front of them was a line of cliffs extending to the mouth of the Alma, bordering a wide extent of undulating ground.

Beyond the Alma rose broken cliffs with a broad plateau on their summit, on which the enormous army of Russia was posted, their lines extending from the coast far away out of sight.

In front of the steep hillsides were numerous heavy batteries, capable of sweeping the invading force back into the stream of the Alma, till its waters should run dark with blood.

More to the left the French forces could be seen forming in order of battle, with the Turks in the rear, while only for a short distance could the red-coated soldiers of England be distinguished.

Now and then a party of horsemen could be made out.

When the sun rose, its rays glittered for a moment on the helmets and breastplates of the heavy cavalry as they moved off to protect the left flank of the invading forces.

The hours went slowly by; they were of intense interest to the spectators, and much more so must they have been to those who had to take an active part in the coming strife.

Not, however, till eleven o'clock were the armies seen to be advancing.

The ships near the cliffs began the action by throwing shot and shell among the Russians posted on the heights.

The light infantry regiments could be seen moving in advance, throwing out skirmishers; then came the heavy infantry battalions, with firm tread pressing the ground.

At length the blue coats of the French, who had crossed the Alma at its mouth, were observed climbing the rugged heights, the summit of which being gained, they rapidly formed, greatly to the astonishment, apparently, of the Russians, who had not perceived their approach.

Now there burst forth from the whole hillside the roar of artillery and the rattle of musketry, so rapidly as to blend into one continuous sound, telling of death to many a brave heart.

"The British are advancing!"

cried Tom; "see, they are pushing across the river, but they don't appear on the hill yet.

The Russian skirmishers are disputing the ground with them.

What a rattling fire they are keeping up!"

Some time passed by: the redcoats were hotly engaged with the enemy near a large village, that of Bourliouk.

In a short time the village burst out into flames, completely hiding the troops on its farther side; then the British were again caught sight of, after they had crossed the river beyond the village, fighting their way up the slope, encountering the fearful fire of the Russians, and small red spots could be discerned on the ground over which they had passed.

Here and there the British redcoats could be distinguished fighting their way up the hillside; but the broken nature of the ground hid the larger number from sight, and it was impossible to discover how the battle was going.

Only at length it was seen that the banners of France occupied the ground where the Russians had before stood; still some time passed before they advanced.

The Turks remained below, which was a good sign, as it showed that their aid was not required.

Now, far away, the redcoats could be discerned scattered over the hillside.

Could it be that they were defeated?

No; just then a long thin line, like a scarlet thread, was seen amid the smoke, far, far away, moving up the slope, in one spot having a parti-coloured hue.

"Those must be the Guards and Highlanders," exclaimed Tom.

"My brother Sidney will be in for it; I hope he'll escape, poor fellow.

I wish I could be there to help him, if he gets wounded."

Onward advanced that thin unbroken line up the hill; the brow was reached, when there appeared in front of it a grey mass, which seemed like a square patch of withered grass on the greener herbage.

Many such patches were seen sending forth wreaths of smoke from their midst.

The midshipmen guessed rightly that it was a column of Russian infantry.

From the red column issued a sheet of flame and smoke; not for one moment did it cease.

Minutes went by; now that parti-coloured portion of the line reached the summit of the hill and moved on, smoke issuing from it as it moved.

The dark mass of the enormous Russian column began to recede before it, at length breaking and scattering in all directions.

The French, meantime, had disappeared, sweeping the enemy before them over the hill, till they were lost to sight.

The batteries, which had been pouring their shot down on their assailants, had ceased their fire, for those assailants had already stormed and captured them.

The English attack in front had been successful, and more troops, which had been kept in reserve, went streaming up the hill.

The whole British and French armies had not only gained the heights, but, as it seemed, were sweeping the Russians before them.

The rattle of musketry was now only occasionally heard; then came a few salvoes of artillery, and the fierce uproar which had raged for the last two hours almost ceased.

The slopes which partly faced the sea were the most visible, and on these could be seen numerous red spots--some strewn thickly together, others scattered more apart, marking the places where the Russian fire had carried death and wounds into the British ranks.

Still at that distance nothing clearly could be seen.

"It must be the case," cried Tom at length.

"Hurrah!

we've won, and the Russians are running away; you'll see that I'm right.

Now, my brother will be as anxious as I am to learn how it has fared with Sidney; I hope he's all right, poor fellow; but I am terribly afraid, with all that firing which has been going on so long, an immense number must have been killed."

The midshipmen, who had been allowed to retain their seats, were at length called down.

There was considerable excitement on board, everybody anxious to hear news from the shore, though no one doubted that a splendid victory had been gained.

They had not long to wait; the signal staff set up on shore was soon at work.

A complete victory had been gained, and it was requested that boats might be sent immediately on shore with hammocks on which to carry the wounded on board ship.

The appeal was quickly responded to.

Jack immediately ordered two of his boats to be got ready under the command of Higson, with whom he sent Tom and Archie, giving the two midshipmen permission to make their way on till they could find the Guards, to ascertain the fate of his brother.

Tom was delighted with the duty.

"Stay," said Jack; "you may find many poor fellows wounded, who will be the better for some brandy, and some may want water.

Take as much as you can carry; you'll not have more than is wanted, I fear."

Search was made for flasks, and each midshipman carried three, and two bottles of water.

Archie, with due forethought, also tore up two of his shirts, which he stuffed into his pockets.

Higson followed their example in carrying a supply of spirits and water.

Away the two boats pulled for the beach near the mouth of the Alma, where numerous others were already assembled.

For the first half-mile or so, after landing, there were few signs of the conflict, but in a short time they met parties of English and French soldiers carrying wounded men, most of them looking more dead than alive from loss of blood; while, as they advanced, they found numerous tents set up, in which the surgeons were already at work amputating arms and legs, and dressing the more severe wounds.

Where the conflict had raged the hottest, the surgeons, who had followed closely the advancing forces, were employed with tourniquets doing their utmost to stop the life-blood flowing from the veins of the wounded.

Although the two midshipmen had seen a good deal of fighting, they both turned sick as they gazed at the fearful wounds inflicted by the round-shot.