The other six battalions charged our centre, and the battle continued for a time to rage along both sides of the road leading to Quarry Ravine. They caught it hot also, and soon their ranks, sadly thinned, were swept off the ground.
But where was the other general with the more pronounceable name, Pauloff? He was all too quickly to the fore. The broken and flying battalions of the slain General Soimonoff had joined Pauloff's first eight battalions at the head of the Quarry Ravine, and had formed in front of our right, their own right being across the road there, and their left on what was called the Sand-bag Battery. This was a battery that had been thrown up by General Evans in opposition to one that the Russians had constructed after the twenty-sixth of October. It had a parapet and two embrasures of sand-bags. But after having unshipped the enemy's guns, ours had been taken away. Well, this "Sand-bag Battery" was to-day the centre of terrible conflict, and was taken and retaken about half a dozen times in all.
As Pauloff's regiment on the right advanced towards the Barrier, one of the grandest and hottest charges of the day was made by the 30th. They were but 200 in all, but leaped the Barrier and dashed into the advancing foe, and although we had officers and men cut down—too many, alas!—the Russian regiment was hurled back towards Shell Hill and down the Quarry glen.
Then the other regiments were attacked with vim and vigour; the end of this part of the battle being the utter rout of Pauloff's army of 15,000 by little more than 3,000 dashing Englishmen.
Pauloff might easily have been excused for believing after this that our gallant fellows had large supports behind them.
A new battle, however, may be said to have begun at half-past seven o'clock, when General Dannenberg himself arrived. Pauloff's army was soon swelled again to 19,000.
Ours had been reinforced by the Guards, by men from the First Division batteries, and by Cathcart with 2,000 men from the siege works. But those troops of ours that had so bravely defended the Barrier had to fall back, overpowered by force of numbers. The Russians, however, were soon dislodged by the 63rd, the 21st, and Rifles. Ten thousand of Pauloff's troops now attacked our centre, Dannenberg himself assuming full command.
Dannenberg's first attack was on Adams, against whose poor brave 700 no less than 4,000 troops were hurled. The fight was desperate, the enemy now rushing on like demons. It raged about the slopes of the Fore Ridge and Sand-bag Battery. The Guards rushed now from the crest to the support of Adams, and again and again were the Russians hurled backwards with fearful slaughter; our fellows, however, not pursuing, but standing on the defensive, till back rushed the foe, only to meet further repulse and greater slaughter.
But when Cathcart came up, things assumed a different aspect; for this brave man, though possessed now of only 400 men—the rest being lent, so to speak, here and there over the field wherever needed—descended the slope to the right, and took the offensive. At first his attack was successful, and the enemy fled in confusion. But, alas! it ended in disaster; for a body of Russians had broken through our front, and descended on him from the very height he had quitted. His brave little corps was scattered, and only returned fighting in groups against fearful odds, and strewing the ground with their dead and wounded.
Alas! Cathcart himself was among the slain.