The Russians had been living in caves and holes dug beneath the batteries, and they quickly came to the defence of the fort. The struggle was terrible and bloody in the extreme. Often when the Zouaves had taken a traverse they were hurled back; only, however, to rest for a minute, and again to dash in.
Meanwhile MacMahon's forces had stormed the place from the eastern face, and broken in at the rear of the traverses. Attacked thus, both in front and rear, soon the whole was in possession of our French allies.
But again and again Russian reserves were hurried up to retake this fort. But all in vain; and so, seeing the hopelessness of the attempt, Gortschakoff finally caused his troops to retire.
This fearful tulzie had lasted for four hours, and deeply and dearly had the brave Frenchmen paid for their victory, over 3,000 having been killed and wounded.
The brigades sent against the Little Redan and the Curtain were not so successful; for though they stormed and took the first lines of these works, they found other lines of defence stretching behind, and these were so strongly defended by the Russian field batteries and by the ships, that the French were decimated, and obliged at last to withdraw to their trenches, which by this time were crowded with their wounded. So ended the chief French attacks.
* * * * *
But how about our own attack upon the Redan? The question must be faced. It is asked; let it be answered. We were beaten. Certainly we may put the blame on the mismanagement of the attack, and on the forces and difficulties against us. And we can point to the bravery of our soldiers and sailors in crossing the open space, amidst a feu d'enfer of grape shot, round shot, case, and musketry. We even got into the work; but the reserves did not come to time, and so we retreated—I fear not in the best of order—suffering as much in the retreat as in the advance.
Had not the French spiked the guns in the Malakoff which commanded the Redan, but turned them against that fort, things might have ended in a different way.
As soon as possible after regaining their trenches, the British, beaten out of the Redan, recommenced their fire against that fort. The capture of it was postponed till next day, when, English regiments having failed to dispose of it, Sir Colin Campbell and his brave and indomitable Highlanders were to have had a chance. Being myself a Scot and a Celt, may I be forgiven, even by those of my readers who dwell south of the Tweed, for believing that the kilties would have been a little more successful?
The left wing of the French, I should inform the reader, failed in all their attacks on the flanking works of the Central Bastion, and were finally ordered by General Pelissier to desist in their fruitless efforts.