Right attack.—Private William R. Collings—killed.
2nd corporal Harry B. Smith—wounded severely in right leg.
Lance-corporal Edward McGinn—wounded severely in the back.
Lance-corporal Joseph Finch—wounded slightly in right knee.
Private John Delany—wounded slightly in the face.
Private John Lloyd—wounded slightly in right leg.
Collings, Smith, McGinn, Delany, and Finch, had been repairing platforms on the left of the second parallel, which being in a serviceable condition, they thought to relieve the suspense of the temporary leisure with a whiff of tobacco. Lighting their pipes they had scarcely begun to feel the comfort of the luxury when a shell bursting knocked down the whole of them. Collings struck in the heart fell dead and a second shell tearing through the parapet buried the lifeless man under a pile of earth and stones. McGinn for a time was ignorant of the injury he had received and was only made conscious of it by feeling a weight at his back and strange sensations of fainting.
Next night the sappers were mainly employed repairing the different batteries and filling up shot-holes and gaps in the parapets and revetments. An incessant musketry fire followed them wherever they went, but the shelling was unimportant. On the left attack, private Lancaster had charge of the work in the double sap. He had with him seven men of the 9th regiment, and another party was employed in the rear filling sandbags to permit the advance to proceed unchecked. As these were brought to the front, the linesmen assisted Lancaster to throw the earth over the parapet and also to load some biscuit bags for the purpose of superadding them to the revetment. While filling one of the bags a shell plunged among the party and with its splinters killed two and wounded five. Lancaster strangely enough escaped. He threw himself down at the instant close to the half-filled bag, and when the shell burst he was only stunned. As soon as he had recovered himself and saw the havoc committed among his assistants, he went into the parallel for help; and on returning received a slight bayonet thrust from one of a party of men who in haste were retreating from the rear of the sap. The whole of the workmen laboured through the darkness with praiseworthy activity, especially the parties under corporals Cray[[192]] and McEachran, to whom much credit was given for their exertions and example in coolly entering the broken embrasures and replacing the damaged gabions and sandbags with old powder barrels or any other means which could at the moment be obtained. The stricken gabions, turned with their best sides to the front to form the cheeks, were picketed down to insure their steadfastness. Almost all the embrasures in No. 16 battery were mended in this way, and McEachran not to be outdone in the work even gathered some of the broken gabions from the open, and while the fire was warm on the battery built them with much tact and as much exertion into the cheeks. On the right the masked approach to No. 19 battery was thrown down and a ramp rapidly formed for the passage of the guns. As soon as they were hauled through, the gorge was remasked with gabions. One sapper and ten men effected this operation. The succeeding day private Michael McNamara, a firm soldier under fire, was killed by a round-shot while eating his dinner. The ball carried away part of his head.
Immediately after completing No. 15 battery, corporal Hill was directed to oversee by day the miners working in the right demi-parallel of the left attack, which swept in a curve over the edge of the hill, and dropping down its side crossed the Woronzoff road. Under his charge a portion of this trench on the crest of the ravine was converted into No. 17 battery for two guns. As the principal materials for forming it were obtained by quarrying, the construction was difficult and arduous. The revetments were chiefly of stone. Large gabions filled with fragments of rock faced the embrasures, and the soles were bevelled outwards from the necks to admit the guns being sufficiently depressed to fire down the ravine. A magazine for gunpowder and shot was hollowed out of the rock under the parapet, and two traverses were built to protect the gunners from the cross fire of the Malakoff. Constantly were the workmen annoyed by musketry. Shells fell so truly at times that they even burst on the platforms, but the steady miners, habituated to danger, never quitted their labours. Just finished was the work when its overseer, losing the use of his limbs from exertion and exposure, was relieved on the 20th August from the fatigues he had sustained so well during the siege.
On the 21st lance-corporal William Jenkins was slightly wounded in the right knee. Such however was his spirit he would not leave the front. Exposed to so many hazards in “repairing embrasures and platforms under the most severe fire of the enemy,” and present in so many sorties and bombardments it was a wonder he escaped with so insignificant a reminiscence of his exploits. At different times no less than four furious shots have flown through his huge legs without affecting his composure or staying the exertions of his strong arm.[[193]] Herculean in stature and strength he was acknowledged by officers and men to be a brave man and competent and quick in every work. Master carpenter of the left attack he was every day in the trenches from the 1st of May, and was considered even by his comrades to be one of the most unexceptionable sappers among the rank and file. As a recognition of his useful and gallant exertions he was decorated with a “distinguished service” medal, and granted a gratuity of 5l.[[194]]