Night 25th—Private John Miller—killed on the left attack. Was struck by the splinter of a shell, which carried away part of his head when superintending 20 men employed in repairing damages done by the Russian fire to the central boyau leading to the fifth parallel.
Day 26th—Lance-corporal Richard Pinch—slightly wounded by the bursting of a shell, while at work in the fourth parallel, left attack.
Night 26th—Private James Drummond—dangerously wounded on the right. It was excessively light during the night. Grape and shell swept over the trenches, and one of the latter on bursting broke his thigh. He died of his wounds.
Night 27th—Private Francis Collins—wounded in right thigh—right attack.
Night 27th—Private Roderick Stewart—wounded in right side—right attack.
Night 28th—Private Alexander Sparks—wounded slightly in the neck in the right advance trenches.
Day 29th—Private Robert Sharp—severely wounded in right leg, by the splinter of a shell, while cutting the shell-room in No. 17 battery, left attack.
Entertaining a predilection for sorties, the Russians attempted an attack on the night of the 2nd August, sending forth a small force to feel the way, intending, if access were readily attainable, to rush upon the quarries with powerful columns. Driving up the Woronzoff ravine, the enemy was brought to a stand by the iron chevaux-de-frise which crossed the valley and blocked up the road. Confused movements and the clanging of arms was heard by the British picket in the ravine, who, thus put on their guard, opposed the assailants with volleys of musketry, from which the Russians turned and ran into their works, leaving, however, the impress of their perseverance in the partial destruction of the chevaux-de-frise. During the sortie the fire by the besieged upon the right demi-parallel was very fierce. Five sappers and 45 men, altering its direction from a curvilinear trench to a straight one, held unflinchingly by their tasks and acquired much credit for their labours. Lance-corporal John Miller was killed on the right attack.
Sergeant Docherty went into the ravine after the Russians had retired to ascertain the extent of the damage. He passed along the entire length of the barricade. The centre was embedded in sand washed down by heavy rains. As it could not be readily dislocated, its spikes were stricken off by the enemy at the axis. Most of the chains which connected the tubes were wrenched from their staples, the flank pieces drawn aside, and gaps at intervals occurred along the line. There were only seven portions of the chevaux-de-frise left in a serviceable state, and such of the other tubes and spears as could not be borne away in the flight were broken with sledge hammers and scattered in fragments to wide distances over the ground. The sergeant’s little episode was not without its risks; for the ground was dangerous and the enemy’s picket-house near. While Docherty was busy ascertaining the extent of the demolition, the moon rose brightly above and he was perceived. One bullet after another whizzed in his direction and two of them perforated his greatcoat, but he cleverly eluded the Russian riflemen by creeping up a rut in the side of the ravine, which worn away by storm-flows, was sufficiently deep to cover him. On returning to the trenches he reported the result of his reconnaissance to the assistant engineer on duty, Lieutenant Jones of the 46th regiment.
Next day there were 97 sappers in the trenches of the left attack principally occupied in blasting hard ground in the advance saps. With the aid of line quarrymen, there were turned into the parallels at least 80 blasters at every relief. The non-commissioned officers superintending the miners on the 4th August were noticed in the official journal. Their names are here preserved, having as overseers superintended the formation of works which in after time, looking at the danger and extreme difficulty of their execution, may doubtlessly be held up as examples of extraordinary toil. These were second-corporals Robert Hanson, John Paul, and James Hill, all of whom received promotion for “conducting operations of the siege entrusted to them with ability and perseverance whilst under a constant heavy fire.” Speaking of the first Colonel Gordon of the engineers acknowledged, under date the 6th December, that he was one of the “most distinguished in the corps for bravery, and had just received a step of rank ”—that of corporal—“for very distinguished service in the field.” This eulogium had reference to his intrepid services on the left attack, from the beginning of May to the end of the siege, in conducting the blasting operations for forming the fourth and fifth parallels from the double sap to the cemetery. Hanson was an indefatigable man, uniting to a strong frame vigour of purpose and great energy, which led to his selection by Major Bent to be one of his standing overseers. Boring rock was a tedious and uninteresting sort of employment. It chafed many a brave spirit, who would have preferred the rash hazards of assault to the plodding exertions and quiet discretion of a resigned miner. Besides its hard difficulties it was attended with perpetual risks. The ringing of hammers on the jumpers boring the rock, and the rising clouds of smoke from the blasts, gave indications so certain that projectiles of all kinds, from the invisible Minié bullet to the raging shell, were directed against the quarriers. So greatly exposed were these parallels, especially on the crest of the ravine and in driving down its broken side, that the casualties were excessive. Still, though the working of them was one continued adventure, Hanson moving among his parties early and late, day after day without missing a tour, was never touched!