On November 4, four companies of the 2nd Battalion, the Earl of Errol’s, Hammond’s, Fyers’ and Colville’s, under Major Bradford (Major Norcott being sick), proceeded to the heights of Balaklava.
On the morning of Sunday, November 5, an hour before daybreak, the alarm was sounded through the English camp. The greater part of the 1st Battalion had just returned from the trenches, and were still accoutred, though wet through; for it had rained the previous day, all through the night, and even then there was dense damp fog, with frequent showers. As they were passing the head of the ravine, a bugle was heard sounding in camp, which these men at first fancied to be the usual parade horn. It proved however to be the ‘assembly.’ The remainder of the Battalion was soon under arms, and moved towards the fight, which the rattle of musketry and the roar of guns told them was going on, at the head of the 4th Division under Sir George Cathcart.
In like manner General Codrington, the first to give the alarm, turned out the Light Division, and the 2nd Battalion assembled at once. Three companies only were on parade, one wing having gone on the previous day, as we have seen, to the heights of Balaklava, and Captain Forman’s company being in the five-gun battery. Of these three companies, one had just come in after being twenty-seven hours in the trenches. However they at once advanced, and General Codrington having placed his brigade on the Victoria ridge, these Riflemen extended along the left bank of the Careenage ravine on the extreme left of the line. Soon after they took up their position a column of Russians, part of Soimonoff’s force, advanced up the Careenage ravine, and after opening fire on the Riflemen, attempted to ascend its left bank; but Captain Elrington, with two companies of the 2nd Battalion, at once attacked them, and drove them down at the point of the bayonet; they retreated by the bottom of the ravine, and did not again make their appearance in that part of the fight. In this attack a Rifleman named Hewitt, having put on a greatcoat and cap late the property of a Russian soldier deceased, followed the retreating Muscovites down the ravine, and picked off a number of them. He narrowly escaped however being shot by his own comrades. This man, as well as a brother in the same Battalion, afterwards died in the Crimea. This repulse occurred at the very beginning of the Russian attack. These companies under Elrington lost 5 men killed and 10 wounded in this gallant affair.[239]
Meanwhile the 1st Battalion were advancing with Cathcart towards the scene of the fight. As they approached the end of the English line, manifest tokens of the battle greeted them. The rattle of musketry in front, indeed apparently on every side; dead lying about, and wounded carried by; and tents thrown to the ground by the fire of the enemy’s guns. On their arriving at the heights of Inkerman, where General Pennefather was maintaining a hard and unequal fight, Sir George Cathcart handed over to him the 1st Battalion which he so much esteemed, telling him that he had brought him ‘a Battalion which could do anything.’ Pennefather riding up to Lieutenant-Colonel Horsford, who was in command of the Battalion, and paying it a high compliment, informed him that he was hard pressed on the left of the centre ravine, and wished a reinforcement sent there. The three leading companies were immediately detached for that purpose under Major Rooper who deployed them into line below the crest of the hill. They soon were confronted by a Russian column, part of Dannenberg’s force. They were at a short distance, and the Riflemen halted and opened fire. For a short time the enemy returned their fire, then began to waver and eventually to retreat, hotly pursued by the Riflemen, who drove them down into the Quarry ravine. Those of them who were wounded, or who had not made good their escape into the ravine, were in a state of extreme terror, and called upon the Riflemen on their knees and with clasped hands raised in prayer to spare their lives.[240]
Soon after Rooper’s wing had been thus sent forward, the remaining three companies under Horsford moved to the right, deployed into line, and advanced to the Kitspur, and thence by the head of St. Clement’s gorge they fought their way to the Barrier. On their way they opened their files to allow stragglers and wounded to pass through, and two companies of the Guards who were then retiring. Finding themselves without support, and their ammunition beginning to fail, they halted. But eventually both wings, that under Horsford which had worked round from the right, and that under Rooper, were posted at the Barrier. From thence Horsford with some men in extended order skirmished along the right bank of the Quarry ravine. About half-past twelve, Captain Somerset, who had been obliged to go to Head-quarters on account of ill-health, with much difficulty found his way to the front, and joined a party of the Battalion whom he found in rear of the two-gun battery under Ensign Brett.[241] Soon Lieutenant Morgan brought him a message from Colonel Horsford that he wished to collect all the Battalion in front at the Barrier. Accordingly he brought up these men and joined Horsford under the ridge. During this terrible conflict many of the Riflemen fought independently, or by twos and threes. Sometimes they found themselves mixed up with men of other regiments, the mistiness of the day and their being all in greatcoats rendering it not always easy to distinguish their comrades. Some few Riflemen under Tryon joined the 57th Regiment in resisting an attack on the ridge. The Riflemen got cover where they could among the scrub oak on the rocks. Some of them running short of detonating caps took them from dead Russians, and these, though large, exploded their rifles. These Riflemen getting cover in the brushwood on the left of the Barrier picked off the gunners of the Russian battery on the Shell hill.
About this period of the fight Colour-Sergeant Higgins,[242] collecting some thirty men of No. 2 company, formed them up on the left of the French division, and with them drove the Russians down the ravine.
Later in the day, and towards the close of the fight, Horsford with the remains of the Battalion, advanced from the Barrier, and pushed up the Shell hill to where a Russian battery had stood. Ascending the hill, almost hand to hand with the enemy, these Riflemen fixed bayonets and charged, driving the Russians from the ridge, on whose retiring masses they kept up fire. Four tumbrils with ammunition remained in their hands; but the Russians had withdrawn the guns.
The Battalion, or the remnant of it, remained extended on the heights till about nine at night, when being relieved by picquets of the 2nd Division it marched to camp.
No. 2 company was brought out of the field in command of the Colour-Sergeant (Higgins), who indeed had been in charge of it from the time its Captain (Cartwright) had been killed.
The 2nd Battalion, after Elrington’s exploit in the morning, continued posted on the left of Codrington’s force on the Victoria heights. They kept up fire on the Russians on the opposite height (Mount Inkerman) whenever they came within range. Some Russian riflemen having come into the Careenage ravine and as far as the Magazine caves, took shelter there, and while the companies on the hill kept up a constant fire as often as they showed themselves, to prevent their emerging or escape, some of the Battalion descended into the ravine and made them prisoners. Three companies only of this Battalion were engaged, Elrington’s, Inglis’ and Newdigate’s, mustering about 150 rifles. Forman’s company was in the five-gun battery; and the other four companies were at Balaklava.