On the evening of the 17th orders were issued to the 4th Division that it should attack the proper left face of the Redan. The 1st Battalion furnished 100 men under the command of Captain the Hon. James Stuart,[257] with Lieutenants Boileau and Saunders,[258] to act as a covering party. They were to get as near the works as possible and to pick off the Russians if they showed themselves above the parapet while the storming party advanced. This party left the camp at a quarter after one in the morning of the 18th, and occupied the trench round the Quarries until daybreak. But instead of issuing from the trench at once in extended order, they were moved down to the left, and passing a narrow opening between two rifle-pits, began to extend on the enemy’s side of the cover afforded by the parapet of the trench. As soon as they appeared the enemy poured grape and canister, and opened musketry fire on them from the parapet of the Redan. The Riflemen were mown down like grass, but pushing on to the right advanced followed by the crew of the ‘Leander’ carrying the scaling ladders. Boileau, sword in hand, and shouting out ‘Come on, Rifles!’ gallantly led on his party, and endeavoured to get them below the line of fire from the guns. But these brave men, not being supported, were eventually obliged to withdraw. They had got up to an abattis in front of the Redan and lay close under it until the middle of the day. For unfortunately they did not discover in time that the attack had failed; and there seemed no possibility of their crossing the open ground between their then position and the trenches in broad daylight without immense loss. Happily for them a sand-storm swept across the ground about mid-day; and screened by that they retired, regained the trenches, and returned to their camp.
The remainder of the Battalion, under Colonel Norcott, left camp about an hour after the covering party and occupied the trenches in front of the Redan, but were not moved out against the enemy.
The Light Division was directed to storm the right face of the Redan. And the 2nd Battalion furnished a ladder party of 100 men under Captain Blackett; a woolbag party of the same number under Lieutenant Fremantle;[259] a covering party of the same number under Captain Forman; and a working and gabion party under Colonel Macdonell. The attack was led by Captain Forman, who was killed. But these parties were only supported by the 34th Regiment; thus this attack likewise failed, and the troops were recalled and returned to their respective camps.
In the 1st Battalion Lieutenant Boileau was wounded, and died at Malta on August 1; one sergeant (Jerram) and 7 men were killed; and 11 men were wounded. And in the 2nd Battalion, besides Captain Forman, 2 sergeants and 23 rank and file were killed; and Captain Blackett (who lost his leg), Lieutenants Knox (who lost his arm) and Fremantle were severely wounded; and 3 sergeants and 75 rank and file were wounded.
At night the enemy made a general attack on the English lines; but were repulsed without any loss in the Regiment.
When parties were sent out to collect the dead on the 19th (a flag of truce having come in at four P.M.) the body of Sir John Campbell, who had led the attack of the 4th Division, was found inside the abattis; and that of Private Flannery of the 1st Battalion was found close to the ditch, and twenty yards in advance of where Sir John lay.
At night the cemetery was occupied and a communication carried down to it from the caves.[260]
On June 30 Lieutenant Woodford of the 2nd Battalion was wounded when on duty in the trenches, and died on the same day.
On July 3 Captain Fyers was coming off picquet in the advanced works with about 400 men. They were retiring by a zig-zag which by some oversight of the Engineers was directly enfiladed by a Russian gun. As soon as the men were well in the boyau a round shot was fired, which, bounding along, knocked down 13 men, of whom 8 were killed or died of their wounds.[261] The wounded were removed by Fyers, Colour-Sergeant Kemp, and some soldiers of another regiment who came to their assistance. The rest of the men turned into another zig-zag not exposed to this fire. The ball after this destructive course ran along the boyau and stopped against the bank of the parallel, a dead ball.[262]
On July 3 the body of Lord Raglan, Commander-in-Chief, who died on June 28, was conveyed on a gun-carriage to Kazatch bay, and was embarked on board the ‘Caradoc’ and taken to England. A party of 100 men of each Battalion accompanied his remains to the place of embarkation.