I am concerned to have to inform you, that Lieutenant-Colonel Tylden, of the Royal Engineers, whose services I have had the greatest pleasure in bringing so frequently to your Lordship's notice, is very severely wounded. The account I received of him this morning is upon the whole satisfactory, and I entertain strong hopes that his valuable life will be preserved.
I feel greatly indebted to Sir G. Brown for the manner in which he conducted the duties I entrusted to him; and my warmest acknowledgments are due to Major-General Harry Jones, not only for his valuable{519} assistance on the present occasion, but for the able, zealous, and energetic manner in which he has conducted the siege operations since he assumed the command of the Royal Engineers.
He received a wound from a grape-shot in the forehead yesterday, which I trust will not prove serious.
I brought up the 1st Division from the vicinity of Balaklava as a reserve, and I shall retain them on these heights.
The Sardinian troops, under General La Marmora, and the Turkish troops, under Omer Pasha, crossed the Tchernaya on the 17th instant, and occupy positions in front of Chorgouna. They have not come in contact with any large body of the enemy.
I have, c., Raglan.
GENERAL PELISSIER'S DESPATCH.
Head-quarters before Sebastopol, June 22.
Monsieur le Maréchal, — Since the capture of the external works on the 7th of June I had rapidly made every arrangement to make them the basis of our attack against the enceinte itself of Karabelnaia. We armed them with powerful artillery; the Russian communications and place d'armes were turned to our own use; the ground plan of attack studied in detail; the Allied armies had their respective tasks allotted to them. The English were to storm the Great Redan, and we were to carry the Malakoff Tower, the redan of the Careening Bay, and the intrenchments which cover that extremity of the faubourg. It is superfluous, M. le Maréchal, to point out to your Excellency what would have been the result of such an operation if it had succeeded. Since our last successes the attitude of the enemy and the enthusiasm of our troops promised victory. There was no time to be lost.
In concert with Lord Raglan, on the 17th we poured a crushing fire into Sebastopol, especially into the works we intended storming. At an early hour the enemy ceased replying from the Malakoff and from the Redan. It is probable they were economizing their batteries and fire, and that they did not suffer so much from the effects of our artillery as we were led to presume.
However that may be, the superiority of our guns confirmed us in our plan for making an assault on the 18th, and on the night before we made all the necessary arrangements for a general movement on the morrow.
Three divisions were to take part in the combat — the divisions of Mayran and Brunet, of the 2nd corps; the Division d'Autemarre of the 1st. The division of the Imperial Guard formed the reserve.
Mayran's division had the right attack, and was to carry the intrenchments which extend from the battery of the point to the redan of Careening Bay.
Brunet's division was to turn the Malakoff on the right.
D'Autemarre's division was to manœuvre on the left to carry that important work.{520}
General Mayran's task was a difficult one. His First Brigade, commanded by Colonel Saurin, of the 3rd Zouaves, was to advance from the ravine of Careening Bay as far as the aqueduct, to creep along the left hill side of the ravine, avoiding as much as possible the fire of the enemy's lines, and to turn the battery of the point by the gorge.
The Second Brigade, commanded by General de Failly, was to make an attempt on the right of the redan of Careening Bay. They were provided with everything necessary to scale the works.
The special reserve of this division consisted of two battalions of the 1st Regiment of the Voltigeurs of the Guard.
All these troops were ready at their post at an early hour. Brunet's division had one of its brigades in advance and to the right of the Brancion Redoubt (Mamelon), the other in the parallel in the rear and to the right of that redoubt.
A similar arrangement was made as regards D'Autemarre's division — Niol's brigade in advance and to the left of the Mamelon; Breton's brigade in the parallel in the rear.
Two batteries of artillery, which could be served à la bricole, were placed behind the Brancion Redoubt (Mamelon), ready to occupy the enemy's positions in case we succeeded in carrying them.
The division of the Imperial Guard, forming the general reserve of the three attacks, was drawn up in a body in the rear of the Victoria Redoubt.