My Lord, — I had the honour to apprise your Lordship in my despatch of the 4th instant, that the Engineer and Artillery Officers of the Allied Armies had laid before General Pelissier and myself a report recommending that the assault should be given on the 8th instant, after a heavy fire had been kept up for three days.
This arrangement I agreed to, and I have to congratulate your Lordship on the glorious results of the attack of yesterday, which has ended in the possession of the town, dockyards, and public buildings, and destruction of the last ships of the Russian Fleet in the Black Sea. Three steamers alone remain, and the speedy capture or sinking of these must speedily follow.
It was arranged that at twelve o'clock in the day the French columns of assault were to leave their trenches, and take possession of the Malakoff and adjacent works. After their success had been assured, and they were fairly established, the Redan was to be assaulted by the English; the Bastion, Central, and Quarantine Forts, on the left, were simultaneously to be attacked by the French.
At the hour appointed our Allies quitted their trenches, entered and carried the apparently impregnable defences of the Malakoff with that impetuous valour which characterizes the French attack; and, having once obtained possession, they were never dislodged.
The Tricolor planted on the parapet was the signal for our troops to advance.
The arrangements for the attack I entrusted to Lieutenant-General Sir William Codrington, who carried out the details in concert with Lieutenant-General Markham.
I determined that the second and light divisions should have the honour of the assault, from the circumstance of their having defended the batteries and approaches against the Redan for so many months, and from the intimate knowledge they possessed of the ground.
The fire of our artillery having made as much of a breach as possible in the salient of the Redan, I decided that the columns of assault should be directed against that part, as being less exposed to the heavy flanking fire by which this work is protected.
It was arranged between Sir W. Codrington and Lieutenant-General Markham that the assaulting column of 1,000 men should be formed by equal numbers of these two divisions, the column of the light division to lead, that of the 2nd to follow. They left the trenches at the preconcerted signal, and moved across the ground preceded by a covering party of 200 men, and a ladder party of 320. On arriving at the crest of the ditch, and the ladders placed, the men immediately stormed the parapet of the Redan, and penetrated into the salient angle. A most determined and bloody contest was here maintained for nearly an hour, and although supported to the utmost, and the greatest bravery displayed, it was found impossible to maintain the position.
Your Lordship will perceive, by the long and sad list of casualties, with{531} what gallantry and self-devotion the officers so nobly placed themselves at the head of their men during this sanguinary conflict.
I feel myself unable to express in adequate terms the sense I entertain of the conduct and gallantry exhibited by the troops, though their devotion was not rewarded by the success which they so well merited; but to no one are my thanks more justly due than to Colonel Windham, who gallantly headed his column of attack, and was fortunate in entering, and remaining with the troops, during the contest.
The trenches were, subsequently to this attack, so crowded with troops that I was unable to organize a second assault, which I intended to make with the Highlanders under Lieutenant-General Sir Colin Campbell, who had hitherto formed the reserve, to be supported by the third division under Major-General Sir William Eyre. I, therefore, sent for these officers, and arranged with them to renew the attack the following morning.
The Highland Brigade occupied the advanced trenches during the night. About eleven o'clock the enemy commenced exploding their magazines, and Sir Colin Campbell having ordered a small party to advance cautiously to examine the Redan, found the work abandoned; he did not, however, deem it necessary to occupy it until daylight.
The evacuation of the town by the enemy was made manifest during the night. Great tires appeared in every part, accompanied by large explosions, under the cover of which the enemy succeeded in withdrawing their troops to the north side by means of the raft-bridge recently constructed, and which they afterwards disconnected and conveyed to the other side.
Their men-of-war were all sunk during the night.