The next time they fired was with round shot; and as I retreated up the road, to obtain shelter behind one of the hills, one of these knocked a wounded Zouave to pieces before my eyes. In the rear of the hill there was a party of about 500 Russian prisoners en bivouac. jMany of them were wounded; all were war-worn, dirty, ill-clad, some in rags, others almost bootless. The French sentries who guarded them seemed to commiserate the poor fellows, but two or three of their own officers, who sat apart, did not look at them, but smoked their cigars with great nonchalance, or talked glibly to the French officers of the fortune of war, <fec. In a short time I returned to the pout, and saw General Simpson and a few staff-officers descending from the Sardinian position, whence they had watched the battle.
They were on their way to head-quarters, but Captain Colville, always of an inquiring turn of mind, turned back with me, and we rode over the bridge. The French were, however, obdurate, and would not let us cross the tete-de-pont, as we were en pleuri poHee of the guns posted behind a white scarp on a hillock on the opposite side. We could see that the Sardinians had recovered their old ground, and occupied the height from which their advanced posts were driven early in the day. Further, we could see the Russian cavalry, but the great mass of infantry was in full retreat; and at nine o'clock the road to j\Iackenzie fiirm was thronged with a close column of thirst^-, foot-sore, beaten Russians.
The aspect of the field, of the aqueduct, and of the river, was horrible beyond description; — the bodies were closely packed in parties, and lay in files two and tliree deep, where the grape had torn through the columns. For two daj's the bodies rotted on the ground which lay beyond the French lines, and the lirst Eussian burying party did not come down till the 18th, when the stench was so very great, that the men could scarcely perform their loathsome task. Eead died early in the battle; and the Russians lost every officer in command of an attacking column. Their total loss was, we estimated, at from 12,000 to 15,000 men. CHAPTER IX. Effects of throe days' fire — Rumours of an assault — Preparations — Superiority of the Encjlish fire over that of the French — Loss sustained by the Englisli during the bombardment — Rumoured discontent among the Russians — Questions put by tlie jirisoncrs taken at the 'Ichernaya — Russian loss — Altered appearance of tlie Rtdan and the MaLakholf — Clever })lan of the Kaval Brigade — Rumours of another attack on the line of the Tchernaya — The French soon make themselves at home — Indisposition of Sir Harry Jones — The French and Russians open a furious fire — Rapid turn-out of the troops — Fruitless efforts of the Russians to throw shot into the English camp.
Camp befoue Sebastopol, August 20. The fire which opened at daybreak on Friday continued the whole of Saturday and yesterday, but slackened this morning by order. I should not wonder if it were to be again increased to-night, in order to favour the progress of the French works. This has already been considerable, and the French seem duly sensible of the service our cannonade has rendered them. It has enabled them, I heard a French officer say on Saturday evening, to do in four hours what they previously could not have done in fifteen days. I believe that the three da3's' fire has enabled them to do what they otherwise would probably never have done. Their foremost parallel, which had been begun at the two ends, could not be completed, owing to its near proximity to the MalakholF.
As soon as a gabion was put up, a storm of projectiles was hurled against it and the Avorking party. This dhhculty has now been surmounted, and the extremities are connected. I understand that good progress was made last night, and that they are enlarging the trench so as to admit of its containing more men. Opinions are divided as to the plan of attack that Avili be observed. Some think that without pushing their works beyond the point at which they have now arrived, the French will give the assault; and a report is prevalent in oiu* camp that a British division (the Light, it is rumoured) wUl share with them the peril and honour. Others suppose that they will sap up to the Malakhotf itself, blow ap the parapet, and assault amid the confusion consequent on the explosion.