Keceived by the 50th of the line, the 3rd Zouaves, who charged them ■with the bayonet, and by the 82nd, which took them in flank, the enemy's columns were compelled to make a demivolte to recross the canal, and could only escape the fire of our artillery by getting out of range to rally. That division did not appear again during the day. In the centre, the struggle was longer and more desperate. The enemy had sent two divisions (the 12th supported by the 5th) against Traktir Bridge. JEany of their column rushed at once upon the bridge, and the temporary passages they constimcted with ladders, pontoons, and madriers. They then crossed the Tchemaya, the trench of our lines,and advanced bravely on our positions. But, assailed by Generals Faucheux and De Failly, these columns were routed, and the men recrossed the bridge occupied by the 95th, and were pursued bej'ond it by the 2nd Zouaves, the 97th of the line, and by a portion of the 19th battalion of Chasseurs a pied.
However, while the artillery was roaiing on both sides, the Eussians re-formed their columns of attack, the mist had cleared, and their movements became distinctly visible. Their 5th division reinforced the 12th, which had just been engaged; and the 17th was preparing to descend the heights of Tchouliou to support these two first divisions. General Herbillon then ordered General Faucheux to be reinforced by Cler's Brigade, and gave the 73rd as a reserve to General de Failly. Colonel Forgeot, moreover, placed four batteries of horse artillery in position, which gave him on this front a total of seven batteries to be brought to bear upon the assailing masses. The result was that the second attempt of the Russians, in spite of its energetic character, proved of no avail against us; and they were compelled to retreat with great loss.
The 17th Russian division, which had come down throwing out large bodies of riflemen as skirmishers, had no better success. Received with great resolution by General Cler's Brigade, and by a half battery of the Imperial Guard, harassed on the left by the troops of Tretti's Division, who pressed it closely, that division was compclL-J to recross the Tchernaya, DEFEAT OF THi; RUSSIANS. G7 and to fall tack behind the batteries of position v.'hich lined the heights froai which it had started. From this moment, 9 a.m., the defeat of the enemjwas inevitable. Their long columns withdrew as fast as they could, under the protection of a considerable body of cavalry and artillery. For a moment I felt inclined to order a portion of the cavalry to charge and cut down the remnant of the 17th Russian Division, between the Tchouliou and Traktir bridges.
With this object in view, I had prepared some squadrons of Chasseurs d'j\i'rique, who were joined by some Sardinian squadrons, and by one of General Scarlett's regiments, the 12th Lancers (from India); but the retreat of the Russians was so prompt that we could only have made a small nimiber of prisoners, and this fine cavalry might have been reached by some of the enemy's batteries still in position; I deemed it preferable not to expose it for so small a result. General De la IMarmora did not, moreover, stand in need of this support boldly to retake the advanced positions which his small posts occupied on the heights of Tchouliou. At three o'clock the whole of the enemy's army had disappeared. The Division of the Guard and Dulac's Division relieved the divisions engaged, as they stood in need of some re.st.
I sent back the first corps of Levaillant's Division, and the cavalry returned to its usual bivouack. This splendid action does the greatest honour to the infantry, to the horse artiller}^ of the Garde, to that of the reserve, and to the artillery of divisions. I wiU shortly ask yomExcellencj'- to place before the Emperor the names of those who have deserved rewards, and to submit to the approbation of his Majesty those which I may have awarded in his name. Our losses are doubtless to be regi-etted, but they are not in proportion to the results obtained, and to those we have inflicted upon the enemy. We have eight superior ofiicers wounded, nine subaltern officers killed, and fifty-three wounded; 172 non-commissioned officers and soldiers killed, 146 missing, and 1163 wounded.