THE ASASULT. HI DAY OF THE ASSAULT. Saturday, Septemhcr s. The weather changed suddenly yesterday, and this morning it became bitterly cold. A biting wind right from the north side of Sebastopol blew intolerable clouds of harsh dust into our faces. The sun was obscured; and the sky became of a leaden wintry grey. Early in the morning a strong force of cavalry, under the command of Colonel Hodge, received orders to move up to the fi'ont and form a chain of sentries in front of Cathcart'shill, and all along our lines. No person Avas allowed to pass this boundary, excepting staff ofKcers, or those provided with a pass. Another line of sentries in the rear of the camps was intended to stop stragglers and idlers from Balaklava, the object of these arrangements being in all probability to prevent the Russians gathering any intimation of our attack, from the imusual accumulation of people on the look-out hills.
If so, it Avould have been better to have kept the cavalry more in the rear, and not to have displayed to the enemy a line of Hussars, Lancers, and Dragoons, along our front. At 11*30 the Highland Brigade, under Brigadier Cameron, marched up from Kamara and took up its position in reserve at the Right Attack, and the Guards, also in reserve, were posted on the same side of the Woronzofl'-road. The first brigade of the Fourth Division served the trenches of the Left Attack the night before, and remained in them. The second brigade of the Fourth Division was in reserve. The Guards, who served the trenches of the Left Attack, and only marched oat that morning, were turned out again after arriving at their camp, and resumed their place with alacrity.
The Third Division, massed on the hill-side before their camp, were also in reserve, in readiness to move down by the Left Attack in case their services were required. General Pelissier, during the night, collected about 30,000 men in and about the Mamelon, to form the storming columns for the IMalakhoff and Little Eedan, and to provide the necessary reserves. The French were reinforced by 5000 Sardinians, who marched up from the Tchernaya last night. It was arranged that the French should attack the Malakhoif at noon, and, as soon as their attack began, we were to assault the Redan. Soon afterwards, strong columns of French were, I vuiderstand, to make a diversion on the left and luenace the line of the Bastion du Mat, Ccntrale and Quarantine Bastions; but I do not believe it was intended by General Pelissier to operate serioiisly against tins part of the town, the possession of which, in a military point of view, would be of minor importance to that of the Malakholf.
The cavalry sentries were posted at 8'30 a.m. At lO'oO a.m. the Second and the Light Division moved down to the trenches, and were placed in the advanced parallels as quietly and unostentatiously^ as possible. About the same hour, CJcneral Simpson and staff repaired to the second parallel of the Green-hill Battery, where the Engineer-ofBcei's had placed them for the day. Sir Harry Jones, too ill to move hand or foot, nevertheless insisted on being carried down to witness the assault, and was borne to the trenches on a litter, in which he remained till all was over. It was, as I have said, a bitter cold day, and a stranger would have been astonished at the aspect of the British Generals as they viewed the assault.
The Commander-in-Chief, General Simpson, sat in the trench, with his nose and eyes just facing the cold and dust, and a great coat drawn up about his head to protect him against both. General Jones wore a red nightcap, and reclined on a litter, muffled up in clothes, and Sir Eichard Airey, the QuartermasterGeneral, had a white pocket-handlierchief tied over his cap and ears, and fastened under his neck, which detracted somewhat from a martial and belligerent aspect. The Duke of Newcastle was stationed at Cathcart's-hill in the early part of the day, and afterwards moved off to the right to the Pickethouse look-out over the Woronzoff-road. All the amateurs and travelling gentlemen, who rather abound here just now, Avere in a state of great excitement, and dotted the plain in eccentric attire, which revived olden memories of Cowes, and yachting, and sea-bathing.