394
JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.
Left Attack.
1855.
July 23, Night.8 F.H. to 2 A.M,
A party of thirty men were employed in No. 16battery, carrying on the traverse, and throwing theearth to the front. A party of 30 men were employedin No. 14 battery, thickening the parapet, making alook-out place, and removing sandbags from embra-sures, &c. A party of 30 men were employed in theright demi-parallel, improving the cover, &c. A partyof 20 men were employed in the communication v tothe Cemetery, building up wall for miners, and clear-ing the trench. A party of 40 men were employed inimproving the cover in the centre approach jj 1 to thefifth parallel. A party of 40 men were employedin extending the trench. This party I extended,at intervals apart, over the 96 yards between thetrench already excavated and a rifle-screen j 2 , as itwas too light to work tlicro, so ns to form a continuoustrench. A party of 100 of the Naval Brigade extendedthe trench from No. 2 battery to No. 16 battery 80yards.
The sentries were pushed well over the crest of thehill, and observed no movement of the enemy in thevalley.
The Royal Artillery brought four guns into No. 14battery. The enemy seem to have detected themwhile bringing in the last gun, as they pitched twolight-balls immediately after, and shelled the road.
Killed, 2 rank and file. Wounded, 5 rank and fde.
Day very fine. Wind N.E. Thermometer in theshade 89°.
Right Attack.
10. The enemy were unusually quiet during thewhole of this day, and did not attempt to molest ourworking parties by shot or shell, as they have of latebeen in the habit of doing.
: WobkingPabtv.
! t . f 200 men.
j Line .... | 300 n
i Sappers ... 24 „
! Office,-on duty ^Ca|GD E Moietks,
1. Right approach m to fifth parallel, improvingcover ; there is at present cover sufficient for two-thirds of the way, to allow men to be put in during theday; 200 men.
2. Fifth parallel, 200 men, improving cover, re-versing old Russian trench, throwing earth over wall.The portion to be reversed extends across a smallravine about 70 yards.
3. New 2-gun battery, No. 20 in Quarries, formingparapet, 50 men.
4. Fixing Russian wooden loopholes in fifth pa-rallel, so as to bear on left flanks of Redan; six fixed;10 men.
5. Fourth parallel, improving cover on extremeright, 40 men.
The working parties worked very well, and therewas no difficulty in obtaining them, and they came atthe appointed hour.
The enemy fired a great deal during the night,chiefly shells, and caused about 10 casualties amongthe working parties, chiefly in the party throwingearth over the masonry wall in the fifth parallel.
In the Right approach m to this parallel the lastthird of the way is over solid rock.
In places the earth has been taken off the surface for30 feet back from the gabions. It will be necessaryto obtain the required height of parapet by sandbags.The Russian work into which this approach leadsappears to have been a very large rifle-pit, the terre-pleine of which was sunk about six feet below thelevel of the ground, and a six-foot parapet builtbesides. In the exterior are three huts, about 12 feetsquare, sunk into the ground, and with a flat roof,covered with six or eight inches of earth and sodwork. A trench leads down from it towards the Russian works. In this trench the enemy had apicquet, whichfired on the field officer, who was examining theground previous to placing his sentries. They killed
1855.
July 23, Night.
81 P.M. to 2 A.M.
91 P.M. to 2 A.M.