396
JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.
Left Attack.
1SS5.
July 24, Wight.
8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
One Sapper and 10 men at No. 10 battery ; stepmade to support gabion of right cheek ; two Sappersand 10 men, No. 16 battery, No. 3 gun, three gabionsrevetted and sole sunk, earth on top of parapet thrownforward ; two Sappers and 20 men, right demi-parallel, clearing trench of stones left by miners, andan exterior revetment of 20 feet built up on rightepaulment next to Ravine ; six Sappers and 30 men,No. 14 battery, No. 1 gun, one gabion revetted, No. 2gun, three gabions revetted, No. 3 gun, two gabionsrevetted, Nos. 6, 7, and 8 guns revetted with fascinesabove gabions on cheeks, earth thrown forward ; fourSappers and 20 men revetting parapet of place-d’armes d in fourth parallel destroyed by round shot.
Two Sappers and 50 men in fifth parallelextended from extreme left to the right pit z 1overlooking WoronzofF Road, increasing cover ; twoSappers and 25 men improving cover of Rightapproach to fourth parallel ; two .Sappers and 30men in communication v to Cemetery, clearing trenchof loose stones, and building screen wall.
The enemy kept up a general fire of grape, shell,&c. throughout the night, along the whole front,which was well answered.
Wounded, 11 rank and file.
Day very fine. Wind N.E. Thunderstorm, withheavy rain, in forenoon. Thermometer in shade87 degrees.
Extract from Letter to the Assistant Adjutant-General, Fourth Division, from Col. ■
“ 24tli July 1855.
“ 1 would represent also the urgent necessity for abanquette in the fourth parallel and connectingtrenches. I unhesitatingly affirm, that in theirpresent state they are, comparatively to what theymight be, defenceless.
The banquette too requires, from the nature of theground, some construction that shall enable the
Right Attack.
14. The men are in the habit of sleeping on thenewly made banquettes in fourth parallel, conse-quently rendering them unfit for use. This would notoccur if a few precautionary measures were taken l>vthe officers in charge of the men.
1855.
July 24, irifht.
3 P.M. to 8 P.M.
91 P.M. to 2 A.M.
Working Parti.
Line . . . . £Sappers . . .OJJicer on duty
1st relief, 300 men.2d relief, 400 „
24 men.
Capt. Sediey, R.K.
Three brigades carpenters employed in generalsuperintendence.
Working parties of the Line employed as follows :
One hundred meu in the fifth parallel, makingbanquettes, &c. ; 20 men in the Quarry batteryNo. 20, in continuation of No. 17 battery, throwingup parapet, &c., and forming battery ; 10 menrepairing a magazine in the 21-gun battery ; 10 menmaking latrine, &c. in rear of Quarries ; 100 men inNo. 19 battery and communication n from thirdparallel ; 60 men thickening parapet in fourth
parallel, and filling sandbags, &c., to be used at night.
The men worked from 3.0 a.m. to 8.0 a.m. satis-factorily.
2d Relief.
From 9.30 i\m. to 2.0 a.m.— Three brigades ofSappers employed in general superintendence of'working parties.
Working party of the Line employed as follows :
One hundred men in the extreme light of fifthparallel, deepening a trench towards the RussianRavine on the right; 110 men, also in the fifthparallel, strengthening weak portions of parapet, andcarrying earth in baskets to places near wall parapets;200 men in the Right approach m between the fourthand fifth parallel and the adjoining part of fourthparallel, altering the direction of the approach,deepening and making it, &e.
The men did not commence work until about10.0 r.M. on account of the strong moonlight, and theexposed portions where they were required to work inthe advance, and as the enemy kept up a very heavyfire of grape and shell from 11.0 r.M. to nearly2.0 a.m. The working parties were so often disturbedthat I cannot report the extent of work done as much,but still I do not attribute blame to any one.
In conclusion, I have to report that I received only400 men as a working party instead of 500, and those