A Review of the Crimean War, to the winter of 1854-5

Front matter

Consented under the Adopt a Book Appeal Mr N B Moss & Mrs H Moss To Richard Hillebrand from the historians at WCHS J S Poll A REVIEW OP THE CRIMEAN WAR A REVIEW OF TITE CRIMEAN WAR, TO THE WINTER OF 1854-5. BY LIEUT.-COLONEL JOHN AD YE, C.B., LATE ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, ROYAL ARTILLERY. Si vis pacem, para bellum. The long preparation required for any military enterprise, is the chief difficulty in the art of war. — Times, December, 1855. LONDON: HTJEST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, SUCCESSORS TO HENRY C0LBURN, 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1860. JOHN GUILDS AND SON, PRINTERS.

Preface

. The following notes, relative to the Crimean War, were writ ten chiefly in 1857, with a view to publication, but owing to my having been suddenly ordered from England for service in India, they were necessarily laid aside for the time. I had hoped that a return home would, by giving me access to official documents, and other means or references not available in this country, have enabled me to render my narrative more full and complete. My official duties, however, detain me in India, and I have, accordingly, decided on publishing my notes as they are, believ ing that, although they att'ord but an imperfect sketch of the events of the Crimean Campaign, they still give correct information on many points hitherto much misrepresented. JOHN ADTE, Lieut. -Colonel, R. A. Madras, November, 1859. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

England unprepared for war — Effects of a long peace — No large standing army — Time required to prepare an army for the field — Necessity of large reserves of men exemplified — Also of an educated staff' — Remarks on transport — 20,000 men sent to the East — Their unfit condition for the field — Sanguine hopes of England disappointed. Page 1 — 10

Chapter II

Strategic view of the War on the Danube — Views of the Emperor Napoleon — The Allies go to Varna — The Russians raise the siege of Silistria — Allies determine to go to the Crimea — English difficulties at Varna in transport — Futile attempts to remedy them. Page 11 — 19

Chapter III

The expedition to the Crimea decided on — Views of the English Ministry — Want of information as to the strength of Russians — Differences of opinion at Varna — Causes of delay in the departure of the expedition — Details of embarkation. Page 20—28

Chapter IV

Discussions as to the place of landing— Views of the French— St. Arnaud's indecision— Old Fort decided on. Page 29—34 COKTEWTS. VI

Chapter V

The disembarkation — Unopposed by Menschikoff— Remarks upon Bazancourt's history of the war — The Allies march along the coast — Arrival at the Bulganac — Slight skirmish. Page 35—40

Chapter VI

Battle of Alma — Description of the ground, and of the Russian position — The plan of attack discussed — Reasons against moving inland — Causes of delay at the commencement — Bosquet's division climb the heights — Slight opposition — Canrobert and Prince Napoleon attack the centre — The Russians retreat — English divisions deploy — Field batteries in action — The line advances — Lord Raglan crosses the. river — Orders up guns to flank the Russian columns — Movements of Adams' brigade — General Pennefather's brigade at the bridge — Severe fighting — Advance of the light division — They cross the river — Their ranks broken — Advance up the slopes — Terrific fighting — Buller's brigade forms square — Codrington's brigade storms the great battery — Fearful loss — Is driven back — Advance of the Guards — Final retreat of the Russians — Mr. Russell's account of the battle— His criticism of Sir George Buller — His erroneous opinions of Lord Raglan's abilities — Advantages of fighting in line — Small amount of ammunition expended — De Bazancourt's errors pointed out — Cause of detention at the Alma — Remarks on the Ambulance corps — Casualties in the army. Page 41—64

Chapter VII

Allies advance on Sebastopol— Cross the Katcha and Belbec— No opposition— Panic of the enemy— The flank march— Memorandum of Sir J. Burgoyne— The advantages of this strategic movement— Skirmish at Mackenzie's farm— The English CONTENTS. VII arrive at the Chernaya— Capture of Balaclava — Slight opposition — St. Arnaud is succeeded by General Canrobert — Lord Raglan's abilities — His bad treatment. Page 65 — 72

Chapter VIII

Preparation for the siege of Sebastopol — Slight nature of the land defences — Arguments relative to an immediate assault — The Allies change places — Bosquet's corps guards the flank — Siege train is disembarked — Want of transport — Activity of the enemy —The Malakoff the key of the position — Sir J . Burgoyne's proposal to attack it, negatived — The attack on the Bastion-du-mat decided on — The trenches are opened — Causes of the English batteries being so distant — Our weakness at Inkermann — Bombardment fixed for 17th October — The expected results — Lord Raglan's orders — Details of the armament — The Allied fleets invited to co-operate — Admiral Dundas objects — His reasons. Page 73 — 83

Chapter IX

Opening of the bombardment — Sanguine expectations — The Euglish demolish the Malakoff — The French siege-train too light — Suffers considerably — Great explosion in their trenches — They cease firing — English continue the contest — The fleets bombard the forts on the sea front — Details of casualties — The bombardment on the land front fails — Altered position of the Allies -The Russians unlimited in their resources — General Canrobert's opinions — Lord Raglan's — Causes of our failure — French resume of the first part of the siege — Slow progress of the Allies — Their ammunition gradually diminishing. Page 84 — 95

Chapter X

Description of the defences at Balaclava — The Turkish redoubts in the plain — Cause of their being constructed — Bosquet's position — Details of the position, and numbers of the Allies CONTENTS. in October — Battle of Balaclava — General Liprandi attacks and captures the Turkish forts — Nine guns taken — The Turks retreat on Balaclava — The enemy's cavalry advance — Steadiness of the Highlanders — Charge of the English Heavy Cavalry — Its complete success —The enemy retire — The 1st and 4th English divisions arrive in the plain — Lord Raglan's consecutive orders — His intention of recapturing the Turkish forts — Lord Lucan's accounts of the Light Cavalry charge — Discussion on the subject — The Light Cavalry charge down the valley — Their fearful losses — Gallant conduct of the Chasseurs d'Afrique — Sir George Cathcart retakes one of the forts — Arrangements for the permanent defence of Balaclava — Consequences of the battle — Balaclava unsafe -Addition to its garrison — Anxiety of Lord Raglan respecting it — Pre parations for evacuation — The " Sand-bag Battery" erected at Inkermann —Sortie of 26th October — Its object — General assault of Sebastopol ordered for the 7th of November. Page 96—115.

CHAPTER XL

Battle of Inkermann — Reasons why it was not intrenched — Description of the ground— Prince Menschikoff's plan of attack— General Soimonoff's mistake — Arrangements of the English at Inkermann, previous to the battle —Russian account of the commencement — English piquets driven back —2nd division turns out— Guards and light division support them — Soimonoff's columns storm the position — Heroic conduct of the Guards— Terrific fighting along the whole line — Soimonoff killed -His troops fall back— Pauloff's columns reneAv the battle— Movements of the 4th division — Sir George Cathcart proceeds to the right— Attempts to outflank the enemy— His death— Lord Raglan orders up 2 18-pounders —Death of General Strangways— Critical position of the English— Their ammunition failing— The Guards driven back —Russian account— The French arrive— The enemy at length retreat— Russian version of the causes of their defeat— Lord CONTENTS.

IX Raglan anxious to follow them— Hesitation of General Can robert — Remarks on the battle — Details of the numbers — Casualties — The Russian sortie on the left — The helpless condition of the Allies at the beginning of the winter — Re capitulation of their difficulties — Remarks upon the position of Lord Raglan — His great character not appreciated by the nation. Page 116—146

Chapter XII

Winter difficulties — Rapid decrease in the numbers of the English army — The reserves in England inadequate — Gale of the 14th November — Detail of ships lost — Cause of their being kept on the coast — General causes of the misfortunes of the winter of 1851 — Steps taken by Lord Raglan to meet them — Huts and shelter for horses — Winter clothing — Lord Raglan sends to Constantinople for supplies — Forage — 20 days' supply lost in the gale — Great mortality among the horses — Balaclava harbour — Its small size — Great difficulties of the staff — Lord Raglan's remarks on Balaclava — Colonel Tulloch's errors pointed out — The road from Balaclava — No men to make it — Sir de Lacy Evans's opinion — Colonel Tulloch's — Sir John Burgoyne's remarks — Transport — None at the commencement of the war — Futile attempts to improvise it — Quantity of ammunition required at the front — Fearful condition of the army — Details of the transport corps, when peace was signed — Speech of General Peel. Page 147—173

Chapter XIII

Effects of the public press on the w;u- — Their unjustifiable attacks on Lord Raglan — Specimens of the language used — The English nation misled — Lord Winchelsea's speech — The effects of the abuse of the press — Conduct of the English Ministry — Lord Raglan not properly defended — General Simpson's report on the Staff — Secrecy necessary in war — Examples of Russian secrecy — Newspaper correspondents in the X CONTENTS. English camp — Lord Winchelsea's opinion — Lord Raglan's representation to the Minister at War — The Duke of New castle speaks to the editors of the papers — Unsatisfactory result — Opinions of the Times on the matter, considered — The French views on the press — General la Marmora's orders on the subject. Page 174 — 196