in the plain, with the exception of a part of a battalion
of detachments composed of weakly men, and a battery
of artillery belonging to the Third Division; and on
the heights behind our right were placed the Marines,
obligingly landed from the fleet by Vice-Admiral
Dundas. All these, including the Turkish troops, were
under the immediate orders of Major-Genetal Sir Colin
Campbell, whom I had taken from the First Division
with the 93rd.

"As soon as I was apprised of this movement of the
enemy, I felt compelled to withdraw from before
Sebastopol the First and Fourth Divisions, commanded
by Lieutenant-Generals his Royal Highness the Duke
of Cambridge and the Hon. Sir George Cathcart, and
bring them down into the plain; and General
Canrobert subsequently reinforced these troops with the
First Division of French infantry and the Chasseurs
d'Afrique.

"The enemy commenced their operations by attacking
the work on our side of the village of Camara, and
after very little resistance carried it.

"They likewise got possession of the three others in
contiguity to it, being opposed only in one, and that
but for a very short space of time.

"The furthest of the three they did not retain, but the
immediate abandonment of the others enabled them to
take possession of the guns in them, amounting in the
whole to seven. Those in the three lesser forts were
spiked by the one English artilleryman who was in
each.

"The Russian cavalry at once advanced, supported
by artillery, in very great strength. One portion of
them assailed the front and right flank of the 93rd,
and were instantly driven back by the vigorous and
steady fire of that distinguished regiment, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Ainslie.

"The other and larger mass turned towards Her
Majesty's heavy cavalry, and afforded Brigadier-General
Scarlett, under the guidance of Lieutenant-General the
Earl of Lucan, the opportunity of inflicting upon them
a most signal defeat. The ground was very unfavourable
for the attack of our Dragoons, but no obstacle was
sufficient to check their advance, and they charged into
the Russian column, which soon sought safety in flight,
although far superior in numbers.

"The charge of this brigade was one of the most
successful I ever witnessed, was never for a moment
doubtful, and is in the highest degree creditable to
Brigadier-General Scarlett and the officers and men
engaged in it.

"As the enemy withdrew from the ground which
they had momentarily occupied, I directed the cavalry,
supported by the Fourth Division, under Lieutenant-
General Sir George Cathcart, to move forward, and
take advantage of any opportunity to regain the
heights; and, not having been able to accomplish this
immediately, and it appearing that an attempt was
making to remove the captured guns, the Earl of Lucan
was desired to advance rapidly, follow the enemy
in their retreat, and try to prevent them from effecting
their object.

"In the meanwhile the Russians had time to reform
on their own ground, with artillery in front and upon
their flanks.

"From some misconception of the instruction to
advance, the Lieutenant-General considered that he
was bound to attack at all hazards, and he accordingly
ordered Major-General the Earl of Cardigan to move
forward with the Light Brigade.

"This order was obeyed in the most spirited and
gallant manner. Lord Cardigan charged with the
utmost vigour, attacked a battery which was firing
upon the advancing squadrons, and, having passed
beyond it, engaged the Russian cavalry in its rear; but
there his troops were assailed by artillery and infantry
as well as cavalry, and necessarily retired, after having
committed much havoc upon the enemy.

"They effected this movement without haste or
confusion; but the loss they have sustained has, I
deeply lament, been very severe in officers, men, and
horses, only counterbalanced by the brilliancy of the
attack and the gallantry, order, and discipline which
distinguished it, forming a striking contrast to the
conduct of the enemy's cavalry which had previously
been engaged with the heavy brigade.

"The Chasseurs d'Afrique advanced on our left and
gallantly charged a Russian battery, which checked its
fire for a time, and thus rendered the British cavalry an
essential service.

"I have the honour to enclose copies of Sir Colin
Campbell's and the Earl of Lucan's reports.

"I beg to draw your Grace's attention to the terms in
which Sir Colin Campbell speaks of Lieutenant-Colonel
Ainslie, of the 93rd, and Captain Barker, of the Royal
Artillery; and also to the praise bestowed by the Earl
of Lucan on Major-General the Earl of Cardigan and
Brigadier-General Scarlett, which they most fully
deserve.

"The Earl of Lucan not having sent me the names of
the other officers who distinguished themselves, I
propose to forward them by the next opportunity.

"The enemy made no further movement in advance,
and at the close of the day the brigade of Guards of the
First Division and the Fourth Division returned to their
original encampment, as did the French troops, with
the exception of one brigade of the First Division, which
General Canrobert was so good as to leave in support of
Sir Colin Campbell.

"The remaining regiments of the Highland Brigade
also remained in the valley.

"The Fourth Division had advanced close to the
heights, and Sir George Cathcart caused one of the
redoubts to be occupied by the Turks, affording them his
support, and he availed himself of the opportunity to assist
with his riflemen in silencing two of the enemy's guns.

"The means of defending the extensive position which
had been occupied by the Turkish troops in the morning
having proved wholly inadequate, I deemed it necessary,
in concurrence with General Canrobert, to withdraw
from the lower range of heights, and to concentrate our
force, which will be increased by a considerable body of
seamen, to be landed from the ships under the authority
of Admiral Dundas, immediately in front of the narrow
valley leading into Balaklava, and upon the precipitous
heights on our right, thus affording a narrower line of
defence."

The following is the report of Sir Colin Campbell,
referred to in the above despatch:—

                     "Camp Battery No. 4, Balaklava, Oct. 27.
Sir,—I have the honour to inform you that on the
morning of the 25th inst., about 7 o'clock, the Russian
force which has been, as I already reported, for some time
among the hills on our right front, debouched into the
open ground in front of the redoubts Nos. 1, 2, and 3,
which were occupied by Turkish infantry and artillery and
were armed with seven 12-pounders (iron). The enemy's
force consisted of 18 or 19 battalions of infantry, from
30 to 40 guns, and a large body of cavalry. The attack
was made against No. 1 redoubt by a cloud of
skirmishers, supported by eight battalions of infantry and
16 guns. The Turkish troops in No. 1 persisted as long
as they could, and then retired, and they suffered
considerable loss in their retreat. This attack was followed
by the successive abandonment of Nos. 2, 3, and 4
redoubts by the Turks, as well as of the other posts held
by them in our front. The guns, however, in Nos. 2, 3,
and 4 were spiked. The garrisons of these redoubts
retired, and some of them formed on the right, and some
on the left flank of the 93d Highlanders, which was
posted in front of No. 4 battery and the village of
Kadikoi. When the enemy had taken possession of
these redoubts, their artillery advanced with a large
mass of cavalry, and their guns ranged to the 93rd
Highlanders, which, with 100 invalids under Lieutenant-
Colonel Daveney in support, occupied very insufficiently,
from the smallness of their numbers, the slightly-rising
ground in front of No. 4 battery. As I found that
round shot and shell began to cause some casualties
among the 93d Highlanders and the Turkish battalions
on their right and left flank, I made them retire a few
paces behind the crest of the hill. During this period
our batteries on the hills, manned by the Royal Marine
Artillery and the Royal Marines, made most excellent
practice on the enemy's cavalry, which came over the
hill ground in front. One body of them, amounting to
about 400 men, turned to their left, separating