executed a most brilliant charge against the enemy's
cavalry.

"Besides this, and while Lord Raglan established
two divisions of infantry before the port, I caused all
the men that I could spare from my first division to
descend to the foot of the front slopes of our position.

"Things were in this state, and the day already far
spent, when the English Light Cavalry, 700 strong, led
away by too much ardour, charged vigorously the whole
mass of the Russian army.

"This impetuous charge, executed under a cross-fire
of musketry and artillery, produced at first great
confusion among the enemy's ranks, but this troop, hurried
away too far from us, suffered considerable loss. After
having sabred the gunners of two batteries it was forced
to return, weakened by the loss of 150 men.

"During this time my brigade of Chasseurs d'Afrique,
which was in the plain on the left of the English
cavalry, was eager to get to its assistance, and did so by
a bold manœuvre, which was much spoken of, and
which consisted in attacking on the left a battery of
guns and some battalions of infantry, which it forced to
retreat, and thus stopped a murderous fire which had
been kept up on the English. In this affair we lost
about 20 men killed and wounded, two of whom were
officers. The loss on the enemy's side was considerable,
and he suffered our Chasseurs to effect their retreat in
good order and without molestation.

"The night supervened to put an end to the combat.

"The day after the Russians made a sortie from the
place, and towards Inkermann attacked the division of
Sir De Lacy Evans, which covered the siege works.
Received by a crushing fire, and with that solidity which
is peculiar to our allies, the Russians left on the ground
more than 300 dead, and found themselves chased to the
outskirts of the town, losing in their flight about 100
prisoners.

"This short and smart affair was most brilliant, and
has certainly compensated for the painful incidents of
the day before."

The London Gazette of the 17th instant contains
further despatches from Lord Raglan, dated the 31st of
October and the 3rd instant. On the 27th of October
Lord Raglan issued a general order to the troops,
communicating to them the following despatch from
the Duke of Newcastle conveying her Majesty's gracious
approbation of the gallant conduct of the army at the
battle of the Alma:

"War Department, 10th Oct., 1854.

"My Lord,—Major Lord Burghersh arrived here
early in the morning of the 8th instant, and delivered
to me your lordship's despatch of the 23rd ultimo,
communicating the details of the glorious and important
victory on the banks of the Alma, which your
telegraphic despatch, received on the 1st of this month,
had already led me to anticipate.

"I lost no time in submitting to her Majesty your
lordship's able and interesting description of this great
conflict, and it is now my gratifying duty to express to
your lordship the sense which the Queen entertains of
the valuable service which you have rendered to this
country, and to the cause of the allies, and the high
approbation which her Majesty has been pleased to
express of the brilliant gallantry of the forces under
your command, their discipline—worthy of veteran
soldiers—and their irresistible resolution, which no
disadvantages of position could subdue.

"The Queen commands me to convey through your
lordship her Majesty's commendation and thanks to
Lieutenant-General Sir George Brown, the other
generals of divisions, and to all the officers, non-
commissioned officers, and privates of the army, who have
on this occasion revived the recollection of the ancient
glories of the British arms, and added fresh lustre to the
military fame of England.

"Her Majesty feels additional pleasure in thus
recognising the noble daring of her soldiers, and
sympathising in their victory, when she reflects that
that courage has been evinced, and those triumphs won
side by side with the troops of a nation whose valour
the British army has in former times admired and
respected in hostile combat, but which it has now for
the first time tested in the generous rivalry of an
intimate brotherhood in arms. Her Majesty trusts that
the blood of the two nations so profusely shed on the
banks of the Alma—a subject of deep regret to herself
and her people—may consecrate an alliance which shall
endure for the benefit of future generations when the
remembrance of this battle-field is hallowed by gratitude
for the consequences, as well as the glories, of victory.

"Within the compass of a despatch your lordship
has comprehended every detail which is necessary to
render intelligible the plan of operations agreed upon
by Marshal St. Arnaud and yourself, and the mode in
which that plan was carried out by the ability of the
officers and the bravery of the men of the allied armies.
On one subject alone you are silent—your own
distinguished service. To this, however, others have
borne witness, and her Majesty is profoundly sensible
that, if her army has shown itself worthy of its ancient
renown, its commander has proved himself able to uphold
it, and has fulfilled the prediction written forty years
ago by him under whom he learned the art of war, and
whose loss we still mourn, that he would 'become an
honour to his country.'

"I am instructed by her Majesty to express to your
lordship the very sincere sorrow which she has
experienced from the perusal of the long list of gallant
officers and men who have been either killed or severely
wounded in this memorable engagement. Such a
victory could not be attained without a heavy loss, and
there is every reason to believe that no disposition of
your forces would have entailed a less sacrifice, and at
the same time obtained a result so decisive that it may
be hoped much future bloodshed will be prevented.
Her Majesty trusts that such of her subjects as have
been plunged in grief by the loss of relatives and friends
will find some consolation in the reflection that those
who have not survived to share in the triumph of their
comrades have fallen in a just cause, and their names
will henceforth be inscribed in the annals of their
country's glory.

"The Queen will be most anxious to receive such
further despatches from your lordship as may tend to
relieve the affectionate anxiety of the friends of the
wounded, and her Majesty trusts that a very large
proportion of these brave men may before long be
restored to the ranks of your army, and may enjoy in
future times of peace the well-earned honours of their
gallant exertions.

"The patience with which the regimental officers and
men bore, without a murmur, the unusual privations to
which they were necessarily subjected after they landed
in the Crimea, has elicited her Majesty's warmest
sympathy and approval. Their sufferings from disease
before that time were such as might have subdued the
ardour of less gallant troops, but have in their case only
proved that in the hour of battle they remember nothing
but the call of duty.

"Your lordship's cordial acknowledgment of the
invaluable service rendered by Sir Edmund Lyons and
the officers and seamen of the Royal Navy will be as
highly appreciated as it is justly deserved by those
gallant men. Deprived of an opportunity of vindicating
their ancient prowess against a fleet which refuses to
take the sea, they have rendered every assistance in
their power to the operations of the army, and their
noble conduct on the field of battle, where they soothed
the sufferings of the wounded, and performed the last
sad offices to the dead, will ever be remembered to their
honour, and bind still more indissolubly the bonds
which have long united the military and naval service
of the Queen."

In answer to this communication from the Minister
of War, Lord Raglan, in his despatch of the 31st of
October, says:—

"My Lord Duke,—Adverting to that part of your
Grace's despatch of the 10th inst., in which it is stated
that her Majesty will be most anxious to receive such
further accounts from me as may tend to relieve the
affectionate anxiety of the friends of the wounded,
I have the honour to acquaint your grace that the
Inspector-General of Hospitals has reported, from
personal observation, that the majority of the wounded
are making satisfactory progress, although there is too