The order to move forward was then given. A battalion
of the Algerian troops led the way, marching in column
of subdivisions. They left behind their white turbans,
and wore only the scarlet fez; their blue open jackets,
and blue vests, with yellow embroidery, their trousers
in ample folds, of the same colour, contracted only at
the waist and in the leg, where the yellow feather
greaves and white gaiters covered them, their bare necks,
their light elastic tread, all presented a perfect picture
of manly ease and activity. Their swarthy, and in many
instances jet-black countenances, beamed with
excitement and delight: they gave vent to their feelings in
exclamations which only those versed in African warfare
are familiar with; and seemed with difficulty to restrain
themselves to the measured tread of the march.....
Altogether, about 12,000 men went by in this division.
Groups of men belonging to the two brigades of the
British Light Division, some fully equipped, some half
dressed, for parading previous to taking their part in the
British right attack, ran and assembled on each side of
the sloping hills forming the commencement of the
ravine, and greeted each regiment as it passed with loud
cheers. The French officers and men, joining heartily,
returned the salutation. Soon after the 7th Regiment
had passed, a battalion of the Imperial Guard
marched forward, apparently picked men, and followed
the attacking columns.

"It was a little after five o'clock when the first
battalion of Chasseurs passed down the gorge which leads
towards the plateau crowned by the Mamelon. Just
about this time, General Pennefather arrived with his
staff; when the air rang with hurrahs, caps flew up, and
whenever he stopped for a moment he was surrounded
by the soldiers, who seem to love him like a father. As
the cheering did not cease, he winked as if to ask them
to listen for a moment, and then said, smiling, 'Leave
the cheering till you have taken the place;' which was
succeeded by other cheers, and cries of 'We will take
it,' and 'Never fear us.'

"The French went up the steep to the Mamelon in
most beautiful style and in loose order; and every
straining eye was upon their movements, which the
declining daylight did not throw out into bold relief. Still,
their figures, like light shadows flitting across the dun
barrier of earthworks, were seen to mount up unfailingly
—were seen running, climbing, scrambling like
skirmishers up the slopes on to the body of the work, amid
a plunging fire from the guns, which, owing to their
loose formation, did them as yet little damage. As an
officer who saw Bosquet wave them on said at the
moment, 'They went in like a clever pack of hounds.'
In a moment some of these dim wraiths shone out clear
against the sky. The Zouaves were upon the parapet
firing down into the place from above; the next
moment a flag was up as a rallying point and defiance,
and was seen to sway hither and thither, now up, now
down, as the tide of battle raged round it; and now
like a swarm they were in the heart of the Mamelon,
and a fierce hand-to-hand encounter, here with the
musket, there with the bayonet, was evident.....
Twice the Russians made head against the current; for
they had a large mass of troops in reserve, covered by
the guns of the Round Tower. Twice they were forced
back by the on-sweeping flood of French, who fought
as if they had eyes upon them to sketch the swift event
in detail. For ten minutes or so, the quick flash and
roll of small-arms had declared that the uncertain fight
waxed and waned inside the enclosure. Then the
backdoor, if one may use a humble metaphor, was burst
open. The noise of the conflict went away down the
descent on the side towards the town, and the arena
grew larger. It was apparent by the space over which the
battle spread the Russians had been reinforced. When
the higher ground again became the seat of action—
when there came the second rush of the French back
upon their supports, for the former one was a mere
reflux or eddy of the stream—when rocket after rocket
went up ominously from the French General's position,
and seemed to emphasize by their repetition some very
plain command—we began to get nervous. At last,
through the twilight, we discerned that the French
were pouring in. After the interval of doubt, our ears
could gather that the swell and babble of the fight was
once more rolling down the inner face of the hill, and
that the Russians were conclusively beaten. 'They are
well into it this time,' says one to another, handing over
the glass."

The desperate impetuosity of the French attack is
described in another letter. "The arrangements had been
made for taking and securing the large redoubt on the
Mamelon hill, but it was not intended to go further at that
moment. Such, however, was the impetuosity of the
troops, such the excitement of the officers and men at
their first success, that they could not resist the pursuit of
the Russians on the one hand, or the attempt to storm the
Malakhoff itself. Between the Malakhoff and Mamelon
hills is a deep saddle-like hollow. Across this saddle,
dipping down towards the right of the Malakhoff hill, is
the ordinary way of communication between the Marine
suburb and Mamelon. In this direction the Russian
troops took their flight, and these and their pursuers
were soon lost to sight behind the ridge. But the great
body of the French troops moved straight across the
saddle and mounted the Malakhoff hill. The Russians,
aware of their danger, poured down a heavy fire upon
the assailants from the batteries, and apparently brought
field-pieces so as to take them in flank. In spite of
these, the French still mounted, and at last were seen
to reach the abattis work drawn around the hill. So
short a distance was this from the lower tier of batteries,
that the Russians could no longer depress guns
sufficiently to bear upon them; and, standing upon the
parapets they were seen to throw large stones, besides
keeping up a heavy musketry fire, against the French.
The French had evidently met with a difficulty they
could not conquer; they were observed to be looking
on all sides for an opportunity of advancing, but yet
were unable to move on. Presently a sudden sense of
their dangerous position seemed to seize them, and they
retired back towards the Mamelon. The Russians by
this time had assembled their reinforcements behind
the Malakhoff works, and as the French were moving
along the dip of the saddle towards the Mamelon, these
troops were seen to come up in a dense mass, pouring
a heavy flanking fire against our allies. At the same
time they came within range of the guns of the works
around the Malakhoff Tower, (the Korniloff Bastion,)
which, notwithstanding the shower of the shell and
rockets from our batteries, kept up a galling fire against
the French as they retired. Some confusion ensued:
the Russians followed the French into the Kamstchatka
redoubt, and the latter were next compelled to evacuate
it. That was a time of deep anxiety for all who were
watching the engagement. But confidence was again
resumed when the French, who had descended the
Mamelon hill, were seen to be steadily reforming in the
Russian trenches which surrounded its base. Up they
went again, sending a shower of balls among the
Russians, who were now in crowds covering the parapets.
The redoubt was fringed with smoke and flames
from the fire of the Russian rifles against the French as
they mounted the hill, and the hill-side was covered
with the fire of the assailants. It was now a few
minutes before eight o'clock; a dense bank of black
clouds rested on the horizon, and the sun had just
sunk behind it. The Russians made for some time a
gallant resistance; but in vain; as the French mounted
they were seen to waver, and just as the French reached
the parapets, they leaped down and retired. Our allies
were again masters of the Mamelon Vert. In vain the
shipping in the harbour, the guns from their batteries
on the west side of Careening Bay, and some on the
north side of the roadstead, tried to drive them away.
The guards were thrown out, and the working parties
speedily set to work to turn the redoubt against its late
possessors."

No event of importance took place till the 18th, when
a combined attack was made on the Redan and the
Malakhoff Tower, and proved unsuccessful. No detailed
account of this unfortunate affair has as yet been given,
though official lists of killed and wounded have been
published. It appears that the Redan was attacked by
the English and the Malakhoff by the French. The check
experienced by the allies commenced with the springing
of a mine by the Russians at a moment when the assailing
columns were on the point of establishing themselves