as 320. These reinforcements
were the first sent out to mitigate the hardships the British Army
underwent during a campaign that the genius of Todleben and the
fortitude of his courageous garrison rendered far more protracted and
costly than had been anticipated.

[Illustration: THE HOUSE IN WHICH GENERAL GORDON WAS BORN, ON
WOOLWICH COMMON.]

CHAPTER II.

THE CRIMEA, DANUBE, AND ARMENIA.

Charles Gordon reached Balaclava on New Year's Day, 1855. He found
everyone engaged in foraging expeditions, that the siege of Sebastopol
excited no interest, that the road from the bay to the hill was like a
morass, and that a railway to traverse it was being slowly laid down.
Gordon remained about three weeks at Balaclava assisting in the
erection of huts, and in the conveyance of some of them to the front.
When this task was accomplished he was himself ordered to the
trenches, where his work could not fail to be more exciting and also
more dangerous than that upon which up to this he had been engaged.

Before following him it will be useful to summarise the leading events
that had taken place in the Crimea up to this date. War between
England and France on the one side, and Russia on the other, was
finally declared in March 1854, the allied forces landed in the Crimea
early in September 1854, and the first battle was fought on the Alma
stream on the 20th of that month. In that battle 60,000 allied
troops--20,000 English, 40,000 French--attacked 120,000 Russians in a
strong and well-chosen position. The result was a brilliant victory
for the allies, and there is no doubt that it was mainly won by the
dashing attack of the English Infantry. The losses were--French, 60
killed and 500 wounded; English, 362 killed and 1620 wounded, thus
furnishing clear evidence as to the force which bore the brunt of the
engagement. The Russian loss was computed to be not less than 6000, or
double that of the allies.

As the allied forces advanced towards Sebastopol the Russian Army
assumed the offensive. The brilliant and never-to-be-forgotten Cavalry
charges on 25th October, of the Light and Heavy Brigades, under
Cardigan and Scarlett respectively, at Balaclava in the valley that
stretched at the foot of the hills overlooking the bay of that name,
had not merely vindicated the reputation of English horsemen for dash
and daring, but had done something--at excessive cost, it is true--to
clear the advance for the whole army. When the R