he Russians having
directed all their efforts against them. Our loss is supposed to
be 1000 killed and wounded. Nearly all our working party had to
be taken for fighting purposes. The attacking columns were 200
strong; one went to the right, and the other to the left of the
Quarries. The reserve consisted of 600 men. The Russians fought
desperately."

A further week was occupied with a heavy but desultory bombardment,
but at last on 17th June what is known as "the fourth bombardment"
proper began, and after it had continued for about twenty-four hours,
orders were given for the assault to be made by the French on the
Malakoff and the English on the Redan on the 18th June, a date ever
memorable in military annals. The silence of the Russian guns induced
a belief that the allied fire had overpowered theirs, and in
consequence orders for the attack were given twenty-four hours sooner
than had been intended. Kinglake, in his exhaustive History, has shown
how this acted adversely on the chances of the assault, because the
Russian gunners had really only reserved their fire, and also
especially because the Redan, which we had to attack under the
original arrangement between Lord Raglan and General Pelissier, had
hardly suffered any damage from the bombardment. General Gordon's long
account of this memorable assault will long be referred to as a
striking individual experience:--

"I must now commence my long story of our attempted assault. To
take up my account from 14th June, which was the last letter I
wrote to you, Seeley, my fellow-subaltern at Pembroke, arrived on
the 15th, and joined the right. On the evening of the 16th it was
rumoured we were to commence firing again in the morning. I was
on duty on the morning of the 17th, and I went down at half-past
two A.M. At 3 A.M. all our batteries opened, and throughout the
day kept up a terrific fire. The Russians answered slowly, and
after a time their guns almost ceased. I mentioned in my report
that I thought they were reserving their fire. [If this view had
only been taken by the Generals, especially Pelissier, a dreadful
waste of life would have been averted, and the result might have
proved a brilliant success.] We did not lose many men. I remained
in the trenches until 7 P.M.--rather a long spell--and on coming
up dined, and found an order to be at the night attack