at twelve
midnight on June 17 and 18. I was attached to Bent's column, with
Lieutenants Murray and Graham, R.E., and we were to go into the
Redan at the Russians' right flank. Another column, under Captain
de Moleyns and Lieutenants Donnelly and James, R.E., was to go
in at the angle of the salient; and another under Captain Jesse,
Lieutenants Fisher and Graves, was to go in at the Russian left
flank. We passed along in our relative positions up to the
advanced trench, which is 200 yards from the Redan, where we
halted until the signal for the attack should be given from the
eight-gun battery, where Lord Raglan, Sir G. Brown, and General
Jones were.

"About 3 A.M. the French advanced on the Malakoff Tower in three
columns, and ten minutes after this our signal was given. The
Russians then opened with a fire of grape, which was terrific.
They mowed down our men in dozens, and the trenches, being
confined, were crowded with men, who foolishly kept in them
instead of rushing over the parapet of our trenches, and by
coming forward in a mass, trusting to some of them at least being
able to pass through untouched to the Redan, where of course,
once they arrived, the artillery could not reach them, and every
yard nearer would have diminished the effect of the grape by
giving it less space for spreading. We could then have moved up
our supports and carried the place.

"Unfortunately, however, our men dribbled out of the ends of the
trenches, ten and twenty at a time, and as soon as they appeared
they were cleared away. Some hundred men, under Lieutenant
Fisher, got up to the abattis, but were not supported, and
consequently had to retire.

"About this time the French were driven from the Malakoff Tower,
which I do not think they actually entered, and Lord Raglan very
wisely would not renew the assault, as the Redan could not be
held with the Malakoff Tower in the hands of the Russians.
Murray, poor fellow, went out with the skirmishers of our
column--he in red, and they in green. He was not out a minute
when he was carried back with his arm shattered with grape.
Colonel Tylden called for me, and asked me to look after him,
which I did, and as I had a tourniquet in my pocket I put it on.
He bore it bravely, and I got a stretcher and had