Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/142

 116 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. c II A r. I. force of lii<i;h mettle ; and it soon began that obstinate figlit of which we shall by-and-by hear — a fight destined with the Royal Fusiliers, des- tined to last from the commencement of the in- fantry engagement until almost the close of the battle. The storm- ing of the Great Uedoubt. XXII. AVith that part — the central part — of the ' five ' l)attalions' which had not been challenged by infantry, General Codrington was already moving up under the guns of the Great Eedoubt. He, indeed, had not waited for the moment when his whole brigade reached the top of the bank ; for, having gathered some knots of men on either side of him, he rode forward gently a few paces, then waited until he gained some increase of numbers, and then again moved on, thus canvas- sing, as it were, for followers, and gradually car- rying forward with him more and more of the troops. At first, he got on slowly ; for the bulk of our officers having had no order to dispense with formation, they judged, when they gained the top of the bank, that they ought to strive to form line bel'ore they advanced, and they were labouring to that end ; but when it came to be understood that an advance without formation was sanctioned by the generals or compelled by stress of events, the whole of the force, though clul)bed and broken into clusters of men, began to move up the gentle slope of the hill.