Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/223

 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. 197 fovd the river below the bridge,* and at a ]Kut chap. where the water was deep. It encountered a good ^" deal of difficulty in crossing. Some men were Advance drowned, but the rest gained the bank on the Russian side of the stream and moved forward. Evans rode across the stream at a point between the 47tli and the two battalions of Pennefather's brigade. With these two battalions (the 30th and the ofthesoth: 55th regiments) General Pennefather was present in person. Colonel Hoey, commanding the SOtli, needed no order to advance. Understanding the business of war, he had already gained a lodg- ment for his battalion under the farther bank of the river, and was plying the Eussian artillery- men with rifle fire when he observed that the enemy's batteries suddenly slackened their fire. He inferred the change that was coming ; and at once caused his men to spring up the bank, formed them carefully on the top, and then, hav- ing his battalion in a beautiful line, marched straight up towards the site of the Causeway batteries. When the 55th was approaching the Alma, ofuiesotii. General Pennefather had desired that the battalion should advance in line ; but after forming two or three groups which were immediately struck down by the enemy's shot, he allowed its commander miners (who had been posted near for the purpose) had cftVctu- ally destroyed the bridge ; luit this was an error. When our people obtained the dominion of it, they found the parajiet wanting, but the bridge itself sound.
 * The encniy seems to have imagined that liis sappers ami