Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/246

 220 liATTLK OF TIIK ALMA. CHAP, iiisinoro, find Ilngli Aiinesley* and 13 sergeants, '• were wonnded ; and of tlic rank and fde 17 were killed and 137 wounded. Ti.e Wlien Colonel Hood consented to move forward oiwrds."^'^ liis battalion against the colunm just defeated by Lacy Yea, he at once caused his men to ascend the bank which had hitherto sheltered it ; f and, as soon as the battalion was on the top, its left wing began to incur a good deal of fire from men acting with the Vladimir column. Burgoyne, carrying one of the colours, was w^ounded ; and, the charge of the colours then devolving on Lieu- tenant Robert Hamilton, he also in the ne.xt minute was struck down by shot ; but he quickly rose from the ground, recovered las hold of the standard, and w^as able to carry it to the end of Tiieir the battle. Under this fire, the battalion dressed Uie'sioj'Io! its ranks with precision, and marched forward in faultless order.| This perfect order it kept till its left wing encountered some of the clusters of courat^e and composure with wliieh Annesley bore liis dreadful wound. A musket-shot had entered his jaw, and passed, tear- ing its way through the moutli. The wound was of such a kind that it seemed as lliough nothing but death coukl be of use to him. Yet lie was not only uneoiiijilaining, but able to think and act for others. + Colonel Hood had not failed to seize the precious opportu- nity which was offered to liis battalion by the sheltering steep- ness of the bank. In a private letter he writes: 'Under the ' steej) bank of the river, we closed in to our centre ; and to 'this manoeuvre our after-success was mainly attributable.' J 'We formed in perfect and compact order on the toj) of the • bank, and then advanced steadily up the intrenched position.' —Colonel Hood, private letter.
 * It happened tome afterwards to see and wonder at the higli