Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/100

 78 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. chap. Campbell's means of defence were materially - aided by Barker's field-pieces, already in battery upon convenient groimd near the hillock, as well as by a portion of the batteries constituting the inner line of defence, and especially, it seems, by a battery of two heavy guns under the command of Lieutenant Wolfe. The advance of the Eussians soon brought their artillery to a ground within range of Campbell's small force ; and, two of the Highlanders, besides some of the Turks, being wounded by the fire then opened, Campbell sought to give his men shelter. He therefore moved them back to the foot of the hillock which their ranks had hitherto crowned, and caused them there to lie down. Preparing for such an eventuality as that of the gorge being forced, he despatched Colonel Sterling to Balaclava with orders to see the commander of a vessel which lay in the harbour and apprise him of the pending attack* squadrons Meanwhile the main body of the Bussian horse advan- cavalry continued to advance up the North the g gorge. Valley ; but some squadrons detached themselves from the mass, and came shaping their way for the gorge of Kadikoi — the ground Campbell stood to defend.-f When these horsemen were within of a subordinate officer is more conclusive than the report of his chief. p. 31. t According to Todleben, the force thus detached consisted of nine squadrons or sotnias, partly belonging to the regi- jnint- called the 'Saxe-Weimar ' Hussars, and partly made up
 * As to what vessels were in the harbour, see footnote ante,