Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/296

 274 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. chap. Light Brigade was still moving straight down the • valley, and avoiding the heads of both the enemy's mina d uon r columns in order to run the gauntlet between them, he could not, of course, help perceiving that a terrible error was in course of perpetration. He was not, however, a man to see this and stand aghast, doing nothing to succour the English. He resolved to venture an enterprise in support of Lord Cardigan's attack, and on one side at least of the valley — Lord Lucan was on the other with his Heavy Dragoons — to endeavour to silence the enemy's fire. The force which he determined to assail was the one which lay the nearest to him — the one under General Jabrokritsky on the slopes of the Fedioukine Hills ; and the immediate object of his intended attack was a battery (divided into two half-batteries of four guns each) which was guarded on its right by two battal- ions of foot and on its left by two squadrons of Cossacks.* General Morris chose for this service his famous 'Fourth' or 'Traveller' regiment of the Chasseurs d'Afrique ; and General d'Allonville, the officer in command of the brigade, was himself to conduct the attack. D'uion- Accordingly, the chosen regiment moved for- rille's attack. ward under D'Allonville. The front of the as- sailing force was formed by two squadrons of the regiment under the immediate command of Major Abdelal, and these were supported by the two remaining squadrons of the regiment under Col-
 * The two battalions of foot were ' Black Sea Cossacks.'