Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/306

 284 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. chap, three sides — that is, on his front, and on the ' rising grounds which hemmed in the valley on either flank — Colonel Shewell saw bodies of the enemy's cavalry and infantry ; but the Russian forces in front of him, both horse and foot, were in retreat, and numbers of them crowding over the bridges of the aqueduct. Yet nowhere, with the exception of his regiment, now reduced to a very small squadron, could he descry any body of our cavalry in a state of formation, though be- fore him in small knots or groups, or acting as single assailants, he saw a few English horsemen who were pressing the retreat of the enemy, by pursuing and cutting down stragglers. After continuing this halt during a period which has been reckoned at three, and also at five min- utes, Colonel Shewell resumed his advance. These remains of the 8th Hussars formed the small but still well-ordered squadron, which we saw coming down towards the spot where Mayow had checked the pursuit, and halted his small group of Lancers. sute of the It seems right to survey the circumstances in this period, which the Allied forces stood at this critical and interesting period of the combat. At the bare apprehension of the advance against the Cause- way Heights which Lord Eaglan had twice over ordered, Liprandi, as we saw, had retracted the head of the column there established in the morn- ing, and had probably at this time no higher hope than that of being able to retreat without seeing his