Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/394

 372 COMBAT OF THE 26TH OF OCTOBER. chap, spur of ground so exposed as to be under fire ! — from the ships, but he believed that the promised singleton's advantage was more, much more than enough to pieces there warrant the risk ; and when the Eussian advance battery. n against our Second Division attained its expected development, he joyfully eyed it in profile, hav- ing then his field-pieces already well planted in battery upon the chosen spur. Federoffs With forces which are stated to have com- idvance. , . . prised six battalions of infantry and four pieces of light artillery, Colonel Federoff moved out about mid-day from the Karabel Faubourg, crossed the Careenage Eavine by its viaduct, ascended along the sapper's road to the brow of Mount Inkerman, and continued thence to march eastward across the front of our pickets until the head of his column had reached the Volovia gorge* Then halting, and facing half about to its right, the column of march was converted all at once into an order of battle, the skirmishers swarming in front sup- ported by company columns, and again by columns of attack. In this new order, the force began to advance against a picket of the 49th Eegiment which watched the ground from Shell Hill.-f" Even then, for some time, the picket remained undisturbed, its soldiery still lying down, their arms still piled, as was usual, the sentries in front still motionless ; but presently two or three 4300 — 4304 as I make it. Taking 700 as the strength of the column in the Careenage Ravine, the whole force of infantry would be about 5000. + See the Plan.
 * The strength of the six battalions was apparently about