Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/240

 208 PELISSIER'S APRIL FIGHTS. CHAP. VII. Resulting, after some days, in the definitive success of the French. of artillery poured out from the Central Bas- tion. Between nine and ten o'clock in the evening the French, taking it for granted that a combat awaited them, advanced in some strength and planted themselves in the then empty lodgments, but were presently assailed (in accordance with their adversary's design) by a powerful artillery- fire. Under this ordeal, the French held their ground firmly during several hours, but not with- out suffering losses. Then at two o'clock in the morning, the enemy made a powerful sortie, retook at once two of the lodgments, and did not give himself rest until he had recovered them all. In like manner, on the nights of the 11th and the 12th there was a taking and retaking of these pits; but on the night of the 13th, P^lissier caused them to be attacked in some force and destroyed. Todleben's project for a new Work of counter- approach. The fighting for lodg- ments con- structed in furtherance of the pro- ject. With the deliberate purpose of covering a somewhat weak part of his defences by a species of ' counter-guard,' Colonel Todleben had estab- lished in front of his Schwartz liedoubt another strong chain of lodgments which were to make a beginning of the Work designed. These lodgments Pelissier seized on the last- mentioned night — the night of the 13th of April; but after dark on the 23d, and again on the 24th, the strife was renewed. From that last night forward until the close of the month, the Kussians not only remained masters of the lodgments, but