Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/210

180 GENERAL CAMPBELL'S ATTACK. CHAP. VII. His direc- tion to Gerald Graham. State and strength of the 'ladder* ' party.' The ladder- party under Gtraham. pet, and strive to push home an attack on the flank of the Great Redan. Lord West accordingly saving that he meant to throw forward a fresh line of skirmishers re- quested Gerald Graham to take out his ladders once more. For this task such of the sailors as had not been killed or disabled stood, all of them, ready and eager; but the soldiers who had con- stituted one-half of the 'ladder-party' were no longer to be seen in their places. Lord West strove to make good this void by assigning for the task other soldiers ; and his efforts were not all in vain. Still, Graham found on the whole that lie could only muster four bearers for each of his ladders instead of the right number — six. The promised covering party had not been thrown forward when Graham nevertheless brought his ladders out over the parapet, and at once met the fire reopened on him and his people from the batteries of the Great Redan. With their ladders beside them, our men lay down on the grass, and there — although still sought and found by too many of the enemy's missiles — awaited the promised advance of the men charged to cover their front. When after a while it was seen that the ' cover- ' ing party ' of skirmishers had not begun to ad- vance, the sailors eagerly wished — making only an exception for Graham — to dispense with the aid of all soldiers. They had lost their naval com- manders (Lieutenant Kidd killed, and Lieutenant Cave gravely wounded), but Mr Kennedy, mate,