Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/476

 432 THE BATTLE OF INKERMAN. CHAP, vance should be immediate. Both the officers _____ thus called upon to act refused in plain terms mperio,i f(^ (Jq gQ^ saying that they [the three companies] were not strong enongh. Then Acton said, ' If ' you wont joiu me, I'll obey my orders and attack ' with the 77th;' and so saying, he ordered his men to advance ; but not a man of them moved, for they were checked, as was not unnatural, by find- ing that their captain was seeking to act in de- fiance of the opinion given by the two other officers, and with only one company instead of ' all three. Acton said, ' Then I'll go by myself,' and moved forward accordingly ; but he soon found himself quite alone, at a distance of some thirty or forty yards in front of his men. Presently, however, James Tyrrell, a private of the 77th, ran out of the ranks and placed himself by the side of his captain, saying, ' Sir, I'll stand by you.' Then a soldier sprang out from the company which was on the right of the 77th men, and placed himself close abreast ot the captain, whilst Tyrrell con- tinued to stand on the other side of him. The officer and the two soldiers moved forward to- wards the battery, and they compassed a few yards without being followed; but then suddenly, to Acton's infinite joy, the whole of his 77th men rushed forward after their captain, and formed up behind him. Acton divided his slender force into three parts, sending two of them — each under a sergeant — to turn the Ijattery on both ilanks, whilst he himself