Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/243

 OPERATIONS ON THE DANUBE. 213 intrenchinff itself beliind the mere. But before chap. XIll they attained to this they had lost a great proper- :_ tion of their comrades, and of their five youthful leaders they had lost three, for ]>urke, Arnold, and Meynell vere killed. Meanwhile fresh troops had been crossing the river at the point opposite to the landing-place first seized ; and at length there was established on the ground behind the mere a force of some five thousand men. Upon either flank of this body the Russian in- fantry came down in strong columns. Four times the attack was made, and four times the Turks, commanded or led on by Ali Pasha and General Cannon, by Bent, Hinde, Ogilvy, and Ballard, drove back their assailants with great slaughter. With pious and warlike cries, the Turks sallied over their new-made parapets, brought their bay- onets down to the charge, forced mass after mass to give way, and fiercely pressed the retreat. At sunset the action ceased. All night the Turks were intrenching themselves on the ground which they had gained ; but when the morning dawned there was no sign that tiie enemy would hasten to renew the battle. To keep a safe hold of the ground which had been won, it was necessary for the Turks to ad- vance in the direction of their left front, and occupy a ridge which went by the name of the Slobenzie Heights ; but Hassan Pasha dreaded the blame which might fall upon him if the movement should prove to be a wrong one.