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Merciless Cossacks. In another letter to his father, dated H.M.S Queen, Dec. 15th, 1854, Gorge Oliver wrote
- “I am sorry that I have not written before, but I have been very ill. I am thankful to say I am now better and am going to Balaclava to fight at the [land] batteries. We have struck our topmasts and made all snug for the winter. Referring to the great gale of October, Oliver states – “We rode out the sea with three anchors down, and when the storm abated, we put our boats out and saved several [from the ships that were driven ashore]. There were two women among them, and when they were being rescued, the Cossacks shot at them, and a ball went through a woman’s bonnet and shot a man named Blake through the head. Of the ships we got one off; two others the Cossacks set on fire, and three we set on fire ourselves, because we could not get them off. But we saved all the ships’ companies and brought them on board our own ship. The shipping were in a dreadful state all that day and night. They were all volunteers who went in the boats to rescue the people, and our captain told us he was happy to think he had a company he could put his trust in.” “George Oliver”
Progressing under continued difficulties.
Lieut. Harkness, dating his letter Dec. 7th from the camp on the heights of Inkerman, wrote –
- “It keeps raining hard every day and night. We are making batteries and approaches on the other side of Shell Hill for the purpose of pounding the ships in the harbour. A battery at Inkerman lighthouse and a steamer annoy us very much by shot and shell; they have killed and wounded several men, but we shall repay them when we get our guns in position, and we hope to oblige about a dozen ships and steamers to leave a snug corner they are in. Yesterday evening, about 4 o’clock, we all ran to the top of the hill to see two Russian steamers which had the audacity to come out of the harbour and begin firing into the rear of the French batteries. The first of our steamers up was a little one. She began firing with great pluck at the two Russians who advanced no further. Soon after two or three of ours came bowling up, and before they got well within range the Russians ran back at full speed into the harbour, they not having ventured beyond the protection of their own batteries. Our two large steamers drove the Russians right up to the head of the harbour and then hauled off. This was the first occasion of a Russian ship showing her nose out of the harbour. They took advantage of the approaching evening dusk and none of our steamers being near, the mouth of the harbour at the time. The Russian steamers are all heavily armed, and one of them is constantly throwing ten-inch shot and shell at us. They are very strong in artillery of all kinds, and can throw 42lb shot from the Round Tower right over our camp, which, ac-
