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Sebastopol Trenches & Five Months in Them Col

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1878. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XL CONCLUSION. Final Attack on Sebastopol Marred from Want of Knowledge by Officers of the Staff--Red-tapeism and Disastrous Results-- Culpable Return of the Brigadier from the Redan--A Pernicious Example--Death of Lord Raglan--The Fables of iEsop--Peace Proclaimed--The Casualties and Costs of War--Superiority of the British Army. The finale of the taking of Sebastopol is now thoroughly well known. The plan of the attack was well arranged. As soon as the stormers had advanced against the salient of the Redan, the supports were immediately to jump over the parapet of their trenches and run across the open to the fifth parallel, the troops in the third parallel to the fourth, and so on successively, but this plan, so well digested in theory was abandoned in practice and entirely marred by some officers of the staff who were wholly ignorant of the intricacies of the trenches, and consequently utterly incompetent to discharge the momentous duties entrusted to them in this supreme movement. Whether through superior authority and orders, or from individual self-sufficiency is unknown, but the supports and reserves, instead of going out as inRED-TAPEISM AND DISASTEOUS RESULTS. 205 tended, went meandering down the zig-zags and trenchways in single file. In fine weather and the most peaceful times it took upwards of two hours to reach the advanced trench in this manner when relieving the guards--it may therefore easily be understood, when the banquettes were crowded and the trenches choked with killed and wounded, how long a time, and with what great difficulty a regiment could make its way along. Yet Indian file was the mode adopted, and consequently it is a fact that, on debouching from the trenches, the rear companies of several regiments were wholly ignorant ...