ere killed or wounded. Had a stronger body been
detailed, there is no doubt that the Redan, which was near the
quarries, could have been taken, for it was almost empty of troops,
and our men, in the impetuosity of their first assault, arrived close
to it. Great discontent was felt that measures should not have been
taken to follow up the success, and both our allies and our own troops
felt that a great opportunity had been missed, owing to the want of
forethought of their generals.

The next day there was an armistice, from one till six, to collect and
bury the dead, and the officers and men of the contending parties
moved over the ground which had been the scene of conflict, chatting
freely together, exchanging cigars and other little articles. Jack,
who had gone down with his commanding officer, created no slight
astonishment among the Russians by conversing with them in their own
language. In answer to their questions, he told them that he had been
a prisoner among them, and begged them to forward a note which he had
that morning written to Count Preskoff at Berislav, acquainting him
that he had made his escape across the Russian frontier, and had
rejoined the army, for he thought it probable that the letter which he
had given to Count Stanislaus to post, after he left him, might never
have come to hand.

At six o'clock the guns again re-opened; the Russians having made good
use of their time in arming fresh batteries to counteract the effect
of the works we had carried. We had indeed hard work in maintaining
our hold of the quarries, which were commanded by several batteries,
whose position placed them outside the range of our guns. Our loss was
very heavy, as also was that of the French in the Mamelon, which was
made a centre for the Russian fire.

On the nights of the 16th and 17th some of the British and French
ships stood in close to Sebastopol, and kept up a heavy fire upon the
town. On the 16th it was decided by Marshal Pelissier and Lord Raglan
that the assault should take place on the morning of the 18th of June,
and every arrangement was made for the attack. The British force told
off for the work consisted of detachments of the light, second, and
third divisions, and was divided into three columns. Sir John Campbell
had charge of the left, Colonel Shadforth of the right, and Colonel
Lacy Yea of the centre column. General Barnard was directed to take
his brigade of the third division down to a ravine nea