a stone bridge at which the Sardinians had a breastwork.
Their outposts extended some distance on the other side of the
Tchernaya. The French occupied a series of hillocks to the left of the
Sardinians, guarding the road leading from Balaklava to McKenzie's
farm. The river and aqueduct both flowed along their front. The road
crossed the former by a bridge known as the Traktia Bridge, the latter
by a stone bridge. In front of the Traktia Bridge was a breastwork.

At dawn a strong body of Russians were seen upon the heights opposite
to those occupied by the Sardinians, and thence, being on ground
higher than that upon our side of the river, they commanded both the
Sardinian and French positions. The bridge was held by a company of
infantry and a company of Bersaglieri, and General Della Marmora at
once despatched another company of Bersaglieri to enable the advance
to hold their post until the army got under arms. They mounted the
opposite plateau, but this was so swept by the Russian guns, that they
were forced at once to retire to the bridge.

Soon the artillery opened along the whole line on both sides. The
French outposts had also been driven in, and before the troops were
fairly under arms, the Russians had crossed the bridge, and were
charging forward. The aqueduct, which was nine or ten feet wide and
several feet deep, now formed the front of the French defence. It ran
along on the face of the hill, with a very steep slope facing the
Russians.

In spite of the fire of the French artillery in front, and of the
Sardinian artillery which swept them in flank, the Russian soldiers
pressed most gallantly forward, crossed the aqueduct, and tried to
storm the height. The Sardinian fire, however, was too severe, and
after ten minutes the Russians fell back. It met another column
advancing at the double, and uniting, they again rushed forward. While
they forded the river, two guns crossed by the bridge and another by a
ford, and opened upon the French. The infantry, rushing breast deep
through the water, began to scale the heights. But the French met them
boldly, and after a fierce fight drove them down and across the
bridge. On their left another column had attacked the French right,
and in spite of the Sardinian guns which ploughed long lanes in their
ranks, crossed the aqueduct and scaled the heights. But as they
reached the plateau so terrible a storm of grape and musket-balls
swept upon them, that the bead of the co