n quiet, and, above all things, to keep our rifles and ammunition
dry. At about eleven at night a shot was fired by one of the enemy's
sentinels, which whistled close to us. "Stand to your arms," was the
cry, "the Russians are upon us." At the same time our whole line of
sentinels opened a brisk fire on, it was supposed, the advancing enemy.

What cared we then for the rain and cold! The moment we had been
looking for had arrived. The whole force which had as yet landed stood
under arms, and thus we were kept till it was found that the surprise
had been caused by a patrol of Cossacks, who had come upon us unawares.
Wet and chilled as we were the hours passed slowly by, though we kept up
our spirits pretty well. So passed our first night of campaigning. The
next morning a few companies were marched down to the beach, to assist
in landing our tents, and the ammunition, artillery, and stores, the
artillerymen laughing at us, and hoping that we had passed a pleasant
time on shore. By the night we got our tents pitched, and hoped to have
a quiet rest, but the little gnat-like Cossacks were again buzzing about
us, and were off before we could get a shot at them. The next four days
were passed in landing stores, while the commissariat officers were
collecting provisions from the country around, and which the peasants
were very ready to supply.

Late on the 19th the light division was attacked by a mounted battery of
artillery. The infantry was brought to the halt, and the artillery
called to the front, with the whole of the cavalry, about a thousand
men, who were opposed by 2000 Cossacks. Shortly afterwards a gun
carriage was seen coming to the rear with a poor fellow on it, his leg
broken and thigh fractured. Several men on both sides were knocked over
by the shot. That was the beginning of our campaign. After this Lord
Raglan forbad any farther advance.

We remained where we halted all that night, our tents being left in the
rear. Each man unrolled his blanket and great-coat to make the best of
it he could. We were tired, hungry, and thirsty, but at last the ration
rum was served out, and a half a bullock distributed to each company to
be divided into messes, and cooked ready for next day, as it was
expected that we should have a long march and a brush with the enemy.
Many a fine fellow slept his last sleep on earth that night, and many a
strong man before the next sunset was to be a helpless cripple. A
so