276 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. CHAP, squadrons on the left of the battery which consti- ' tuted its cavalry supports went about and began to retreat. Then, to arrest the overthrow with which he seemed menaced, or to cover the retreat of his guns, General Jabrokritsky in person put himself at the head of two battalions of that famous 1 Vladimir ' regiment which had proved itself well just five weeks before in its fight with our troops on the Alma, and proceeded to hazard the some- what rare enterprise of advancing with foot-sol- diers against cavalry ; but already the object of General Morris had been attained, and — exactly, as it would seem, at the right moment — he caused the 'recall' to be sounded. In an instant the victorious squadrons glided back to their place in the brigade ; and it soon appeared that the losses, though involving certainly a considerable de- duction of strength from a body of only a few hundred horsemen, were small in proportion to the brilliancy of the service these squadrons had Losses rendered. They had ten men killed (of whom tile^tiT 1 y two were officers) and twenty-eight wouuded ; but d-ifrtqu^ in the course of the swift moments during which these losses befell them, they had neutralised (for the requisite time) the whole of the enemy's in- fantry on the Fedioukine Hills, had driven his artillery there posted into instant retreat, and in this way had not only done much towards the attainment of a general victory, but, failing thai result, had prepared for our Light Brigade, when- ever the moment for its retiring up the valley
