214 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. CHAP. Liglit brigade. After allowing for casualties, and ' especially fur the heavy losses sustained by the column which engaged our 7th Fusiliers, it may be conjectured that these liussian forces on tho Kourgan^ Ilill amounted to some 15,000 men. Except the Kazan battalions, none of these troops had been hitherto engaged in hard fighting, for the triumpliant Vladimir column had not yet en- countered formed troops. Nearly all the Eussian artillery had been taken away from the front, and, except that there were five pieces of ord- nance not yet withdrawn from the Lesser Re- doubt, the enemy had no guns now remaining in battery. The impending struggle was a fight — a sheer fight — of infantry. Advance aud At the momcut wheu the troops which had discomfiture ot the Scots stormed the redoubt beuan to retreat, the 1st Fusilier . . . , Guards. Divislou had not yet emerged from the cover afforded by the river's bank ; but General Cod- rington's message hurried the advance of the Scots Fusilier Guards.* The battalion climbed up the bank, formed line with a good deal of haste, and began to move forward. At this time, there were numbers of stragglers of the Light Division standing about near the
- We saw that, at the time of pas.sing the river, the left-flank
company got parted from the re.st of tho battalion. Tliat separa- tion lasted during the period of the struggle which followed ; and when, therefore, in this Note I speak of the Scots Fusilier Guards in general terms, it must he understood that I mean to designate that body of seven companies which remained to- gether, when the left-flank company had got parted from the rest of the battalion.
