THE RIFLE PITS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 308, 13 October 1855, Page 4

THE RIFLE PITS.

In front of the Redan, opposite our right attack, the Russians established some capacious pits, from which they annoyed us considerably, particularly from the two nearest to us on the left-hand side. Round shot and shell had several times forced the Russians to bolt across the open ground to their batteries, but at uight they repaired damages and were back again as busy as ever in the morning. Our advanced battery would have been greatly harassed by this fire when it opened, and it was resolved to take the two pits, to hold that which was found most tenable, and to destroy the other. That service was effected on the night of the '20th. About ei-riit o'clock the party of the 77th, under LieutenantColonel Egerton, supported by a wing of the 33rd, under Lieutenant-Colonel Mundy, moved down the traverses towards the rifle pits. The night was dark and windy, but the Russian sentries perceived the approach of our men, and a brisk fire was at once opened on them by the enemy, to which the troops scarcely replied, for firing a terrible volley, they rushed upon tbe enemy with the bayonet, and, after a short but desperate struggle, drove them out of the two pits and up the slope behind them. Once in the pits, the engineers, officers, and the sappers and miners set to work to strengthen the defences, and threw up agabionnade in front, and with great coolness and courage proceeded to eonue.t the trench of the nearest of the rifle pits with our advanced sap. The euemv opened an exceedingly heavy fire of round, grape, and shell upon them, and the Russian sharpshooters from the parapets of the batteries and from the broken ground behind the abattiskept up a very severe fusillade ; but the working party continued at their work in defiance of the storm of shot winch tore over them. In such a contest as this it could not but be expected that our loss would be considerable. At 2 o'cock in the

morning a.strong column of.Russians,certainly double the strength of our men, advanced against the pits, and the combat was renewed. Tl English troopsfought With the "immovable solid 6 ity" for which, in the opinion of our allies, they are so celebrated. The enemy charged'them with the bayonet, but they were met by courage more cool and by arms more nervous than their own, and by the bayonet they were thrust bauk again and again, and at its point they were driven up to their batteries once more. It was while setting an example of conspicuous bravery to his men that Colonel Egerton fell mortally wounded. The rifle pit is now in our bauds* and a smart fire is kept up from it. Its fir e jg most serviceable, not only against the embrasures ofthe Redan, but in reducing and disturbing the fire of the Russian rifle pits on its flank. Lieutenant-Colonel Mundy, 33rd Regiment is at present in command of the party in the pit. The Redan is scarcely able-r-or, at least, seems disinclined—to fire a shot. v <i Another advanced rifle pit.was taken on tie 21st of April by the English troops in the ri«rht attack after a feeble resistance from the Russian infantry, but we were exposed to loss from the fire of the guns in the Redan, and the 4lst regiment had 15 men killed and wounded in the fire which the Russians opened upon us. The pit was levelled, filled in with earth, and the men then retired. Our batteries are silent, but the .sailors are all iv readiness to open fire at a moment's notice, and the artillerymen have the mortars in admirable order and are prepared to bombard at any time. The French in extending their lodgment on the 20th ult. had to overcome a very vigorous opposition, and suffered considerably from the fire of the enemy's batteries inside the town, but they persisted, and have now fairly established themselves on the flanks ofthe Flagstaff. Their sap has two heads, and runs to the right and left of the Bastion dv Mat, and it will soon be impossible for the enemy to remain in the latter unless they succeed in destroying the French sap or counter-sap against it -—Home News. '