[Lieutenant General Pavel Petrovich Liprandi’s report of the Battle of Balaklava was published in Russian newspapers in 1854, notably Russkii Invalid No. 237 and Severnaya Pchela (The Northern Bee) No. 236, and soon translated and reprinted in the English press. The following is the translation done at that time, which I find to be generally quite good. My particular English-language source was the reprinting in Tyrrell’s History of the War with Russia, and for the Russian I used Russkii Invalid. My notes, disagreements, alternate translations, and clarifications are in square brackets – Mark Conrad, 2002.]

 

 

Report of Lieutenant General Liprandi, chief of the twelfth division of infantry, to Aide-de-camp General Prince Mentschikoff [Menshikov], dated October 26th [14th Old Style], [No. 3076].

 

 

            According to the orders of your highness, the troops of the division intrusted to my command and those attached to it executed on the 25th [13th] of October, a general movement in advance from the village of Tchorgoum [Chorgun], and attacked the fortifications of the heights forming the valley of Kadikoi [Kadykioi].

            Conformably with the arrangement which I had made on the evening of that day [the arrangements distributed by me on the above date (otdannaya mnoyu na vyshepisannoe chislo)], all the troops of the detachment left, at five o’clock in the morning, the village of Tchorgoum by two defiles. A regiment of chasseurs [jägers] of the Ukraine, under the command of Major-general Lévoutsky [Levutskii], marched by the principal defile leading from Tchorgoum to Kadikoi, with four guns of the battery of position No. 4, and six guns of the light battery No. 7. These troops advanced with precision, and, on approaching the heights of Kadikoi, opened their fire upon the redoubts Nos. 1 and 2. After them the Azoff [Azov] infantry regiment, the 4th battalion of the regiment of the Dnieper, with four guns of the battery of position No. 4 and six guns of the light battery No. 6, moved on under the command of Major-general Semiakine [Semyakin]. By the second defile, leading [iz Chorguna, from Chorgun] to the valley of Baidar, an advance was made under the command of Major-general Gribbe, of the first three battalions of the infantry regiment of the Dnieper, with six guns of the light battery No. 6, four pieces [division, i.e. two platoons, or 4 guns] of the battery of position No. 4, a detachment [sotnia] of the regiment No. 53 of Cossacks of the Don, and a squadron of the combined regiment of the lancers. Major-general Gribbe, who had marched in advance, occupied the village of Kamary [Komary], after having dispatched the detachment [sotnia] of Cossacks in the direction of the valley of Baidar. Simultaneously with this movement Major-general Semiakine in taking up his position to the left of the regiment of the Ukraine, covered by the fire of the artillery and a chain of riflemen, formed by the second company of the [4th] battalion of riflemen [razsypannoi vperedi, sent forward] with the carabineers [shtutserniki, i.e. riflemen] of the infantry regiment of Azoff, advanced rapidly with the latter regiment in two lines by columns of companies, there not being a space of more than 100 paces between the two lines, and in third line the first battalion of the regiment of Azoff and the 4th battalion of the regiment of the Dnieper, by columns of attack. After having approached in this order to the distance of not more than 100 [150!] paces from the fortified height of the enemy, Major-general Semiakine gave orders for the assault. The companies made a rapid movement in advance, and at half-past seven o’clock the regiment of Azoff had hoisted its flags upon the fortifications. The trophies gained upon this point were three rampart guns [krepostnyya orudiya, i.e. fortress guns] and a camp. In this redoubt the loss of the enemy in dead only was more than 170 men.

            At the same time the enemy, from the rapidity with which the principal height had been occupied, and in consequence of his seeing the advance of the regiment of chasseurs of the Ukraine, abandoned the redoubts Nos. 2 and 3 (the former armed with two guns and the latter with three), which were immediately occupied by our troops. The regiment of chasseurs of Odessa, with the light battery No. 7, under the command of Colonel de Scudari [Scuderi, with no “de”], advanced to the redoubt No. 4; but the enemy, terrified upon this point also, did not wait for our attack, and abandoned the redoubt, in which there were three guns. Besides this, in each of the redoubts the enemy had left his tents, and his powder magazines, and engineering tools.

            Immediately after the occupation of the redoubts, I ordered the troops to establish themselves there. I immediately ordered the redoubt No. 4 to be razed, as it was too much advanced, and I ordered its guns to be spiked, and their wheels and carriages to be broken, and the fragments [samyya orudiya – “guns themselves,” i.e. barrels] to be thrown down the mountain. When these orders had been executed, the troops who had occupied the redoubt joined the general line of the other corps.

            The brigade of hussars of the sixth division of light cavalry, under the command of Lieutenant-general Ryjoff [Ryzhov], who accompanied the detachment [otryad, i.e. Liprandi’s force], was posted at the right wing of our general line of battle, with the light horse battery No. 12, and the Cossack battery of position No. 3. During the movement of the troops in advance, the artillery of the Don moved rapidly forwards, and, having placed itself in position, contributed by its well-directed fire to the success of the attack.

            When all the redoubts had been occupied, I ordered the advance of the cavalry, with the regiment No. 1 of the Cossacks of the Oural [Ural] and three detachments [sotnias] of the regiment No. 53 of Cossacks of the Don, upon the enemy’s camp, situated upon the other side of the mountains. Our cavalry advanced rapidly, even to the camp; but, attacked in flank by the fire of the enemy’s riflemen, and in front by the English cavalry, it was compelled to halt, and afterwards resumed its first position at the right wing of the general order of battle, being so placed that its front did not present a right line, the direction of one of its wings forming an angle with that of the centre. [“so placed… of the centre” is a translation of two Russian words: ustupom nazad, meaning with an echelon back, or refused.]

            At this time Major-general Jabrokritsky [Zhabokritsky], with a detachment of the infantry regiment of Vladimir (three battalions) and that of Souzdal [Suzdal], ten guns of the battery of position No. 1, four guns of the light battery No. 2 of the 16th brigade of artillery, two companies of the battalion of riflemen No. 6, two squadrons [divizion] of the regiment of hussars of the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and two detachments [sotnias] of the regiment No. 60 of Cossacks (of Popoff [Popov]), advanced upon the heights to the left of our cavalry, and occupied them. Our cavalry hardly had time to form in order of battle beyond the right flank of our infantry, when, from the other side of the mountain, where the redoubt No. 4 was raised [located], the English cavalry appeared, more than 2,000 strong. Its impetuous [otchayannoe, desperate] attack induced Lieutenant-general Ryjoff to turn back upon the route to Tchourgoum to draw [zamanit’, lure, decoy] the enemy. At the same time I ordered to advance towards my right wing the combined regiment of lancers, under the command of Colonel Yeropkine [Yeropkin], which came [had come] from Baidar to join the detachment of Major-general Gribbe, and I ordered the regiment to post itself behind the infantry in a concealed position. The enemy made a most obstinate charge, and, notwithstanding the well-directed fire of grape [kartechnyi, canister] from six guns of the light battery No. 7, and that of the men armed with carbines [shtutserniki, riflemen] of the regiment of chasseurs of Odessa, and a company of the 4th battalion of riflemen at the right wing, as well as the fire of a part of the artillery of the detachment of Major-general Jabrokritsky, he rushed upon our cavalry; but at this moment three squadrons of the combined regiment of lancers attacked him in flank. This unexpected charge, executed with precision and vigour, was attended with brilliant success. The whole of the enemy’s cavalry in disorder precipitated itself in retreat, pursued by our lancers and by the fire from our batteries. In this attack the enemy had more than 400 men killed and sixty wounded, who were picked up on the field of battle, and we made twenty-two prisoners, one of whom was a superior officer [shtab-ofitser, field-grade officer].

            A French squadron of African horse chasseurs rushed upon the detachment of Major-general Jabrokritsky. Having turned the left flank of the battery of position, it reached the chain of riflemen [broke through the chain of riflemen] and began to put the artillery to the sword. Two other squadrons followed. [Other squadrons followed them.] Upon this, two battalions of the regiment of Vladimir, under the command of Major-general Jabrokritsky in person, precipitated themselves in advance at the point of the bayonet, and induced the enemy’s cavalry to retreat, and it was pursued as far as the foot of the mountain by the well-directed fire of the foot Cossacks [plastuny] of the Black Sea, armed with carbines, and that of the riflemen. [Delete “armed with carbines”; there is no mention of what kind of weapon the Cossacks were armed with.] More than ten bodies and several horses remained upon the spot; three prisoners were taken, and the officer who commanded the attack made by the enemy was killed.

            Remarking that the enemy again brought up [was starting to again bring up] fresh troops to his left wing, I reinforced my right wing, and disposed all the troops of the detachment in the following order:—

            A battalion of the regiment of the Dnieper occupied the village of Kamary; the regiment of infantry of Azoff and the 1st battalion of the Dnieper were ordered to defend the redoubt No 1; a battalion of the regiment of chasseurs of the Ukraine was left in the redoubt No. 2; and another battalion of the same regiment in redoubt No. 3, near which were also placed the whole regiment of chasseurs of Odessa, two battalions of a [the] regiment of the Dnieper, and a battalion of that of the chasseurs of the Ukraine. All the artillery was ranged on advantageous positions; the cavalry, as before, remained [stala, stood] on the right flank of the infantry. However, the enemy did not make any fresh attack, and ceased his fire at four o’clock in the afternoon.

            In the taking by assault of such a strong position, I consider our loss in infantry as very insignificant. That of the cavalry was more important [neskol’ko bolee, was somewhat greater]. Subjoined is a list, rapidly drawn up, in reference to this point. [Actually the list is “short” (kratkaya), not “rapidly drawn up.”] (This list includes six superior and subaltern officers [field and company-grade officers] and 232 men killed; one general, nineteen superior and subaltern officers, and 292 wounded.) I owe the success of the day to the zeal and excellent arrangements of the respective chiefs, and the courage and ardour of all the troops; more particularly Major-general Semiakine, chief of the 1st brigade of the division intrusted to my command, and under his orders Colonel de Krudener [Krüdener, with no “de”], in command of the regiment of infantry of Azoff, who were ordered to attack the strongest redoubt, No. 1, situated upon a [large and] very steep height, personally exhibited an example of courage and judicious arrangements. The attack of the regiment of infantry of Azoff was executed with boldness, celerity, and decision. The 2nd company of the 4th battalion of riflemen, under the command of Second-captain Kalakoutsky [Staff-Captain Kalakutskii], six guns of the light battery No. 6, under the command of Lieutenant-colonel Afanasieff [Afanas’ev], and four guns [a division] of the battery of position No. 4, commanded by Lieutenant Posnikoff [Posnikov], who accompanied that column, acted with precision and celerity, and thus facilitated the capture of the height.

            When the enemy’s cavalry charged, and while it was being repulsed, eight guns of the light battery No. 7, which were stationed near the regiment of chasseurs of Odessa, directed by Captain Bojanoff [Bozhanov], did the most injury to the enemy’s cavalry by the precision of their grapeshot.

            All the operations of the artillery of the 12th brigade of that arm, directed by Colonel Nemoff [Nemov], commandant of that brigade, were crowned with brilliant success. Staff-major Guersivanoff [Gesivanov], and the aide-de-camp of your highness, captain of corvette [kapitan-leitenant] Baron Willebrandt, [both of] whom your highness sent to me, and who was [byli, were] at my side during the whole of the combat, rendered me very useful assistance, transmitting, with the most strict exactness, all my orders to the troops in the first line.

            With the present report I have the honour to present to your highness the flag and the Turkish standard [znamya i znachek, flag and insignia] taken in the redoubt No. 1.

 

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