HOW HISTORY IS WRITTEN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12446, 8 March 1905, Page 2

HOW HISTORY IS WRITTEN.

A correspondent is gn'ing "Crimean Victoria Crcsi.'' writes to a Home paper as follows: —When I went up tho glacis of the Redan, in the second assault of tho Redan on September Bth, 1855, I did nob think that I should live long enough to read in an English newspaper that tho second assault never took place! The final feom'bardment commenced a good deal prior to September sth, and the Russians did nob "fly" on that or any" other day. They evacuated the south side across their bridge of boata during the night of the Bth, blowing up their magazines by means of slow matches. They were compelled to evacuate, partly owing to their terrible ■losses, but chiefly because MfMahon had nob only effected a lodgment in the works surrounding the old Malakoff Tower, 'but was also able to hold it. It waa then —the only time that he had commanded an assault in the Crimea. —■ that in anawer to the quesions brought to him by Polissier's aide-de-camp, he scratched tho historio memorandum, "J'y suis, et je rests." We were unable to hold the Redan, and no other work was actually captured except the Ma-lakoft', but it was the key of tho position, and necessitated immediate evacuation. All the Russian wounded who coitfd walk, or could be transported, went over to tho north side, as they had always done, but there were 6000 wounded. Russian;?, left behind, and ail the wards were chocked with thousands of dead. I had been in the first assault on June 18th, a.nd also 'in the assault and capture of the "quarries" on June 7th.