"[3] The allied armies of Britain, France, Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire had landed on the west coast of Crimea on 14 September 1854, intending to capture the Russian naval base at Sevastopol.

[5] While the allies could have taken this opportunity to attack Sevastopol before Sevastopol could be put into a proper state of defence, the allied commanders, British general FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan and the French commander François Certain Canrobert could not agree on a plan of attack.

Toward this end the allies marched to the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula and established a supply port at the city of Balaclava.

The initial Russian assault was to be received by the British Second Division dug in on Home Hill with only 2,700 men and 12 guns.

When dawn broke, Soymonov attacked the British positions on Home Hill with 6,300 men from the Kolyvansky, Ekaterinburg and Tomsky regiments.

Thus he abandoned Evans' plan of falling back to draw the Russians within range of the British field artillery which was hidden behind Home Hill.

The Russians launched a second attack, also on the Second Division's left flank, but this time in much larger numbers and led by Soymonov himself.

Instead, he awaited the arrival of his own reinforcements—General Pavlov's men who were making their way toward the Inkerman battlefield in four different prong attacks from the north.

At this point, no officer seemed keen to take up command and Captain Andrianov was sent off on his horse to consult with various generals about the problem.

[14] At seven o'clock, Pavlov's Okhotsky, Yakutsky and Selenginsky regiments crossed the Chernaia, joining Soimonov's men.

Pavlov's Tarutinsky's regiments engaged Adams' 700 men at the Sandbag Battery, forcing them retreat to Home Ridge.

[17] When the British Fourth Division arrived under General George Cathcart, they were finally able to go on the offensive, but confusion reigned.

The courage of Cathcart and his men had the unexpected effect of encouraging other British units to charge the Russians.

However, as the Russian troops were coming up, they were attacked and driven off by newly arrived soldiers from the French camps.

The French, with marvelous rapidity, brought up a division from five miles away and poured reinforcements into the entire line, reducing the Russians' advantage in numbers.

[18] The dense fog precluded effective control by senior commanders, leading to fighting amongst units smaller than a company in size.