A friend of mine described
to me how he watched the tricolor on the parapet being carried slowly
along, thus indicating exactly how our allies in the body of the work
were gaining ground. The zouaves who crossed the ditch on the proper
left of the Malakoff had some difficulty in climbing up, from the height
and steepness of the escarp.
MacMahon's leading brigade crossed the short intervening space without a
shot being fired. The enemy's working parties and gunners who were
repairing damages fought bravely with picks, shovels, and hand-spikes,
but were eventually driven back. The very few Russians in the salient
were completely surprised, so much so that some of the superior officers
were found at dinner in an underground chamber of the Malakoff, and the
French without difficulty obtained absolute possession of the south end
of the work. Although the enclosure covered an area of about four
hundred yards by one hundred fifty, there was but very little open space
within it, for behind the remnants of the stone tower were rows of
traverses stretching from side to side of the work.
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