7 a.m.
Meanwhile the alarm spread . A continuous firing , momentarily increasing in vigour , showed that this was no affair of outposts , but the beginning of a great battle . The bulk of the allied forces were under arms , and notice of the attack had been despatched to Lord Raglan at the English headquarters . In less than a quarter-of-an-hour , long before 7 a.m. , Lord Raglan was in his saddle , ready to ride wherever he might be required most . But whither should he go ? The battle , as it seemed , was waging all around him , on every side of the allied position . A vigorous fire was kept up from Sebastopol ; down in the Tchernaya valley the army , supposed to be still under Liprandi , but really commanded by Gortschakoff , had advanced towards the Woronzoff road , and threatened to repeat the tactics of Balaclava by attacking with still greater force the right rear of our position ; last of all , around Mount Inkerman , the unceasing sound of musketry and big guns betrayed the development of a serious attack .