Colin Campbell was offered, and accepted, the command of what was afterwards known as the 'Highland Brigade.' It was he, it has been said, who secured the victory of the Alma. Leading his Highlanders against a redoubt which had been retaken by the enemy, after being carried by our Light Division, he succeeded in breaking the last compact columns of the Russians. 'The 42nd continued its advance,' he wrote in a letter to Colonel H. Vincent, 'followed as I had previously ordered, by the other two regiments (93rd and 79th) in échelon, forming in that order as they gained in succession the summit of the left bank of the Alma. On gaining the height, we found the enemy, who had retreated from the redoubt, attempting to form upon two large masses of troops that were advancing over the plateau to meet the attack of the 42nd. The men were too much blown to think of charging, so they opened fire advancing in line, at which they had been practised, and drove with cheers and a terrible loss both masses and the fugitives from the redoubt in confusion before them. ... The Guards during these operations were away to my right, and quite removed from the scene of this fight which I have described. It was a fight of the Highland Brigade.' When the fight was over and Lord Raglan sent for him, he begged that he might be allowed as a special favour to wear the Highland bonnet, instead of the cocked hat of a general officer, throughout the remainder of the campaign; 'which pleased the men,' he wrote, 'very much.'
