Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/374

Russians. 352 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. chap, it will probably be thought that there was no sucb L decisive inclination of the balance as to give to one side or the other the advantage which men call a ' victory.' The effect But, apart from the mere name of victory, one u f r on e the ttle of the weightiest effects of a battle is the change dence°of the which it commonly works in the self-confidence of the opposing forces ; and under this aspect of its consequences the result of the day's fighting in the plain of Balaclava was somewhat anomalous ; for the action consisted of five several combats not effectually brought into one by any pervading design ; and, excepting only the first, there were none of these combats which ended without shed- ding glory on the Allies, and inflicting something like humiliation on the enemy. Therefore the effect of the day's conflict was such as to be dishearten- ing — oppressively disheartening — to those of the Russians who actually fought in it ; and it is pro- bable that for a long time afterwards it would have been impracticable to make the Russian cavalry act with anything like confidence in the presence of a few English squadrons ; but, on the other hand, the facts were such that, without any actual misstatement of them, they could be nar- rated in a way highly encouraging to all Russians who were not on the field, and especially encour- aging to the soldiery, the seamen, and the people upon whose spirit the fate of Sebastopol was de- pending. Liprandi could dwell upon the brilliant assault and capture of the work on Caurobert's Hill, and upon the fall of the other redoubts;