Not long after sunset, the Porte's chief Dragoman came to Colonel Rose at Therapia to inform him that Prince Menschikoff had presented his demand for their signature of the treaty, and that they had refused it. The despatch sent to Admiral Dundas, though not acted on, had gained its object.
On the outbreak of the war with Russia in the following year Colonel Rose was appointed Queen's Commissioner at the headquarters of the French Army, with the local rank of Brigadier-General.
During the progress of the campaign he was repeatedly thanked by the French commanders, and was recommended by Marshal Canrobert for the Victoria Cross, for conspicuous gallantry on three occasions during the siege of Sebastopol. He had
14th idem, replied to the effect that he did not feel justified in sending the Fleet up to Vourla without directions from home. Supported by the opinion of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, then on leave in England, Her Majesty's Government, believing that Colonel Rose had acted hastily, approved of Admiral Dundas's refusal. Lord Stratford himself seems to have laboured under the erroneous impression that no one knew how to act at Constantinople except himself. He had his own way; and hastily returning to that place on April 5th, he commenced a series of futile negotiations which ended in his being himself compelled to summon the Fleet, on October 20th; too late by seven months for any practical purpose, and too late, alas, to prevent the unfortunate Crimean War, which had then become inevitable. As Kinglake has justly said (Crimea, vol. i, p. 99), 'Colonel Rose being a firm, able man, was not afraid of responsibility, and was therefore not afraid to go beyond the range of common duty.' Although disavowed by the Government at home, his mere consent to call up the Fleet allayed the panic and intrigue which at that moment was endangering the very life of the Ottoman Empire; and it is as certain that had his wishes been attended to, there would have been no war.
