PLAN OF THE FLANK MAUClf. 395 firmly rooted, he liastened to obtain for the alter- chap. native plau which had occurred to him the ' sanction and persuasive support of Sir John Buro'oyne. Accordingly, on the morrow of the neisre- 1 1 1 *i 1 ,r--r, quested to battle on the Alma, he requested Sir John to put put it in ..... -^ . ^ writing. his opinion in writing ; and, in the course of the same day, the English Commander was furnished with this memorandum :— Memorandum. 'Camp on the Alma, 21*-^ Sept. 185-1.
- I would submit that, unless some impeding cixcum- sir John
' stances occur which cannot now be foreseen, the combhied fiemofau-' ' armies should at once move round to the south side of "^um ' Sebastopol, instead of attacking Fort Constantino,* by ' which the following advantages may be anticipated : — ' 1. That instead of attacking a position naturally strong ' and of limited extent, to which a powerful support will ' be given by Fort Constantine,* which is a permanent ' fortification, though by no means formidable, if insulated, ' the enemy would have to defend a very extensive line,
- divided by valleys, and from every information, very im-
' perfectlj'-, if at all, entrenched, and which would probably ' be forced rapidly. ' 2. As the a<lvance is from the north, our attack will ' rather be expected on that side, and not on the south. ' 3. Even supposing the Fort Constantine * to be taken, ' although it will open the shipping, dockyard, &c., to ' cannonading, it does not insure entire possession of the ' important establisliments until after a second operation, ' which may still require to move round to the south, while
- By Fort Constantiue Sir John Burgoyue means the Star
Fort. Fort Constantine was one of the sea-forts, but at this period of the invasion the name was often applied by mistake to the Star Fort.
