Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/65

BATTLE OF THE Al.MA. 39 not accustomed himself to repair the defect, as cHAP some coniniauders have done, by a constant and .*. . well-practised use of glasses; and, on the other hand, the very fire and energy of his nature, and his almost violent sense of duty, prevented him from getting into the liabit of trusting to the eyes of other men. For liours in the early morning the Division had been wearied by liaving to incline towards its right. At half-past eleven the effort was reversed, and the Division then laboured to take ground to its left ; but in that last direction it had not taken ground enough. Lord Kaglan, with his quick eye, had seen tho fault, and sent an order* to have it corrected. Not content with this, he soon after rode up to the Division, and, failing to see Sir George Brown at the moment, told Codiington that the Division nmst take more ground to the left. Then, un- happily, when he had uttered the very words which would have thrown the British army into its true array, and averted much evil. Lord Eaglan was checked by his ruling foible. He had already sent the order to the divisional general, and he could not bear to pain or embarrass him by press- ing the execution of it upon one of his brigadiers; so he recalled his wholesome words, f The Divi- sion failed to take ground enough to the left ; and when the deployment was complete. Sir George Brown had the grief of seeing his right • Colonel Lysoiis carried it. ■^ I derive my knowledge from an officer who heard Lord Raglan's words.