TIIP] COUNSELS OF THE ALLIES. 189 '.shall be too late. Their iiiaiii objei^fc maybe — chap. ' and ill that they would be wise — to deter us ;_ ' from assaulting at once by a show of energy and ' resolution.* It is consistent with all we see ' them doing, to believe that they are preparing a ' solid defence against any attack we may make ' three weeks hence, and are, all the while, acting ' with a full conviction that resistance to an ini- ' mediate attack would be hopeless.*!"
- You say you will land your battering-trains.
The primary use of such implements is to break ' a way through physical obstacles ; but what is ' it that you want to knock down?^ Engineers ' are accustomed to say that when a place is ' guarded by nothing but earthworks, the lines of ' defence are one universal breach. It is not, ' therefore, for the purpose of breaching any walls ' of defence that you are landing your siege-guns. ' What is your object ? You answer that by ' means of your siege-guns you can so get down ' the enemy's lire as to facilitate your assault. ' That being your plan, it follows that, until ' you are ready to make use of your siege-guns, ' you will delay the attack. Well, but have you
- formed a clear conception of the time that will
- Tliis was the case. See a7ite, cliap. v.
t This was the case. See anie, ibid. t This is not an iinaf,aiiary question. In the evening of, 1 believe, the 28th of September, Lord Eaglan rode up to the 4th Division camp and tohl Sir George C'athcart that it had been determined to land the siege-trains ; wlicreupon Cathrnrt said, * Land the siege-trains ! But, my dear Lord Kaglan, ' what the devil is there to knock down ? '
