Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/38

8 THE FLANK MAliClf. CHAP, companies of the Pafle battalion were placed in II. '. advance, and the other lialf in the rear of the main body of the cavalry, eacli regiment of which was covered by flankers of its own. Tiip cavalry After marcliini? some miles in the ri<>ht direc- strikinginto . . -tit > a wrong tion, tliis reconnoitring column ot Lord Lucan s path. ' . ° (though its route had been chosen for it by an oliicer of the Quartermaster-General's department, who rode with the force for the purpose) was led into a path which turned out to be a byroad diverging from the true line of march — a byroad degenerating, after a time, to a mere track, and at last disappearing altogether.* The troop.s, were able, however, to make some way through the forest in the manner that had been prescribed to the infantry, by taking the compass for their guide, and moving, as nearly as they could, in a south-south-easterly course. Since Lord Lucan had a battalion of IJitles joined to his cavalry, and understood that he ought to kee[) his whole force together, he was unable, of course, to allow to himself and his horsemen a greater degree of speed than the foot-soldiers with him could reach. Upon the whole, it resulted that, after a while, the reconnoitring column wms not (as Lord l^ag- lan had of couiso supposed it would be) at the head of the advancing army. l>y aid of the compass, and with great toil, our • The officer charged with this duty w.as Major Wetherall, a man so able that no one ever thonglit of blaming hiiu for choos- ing what turned out to be the wrong patlu See, in the Ap- pemlix, .Sir l^dvvard Wctherall's statcnient.