Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/123

THE BATTLK OF BALACLAVA- 101 wings or fore-amis were thrown out, and this in chap. such way that whilst the trunk — if thus one may L call it — was a huge weighty huiss of grjt'-t depth, the two limbs which grew out from it were con- stituted by a formation in line.' ' -In tLis'way' the appalling effect of great weight was supposed to be combined with the advantage which belongs to extension of front ; and evidently the designer imagined that, by the process of wheeling them, the two deployed lines might be made puissant engines for defence or for counter-attack. By in- clining them more or less back the arms might be made to cover the flanks of the column ; whilst, by folding them inwards, they might be so wielded as to crush all close comers with an easy and pitiless hug. The mass which acted in support had a front commensurate with that of the column it followed, but without any deployment from the flanks. It advanced so exactly on the track of the body in front, and soon showed so strong a tendency to close upon it, that virtually it added its weight to the weight of the great mass it fol- lowed, without attempting to aid it by any inde- pendent manoeuvres. So although, whilst these horsemen were marching, and even during part of the conflict, a space could be seen still existing between the first mass and the second, yet, so far as concerns their bearing upon the fight, the two columns were substantially as one. ■ Around the serried masses thus formed there circled a number of horsemen in open or skir- mishing order.