Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/85

THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 63 Four; but instead of undertaking to hold the chap. work, he did what he could to raze and dismantle _ L it. He then withdrew, because he deemed the ?. n ? . estab - ' 1 1 slung position too far in advance to allow of his under- S^ e , taking to hold it. them - Our cavalry now became exposed to some musketry shots which were successfully directed against it from the positions of the lost redoubts ; and, as it was also apparent that our horsemen were in the line of the fire which the gunners along our inner line of defence might soon have occasion to open, Lord Lucan, in accordance with an arrangement to that effect which had been preconcerted with Sir Colin Campbell, drew off his division to that part of the South Valley which lay opposite to the interval between the Number Four and the Number Five lie doubts. The position he then took up was across the valley, his squadrons facing eastward. He was Fresh dis- so placed as to be able to take in flank any ouTcavafrj enemy's force which might bend away from the valley and endeavour to pass to the south, with intent to assail Balaclava. Such, then, was the first period of the battle of observa- Balaclava ; and it must be acknowledged that the the first . period of engagement, if it had closed at this time, would the tattle. have furnished a distressing page for the military history of England. War often demands bitter sacrifices, and may sometimes force men to re- press — not only their generous impulses, but — even those appeals of the conscience which a too fiery