Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/93

THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 71 attack galloped up to the ridge overlooking the OHAP Balaclava plain ; and ultimately, though not all ' at once, the French Commander moved down to £^bert the foot of the heights both Vinoy's and Espin- 5^ nthe asse's brigades of infantry, and also the two nisdis- cavalry regiments of the Chasseurs d'Afrique, regiments comprising eight squadrons, and com- manded by General d'Allonville. There was, however, an evident difference Apparent between the opinion which governed the Eng- of option lish Commander and the one entertained by and Lord' Canrobert. Keenly alive, as was natural, to a danger which threatened his only seaport, and hoping besides, I imagine, that the somewhat dimmed prospects of the siege might be cleared by a fight in the plain, Lord Raglan, at this time, had not entertained the idea of surrender- ing ground to the enemy, and was preparing to recover the heights. General Canrobert, on the other hand, was of course less directly con- cerned in keeping watch over Balaclava ; and having become impressed with a belief that it was the object of the Russians to draw him down from his vantage-ground on the Cherson- ese, he seems to have resolved that he would baffle the enemy's supposed policy by clinging fast to the upland. Accordingly, it will be seen (if we chance to speak further of these French infantry reinforcements), that, although General Vinoy's brigade pushed forward, at one time, to ground near the gorge of Kadikoi, it was after- wards withdrawn from its advanced position, and