212 EGEKTOK S ENGAGEMENT, CHAP. VII. Canrobert apologising for this victorious exploit. The Sousdal Counter- guard con- verted into a French Work; and held fast. Strange as it may seem to those who have not grasped the full bearing of General Niel's ' mis- ' sion,' it is actually true that General Canrobert offered an excuse to the Home Government for this victorious exploit, as one of a kind inconsistent with ' the system of waiting ' — a system which seemed to forbid all such actions ; and he added that the embarrassment thus caused was ' one of ' the difficulties of the situation.' * On the following day, the French strengthened themselves yet further in the conquered Work, and gave it a name. They called it, ' The Work ' of the 2d of May ' ; and afterwards, at about three o'clock, they promptly repulsed a sortie which the Russians attempted against it. On the night of the 13th, they repulsed a new sortie attempted against the Work, as also one made further west with a view to aid the main object by making a diversion elsewhere. The fighting for lodg- ments in front of ' Gordon's ' Attack.' Pelissier had not yet opened his small, though determined campaign against the ( Counter-guard ' Lodgments, when on other and distant lodgments confronting the left advanced sap of Gordon's Attack our people made an assault. Against that same part of our siege-works, and to prevent the English from seizing those very same lodgments (which our people still always called rifle-pits), the enemy had determined to make a sortie on the night of the 20th of April;! but our people
- Kousset, vol. ii. p. 167.
T Todlebeu, vol. ii. p. 162.
