Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/407

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APPENDIX. 375 NOTE TO CHAPTER VIII. Note 1. — To be attempted. — It must not be supposed that the vote of the Council was based upon that general opinion which in terms it might seem to express ; for the English on such occa- sions did not sit in judgment on the opportunities of assault which the French might really have before them, nor vice versa. The French would simply say, ' We don't yet see our way to ' assaulting those defences which we confront,' and their an- nouncement would be treated as conclusive ; as (reciprocally) wotild be that of the English, who at their huge distance from the Redan, had of course no intention of sending infantry against it otherwise than in concert with assaults simultaneously under- taken by the French. Lord Raglan, I believe, had no independent means of becoming acquainted with the full extent of the havoc wrought on those Works which were attacked by the French siege-guns, and he — almost necessarily — received his impressions on that subject from General Canrobert. Of course Canrobert's representations as to the failure of the bombardment seemed to be every day receiving confirmation, because (owing to the repairs every night) the enemy's defences each morning seemed as strong as they had been &t the first. NOTES TO CHAPTER IX. Note 1. — This part of the plan. — Lord Panmure afterwards learnt that Sir Colin Campbell had pronounced the Mackenzie Heights to be virtually impregnable, and became very angry with Lord Ellenborough, through whom Sir Colin's opinion had been made known in London. Note 2. — Take effect by surprise. — Speaking of the force he had meant to lead up from Aloushta, the Emperor wrote that it was sufficient ' pour d£truire toute l'armee Russe qui pouvait etre ' surprise, et prise a revers avant d'avoir pu r^unir toutes ses • forces.' It is hard to see how the Emperor (in the then listening state of the world) could have hoped to see his plan take effect by way of surprise like that famous Marengo campaign which he seems to have had in his mind. Note 3. — Or otherwise into the sea. — After speaking of what was to be first achieved by his Army of Diversion, and of its capture of Simferopol, the Emperor says : ' On s'empare de cette