Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/98

66 todleben's counter-approaches. CHaP. for its defence must be — not on the Mamelon IV. ! itself, but — on ground far away towards his left ; for he judged that the new French 'approaches' then making their way on Mount Inkerman would bring his opponents to ground whence their batteries might take the Mamelon in flank, take it even almost in reverse ; and he conceived that it could not be held, if assailed in that way, whilst also under the fire of the ' King ' and the His coun- ' Artilleur ' batteries. He therefore resolved that, tcracting plans. to defend the Mamelon, he must arrest the new French ' approaches ' on his left front, and that, to do this effectually, he must move out beyond the near borderland of his Faubourg defences, must cross the Careenage Ravine, must ascend the steep hillside above it, and construct a new system of Works on the north-western heights of Mount Inkerman. The new system of Works, whilst fulfilling its primary object, and baffling the Inkerman approaches, might also, he saw, be conducing to an ulterior purpose — might give him the means of directing such a fire towards the south as would cover his efforts to fortify the Mamelon in the teeth of the French, thus barring their road to the Malakoff. In determining to take this bold course, he was moved by yet one other reason ; for he hoped that by arresting the approaches of the French on Mount Inkerman lie might prevent them from attaining to ground whence their batteries would be able to drive off all Kussian ships from the eastern part of the Roadstead.