VI. 7 th Period THE MAIN FIGHT. 443 guilt of iusubordiuatiou, or else of one knowing chap. himself to be the real, though not the ostensible commander; but the last supposition is appar- ently the true one.* The process of retreating continued without disclosing any more deference to the will of Prince Mentschikoff than if he had been in reality what he virtually said that he was, that is, a sort of Lord Equerry entrusted with the care of Grand-Dukes. In one of the streets of Sebastopol, not long after this, the Prince was announcing to a naval officer that the retreat had been ordered, and adding that why the measure had been taken he could not at all understand.+ IV. By continuing to keep a large proportion of his uanuen- guns in battery upon the crest of Shell Hill and method of the Juts, General Dannenberg still presented to his tue retreat. adversaries a specious front of battle ; and under cover of this, the remainder of his artillery began
- lu his despatch, Mentschikoff, after enumerating the forces
which were to operate on Mount Inkerman, says: 'The com- ' mand of the troops was entrusted,' — he does not say by whom, — 'to General Dannenberg.' My impression is that by virtue of orders from the Czar, Dannenberg was the real coinmaniUn- on Mount Inls^erman, but that (as was natural) the language announcing this decision sought to avoid giving more pain thai: could be helped to Prince Mentschikoff, and left it possible for him to think he could clai7)i a paramount authority, without making him feel strong enough to insist uiwii being obeyed. + This was recounted to me by the officer to whom Mentsclii- koff addressed his words.
