Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/216

 190 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. CHAP. Along almost their whole array at this time it _i seemed to fare ill with the Allies. Still close batup.'aV"' ^° '^^ sea-shore, Bouat, with one French brigade this time. j^n(j 5000 Turks, was without artillery, and was therefore holding back from the plateau, far away from any scene of strife. Following the same barren track. General Forey with Lourmel's brigade was marching to the sea-shore, and was annulled. Bosquet, with his one brigade on the plateau, had long been isolated, and was not so near to any llussian battalion as to be able to engage it with his infantry. Canrobert was undergoing the check M'hich we have just seen. The unwieldly column formed by D'Aurelle's brigade aiird by Piince Napoleon's Division — a column with a front of only a few yards and the depth of a mile — was in an order adapted for the march, but not for fighting, and, its small slender crest being kept close down out of sight, had failed to exert that pressure which, even without firing a shot, may be inflicted by the known presence of a great body of troops. And the forces thus palsied were nothing less than the whole French army, including even their reserves. Much, of course, might always be hoped from the bravery and the swift invention of the warlike French ; but apart from that vast though unde- fined resource, and apart from what fortune might do for him, Marshal St Arnaud was without the Roniaiiin. "Writing from liis saddle, and at the verj' minute of witnessing the event, he recorded it in these words : ' French
 * centre falling back.' — Koinaine's saddle-notes.