Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/244

 218 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. CHAP, soldiery were coming close down — Drummond, ^' the Adjutant of the battcalion, rode up and gave the order to retire. By these words, as I gather, the battalion was stopped ; but it did not instantly obey the command to retire. There was a reluct- ance to fall back ; and it would seem that the feel- ing which caused this reluctance was not altogether a false instinct ; for, however imperative the ne- cessity for retreating may have been, the order had come too late to avert the impending disaster; and it is likely enough that, being, as they were, in the close presence of a powerful enemy, our men may have fancied there must needs be some mistake in an order which directed them to go about at a moment when no due arrangements had been made for covering their retreat. Be this as it may, the Adjutant (as it was his duty to do) repeated the order. It seems he repeated it thrice; and the last time, he was no longer content to say, ' the battalion will retire !' for he told it with force that it ' must,' I know of no means that were taken for cover- ing the retreat. If any were tried, they failed ; for, the moment the battalion obeyed the word of command, it lapsed into a state of disorder, and then fell back in confusion. Seeing this, the soldiery thrown out by the Paissians in advance of their great column pushed forward with in- creasing boldness, and the Queen's colour was now in greater danger than ever. But borne by a resolute officer, and surrounded by resolute men, it was guarded with care to the last, and kept safe