Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/37

 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. 11 teries;* and, unless there be some grave source chap. of error in computations long accepted as sound, ^' these bodies comprised altogether a strength of 39,000 (of whom 3G00 were horsemen), with as many as 96 guns.-f- Prince jNlentschikoff commanded in person His personal He was a vayward, presumptuous man, and ^''*' '""' his bearing towards the generals under his com- mand wa,s of such a kind that he did not or could not strengthen himself by the counsels of men abler than himself. J In times past, he had been mutilated by a round-shot from a Turkish gun. He bore hatred against the Ottoman race ; he bore hatred against their faith. He had opened his mis- sion at the Porte with insult ; he had closed it with threats. And now — a sequence rare in the lives of modern statesmen — he was out on a hill-side, with horse and foot, having warrant — full warrant this time — to adduce 'the last reason of kings.' So far as regards the general scheme of the instead of 44 ; but except as regards that small difference (which I deal with elsewhere) his conclusion as to the number of squadrons, sotnias, battalions, and guns is exactly the sama as the one above stated. + See No. II. of the Appendix. General Todleben ]iuts the cavalry at 3C00, in accordance with this statement ; hut, as re- gards the computation resulting in the sum above stated, lie differs very widely indeed, and therefore it is that I have re- sorted to the carefully qualified, and even conditional, language above appearing. The subject will be found fully treated in No. I. of the Appendix. J I infer this from the fact that, the day before the action, General Kiriakoff, an officer of high reputation, was attempting indirect methods of calling Prince Mentschikoff''s attention to the defectiveness of liis arrangements. — Kiriukqff'a Stutanent.
 * General Todleben puts the number of battalions at 42^