Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/420

 394 COUNSELS ENDING IN THE CHAP, support iliein in argument; and that very neces- . sity would be enough to prevent him from strik- ing upon one of those daring yet happy concep- tions which can be originated and pushed to great issues by a sole commander, although they are wanting in those smooth, placid features which would best recommend them to a council of war. Of course, it was in the nature of things that the judgment of a man deeply versed in the business of sieges should be more or less warped by his science; and that, advising on the conduct of an enterprise much dependent on swiftness of action and ou prompt use of the blessing of victory, the skilled engineer might be too ready to enter upon a war of entrenchments ; but Sir John Burgoyne had so much breadth of view, and so general a knowledge of the warlike art, that he was as little likely, perhaps, to err in this direction as any other officer of the same calling in the French or the English camp. Hieoi)inion. Now, Sir John Burgoyne not only held that the project of an attack upon the south side of Sebastopol had many and great advantages over that of assailing the Star Fort, but even brought himself to believe that, for the sake of being able to exchange the one plan fur the other, it would be wise to front all the hazard of marching the Allied armies to the east of the Sebastopol road- stead, and thence round to the south of the place. His opinion was known to his chief; and when Lord liaglan perceived that the reluctance of the French to attack the Star Fort was strong, and