Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/56

 30 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. c H A P. of such things, was wrong upon a point of military . '. usage — he imagined that the order would be re- peated in the morn-ng, and heAvaited accordingly. Also the Englisli troops moved slowly. Time was growing to be of high worth, and from causes which justified a good deal, though not quite all, of their delay, the English at this time were behindhand. In order that the operations of the day might be adjusted to the time which the English army required, orders were sent forward suspending for a while the advance of Bosquet's column ; and at nine o'clock the main body of the French army came to a halt, and cooked their coffee. Whilst they rested, our troops, by moving obliquely to- wards their right, were slowly overcoming the distance which divided them from the French left, and were at the same time working their way through the angle which measured their diverg- ence from the line of march. Of those composing an armed force there arc few who understand the hindrances which block its progress; and naturally the French were vexed by the delay which seemed to be caused by the slowness of the English army. They, however, conformed with great care to the tardiness of our advance, and even allowed our army to gain upon them ; for when the Allies reached the ground which sloped down towards the Alma, the heads of our leading columns were abreast of the French skirmishei'S.* • Lord Rnglan was amongst those who observed this fact, and he stated it in a letter which is before me.