Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/70

 44 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. CHAP, cure a cliange of plan, but had ncit ventured ' to say anything on the subject to Prince Mentschikoff himself. It is plain, however, that Kiriakoffs opinion, getting abroad, was adopted by the officers of these two corps ; for first, the militia battalions, and then the battalions of the Taroutine corps, without orders, and without hav- ing been assailed or touched (except perhaps by a chance shot or two at very long range from the shipping), began a retrograde movement, and slow- ly ascended the steep hill till they gained a more commanding position at no great distance from the Telegraph. No effort was made to check this seemingly spontaneous movement.* IX. naif-i.ast At half-past one o'clock a round-shot from the 'jiic o'clock. ., . , . . , I omiioiiade oppositc heights Came ripping the ground near against the Loi'd Raglau, and it marked the opening of the lOii-lish line. n ' f O battle between the contending land-forces ; for thenceforth, the enemy's fire was continuous. He directed a steady cannonade against the English line. At first no one fell ; but presently an artilleryman riding in front of his gun bent forward his head, handled the reins with a con- vulsive grasp, and then, uttering a loud inarti- culate sound, fell dead. The general peace of observed and noted the movement. The General tlioiir;ht the change of position rc([nisite ; hut he admits that a retrograde movement of this kind, just before the commencement of the battle, was a grave eviL
 * General Kiriakoffs statement, confirmed bj' Eomaine, wlio