Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/72

 46 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. C H A P. Observing the extent of ground occupied by the ' first Division, Lord Ifaglan at once saw that the Ei'i.'Unui'*"^ 3d Division would not have room to manoeuvre sup'iwtuie i'l tlii^ same alignment with the Duke of Cam- GuarJs. bridge. He therefore ordered Sir Eichard Eng- land to support the Guards. It was this, or some other order sent nearly at the same time, which, for some reason, good or fanciful. Lord Eaglan chose to have carried quietly. The directions had been given, and the aide-de-camp was whirl- ing round his charger, in order to take a swift flight with the message, when Lord Eaglan stopped him, and said, ' Go quietly; don't gallop.' He knew he was, so to speak, in the presence of Eussian commanders, and seemed to like that whenever the enemy pointed a field-glass towards the English headquarters he should look upon a scene of tranquillity and leisure. Our batteries tried their range, but without effect, and they ceased to fire, reserving their strength for the time when they would come to close quarters. The batteries on the Telegraph Height did not yet open fire upon the French colunnis. Lord Eaglan conceived that the operation deter- mined upon by the French ought to take full effect before he engaged the English army in an assaidt upon the enemy's heights ; and perhaps, if the whole body of the Allies had been one people under the command of one general, their advance would have been effected in Echelon, with the left held back for some time, whilst the