Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/79

 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. 53 The Allies were now so close to the enemy's chap. position that the General of each of the five lead- ^' ing divisions could form a judgment as to the particular sphere of action which awaited him. To Bosquet the advance against the West Cliff had long ago been assigned. Canrobert faced towards the White Homestead and those spurs of the Telegraph Height which lie towards the west. Prince Napoleon confronted the centre and the eastern steeps of the T(k'graph Height. Sir De Lacy Evans with the 2d JJivision faced the vil- lage of Bourliouk; and it seemed at this time that his left would not reach further up the river's bank than the bridge, for Sir George Brown had been reckoning that his first or right briuade would be charged with the duty of attacking the enemy's position across the great I'oad, and that it would be his left, or BuUer's brigade, which would assail the Great Eedoubt. The Generals of the five leading Divisions were thus directing their forces, and already the swarms of .skirmishers thrown forward by the French, and the thinner chains of riflemen in advance of our divisions, were drawing close to the vineyards, and beginning their combats with the enemy'.s flidik-iiiovpniciits, one against the enemy's lel't and llic other against his right, and to do this without liaving any force wherewith to confront the enemy's centre, woukl have been a ]ihan requiring no comment to show its absurdity. The FrencJi accounts, whcllicr official or qunM official, liave always persisted in saying that Lord Ragli^n had engaged, and afterwards failed to make, a movement on the enemy's riglit flank. This is the cnly reason why the matter re{][uires anything like careful elucidation.