Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/89

 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. 63 mistake of his adversary — how best he could sliift ciI A P. his strength to the distant unoccupied clifl" which ._!.._ was threatened by Bosquet's advance. The na- ture of the ground enabled him to make lateral movements in his line without much fear of dis- turbance from the Allies ; and as soon as he saw his med- that the French were detaching two-fifths of their dealing army in order to turn his flank, lie wildly deter- ms fl.tr.k . „ . march. mined to engage a portion of his scanty force m a march from his right hand to his left — in a march which would take him far to the westward of his chosen ground. For this purpose he snatched two batteries from his great Eeserve and also two from his right, gave orders that he was to be followed by the four ' Moscow ' battalions which were the reserve of his left wing, and by the three ' Minsk ' battalions which formed part of his 'Great Reserve,' and then with four squa- drons of hussars rode off towards the sea.* It was certain that a long time would elapse Ments.i.i- ° '- kolf on the before the troops engaged in this vain journey cutr. could be expected to get into action with Bosquet; and, meanwhile, the power of the whole force en- ca<Ted in the flank movement was neutralised. But that was not all. Prince Mentschikoff's mind was so strangely subverted by the sensation of having his left turned, that, although a long his Great Reserve were, the 10-guii light battery, No. 5, and the 8-gun troop of Horse-artillery, No. 12 ; whilst the two he took from liis right were the two 8-gau Don Cossack Latteries, one of which was a Lattery of position, the other a light battery.
 * The Latteries which Prince Jlentsehikoif thus drew from