Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/188

 l.'S HEROIC RESISTANCE OF SEBASTOl'OT, CHAr. of (lictatovsliip ; for lie treated it as quite natural VI " that Korniloif should liave been raised to the supreme autliority. nisintfn- With respect to the question of succouring k.'t-i.iiiH" tiio Sehastopol l)y means of the field army, Prince Mcntschikoff disclosed the intentions he had i'ormed. After coniplainiuf;- of the weakness of his army, and declaiing his belief that the enemy was in great strength, he intimated that he was about to make another movement, and caused Korniloff to understand that he, the Prince, meant to leave Sebastopol to its own resources.* KnrniinfTs Komlloff rcmoustrated, and said: 'If that su'l'i'ice. ' takes place, then farewell to Sebastopol ! If the ' Allies decide on some daring action, they will • crush us.' t it.sefrtct. Prince jMentschikoff then said that he would summon a council of war. XV. As propounded by Prince Mentschikoff himself before he undertook it, liis flank march was at ' ti'oops, and supposes the enemy to be very stronj^ ; lie is ' about to make another movement, and to leave Sebastopol to ' its own resourecs. ' — KornilofT's Private Journal, written on tht! evening of the day when the interview with Mentschikoff took pi act'. + He probably added (though this he does not expressly say) words e(]uivalent to those which he inserted in liis journal as words of private rellection : 'To hold Sebastopol with troops is ' very possible ; nay, it is possilde even to hold out long ; but ' without troops — that alters the case!' — Kornilofi"s Private Journal.
 * ' The Priiiro. complains very niui'li of the -weakiioss of liis