Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/294

 2G4 THE TAUT TO BE TAKEN H A P. XI. Lord Rag- lan's letter to Diindas. iiiandcr.* Be that as it may, Lord Eaglan's appeal was in writing, and the letter which conveyed it ran thus: — ' Before Sevastopol, l^ih October 1854. ' My dear Apmiral Dundas, — This letter will be de- livered to you by Lieutenant-Colonel Steele. I have requested him to wait upon you with it, and if yoii will be so good as to allow him to impress upon you the great importance I attach to the active co-operation of the combined fleets, upon the day on which the French and English armies open their fire, and commence their attack upon Sevastopol. ' That day is last approaching, and both General Canrobert and myself feel that, if the enemy's attention can be occupied on the sea front as well as upon that of the land, there will be a much greater chance of making a serious impression upon their works of defence, and of throwing the garrison into confusion. If the first efforts of a combined attack by sea and land should be great, the most advantageous consequences may be anticipated from it ; and I know no way so likelj- to ensure success as the comlsined efforts of the Allied naval and military forces. The royal navy has already done so much for the army, that the latter has no claim upon its further exertions perhaps ; but then it must be recollected that the former aspires to share in the renown which those of the sister service hope to gain in bringing the present enterprise to a happy conclusion, and their presence would go far to make all feel that victory would be nearly u the 16th of October. I think it plain from the tenor of tliafc letter that, initil Lyons, after being recalled to the fleet, had brought his mind into contact with those of the sliips' captains, he had not iierceived the most objectionable feature of the pro- posed naval attack. From the time when lie thus corrected Ilia view, I do not see that his opinion of the plan, in a navaj point of view, dideied from that of Dundas,
 * See i)ost, extract from letter of Lyons to Lori llaglan of