Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/489

 APPENDIX. 459 NOTE V. Extracts from Letters op Lord Eaglan tending to snow HIS Opinion as to the policy op storming the PLACE AT first. Although it is true that in his despatches and private letters he omitted — na}', studiously omitted — to disclose his opinion, he nevertheless often wrote in language which could hardly have come from him unless he had been one of those few who perceived the peril of delay, and lamented the irresistible concurrence of opinion which was inducing the Allies to forego the prompt seizure of their prize. Thus on the first day after the completion of the Hank march he showed how clearly he perceived the advantage which the Allies gained by surprising the enemy on tJie South Side, for he wrote : ' We have taken the enemy quite aback by ' a manoeuvre for which they were not by any means pre- ' pared.'* And five days later he showed himself keenly alive to the advantage which the enemy was gaining from delay, for he wrote : ' The garrison is actively and inces- ' santly employed in adding to the defences, and forming ' a continuous line of works along the South front which ' hai prcviouslj^, to all appearance, been much less pro- ' tected, and they have likewise been busily occupied in ' bringing in large stores of supplies of different kinds.' t Again, five days later, he wrote : * The enemy however is ' in great force within the place, and have been busily en- ' gaged since they discovered the design of making the ' South Side the object of attack in strengthening the 2S, 1854. + Despatch addressed by Lord Paglan to the Secretary of War, Oct. 3, 1854.
 * whole front, and arming the works which they have
 * Private letter from Lord Paglan to the Duke of Newcastle, Sept