Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/502

 472 APPENDIX. requisite reserves, tlie assaulting columns could barely have exceeileJ in strength the troops which the I^ussians could liave opposed to us ; and I ask any military man of experience, AVhat would have been the result of an assault under such circumstances ? 25. I fully admit that great liberties may be taken with a beaten enemy, but that consideration will not justify enterprises of such extreme rashness as an assault upon Sebastopol at this period would have been ; and the attempt to alfirm the contrary comes with a peculiarly bad grace from a Russian General who was foiled in a similar enterprise of far less difficulty at Silistria. We have a right to demand why operations which were found to be so difficult for the Russians are now discovered to be so easy of accomplishment for their adversaries. 26. Being as jealous on the subject of the military reputation of Tjord Raglan as Mr Kinglake can be, and feeling certain in my own mind that he had never proposed to assault the place at this period, I have written to Marshal Canrobert to obtain from him a confirma- tion of my opinion, and I append his reply: — Paris, le 18 Juillel 1868. MoN CHER IMarIiCIIal, — Aprcs vous avoir remerci^ pour le bon souvenir que vous voulez bieu me garder, et que je suis lieureux de vous rendre, j'ai I'liouneur de r^pondre a votre question. Nod, Lord Raglan n'a jamais propose an G^ndral Canrobert de donuer I'assault a Sevastojiol immediatement cqires Varrite des Allies devant cette 2>lace, et par consequent, le Glucral Sir John Burgoyne n'a pas eu h, ajipuyer de son avis, uu refus que je n'ai pas €i6 appele i faire. * Je sasis avec plaisir cette occasion, mon cher Mar^chal, pour vous ad- dresser avec nies sentiments de haute consideration I'expression de mon alfectueux d^vouemeut. MARECITAL CANROBERT, A S. E. Le Mar<iclial Sir John Brr.ooYNK, a Londres. 27. Lord Raghiii possessed many of the qualities of a great Gen- eral. The firmness with which he suppressed the murmurs against the expedition at Varna ; his coolness and presence of mind under fire; the equanimity with which he bore reverses; the bold front which he presented during the winter of 1854, by which he probably saved the renniant of the British army ; the magnanimity with in italics, Canrobert supplies the students of logic with a good example of the ' negative pre^ijnant.'
 * By inserting the words which I have distinguislied by putting them