Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/198

 176 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. chap, tended command of cavalry. Few could be more ' competent to point out to Lord Cardigan the error he was committing — to show him in two words how to construe Lord Lucan's order, and to explain to him that when cavalry has to hold a 'position,' it is not, for that reason, forced to abstain from resisting the enemy.* Perceiving with vivid distinctness the precious opportunity which the fortune of war was offer- ing, Morris eagerly prayed that the Light Cavalry might advance upon the enemy's column of horse ; or, if that could not be conceded, then that he at least, with his regiment, might be suffered to undertake an attack. That he imparted his desire to Lord Cardigan, and that Lord Cardigan rebuffed him, I cannot doubt ; -J* but for the pre- alry was an actual invasion of the English position — nay, even of the very camping-ground of the Light Brigade. + I do not forget (as will presently be seen) that Lord Car- digan has denied this ; but my proofs are ample : and indeed Lord Cardigan, though he places the incident at a moment when it had become too late to act with effect, has himself acknowledged to me that Captain Morris sought to push for- ward with his regiment, and that he (Lord Cardigan) stopped the attempt. Both with respect to the fact itself and the time of its occurrence, Captain (afterwards Colonel) Morris has been explicit. In a letter addressed by him to the Horse Guards he wrote thus :—' Having read .... a letter from Major ' Calthorpe, in which he throws between Lord Cardigan and 1 myself the settlement of the question as to whether I asked ' Lord Cardigan, on the 25th of October 1854, to attack the 1 Russian cavalry in flank at the time they were engaged with • the Heavy Brigade, and which Lord Cardigan most positively ' denies, 1 wish to declare most positively that I did ask Lord ' Cardigan to attack the enemy at the time and in the manner ' above mentioned.' See also the conclusive testimony contained
 * I say 'resisting,' because the advance of the Russian cav-