Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/26

 I. 4 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. chap, eye, and the sudden disclosure of the teeth, white, even, and clenched. At an early period of his life, and whilst still almost a boy, he had the honour to be encouraged in his career by the Duke of Wellington, and even to receive words of counsel and guidance from the lips of the great captain. In later years, he had had the spirit and enterprise to join the Kussian army whilst engaged in military opera- tions, thus giving himself the advantage of see- ing a campaign ; * and I cannot but believe that the time thus spent was more conducing to warlike efficiency than many a diligent year em- ployed in peace service at home. Independently of the general advantage derived from a glimpse of reality, Lord Lucan gathered from his experience of that campaign on the Danube some knowledge of a more special kind in regard to Eussian troops ; and there is reason for inferring that his mode of handling the English cavalry in the Crimea was in some measure influenced by the impres- sions of his earlier days. A quarter of a century before, he had come back from the Danube cam- paign with a low opinion of the Eussian cavalry, but with a high respect for the infantry — more especially, it seems, for the infantry when gathered in heavy column ; and he not only carried those opinions with him to the Crimea, but continued, attached to the Staff of Prince Woronzoff ; and I have heard that he was graciously chided hy the Empernr Nicholas for toe freely exposing his life.
 * In the war of 1828-9 against the Sultan, Lord Lucan was