Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/419

 THE RETENTION OF BALACLAVA 397 volved ; for out of his own little army — we have chap. seen how huge were its tasks and how scanty its uumbers — Lord Raglan devoted to this object more than 2000 men, including a portion of his most superb troops.* Whatever was the force of those reasons which induced Admiral Lyons to deprecate the abandon- ment of Balaclava, the greatness of the sacrifice that his policy involved should at least be under- stood. By-and-by, when we feel the hard strain that was put upon our scanty forces by the exi- gencies °f ' Inkerman,' it will be well to remember that in that hour of trial the defence of Balaclava was absorbing not only a splendid force of marines and seamen, but a fifth of Bosquet's corps and the whole of our Highland Brigade. In the course of the week which succeeded to 26th oc- , . tober to 2d the 26th of October, the enemy s iorces in the November, valley of the Tchernaya were largely increased ; and on the 2d of November, after first extending his left, he effected a menacing demonstration against the eastern defences of Balaclava, by throwing forward his pickets in that part of the field, and supporting them too with artillery. It was thought that he might be meditating an at- continue tempt to get round into the place by the south ; enemy's ' e but he did not at the moment do more than try designs 1 ?. r~i • i ■ ,i i against the range of his guns. Considering the enemy s Balaclava: actual strength in the valley, and his evident battalion 615. Until the evening of the 25th the 93d had been the only part of the Highland Brigade which Balaclava absorbed.
 * 2158— viz., the Highland Brigade 1543, and the provisional