Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/429

 APPENDIX. 407 with the charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade against the Russian battery at Balaclava.* I commence by stating that the time occupied from the movement of the brigade to the attack to the time of re- forming on the same ground did not exceed twenty minutes — the distance passed over was one mile and a quarter, at the lowest calculation — and in that space of time 300 men who had gone into action were killed, wounded, or mis- sing, and 396 horses were put Iwrs de combat. Of the 670 men who had gone into action, only 195 were mounted when the brigade re-formed on the ground from which these circumstances : Several years ago — I believe in 1864 or 1865 — I sought to allay in some measure Lord Cardigan's extreme anxiety by saying that, with respect to those points on which my opinion might be unfavourable to him, I would call his attention to them before the publi- cation should take place, so that he might have an opportunity of sub- mitting to me any considerations tending to change my view, and I inti- mated that I would do this in the form of emeries, asking whether he bad any further explanation to oiler upon such or such a point. During the years which followed, Lord Cardigan (in his anxiety to do himself justice) honoured me with visits so frequent and with a correspondence so ample (on his part) that I considered the sxibject as exhausted. Accordingly, when he adverted to my promise, I submitted to him that, considering the great extent to which I had given up my time to him since the period when the promise was made, it would be well for him to release me from it. He showed an indisposition to do this ; and the slight feeling of anger which his persistency gave me, tended much to counteract the pain that I felt in fulfilling the promise. I said I would fulfil it at once. Accord- ingly I wrote the promised queries in Lord Cardigan's presence, read them out to him, and gave him a copy of them. This was on the 15th of February last. Lord Cardigan, under the pain which he thus brought upon himself, showed at the time a perfect command of temper ; and though he afterwards brought me a kind of written protest strongly questioning my impartiality, he offered to withdraw this before reading it, and after reading it, expressed a wish that it should be considered as withdrawn. I said I wished that the paper should not be withdrawn, and upon Lord Cardigan saying that lie wished to take it away with him, I obtained from him a promise to let me have it afterwards. This he did-
 * The promise above mentioned by Lord Cardigan was made under