Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/441

 APPENDIX. 4 1 9 Bent in no ' states,' and not apparently thinking that there would attach much importance to a combat which he dis- poses of in four lines, he thought it would answer the pur- pose to set down each squadron and sotnia at the round average strength of 100, instead of the 156 which was about the average strength of a squadron at the time of the Alma. By that way of dealing with the numbers, he reduces the strength of the column with which Ryjoff began his advance to 2500, and then wrongly imagining that the force detached against Sir Colin Campbell num- bered 1100 instead of only 400 horsemen, be attained the conclusion above stated — i.e., that Ryjoff, when meet- ing Scarlett, had only 1400 men with him. So I will now show the grounds on which T submit that the body of horse encountered by Scarlett may be stated at 'about 3000.' As regards the numbers of Cavalry squadrons and sotnias of Cossacks with which General Ryjoff commenced his advance up the valley, I am content to accept the. statement contained in the official work prepared under the auspices of General de Todleben, and accordingly treat the force as consisting only of the 16 squadrons of the Hussar brigade, and 9 sotnias of Cossacks ; but, as regards the numerical strength of these bodies, I cannot agree thai the known facts are such as to warrant a rough estimate, bringing down the squadron to a strength of only one hundred. Resting on the information furnished by the ' states ' applicable to the day of the Alma, we should be secure in asserting that (subject only to allowanee for 'deductions 'from strength' occurring during those intermediate five camp, who had not happened to be in any of the cavalry charges, and (suppressing Scarlett's report) steadfastly refused to allow the name of Elliot to appear, Elliot being a man who had charged at, the side of Scar- lett, and come out with some fourteen wounds.