Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/458

 436 APPENDIX. NOTE X. Memoranda relating to Sir George Cathcart and the Dormant Commission, written in 1864 by the late Colonel the Honourable Gilbert Elliot, who was Aide-de-Camp to Sir George in the Crimea. At the beginning of November I got so bad that I had to give in, and remained in my tent for two days, and on the third was put into a waggon with a number of other sick people and sent to Balaclava. Sir George (Cathcart) packed me up and put my blanket round me, and that was the last I ever saw of the kind, brave old fellow. On the 5 th I heard he had been killed, and there was I in Balaclava and had never been near him in his last fight. On our way to the Crimea he had told me that he had in his pocket a document by which he would succeed to the command of the army in the event of Lord Raglan's death. He did not at all like the arrangement, and told me that he had only consented to receiving the document on the earnest entreaty of the Queen ; but that even at the time he told me the secret he was trying to be relieved of the thing, feeling how very unpleasant it would be for him to find himself placed over the heads of other generals of divisions who were senior to him in the service. As it was, however, he told me what he wished me to do in, as nearly as I can remember, these words : ' We are just going to commence ' a campaign, and it is very likely I shall be killed or die, ' and, of course, you will be very sorry — perhaps you will ' be killed first, and, of course, I shall be very sorry — but ' if I go first I wish you to put your hand in my breast- 1 pocket, where you -will find this precious document in a ' waterproof bag and take it at once to Lord llaglan, who