Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/228

 196 THE APRIL BOMBARDMENT. chap, wrath in his own army, General Canrobert still vi. . abstained from assaulting the battered Work. XL question Here then is a long string of facts, pointing all whether r>i. ,, ,. .. . . . the hom- or them m the same direction; but, to judge of opened their cogency, and say whether this crreat bom- paths for, , T 1 „ ,. assault; baidment did or not open paths for assault, it is right to hear the voice of authority, answered by Commanding on this subject more weight than and by the any other man of our times, General Todleben authorita-. . tive opinion answers the question. Todieben. Having previously disclosed an opinion that the two White Eedoubts on Mount Inkerman, and the Kamtchatka Lunette might have been successfully and advantageously stormed, he goes on to speak of the Flagstaff Bastion, and says of it that after having undergone a constant and violent bombardment, the Work was 'in a desper- ' ate plight. Its artillery had been dismounted, ' its embrasures and its merlons almost entirely ' demolished, and a part of its salient had fallen ' in. So, during each of these days we were con- ' tinually expecting to see the enemy take advan- ' tage of the critical state to which the bastion ' was reduced, and advance to the assault of the ' Work.' * 'The French might have advanced to the • assault of this Bastion with an absolute cer- ' tainty of success, and this so much the more,
 * Todleben, p. 181.