Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/81

 EUPATORIA. 49 English steamers in the direction of Eupatoria, chap and not waiting for the fruits of the newly ' directed reconnaissance — Prince Mentschikoff on the 8th of February directed Baron Wrangel to assault the place — to assault it without delay.* Baron Wrangel, however, by this time had com- pleted his further reconnaissance ; and — speaking now even more confidently than ever before — he stated it to be his opinion that an attack on Eupatoria would be hazardous in the extreme. He declared that upon receiving from his chief a formal order in writing to attack the place he would do his best to attain the end proposed, and said he was proceeding accordingly — despite the state of the ground, and despite want of water and firewood — to effect the necessary concentra- tion of troops ; but he declined to ' accept respon- ' sibility ' for the consequences of an assault.t For a moment, Prince Mentschikoff yielded to the resistance thus offered, and sent a reply in that sense ; but two hours afterwards, he did the very opposite. Upon learning that General Khrouleff had carefully explored the ground, and considered it possible to take Eupatoria without incurring great losses, he not only made up his Mentschi- mind to have the enterprise tried, but to have it solve to conducted by him who — directly in the face of patoriaat- the judgment pronounced by his immediate chief (Baron "Wrangel) — had formed a counter-opinion, and imparted it to the Commander-in-Chief. To General Khrouleff accordingly, by Ment- VOL. VIII. D
 * Todleben, p. 679. t Ibid., p. 681.