Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/177

 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO CHIEFS. 147 Lord Raglan at the English headquarters, and CHAP. imparted his designs for the morrow. To the . — r — — (Mil ire satisfaction of Lord Raglan, he announced at,™ that his siege-guns would open with the daylight headquar- next morning, and continue their fire for two hours, thus accomplishing a second destruction of any resurgent batteries which the garrison mi»'ht repair in the night-time. He also deter- concerted or o pUns of the mined that at the close of the two hours bom- two com- j manders. bardment, that is, at five, or half-past five o clock, his infantry should begin to deliver their intended assaults. With Pelissier's approval, Lord Eaglan on his part determined to open his intended bom- bardment simultaneously with that of the French, but of the times when his infantry columns should begin their attacks he reserved to himself a free choice. From some cause it happened that the choice of measures and time thus made at first by Pris- sier lay hidden from Louis Napoleon, as well as from the French War Department, and therefore perhaps it is well to give Lord Eaglan's words. ' General Pelissier said here on Sunday morning • that it was desirable that the artillery should ' have a couple of hours after daylight the folio w- ' ing morning to destroy any repairs the Russians ' might have made in the night, and that he ' should open the attack by the troops at five, ' or half-past five as his commanding officer of 'artillery on the spot might determine.'*
 * To Lord Panmure, 19th June 1855.