Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/485

 THK MAIN FlUHT. 44 sailors threw shot and rockets, which were uot chap. without their effect ; but, except l)y means of this ^^' kind, and by the little adventurous onset of which '"^ ^^^'^ we shall presently hear, the enemy was left to go unmolested. III. The retreat had been some time in progress, pnuce when an effort to countermand it was made, and kotrs that, too, by one who — ostensibly — had a riglit to counter- ° exact strict obedience. Down to a time consider- retreat : ably later than one o'clock, and on the lower ground not very distant from his original station on St George's Eavine, Prince Mentschikoff still sat in his saddle attending the two young Grand- Dukes, and apparently left undisturbed by any requests for his sanction of the measure in hand, or any attempt to consult him ; * but when he saw that the troops were retreating, he rode up at full gallop to General Dannenberg, and said, ' Is iiisaiterca- ' it you that have ordered the retreat ? It is uaLraberg ' impossible for us to fall back.' General Dan- nenberg answered: that the soldiers had fought like very lions, that they had exhausted their whole power, that the artillery and the regiments of infantry were completely undone. Also, point- ing, whilst he spoke, in the direction of Gortscha- koff's forces, he said they had failed to perform the part assigned them. Prince Mentschikoff replied by peremptorily ordering Dannenberg to
 * Tliis seems proved by what follows.