Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/61

 STATE OF THE CAMPAIG^. 17 purpose of overwlielniing the invaders had been chap. weighed, at the least, if not dictated in the Paissian ! — capital under the personal directions or approval of the Czar, and it was, therefore, no wonder that intelligence of the meditated blow should filter through central Europe (where the Powers were all of them neutral) and penetrate into England and France. In some instances, the relatives of officers serving in the Crimea were forewarned, by dear Russian friends whom even the war had not alienated, of an impending attack which was to be delivered, they said, with such overpowering numbers as to insure the destruction or cajtture of the whole Allied army ; and the dread of hav- ing to hear that some great disaster had come was increased by a piece of information — then pain- fully interesting — which Diplomacy had found means to acquire. A paper purporting to be the copy of a letter addressed by Prince Mentschikoff in cipher to the Governor of Warsaw, for trans- mission by him to the Czar, was placed in the hands of one of our ambassadors. It ran thus : — 'Chancery of Warsaw. Report addressed by Prince Mentschi- • koff to Prince Paskiewitz. Despatch deciphered 19/31 ' Oct., in the evening. 'The enemy no longer dares to stir out of his ' lines. We never cease to harass him and kill ' some of his men. Our squadrons make frequent ' battues and attacks. The enemy throws some ' shells at them, but his cavalry dares not risk ' itself beyond the range of the batteries. The VOL. VI. ?