Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/46

 THE WINTER TROUBLES. CHAP. 1. His final orders to make pro- vision for wintering in the Crimea. Danger of a winter on the Cherso- nese to the health of the Allied ormies ; after carrying its defences by storm. The winter — this was his morrow — the winter awaiting his army, and awaiting it on the Chersonese Heights. So early as the 8bh of August — long before the! invasion began — he had impressively repre- sented to our Home Goverrmient that the ques- tion where the Allied armies should winter was one ' of some anxiety ;' saying also, ' I am aware ' that, if the great operation be undertaken, and ' be successful to the utmost extent, there would ' be room for the two armies in the Crimea ; but ' under other circumstances, it will be very diffi- ' cult to find the means of putting them under ' cover.' And long afterwards, when the con- ditions proved such, that, instead of sharing between them the whole Crimea, the two Allied armies were in danger of having to winter upon the barren patch of ground where they stood, he prepared both himself and his Government for the threatened contingency ; (^) but what he be- fore had only deemed probable he now frankly treated as certain. On the 8th of November, he instructed his Commissary-General that our army would winter in the Crimea, and directed liim to ' make provision accordingly.' (^) The more purely strategical import of a de- termination which condemned the invaders to winter on the Chersonese may be separately brought under question ; but v/hat here invites thought is the bearing of such a resolve upon the health and wellbeing of the Allied armies, if not upon their very existence.