Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/117

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tbem. THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 95 Lord Lucan's separate though concurring orders chaf wrought little or no confusion. L Hitherto, the divisional commander and his Meeting be- brigadier had not come in sight of one another; L^clnand* but whilst Scarlett (after having once wheeled, scarieu and then taken ground to the right) was again giving orders to wheel a second time, into line, Lord Lucan rode up to him ; and, in the face of the enemy's masses of horse then closely impend- ing over them, the General of the division and the General of brigade found moments enough for the exchange of a few rapid words. Accord- The com- ing to General Scarlett's recollection of what between'"™ passed, he explained why it was that, after first wheeling into line, he had found it necessary to take ground to his right, and received an assur- ance that his intended attack would be supported by Lord Lucan with other troops. Lord Lucan, indeed, believes that, in expressing his wish to have the charge executed, he spoke as though giving an order which had originated with himself, and that he said to his Brigadier: — ' General Scarlett, take these four squadrons ' — the squadrons of the Greys and the Inniskil- lings — ' and at once attack the column of the ' enemy ; ' * but if he used words of command where words of mere sanction were what the occasion required, it seems probable that he ended the conversation with a more appropriate phrase, saying simply to Scarlett: — 'Now, then,

  • What Lord Lucan took to be ' four ' were in reality thre*

squadrons. See ante, pp. 88, 89, 90, 91.