THE MAIN FIOIIT. 185 was asked, nor even by Hamley's repression of chap. the troops moving up from the Kitspur; and men ^^' seemingly took it for granted that there was still ^(i PeHod. some emergency which required the Guards to engage without Lord Eaglan's authority. The Duke of Cambridge was not a man so constituted stei>s taken as to be proot against the contagion oi surround- Duke of ing opinion ; but at least, before moving forward, he took some wise precautions. He sent Colonel Brownrigg to Bosquet with orders to let the French general know that the attack was serious and request prompt support ; and desiring also to learn something of the fight in which he was going to mingle, His Royal Highness despatched Sir Charles Russell of the Grenadiers with orders to go to the front and see which way the enemy was advancing.* Sir Charles ran up to a part of the crest where Captain Paynter was trying to bring some of his guns into play. When asked where the enemy were, Paynter answered, ' They
- are all round us, but thickest there ; ' and so
speaking, he pointed to the right front of the English position. The Duke, hearing this from Advance of Sir Charles's report, moved his two battalions of battalions Guards along the eastern slopes of Fore Ridge in the direction of the Sandbag Battery. The forces more especially designated by Payn- Array of . , . 1 i 1 • the forces ter s terse speech were the same we saw moving, opposed to with a strength of more than thirteen battalions, from the enemy's right hand to his left ; but the
- He also desiiatched Colonel F. Hamilton on a similar mis-
sion, but the colonel's horse was shot under him.
