BATTLE OF THE ALMA. 253 ' may advance firing.'* This, or this nearly, was CHAP. what Hood had to say to his Grenadiers. Instant ' sounded the echo of his will: 'The line will 'advance on the centre! Quick march!' Then between the column and the seeing of its fate the cloud which hangs over a modern battle-field was no longer a sufficing veil; for although, whilst the English battalion stood halted, there lay in front of its line that dim, mystic region which divides contending soldiery, yet the Bear- skins, since now they were marching, grew darker from east to west, grew taller, grew real, broke through. A moment, and the column hung loose ; Defeat of another, and it was lapsing into sheer retreat ; viadLir yet another, and it had come to be like a throng Snd™ the in confusion.t Of the left Kazan troops there battaifon" v/as no more question. In an array which was all but found fault with for being too erand and too stately, the English battalion swept on.| recurs, the word 'ou' slioiikl be replaced by the word 'by.'-- Note to ith Edition.
- ' Unsupported I would not charge, but made my men ad-
' vance, firing steadily.' Private letter from Colonel Hood, 21.st Sept. l%U.—Note to 4th Edition. t ' In five minutes the Russian column faltered, then turned, ' then ran.' Private letter from Colonel Hood, 2Lst Sept. 1S54.— Note to 4th Edittion. t The criticism alluded to in this sentence was that of a French officer who witnessed the advance ot the Guards. After speaking of it with enthusiastic admiration, he ended by saying that it was 'too majestic'— 'trop majestueux.' — End of Note to sl Edition. Speaking of this advance of his Grenadiers, Colonel Hood writes : ' I am told the effect was great, and this common-sense ' manuccvrc of a line against a dense column is my only merit. ' It was done at "Waterloo effectively, and on the Alma yester-
