26 COURSE TAKEN BY LOUD HAG LAN. chap. Lord Raglan therefore determined to address ' to the French headquarters some ' indirect coni- ' munications,' which he hoped might serve as a substitute for any full, written answer proceed- ing straight from himself, and might even per- haps enable him to ward off altogether that interchange of controversial epistles which (for reasons already made plain) he judged to be a 'great evil.'* Accordingly, after handing to Sir John Bur- goyne the French commander's despatch, in order that Sir John might prepare replies to that part of the missive which an officer of engineers might fairly consider professional, he conversed very fully with General Rose,t and then took his ulterior step. Believing it politic that — at least for the moment — he himself should stand aloof personally from the approaching discussion, he requested one of his Staff officers to wait upon General Canrobert. Accordingly, on the 1st of January the Staff officer charged with this mission rode off to the French headquarters, where Canrobert received him with kindness in presence of the 'Etat ' Major,' as well as of General Hose, and he then adduced grounds in support of the plan approved at the recent Conference of Three by Bizot as well as Burgoyne. That the Staff officer charged with this task pressed his way to the object in view with con-
- Lord Raglan to Secretary of State— Secret— Jan. 2, 1855.
t The English commissioner at the French headquarters.
