Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/318

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288 THE DEATH OK LORD RAGLAN. CHAP. XIII. Pelissier's Bgon) of giief of action, and nearly all used to encountering the painful scenes of war — there were none who without strong emotion could look on the face — now rigid in death — of him who but yesterday was their heloved, honoured colleague. They yielded to grief. Both the late, and the then actual, commander of the French army had beeu closely associated with Lord Kaglan in the busi- ness of the war; and, as was natural, they all the more felt the anguish of seeing him lifeless. General Canrobert, having felt towards the English commander a strong affection, now mourned him with all his heart. But the general who grieved the most passionately, was he who had seemed to be emphatically the hard man of iron. Pelissier ' stood by the bedside for ' upwards of an hour, crying like a child.'* Official announce- ments and condol- ences. On the same day, and issued by Lieutenant- General Simpson, then the senior officer present, the 'Morning General Orders' announced iu simple terms to our army 'the death of its be- ' loved commander Field-Marshal Lord Kaglan.' From the structure of our administrative system as then constituted, it resulted that there were two high officers of State who, to meet an occa- sion like this, could legitimately give voice to the feelings of the Queen. ' I conveyed,' wrote the Secretary of State for our War Department, ' I ' conveyed your sad intelligence to the Queen. ■ Eer Majesty received it with profound grief.

  • Letters from Headquarters, vol. ii. p. 363.