CHAP. I.
M. St Arnaiul produced a rough map,—a map slightly and rapidly drawn, yet traced with that spirit and significance which are characteristic of French military sketches. French Plan for the operations of the English army. In this sketch Bosquet's Division and the Turkish troops were represented as effecting the turning movement on the enemy's left; and the 1st and 3d French Divisions were shown to be so deployed, and so placed, that, in the order of attack assigned to them by the sketch, they would confront almost the whole face of the enemy's position, leaving only one or two battalions to be dealt with in front by the English troops.[1] So, to find some occupation for the English, the sketch represented our army as filing away obliquely, in order to turn the enemy's right flank. Of course this plan rested entirely upon the assumption that the enemy's front would be fully occupied (as represented in the sketch) by the French attack. Lord Raglan's experience or instinct told him that no such plan as this could go for much until the assailing forces should come to measure their line with that of the enemy. So, without either combating or accepting the suggestion addressed to him, he simply assured the Marshal that he might rely upon the vigorous co-operation of the
- ↑ See the fac-simile of this plan, taken from the 'Pièces Officielles,' published by the French Government.—End of Note to 1st Edition. My justification for saying (in the corner of the plan) that it was 'untruly stated to have been accepted by Lord Raglan,' will be found in succeeding pages, and in particular at pp. 259, 276, 277.—Note to 4th Edition.
