GENERAL CAMPBELL'S ATTACK. 179
troops, he apparently thought that the fire — the chap.
merciless fire — they encountered when facing ! —
the open had altogether destroyed or dispersed
them.
All the organised force that he knew of was, There-
first what remained of the valiant body of sailors his disposal
with their ladders which along with a few of the
sappers remained under Graham's command, and
next, a string of several hundreds of infantry
(composed of what was called the ' Eeserve ' and
of stragglers from other bodies) which, to use the
chief's words, had ' deployed, as it were, into an
' extended line behind the parapet seeking cover
' from the furious fire wherever it could be found,
' and disorder and confusion prevailed.' *
Lord West perhaps in cool blood would hardly es reiuc-
have judged that the power — the severed, the de- neve that
Tl6 WilS
composed power — which chance had thrown into powerless
to CXCClltC
his hands was such as could make it his duty to an attack,
protract an abortive attempt, still less to begin a
new onset with plainly inadequate means.
It was natural, however, that one who could
act with the vigour and zeal we saw him exerting
at Inkerman should resist a conclusion importing
that the moment of his accession to extended com-
mand must be the very one to be chosen for giv-
ing up all further effort. A covering party, he
thought, might again be formed and thrown for-
ward, to be followed again by the ladder-men,
whilst he himself in their wake would bring up
the body of troops then sheltering under the para-
- Lord West to the author, Dec. 23d, 1863.
