REPORT OF CAPT. GEORGE B. irCLELLAN. 19 



the fleet could have retired to the vicinity of the Careening bay, where it, as well as the docks, 

 would have been secure against direct injury. 



By taking the MalakofF, the fleet and the establishments of the Eussians lay exposed at the 

 feet of the allies ; its commanding position and jjroximity to the main harbor rendered further 

 resistance useless when once occupied by them. Considerations relating to the facility of bring- 

 ing up supplies and covering their depot very probably determined the direction of the early 

 French attacks, but by no means diminish the credit due to General Neil, who first turned the 

 efforts of his countrymen in the right direction. 



If a deficiency in men and means is assigned as a reason for the early operations of the allies, 

 it is but another proof that, in undertaking the affair, they neglected one of the clearest rules 

 of war, that is, to undertake no important operation without full and reliable information as to 

 the obstacles to be overcome, and the means of resistance in the hands of the enemy. 



Enough has already been said to justify the belief that a dilemma, difficult of solution, might 

 be presented for the consideration of the allies : on the one hand, the comparatively small scale 

 upon which the original expedition was organized ; the intimation contained in some of the 

 French instructions that "half a siege train" would suffice to capture Sebastopol, and the absence 

 of all ijreparations for passing the winter in the Crimea, would indicate that the allied govern- 

 ments were well aware of the real weakness of Sebastojjol at that time, and intended that it 

 should be carried by a "coui) de vigeur ;" on the other hand, from the moment the armies 

 landed, every movement was conducted in a manner indicating that the generals were under 

 the impression that formidable defences were in front of them, and that nothing serious could 

 be attempted until further supplies and reinforcements were received. 



In regard to the detailed execution of the French attacks, little or nothing novel is to be 

 observed. Even when coolly examining the direction of tVieir trenches, after the close of the 

 siege, it was very rare that a faulty direction could be detected ; they always afforded excellent 

 cover, and were well defiladed ; in some cases the excavation of the double direct sap was carried 

 to the depth of G^' in the solid rock. 



The execution of many of the saps and batteries was worthy of a school of practice. In the 

 parallels, bomb proofs were provided as temporary hosjiitals, offices for the generals on duty, &c. 

 They did not use the sapper armor. The use of the sap roller was often attempted, but it could 

 be emj)loyed only during the latter part of the attack upon the Malakoff, when the fire of the 

 Kussian artillery was nearly extinguished by the mortars ; before that, as soon as a sap roller 

 was placed in position some 30 guns would be bi'ought to bear upon it, the result being its 

 immediate destruction. 



It may justly be said of the French approaches, that they admirably carried into practice 

 their system of sajjping. The technical skill and patient courage evinced by their officers and 

 men in pushing forward such excellent approaches, under a most deadly fire, is worthy of all 

 commendation, .and is such as_ might have been expected from the antecedents of their corps of 

 engineers. With regard to the English the case was different ; it seemed as if they systemati- 

 cally abandoned the excellent system taught and perfected with so much care at Chatham. 



Whenever the ground was difficult their trenches generally ceased to aftbrd shelter ; a shallow 

 excavation in the rock, and a few stones thrown up in front, appeared to be all that was consid- 

 ered necessary in such cases. They were often faulty in direction as well as in profile, being 

 not unfrequently badly defiladed, or not gaining ground enough, and entirely too cramped; nor 

 were they pushed as close to the Eedan as they ought to have been before giving the assault. 



In too many cases the expression " tatonnement " of the French would seem to convey the be.st 



