CHAP. XXVII.] 



THE CRIMEAN WAR. 



427 



order to meet the difficulties that are day by day 

 gathering around it. 



The best way to deal with the subject seems to be 

 to trace closely the effect of rifled and breechloading 

 weapons upon the mounted service, in those wars which 

 have lately taken place, and upon the experience thereby 

 gained, to base our suggestions as to the future arma- 

 ment and use of cavalry in war. 



The first war in which the Minie rifle was used was 

 that between Eussia and the allied powers of Western 

 Europe, in the Crimea, in 1854. In this war the opera- 

 tions were almost altogether confined to a protracted 

 and closely- contested siege, and there were very few 

 opportunities for testing the value of the cavalry as 

 against the infantry. At the battle of the Alma, the 

 allies had only about 1,000 cavalry, a force totally in- 

 adequate to compete with the much superior numb'^rs of 

 the Russian horse. There were consequently no charges 

 of cavalry during the action, and even after it, Lord 

 Raglan, the English commander, would not allow his 

 horsemen to follow up his success, from fear of having 

 them cut to pieces by the Russian cavalry and artillery. 



In the operations preceding the battle of the Alma, 

 and subsequent to it in the flank march to Balaklava, 

 the cavalry of both armies gave very little evidence of 

 capacity for outpost and reconnoitring service. Forty 

 years of peace had brought a new generation ' into the 

 field, and though admirably drilled in manoeuvring, the 

 practical business of war was but little known. 



So inefficient was the outpost service on both sides, 

 that the English army in marching to Balaklava, on 

 arriving at McKenzie's Farm, on the road from Sebas- 

 topol to Baktchi-Serai, fell upon the rear of the Russian 

 army, as it marched across the high road. Lord Raglan, 

 the British commander-in-chief, was surprised, and in 

 great danger of being captured, while the Russians, 

 equally taken unawares, believed they were attacked in 

 force, and withdrew rapidly. The English cavalry, under 

 Lord Lucan, had blundered off" on the wrong road, and 

 in strict adherence to the rules laid down in the drill 



