guinary nature was made and defeated. This defeat
was accompanied and followed by the loss of many distinguished officers
in the British army. On the 28th the English commander-in-chief died.
Illness and anxiety, with chagrin at his failure in conducting the siege
to the satisfaction of his country, brought on his death. Cholera was
the immediate agent in his removal. General Simpson succeeded to the
command of the British army, through the instrumentality of his patron
and countryman, Lord Panmure. He was still less competent than Lord
Raglan for so great a responsibility, and the people of the United
Kingdom were indignant at the jobbing and patronage to which the
interests of the country were sacrificed. General Simpson while he
remained in command was in every respect feeble, and a mere cipher in
the hands of the French general. Lord Raglan, by his reserve, dignity of
manner, and high rank, preserved influence and respect notwithstanding
his inactivity and dulness; but General Simpson possessed no qualities
that could set off or redeem his utter incompetency, unless, perhaps,
his modesty, and the absence of all self-seeking about him. He urged
upon his government that he was unequal to so great an appointment, but
Lord Panmure insisted in thrusting the honour upon him.

General Simpson, on his assumption of command, ordered the siege to
be prosecuted without intermission, in the hope of giving a fresh and
successful assault. The month of July and part of August witnessed the
progress of events for the grand and final struggle, but before it could
take place, incidents apart from the siege excited general attention in
Europe. Lord Raglan had been very anxious for operations against Kertch,
and ordered a second expedition against it, which was successful, and
was a means of greatly annoying, distracting, and injuring the Russians.

After the failure of the assault on the 18th of June, the opposing hosts
on the Tchernaya assumed gradually a more menacing attitude, so that
from the middle of July a battle was daily and even hourly expected.
It was the interest of the Russians to strike the first blow, and the
allies prepared to ward it off, and, if possible, deal in return a
more deadly stroke. The great trial of strength on the banks and steep
acclivities of "the Black River" was destined to occur in August. On the
16th, the Russians attacked the whole line of the French and Sardinian
posts, and, after a long and sangu