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'Remember, Remember...'

© John Barham

Although the Siege was over with Sevastopol Town and the Karabelnaya suburb in allied hands, the Russian Army was encamped in strength both on the Severnaya northern side of the harbour, and on the MacKenzie Heights. With winter approaching the favourite option for the Allies was to sit tight and decide what to do next in the 1856 campaigning season.

With little prospect of further operations on the horizon, discussion at all levels turned to a perennial favourite topic of services conversation - speculation as to who was going to get promoted into the rapidly increasing number of vacant command spots. It was an open secret that Simpson was to be replaced - but who would take over? The senior man was Sir Henry Bentinck, 4th Division commander, but he left for England on 13th October. One of his brigades was at Kinburn and afterwards was held in readiness for possible future operations. The other had been commanded by Windham who had been plucked by the British Press from the jaws of the Redan disaster as an emergency hero. He was posted as British Commandant of Sevastopol, emerging from the 9th September bloodbath as the one senior British officer who retained the respect of the French, and rumour had it that he was to be promoted Major General.

Lieut Colonel Sterling of the Highland Brigade, probably voicing a general feeling at Field Officer level, was not impressed. "We have a new hero set up now, Major General Windham of the Guards, whose experience was limited to what could be acquired in command of a company of that corps. He came out of the Redan to ask for supports. If he had had any experience, he would have known that his leaving the spot would have been, as it was, the signal for all the rest to follow. An officer ought to stay with his men, and die with his men. The Duke of Wellington once met an officer, commanding a regiment which was engaged, going to the rear for ammunition. He never would see him again, and sent him back to Lisbon. All the officers did as well as Windham, with the exception of getting back unhurt."

But Windham was a saleable commodity to the British public, and destined for Chief of Staff to the incoming Commander in Chief. Who would that be? In 4th Division, the vacuum was filled by Flo's friend from Scutari, Lord William Paulet. With Bentinck gone - his resignation had been refused but he was not staying anyway - the next senior was Colin Campbell. Campbell was the popular choice, but too much of an independent spirit for the Government or the War Office. He had pointedly been offered the governship of Malta. He declined the insult as politely as he had been offered it, but realised that if he stayed with the Crimean Army he would have to suffer the indignity of being passed over and was likely to have to serve under a junior. Lord Grey's choice was Eyre, but Codrington was preferred by Lord Panmure. The longer the vacuum persisted, the more it became obvious that the Government were waiting for the Redan to recede sufficiently in the public's memory for them to get away with appointing him.