Полковой командир сказал, что атака была отбита, придумав это военное название тому, чтò происходило в его полку; но он действительно сам не знал, чтò происходило в эти полчаса во вверенных ему войсках, и не мог с достоверностью сказать, была ли отбита атака или полк его был разбит атакой.
He said the attack had been repulsed, employing this military term to describe what had occurred to his regiment, but in reality he did not himself know what had happened during that half-hour to the troops entrusted to him, and could not say with certainty whether the attack had been repulsed or his regiment had been broken up.