The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-10-30 00:00:00

-t

THE BALAKLAVA COMMEMORATION:
The remnant of the Light Egigade which iin-
ItortaliPed its name at Balaklava (in the 25th of Octo-
',-- bee, 1854, was entertained at a banquet on Monday,
at the Alexandra Palace. The occasion was one of
take theuchp following account
and the favourable weather
attracted to the Palace a large number of visitors. We
Times account- of the proceedings from The
The survivors of the non-commissioned officers and men
.Ikof the immortal Light Brigade having been invited to the
.'lexandra Palace to meet such of their officers as might wish
r join them in the commemoration, they were treated in a.
nay Which reflects the highest credit on those to' whose in-
!ntatiou they responded. On this occasion no difference WM
lade between them and those who led them in the desperate
`,...4.arage. There were not tables on a dale for specially favoured
tee ts, and tie "seats below the salt " for the humbler heroes
etthe rank and fin. All the invited were honoured alike,
tyidretroopers of the five regiments engaged in the charge
seated which Migh at a dinner table the elegant appointments of
t have satisfied a company of Princes.
Prom early in the forenoon till late into the afternoon the
z,vorent trains running to the Alexandra Palace from King
44 °re Snore than well filled. By one o'clock most of the
rinblnode who did attend the commemoration were
ed hi the Great Central Hall, where they witnessed
olge...l!tiveinn g of the Balaklava Trophy. The priucipal
let:tne'd'ititiiin this trophy was a colossal figure of Honour
baa e g a pedestal of befitting proportions, on the
bSneot f which were relics of the engagement, with the
the officers who fell in the charge or who have
ce the 25th of October, 1854. Along the Hall and
Iniraet_ng_ frena the trophy to the terrace was a well-arranged
sabre.e"',o‘t relics, consisting of arms and of bullet-riddled and
also iiii.inelrnets and other portions of uniforms. There were
lieueolike collection articles found in the baggage of Prince
battle and which were abandoned by him on the field of
.1 Ca'edc lehead Of the charger which carried the Earl
'14041310'4n While leading the charge. But a more re-
caste che object was a beautiful living charger, a high
'rived th Arab, the oldest charger which has sur-
f3eNce e whnean War, ff not the oldest one in the British
Rent, o't Pi, noble little animal is the property of Colonel
occamon he 77th Regiment, who kindly lent him for the
ff.; Having served in the Crimea, the horse went
xre FaPe to Australia, and did duty throughout the
arid-7'441. He has been twice in India for 12 years in
8 now with Colonel Kent's Regiment at Woolwich.
died 4 excellent condition, he stood bridled and sad-
Alexandra Palace, he looked quite young and
lc* another campaign in any part of the world.
77th eht also lent the Russian drums captured by the
()1
th:ttrtho Battle of the Alma. During the unveiling
DerfeeizerlY the band of the Alexandra Palace Compaoncy
at, till appropriate selection. From two o'cl k
triorma!‘i• Past four there were a variety of theatrical
errnae "c", in which Mr. G. Conquest, Mr. Terry, Mr.
n Vezin Miss
p ss Julia Gaylord, Miss Lucy Frank-
ll._ • Celli, Mr. J. Clarke, and other popular
it„"actio of the theatrical profession took part. The great
La the theatre was, however, the recitation by
eighttig Of Mr. Tennyson's ode, "The ()harge of the
the colegacie." The enjoyment of those woo took part in
adreh.ar, ernoration was thronghout much enhanced by the
411 lee Pjograname published for the occasion. It con-
' treat aPpropriate information, commencing with the
Ott the Battle of Balaklava and the charge of the
name, writt
„. War
en from the camp before Seba.stopol by
-• " "Correspondent of The Times.
bet, „.Tent of the da
"ae: la the „ y was, of course, the dinner which was
eeeZi 200 ft rtaclPal saloon of the Palace—a fine apartment
n length. One halt of this was fitted up as a
19,Bitt r°°,l3, and the other half as a banqueting chamber
te--41tiatie'r wm Very handsomely decorated. Behind the
;_oltrthie,se seat was a trophy, having the Russian flag as a
(170 t.
1:114:::e: encircled by the English French, Italian, and
this tratopth Eftgies in armour kept' guard on either side
Ira% gm 3', and along the side walls were military em-
mottoes. The tables were rich in adornments
ahow.aa4 choice fruit and flowers, Covers were laid
ialt* wciint 0. and the guests of each of the five
.regi-
la 4th",„flirtiished contingents to the Light Brigade
ii,2:aght Dragoon Guards, the Bth Haman,
t31,1cer5.....,;:`,"ara. the 13th Light Dragoons, and the 17th
tent
ranged so that the survivors of each con-
et th ''uonld be
att ose re., together. The Bth Hussars is the only one
et 11?danee ,t,nnlenta now in England ; and its b aid was in
Played throughout the dinner. The officers
ee'ldelet-bia Brigade still surviving did not respond in any
ver,landra paPurnber to the invitation to attend at the
blltarY Privetiar' As body, they celebrated the, anti-
"ter:lllo4 Yat Willis's Rooms, as is their custom ;
17e. Golo.,_eose who did join in "the commemoration"
ttti 7.,,kneze! Trevelyen, 11th Flussars ; Colonel Waite,
I.o,llrts. Major air George Wombwell, 17th Lancers;
-`eise f.retlegar, 17th Lancers. C. loud l Kent, 77th
- ueetenant•Colonel Galt, Majr C Lennox Jervis,

‘;'Mes

..._
...ennox —, f t'hel.Wilertand cc ffiCers jilso attended. About
'ailiser.-V,ank and file of the Light Briga.dae sat °
wn io tawbcl,are the natrfnaewedezcsepathi(qnisttlwieaya wgrearlifyinpglationdsceottlh,e,tst,
etiliyi eheY were dressed respeotabls, and seemed to be
_
- e anne comfortable positions. Their hearty greeting
_F
mf
,c_
_ha alnt,ber was in itself a sight to see. Some 01tt
regiment
rid rie,t` been co par ions in the same „%ugetlie-;`r Met sincem-the left the Army till brought
7,_ th',,,on this occasiony In the menu and serving
mekt;Cmatier Me rs. Bertram and It 'beets acquitted
'at,trolii hvnera'' 4setffecerssetdhita3bily,
wanTidi,otnh,ethtoeastotsaswtmeraesthere:aarliddeda
,ehairDeter of
, the Bth by Mr.
' Colonel White filled the
?are,' e,M, great was the applange of the troopers when the
iti tc .e Gran,
ttight!' tp4fort., to7;ettaerTirAtAc-fhriéqutoe,thtoeoFkrehticahseEatmobaastshye,
ka thc-e"'e gallant c 1 1 On the other side of the Baron
;' -getlnen-°ll'iMmdant°C°anneavro, Naval Attaché to the Italian
[414
4:ll,,,,.teehrhaueds'obtete,ll4Wl,lBeue_tlhyeurovided that there should be no
nearly
itt„titerienAltb,o_rate oratory would not have been
mvs
ittireel bait° ' Ellen Home, Mr.
guests as waslvtihlfe_omrdulsiicorsguanng,
Sr . • ahnYcl Mir.
penbitthet renal:4170111i:
dvreeiriveeraeticcomhypanmierad by
ti sllirr.gF
and Mr.
*were er.,_
.ner in England it is impossibletoo
all e Dtigid7:-clibßut
.the dinner was an English
aoltnoeg,etahnedr
toasts. In
t.trZg b i';‘‘o_rical introdlictions and replies
,Q.ueen" and 'The Prince of Wales, Colonel
Ccoilioeuereal
te.ieh fca oriel', and the ringing and measured
dejler IFw.ed hit call upon the
rill's!? to drink
were evi-
i,..ce that
et)esty and
.fft, Royal highness
i'ajlee„W that i'f,i° x, gallant officer was right when he
o
esatid h
th "'Who her oYal toasts need not be commended the
ihtelirean._ ridden in the Balaklava Charge. To Sr E. Lee,
qui eresit",of Alexander Palace, was intrusted,, H
the_teonasat,a_
reof
ec'El th g' 'The Survivors of the fix Hundred.
p,eek at the fa
'it,nd' alk"'e ail ;us Charge was
There"ade might iogrh have
art
" above
theiel% bin he ,_ °man fame.been
fame."
are , d be oat
fneld with the Poet • Laureate, that England
tow' the 1110..! 91 for it, proving,
.as it clicl that her soldiers
' OLWae onest and obedient underi:mthtee antlue."
air
This
Illy -1; Y 0t,•;,„",t-'a with iimmense enth us a..
Ski 4Jr W,z; Wayed by the band of the Bth FlLusr.dareTr.eldnegarcr-
re„.e, each
,hlbwell, Colonel TI e velyan, an
Then,do after more
catte two or three sentences.
lit'illiy drank
ja toast, to which everybodasy.mriresinilleh"egeoeounrhdiseaNf'leerTet.-
110._5;44
onflajenctecilheeinnn
esaidlehAciea,rcwhhiilne
Saul
—it
wofasth,e,iShthe
tetkiii:e_xtc.ecaanzeurb,::::aDaelea.d " Mrs. Stirling, with grit effect.‘r.._r,..e.-
s7,..atietring lines by Mr. Chandler, entitledo_a __-'6°_‘.l
rrwhe'Cirtbillinded her hearers of the saying ia2nr.,,;e4"u'e",
eased the Balaklava charge, ' &fest rums in
It 'it'd tre °Mt! re
Attil44. Stitrjend°ll'
pglievrtproeia,tu'h'saeenn:d said that, taking t for her
lie 7," whicill'gbagain and again, Next sNpoelodzetiterycr and recitation
e ilieaenri
" Ihßarded ther"gl4
, the Baron de Grahncey t
Pent4ht,y,_e. grlieatt3
eat inhviontoautiroin
he
athtae(7d
rteeeeidveindnerinas
this
he,_ est et „ felt that he was then among "the
used keTlae theT brave e
tes,Whose ~, °W at the Li
I.le the expression _ literally
ght Brigade had fought against
ttphr-nt: ie.:.rnwt:kee:oresesvvev: svaideenscrdiebaeddhebiyac/Se`sapoleon I. inxtthehsee
11141°0 dowillw killed a Russian soldier must e
t analyze,
l'rotteillit the W fr2in Motives which he woyu'ldn-
h not
and
"oAnnattempt
Vylett-.,4-!"totes:°u]itatiaele, existing between
publishetdein which an
~u'llt,i.t 4114 vras made to had been
people to believe
th.l4_,nt AtaT:lldence should not exist, and especially thattliihe
tit„.7 to th,
_,l9•Canrobert had done his best not to come
ceellis ad to' n'TI, of the British Army. French soldiers had not
144. 11;4.'11 In th:11,1" the question. Eye-witnesses of what th.. referr.lar could refute the imputation to w
wild
ehee had t'is, British officers knew that the
til regiment to
hier,c,,. they
,sue honour to belong, the Chasseura d' frique,
elDra bl e"a YMId to help ateordrl of lialaklava. ells.
their English c•marades on the
Nothing hilt devotion and
kid nrigadtave induced 600 men to hold together as the
tSuch on that day in the face of such fievarorsfuloof the
14i$1181' 114r4adiglabtawlirAer.gilearifirroeu.d
or the
survivors
th achievement,
15141141,P Wellt° g 4741 their own country, the allied armies, tiao '''' by di e. world a DrOGf of what ralgtt be accom-
trt beh smpline - - - emy who had
1, etdb, aved a, and devotion. Tha en
101146(iberec/iiiAcieatithopriat ldlnyetowst:
tiltobtamtlehonetchhaetruefleotihdt
attohfeßpubsuasttkiaeleo, f
hadV iEda. Si
Intrusted
Edinburgh.
an ted
.kto *alt. the otter than conclude by asking the coropa
ieclizz.,,ieh,nttiteheitasi_th of her Royal Highness. The sentiments
,on thus gave utterance were loudly cheered,
ing ‘,all Ce,rnrnandant Canovaro returned thanks for,
tip,, *Dteeee„-'llfew appropriate words, the good f,eei:
vreeiat4 oY him towards the English Army also elicited
%Atter on ' acelaniations.
wheieCillreat eli'arutwo other toasts the company proceeded_ o
a
bleb, there Ire' 'which was brilliantly illuminated, arid In
titi,,,s‘ataiitta,,, 8 ll Immense gathering. Here there was a
hint ma atiq i 3, Con Cert, in which t'ae bands of the Grenadier
tii,ploll 0, "a ColthtreaM Guar& the pipers of the 2nd
Scots Fusilier euards, and the pipers of
bC,, lldt. to';':ilders took a part. The Commemoration was
wstis
14t1p4a• It °
ii4444tiec:::unhth:hneast rua ed that some 20,009 persons .
1 at grand diapia,,yThi fireworks i
visitedtrl
cloe scribbler in°llrse of the day and evening.
s
givinrst.bseteip,i.rited ode (by Mr. Richari
rang recited _
safety may fairly enlarge
ilttthhe b blunders we made in that terrible charge ;
elle.Nci,,bti_rats of oUr steeds, and the stroke of our steel,
lir` Were 'beolnnans to waver, the squadrons to reel;
4)(4., ,Ilt six hundred ; how many the foe,
Vat the "fiot, we The cared not, we asked not
,s roll,
to know. heard '121111:1g of cannon, the musketry
et_e ftre......eut our orders, we saw but ione goal
nk .
if,4lt ahYltged Inetintains we shook with our tread. tldat a ;,I!awere our foemen, behind us our dead.
'9r "Ihßir
Iwind of carnage the guns we rode through.
` breatgeLoobrautnfye, for conquestatoeowfeevtlo.re
-
' a death-dealingarheos:t4 where our ogur dead lay before.
~: Rot be war, the mad freak that we wrought,
;:.'we resnit, ask the Russ what he thought,
the lab. •
Ith'd legions that stadded the track
' forth, and a troop straggled

1111
It 41411
T t4leht
o
ore

aliirini
reßitnen

Bwep t

ire from an interesting de-
nquet in the Daily News :
re arranged a series of trophies
ill-nets. and at least two drum,
words and guns, torn jackets,
ie battle of the Alma. The
'fc'r exhibition the head of
Lord Cardigan down the
'8 nt specimen the Palm
charger belot,ging
to Colonel
rhe the Crimean campaign, and
experiences of this horse
warlike, and remarkable but
ie were proffered, have fought
ast
,have repeated its journey
aae, 'rather than spend another
One form of public curiosity
,0 examine the teeth of the
to testing the assertion that
distinguished. Towards what
of a gift horse this procedure
continued w;th brief intervals
1, it became pnaitively insup-
ited by the patient beast iii a
'ments to a summary con-

the day began to assemble at
I to the banqueting hall. BY
Liem were in uniform, though
Tong showed the uniforms of
ons, the three regimarts et
TS. The majority of the men
a on their breasts showing that
ire was a great deal ot hand-
they could get through the
aircase ; but once clear, their
minted seats around the bril-
By a happy thought the guests
that old comrades had the op-
the 4th DrSgOOLIS were called
tables, the 4th and 13th Light
rear, which, one remarked, was
order in which they charged the
'ore half-past four the Baron
attaché to the French Embassy

of
Which le(

The)
)lees:l
app,

the Chasseurs d'Afrique beini
ottion was manifested to early
'IRh. The Baron politely but
A honour, and shaking hands
iaeh, lightly skipped upstairs
le splendid dining-hall was
decorated, the walls being
- here and there glittering
heads in the middle,

lai/ri3-1
wkal cfelitVa

the motto being completed by the words "or glory." The
dinner was served it la Rune, !ant was none the less relished
by the gallant survivors r,f the Balaklava charge, who
accepted the varied ani, successive courses without
question, "theirs not to wonder why" what ap-
peared upon the bill of fare as an entree should upon
inspection tarn Out to be a roast chicken, or why roast beef
or a saddle of mutton sh.iht present the moelves disguised
nyder the name of relevia At some of the tables there was
a disposition shown to pvider a good honest quart bottle of
beer or porter to champagne. But this weakness was not
general, the men, as a brigade, standing up b Idly to the
bottles, whether of sherr y or ;hampagne. The entremets
(plain pudding and lithe like) being reached, the
men had time to look about them, and sud-
den recognitions of old, familiar faces began to
rattle around like mt isketry shot. Space was no
object. and "Seth " be mg rec.,guised at the far end
by "Charley," who sat jul t under the wing of the chairman,
he was cheerily hailed aind boisterously responded. They
took their dinner in skirn iishing order, as it were. Strat-
egic movements were going on all over the room, " George "
coming over to see "Dick, 'old fellow," "Dick" making a dart
in the direction of the nowly-sighted "Bill," and 'Bob,"
who belenged to quite another table being discovered
with his arm round "Tom," next to whom he
insisted upon sitting albeit there was no chair.
One gentleman in a prey suit, who answered to a
general cry of "Johnnie," gratified a set of comrades to
whom he payed a flying sft, by going through a few steps
of a dance, much to the discomfiture of the waiters, who
were clian.ling the plates, and had not too much room to
rass.

There were about 130 'survivors of the famous ride present,
and their names are worlihy of record. These are they :
Edward R, Woodhlvm, John Hickey, J. B. Forbes,
Dennis Heron, Edden John, Penn John, William Pitt,
Frederick Short, James Whitby, Daniel Deering, Thomas
Ryan, John 8055.% James Batton, Henry Keegan, Robert
Ferguson, William Thorne, Walter Best, Vvllliam Butler,
Peter Carroll, Thomas King. John Ford, George Bann,
R. Owen Glendwr, G Lay Smith, William Williamson,
John Breese, John Buckton, Richard Young, John Law-
son, William Perkin, Isaac Hanson, John Ettridge, R.
Evans, James Pamplin, John Brooks, Charles Warren,
Joseph Gumage, Henry Taylor, William Grey, P. 11.
Marsh, Charles Aldons, Thomas Dyer, William Butler,
James Mustard, Sergeant Kennedy, William Travers,
Thomas Mullins, Robert Harris, James Searle, Tiggell
James, Sweeney, G. D. Price, J. G. Baker, Fred. Armes,
John Howes, John Holloway, James Devlin, Charles
Macauley, Thomas Tremley, Robert Nichol, John Hogan,
John Mortimer, John McCausland, James Hefferon,
Robert Johnson, James Dewan, William Grey, David
Andrews, 'saws Middleton, Matthew Holland, Henry
Jewell, William Smith, Richard Davies, Richard Brown,
William Bentley, John Proctor, John Glannister, Henry
Parker, W. L Bhys, Anthony Wilder, Robert Martin, James
Gusterson, Seth Bond, James Fletcher, Charles Powell,
David Grantham, Thomas Williams, Charles Cork, James
Hodges, ThOmas Alliston, N. W. Easton, Benjamin Beeston,
William Watlin, Edward Martin, A. Mitchell, James
Lamb, James Lincoln, Thomas Cooke, W. D. Colson,
Jam es Malaniy, James Cameron, Job Allwood,
Henry Brown, J. H. Harding, John Allen, George
Garnham, Frederick Peake, Joseph Rhodes, Edwin
Leoney, J. D. Robinson, Joseph R,lntly, John Baker,'
Thomas Marshall, Frances Dickenson, David Stanley,
Thomas Allen, Charles Morgan, John Brown, Thomas Clarke,
William Purvis, Thomas Morley, James Bloomfield, William
Barker, George Herriott, James Nunnerly, Robert Williams,
John Penn, M. E. Lanfred.

Mr. W. H. Pennington, late 11th Hussars, writes to the
Dapy News :—" Junior Garrick Club, Oct. 26 —Sir,--My
name has accidently been omitted in your list of the rank
and file who are survivors of the Light Cavalry Charge at
Lialaklava I had my horse shot under me and was wounded
in the right leg I succeeded in mounting a riderless horse
belonging to the Bth Hussars, and was invalided to Scutari
for some months. If you will kindly set this right you will
be doing me important service."

f)stft. a,
Nl'llpteh,f°lloWing extracts
hi,la 44, en accortnt of the 131
tillre, th,;"teat Central nal' we
t!,,,,,et.,,t4eriross„
° in_clud.tg s,
11,1t,t‘11101d11:817#tt11188a1t1' lil
IkliOtS,,,et C.rdigan lent
-I,%er which carried
AthAtti'llt f this clasi
141,,3vti'llaA ofI) by an Arab 1
,aphstkt4ll,aerved through
r,rot,,k, ceOt to India. 1
114 It-Awl% been wide,
.'ci
to i,4!4 tn, eeld, if the chow,
,41 t
'lk, at again or at Jea
/"*44144,11111th ot th' K b.r Pa
Ns tittl
21 re
kO 11)1449 4:itilltaMOndaYs.
t(
ttliPt44z.l44.lt/'lthel vWiaew t
tii, .11def, j
Atit/',44 aireadY (
NZlkhon4tq)4lt ll tlle light o
when ,
'll4',,e,t't -ti,'4l Atla afternocm,
btotleally reset
tk: „IqZ 0,1 et the e
I,tei 1141t,t1'3ek th.
MI% N, % littit- hero&
iia‘lktAlls)t°l'e%rtliohie'
tli4tt,,,SA,e:tt,lltuek .4,1411114,44. ot I
40*0 17,th1 j
tray .„, kt ,lipt,itige
\t
bp:lhit"
0. ill\tvi:e , bz. 'eacl the' 11441 bie.
t.R, 004 , 4ttt, Nk, ts, t
14 'lath, 'ring' ahlier
~kesith the ~..„118 oth •
g401.-,ert arrite,i4t ode G,, Sh 01.11 'V‘e
roc° , 44., 'kite •D ~
kill fohied, 4 hh oti:! al iiitql.,to)
krill tip 0 tt,o4ltorlo '''D
kb"
itcio"44ec_lilitioti theill4stlti
f.see 4 P,4 tar -le prof, 4ikt tati'otell, ‘jatioct eCeltle cZtll,
tittrlle" *l4 ebilto. ' • r
rolea jyrt.ot,ralately °I bay 'a of h.•
aOets, -