The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-07-04
The itAlLY DISPATCH.
WEDNEsDAY noaNTN0...... ..suLY Z, 1855
THE CHAR0E AT BALAKLAvA.

IN CsDAY MoRNIN0...... july T. lss'
Re CHARGE At BALAKLAvA.
pyJ JAMES BAkRoN HOPE.
Executor of tie late Henry Ellen.
Squirting onward, Captain Nolan,
spurring furiously 10 seen
And although the road meanders,
His no heavy s,eed of Flanders,
Dot one Dc for the Commanders
OF her Majesty the Queen.
HsItipg where the noble squadrons
Sod Impatient of delay,
Out he drew his brief dispatches
Which their leader quickly snatehes,
Al q glance their meaning catches
They are ordered to the frsy'
All ID at morning. they had waited
(As their browning faces show'd)
Horses stamping riders fretted
And their teeth together setting
Not sin gle sword blade wettipg
Asthe battle ebb'd and fowd.
Nov the feyered spell 10 broken,
Every man feels twice as large
Every heart 10 fercely lespisg
As lion reused from sleeping.
For they know they shall be sweeping
In moment to the charge.
Brightly CLEAN six hundred sabres,
Add the trumpets shrilly ring,
Steeds ars gathered-spurs are driven
Add the heavens wildly riven
With d mad shout upward given.
Soaring vultores on the wing.
Stern Its meaning: had not CALM
M, har III a nj anpaf
10 each mind this thought implanted
Uocisuayed, and all undauDted-
BY the battle tends enchanted
They tide down upon the guns.
Onward / on I the charges trsmple,
Quicker falls each iron heel.
And the headloDg pace grows faster,
Noble steed and nnble master,
Rushing on to red disaster,
Where the heavy cannors peal.
nthe van rides Captain Nolan,
Wide bis flying tressss wave,
And bis heavy broad sword fsshes
A. upon the foe he dsshes-
God bis face turns white a. ashes,
He has ridneu TO his grave.
Down he fell, prone from his saddle.
Without motion-wiEhout breath:
tNcbcf HuOEc 6L u uiUp u WhkcUJ
He, the very { rst one taken,
From the bougE 80 sorely shaken
In that vintage time OF Death.
10 a moment iu a twinkling
He was gathered TO his rest
In the time for which he'd waited
With bis gallant heart elsted,
Down went Eolan-decOrsted
Like q soldier-on the breast
Comrades still are onward charging,
lie 10 lyiag On the sod
Onward still h6lr steeds are rushing
Where the shot aud shell are crushing,
From lis corpse the blood ia gushing.
Aud his soul 10 with Its God.
As they spur on. what strange vislons
Fit across each riders brsin
Thoughts Of maidens lair, OF mothers,
Friends and sisters wives and brothers
Blsnt with images OF others
Whom they ne'er shall see again.
Onward still tue fquadrons thunder,
Kn.ghtly hearts were theirs and brave;
Men and horses without number
All the furrowed ground sncumber,
Failing fast to their last slumber,
Bloody slumber-bloody gravel
OF that charge at Baleklsva.
10 Its cbivslry sublime
Vivid, grand, historic pages
Shall descend to future ages,
Poets, painters. hosry sages
Shall record it for all time.
Telling how those English horsemen
Rode the Russian gunners down
How with ranks all torn and shattered,
How with helmets hacked and battered.
HOW with ewnrd aruns blood
They won honor and renown.
Twas not war !" but 1t was splendid
As dream OF old romance
Thinking which their Gallo neiehbors
Thrilled to watch them at their labors,
Hswing red graves with their sabres
Ia that wonderful advance.
Down went many gallant soldier
Down went many a stout Dragon:
Lying grim. and stark. and CORY,
On the crimson field of glory,
Leaving Us a wondrous story
And their white cliff d home boon.
And tonight the moon shall shudder
AZ she looks down on the moor,
Where the dead of hostile races,
Siumber, slaughtered In their places,
All their rigid, Rhastly faces
Spattered hideously with gore
Here a noble charger stiffeus-
There his rider grasps the hit
OF his sabre, lying bloody
By his side upon the muddy
Trampled ground, which darby rudy
Shows the blood that he has split.
And the sleepers. sh ! the sleepers
Made Westminster that day,
Mid the battles seethiDg lava,
And each man who fell shall havea
Proud inscrip,ion-BA
Which shall never fade away!