Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-06-06
THE CHARGE OF THE BRIT
ISL LIGHT CAVALRY.

FROM (0iDuI0 OuitSA hc0k VICE HASif55-
azine, printed IN London, We quote the
following thrilling description, by sol
der, of the memorable charge of the
British cavalry at Balaklaya, the charge
which has been immortalized by the
muse of Tennyson:
captain Nolan, who had gone to the
redoubts, now halted. Inext heard a
heavy fire, and he galloppedbacS towards
us. We were by this time il motion,
and Lord Cardigan was plepar:ng to act.
The trumpet sounded stand TO horse?
then rapidly followed 'mounE, walk, tfot,
gallopr and again the trumpet finally
sounded the charged md we were of.
I had just time, and no more, to see the
effect of the first fire of the Russians
Captain Nolan, who had lifted his hand,
as I thought in signal, wsr close upon us.
His hands were up, oubtretched. He
seemed to reel and rock n his saddle =
out of his breast there poured forth red
streaming tide and he looked as if his
chest had been broked in I saw him
no more. The brave fellow-rpne bra
yer in the army, nor bolder brseman
was killed! Down the descending
slope, over ground that seemed poughed,
we went like rushing hurricarp, with
Lord Cardigan at our head, and We went
in regular buster: "a forcibleand IA
vorite expression of our friend } i felt,
he continued, 'as l found my hose be-
gin to bound under me, and gripping my
sabre, which had fastened to ny wrist
with twisted silk handkerchief felt
at the moment my blood thiclen and
crawl, as if my heart grew still md qui-
; ct like lump of stone within me. ]
| was moment paralyzed, but tn, snort
ing of the horses, the wild heading gal
lop, the sight of the Russians bfore us
becoming more distinct, and the irst hor
! rible discharge, with its still more horri
bic effects came upon US, and emptieC
? saddles all about me. My heart nov
= began to warm, to become hot, to dance
/ again, and had neither fear ror pity
r l longed to be at the guns. I'm sure 1 Sc
my teeth together as if 1 could nave bit
teu-al pieee.oat-of- one. EsEaTT man wa
seized with a cannibal hunger, and couB
e have eaten a squadron without salt
Imagine, reader, if you can, seeinl
. ike this man, FVision of Suddel
! DEATH ike an awful apocalypse, break
: ing upon the eyes of GOO men-imagin
what those unutterable sensations of hi
must have been, for they cannot else b
+ conveyed. Death exultant and bowling
reeking red-hot out of the front battery
r hurting shell, grape and round shot
: death from battery on the left flank
Kissing and demonic-death from bat
terry on the right, tempestuous and insa
8 tiate-death from thousands Of infantr
] whose fatal precision of aim was onl
embarrassed by the smoke and movement
: Of the riders. An unquenchable hell {
g. fire bursting forth with the roor Of rend
ing volcanoes, and doing the work of hu
man lives with approximate efeet-an
= above all, clear and shriIl, above th
: thunders of the vomiting cannon, an
r the volleying fusilades, rose the shrek {
b men and horses in pain and agony, til
e trampling Of hoofs, the shouts of defanct
: the wild grand jubilant 'hurrah of me
IS who, having cast aside all fear, only dt
II sired to grapple with this ghastly Deatl
d in any form more closely, and in the thir
for vengeance for their fallen comrade
i had ceased to care for wounds or pail
a and in their utter dreadlessness had a
n quired an inyincible contempt for ever
d other consequence-imagine all this
is you can, and follow our soldier into Il
le scene which now took place among Il
/ guns.
In The first thing did, once within Il
Is guns and following my leader was
,s cut clean off, the hand of Russian gui
/ ner who was holding up his spone
III against me. He fell across the gun ca
" riage glaring savagely, but cared lit
for that and had seen too much in Il
as first few minutes Of the charge to softt
e. me. Bodies and limbs scattered in fra
1t ments, or smashed and kneaded togethe
E. and blood splashed right into my fa
were now no novelty. Il was somethir
more than kill or be killed. It was K
n. whether or no, and any way, don't mir
y st. and didn't. had now my han
Of full of work, / can assure you. I b;
rs three Russians to deal with at once, vi
II, evidently meant me mischief a Hu
IN sar made a desperate slap at my hea
at and with 'cut number two gave him
re tremendous a slash in the neck that II
at most sickened me to look on, quickly