Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-01
Cannon to right of them
Cannon to left of them
Gannop in front of them

we Sldu1y give pace, therefore, 10 GHo
following personal and graphic account of
the affair. which has never before been
made public. 1t came substantially from
the lips of the Earl of Cardigan, the COM
mander of the Eleventh Hussars, at Bala-
klava, in 1854, who actually led the cele-
brated ''charge," and was related to Mr..
Stephen Massett, during his recent visit to
England, after he bad recited Tennyson's
stirring epic to Lord and Lady Cardigan,
with an, effect which may be ea silly imag
ined by all.who have ever heard his recita-
tiOns: g, .,..ties,f, sss-ffr .s s-,..-.-,,.l ,.s.
AT about one o'clock on that memorable
day, after the Heavy Brigade had been at
tackled by the Russian cavalry, the Who'll e
of the cavalry division was considerably
advanced toward the enemy, and the Light
Brigade had been ordered to dlsmount to
relieve their horses. Suddenly they were
again ordered to mount" and aid-de-
camp Captain Nolan came forward, and
told Lord Lucan, commanding the cavalry,
that the Light Brigade were to attack the
Russians in the valley! Lord Lucan rode
up to Lord Cardigan, and said: at is Lord
Raglan's order that the Light Brigade is to
attack the Russians in thevaley.n Lord
Cardigan replied, saluting with his sword:
l'Certaiply, my lord, but you will allow me
to inform you that there is a Russian batL
terry in front, and one on each flank, while
the ground on the flank is covered with
Russian rifiemen.n, Lord Lucan answered.:
Il cannot help that; it is Lord Raglan's
positive order that the Light Brigade is to
attack them.' '@S = a.t8 ~
1 Lord Cardigan then formed his brigade,
of five regiments, with three regiments in
the front line, and two in the second, while
| Lord Lucan ordered Lord Cardigan's own
regiment, the Eleventh Hussars, back, so as
! to form support on the left rear of the
front line. Lord Cardigan immediately
ordered the advance. After going about
sixty yards, Captain Nolan rode obliquely
across thefronr, when Russian shell fell
upon the ground near him, and not tar from
/ Lord Cardigan. Nolan's horse then wheel
ed about and carried him to the rear, and
Lord Cardigan led the brigade down to the
main battery in front, about one mile and
a quarter distant. On arriving at about
eighty yards from the battery, the fire be-
came very severe, and the officers were
considerably excited, and had to be order
ed to s'be steady" i,aa
Lord Cardigan, at the head OF his brigade,
passed close by the muZzle of gun, which
was fired as he entered the battery, and
rode straight forward through the Russian
timber carriages, until he came up close to
their line of cavalry. His brigade did not
follow hiGl, and he was attacked by two
Cossacks, slightly wounded, and nearly
ldismounted; but he fenced them Off and
gradually retired from them and others
who were attempting to. surround him.
When he got back to the battery his COM
mand had retired and diverged to the left,
and he slowly retreated, until he met Gen.
eral Scarlett, commanding the heavy brig
ade of cavalry. He told him that the
light brigade was destroyed, andfnentiened
the fate of Captain Nolan, after bringing
the order for the attack, when General
Scarlett said that he had just ridden over
Captain Nolan's body. -s-,.
Lord Cardigan then had his brigade
counted by his staff officer, and found that
there were only one hundred and ninety
five men present outof six hundred and
fifty, He then Immediately rode off to
Lord Raglan to report what had taken
place. ~ ,llt5aIlas
The first thing that Lord Raglan said,
was, s.What, sir, could you possibly mean
by attacking battery in front, contrary to
all the nsages of warfare, and the custom of
the service? He replied :S"My lord,
hope you will not blame me. for [
received positive order from my
| superior officer in front of the
/ troops, to attack them, although ] was
quite we'll aware of the unusual course OF
proceeding ordered" Lord Raglan then
inquired what he had done, and was told
that he had led the brigade into a Russian
battery; that he had ridden up to the Rus
sian cavalry; that he was not followed by
the brigade; that he was wounded and
nearly dismouhted, and had some difficulty
in getting away from number of Cos
i sacks that the brigade was nearly de-
stroyed, there now being only one hundred
and ninety-five left out of six hundred anC
fifty, and finally, that the whole affair haC
occupied only the brief space OF twenty
minutesi - $3.50 .l