New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-07-12
1.-THE VALLEY OF DEATH"

In Kinglake's new volume on the Cri-
mean war is a graphic and minute descrip.
ton of the charge of the six hundred at
Balaklaya. He thus describes the ride, and
Cardigan's appearance:
The pace for some time was firmly gov
erned. When horsemen, too valorous to be
thinking of fight, are brought into straits
of this kind, their tendency is to be gallop-
ing swiftly forward, each man at the great
est pace he can exact from his own charger.
thus destroying, of course, the formation of
the line; but Lord Cardigan's love of strict
uniform order was propensity having all
the force Of passion, and as long as it
seemed possible to exert authority by voice
or by gesture, the leader of this singular
onset was firm in depressing the fault
Thus when Captain White, of the Seven
teenth LaLcers (who commanded the squad
ron. of direction), became anxious" as he
frankly expressed it, "to get out of such a
murderous fire, and into the guns, as being
the best of the two evils, and endeavOring
with that view to force the pace" pressed
forward SO much as to be almost alongside
Of the chief s bride arm, Lord Cardigan
checked this impatience by laying his sword
uCIO5S luG Oulldlll . vi 6uobs lGllluR HUI az
the same time not to try to force the pace,
and not to be riding before the leader of
the brigade Otherwise than for this, Lord
Cardigan, from the first to the last of the
onset, did not speak or make sign. Riding
straight and erect, he never once turned in
his saddle with the object of getting q
glance at the state of the squadrOns which
| followed him, and to this rigid abstinence
| giving proof, as such abstinence did, of an
| unbending resolve, it was apparently ow-
| ing that the brigade never fell into doubt
| concerning its true path of duty, never
wavered las the best squadTons will if the
leader, for even an instant, appears to be
uncertain of purpOse), and was guitless OF
even inclining to any default except that OF
| failing to keep down the pace.
But although he rode siRgly
and, although, as we have seen, he rigIdly
abstained from any retrograde glance, Lore
Cardigan, of course, might infer from thu
tramp of the regiments close following, AMI
from what without turning in his saddle
he could easily see of their TANKS, that tn
momentum now gathered and gathering
was too strong to be moderated by com
mander, and rightly, perhaps, avoiding tn
effort to govern 1t by voice or by gesture
he either became impatient himself ant
drew the troops on more and more by frs
increasing his own speed, or else yielde
under necessity to the impotence of tn
now shattered squadrons, and closely ad
justed his pace to the flow of the torren
behind him. In one way or in the other
right distance was always maintained be
tween the leader and his first line. As be
fore, when advancing at trot, so now
while flinging themselves impetuously dee
into the jaws of an army, these two regi
meats of the first line still had in their frOr
the same rigid hussar for their guide, sti
kept their eyes fastened on the crimson re-
overalls, and the white near hind leg of tn
chestnut which showed them the straight
honest way-the way down to the mouths c
the guns.