The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-07-04
Miscellany.
"The Valley of Death.o

"fhe Valley of Death.o
In Kinglake's new volume Oh the Crimean
war is graphic and minute description OF
the charge of the 600 at BalakIava. He
thus describes the ride, and CardIgan's appear
ance:
The pace for some time was firmly govern
ed. When horsemen, too vaorous to be
frightened. are brought into straits OF this kind
their tendency is to be gal,oping swiftly fol-
ward. each man at the greatest pace he can
exact from his charger, thus destro, ing. of
course, the formation of the line; but Lord
Cardigan's love OF strict uniform order was a
propensity having all the force of a passion,
and as long as it seemed possible to exact au-
thor1ty by voice or by gesture, the leader of
this singular onset was firm in REFRESHING the
fault.
mus when Captain White, of the Seven
teenth Sancers (whs commanded the SQUAD
ron OF direction), became anxious" as he
frankly expressed it, ito get out of such
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 chiefs bride arm, Lord Cardigan check
ed this impotence by laying his sword across
the Captains breast, telling him at the same
time not tc be riding before the leader of the
brigade. Otherwise than for this, Lord Car
digan, 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 glance at the
squadrons which followed him; and to this
rigid Misunderstanding proof, as such absti-
nence did, OF an unbending resolve-it was
apparently owing that the brigade never fell
INTO doubt concerning its true path of duty,
never wavered las the best squadronS will ii
the leader, for even an instant, appears to be
unce. tain OF purpose), and was guiltless OF
even inclining to any default except that of
failing to keep down the pace.
But although he rode singly, and although,
as we have seen, he rigidly abstained from
any retrogade glance, Lord Cardigan, OF
course, might inter from the tramp OF the reg
iments close following, and from what with
out turning in his saddle) he could easily see
OF their Hanks, that the momentum now
gathered and gathering was too strong to be
moderated by commander; and, rightly
perhaps avoiding the effort to govern it by
voice or gesture, he either became impatient
himself, and drew the troops on more and
more by first increasing his own speed, or
else yielded (under ec.ssity) to the impa-
thence OF the now shattered sauadrons. and
c.osely adjusted his pace to the flow of the
torrent behind him.. In one way or in the
other, right distance was always maintain
ed between the leader and his first line. As
before, when advancing at trot, so now,
while fmging themselves impetuously deep
into the jaws of an army, those two regi
ments of the first line still had in their front
the same rigid hussar for their guide. still
kept their eyes fastened on the crimson-red
overalls, and the white near hind leg of the
chestnut which showed them the straight,
honest way-the way down to the mouths of
the guns