The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-10
From the London Standard. Sept. 20 ]


The old soldiers of the Light Cavalry Brig
ade. the men who erode iato the Valley Of
Death" on that fatal October morning one
and twenty years ago, were invited to attend a
meeting last night to make arrangements tor q
dinner in celebration Of the anniversary of
the Balaklaya charge. The trystipg-place was
the Prince OF Wales Tavern, Villiers street.
Strand, and the hour fixed for the muster was
8 o'clock, to enable those engaged in business
to put ia an appearances.
In consequence of the disagreeable driZz-
ling rain not SO many came as was expected,
but a respectable contingent, in every sense
of the word, of war-worn veterans answered
to the roll-cali all the same Hale, hearty
men they were, the most Ct them; but so
portiy Of build That they set one wondering
what sort of q light cavalry that must have
been where the weight in the pigskin ran
up to eighteen stone Of living flesh in sun
dry instances. Jovial of manner and neat of
address, they discussed the matter before
them as one might have expected--in briet.
soldierly, and most harmonious manner. 1t
was agreed that dinner should be solemn
lied in the Cbaring Cross Hotels not solemn
lied the correct word, for has not Charles
Lever defineda dinner as a social sacram ent?-
on the 25sh of October, and it was stated that
many officers who had helped to write one OF
the most brilliant pages in our military annals
had promised to give the event the sanction
Of their presence,
The greater part of those in the room had
belonged to the 18th Hussars, that dis
tingulshed corps having been principally re-
eruited in London. One warrior had served
his apprenticeship to arms under De Lacy
Evans, in Spain; another was remarkable as
having borne the flag of truce to the Russian
lines the day after Balaklava third was
never tired Of celebrating the hdaas fats of his
ancient captain, Sir Roger Palmer, who led
the troop of the Eleventh into action, and
did his slaughter with cold steel, having for
gotten his revolver in the hurry to jump into
the saddle. After the formal proceedings
were over, there was some rare gossip over
former campaigns, and the non-military OBJ
server was enabled to pick up some interest
ing "reminiscences.
It is a curious circumstance that every man
but one who won that supremest Of all mill
tary distictons, the Victoria Cross, in the
magnificent mad ride immortalized by the
laureate, had his horse shot under him. There
was Trooper Samuel Parkes, of the Light
Dragons, who stood on the ground with his
charger writhing in the death agony beside
him. Trumpet Major Crawford flashed by;
his good steed stumbled, the rider was dis
mounted, and his naked sabre sent whirling
out of his grasp. A pair of Cossacks saw
fenseless Crawford, but Parkes confronted
them aud kept them at bay. When
the retreat came the two brave fell |
lows followed their comrades, and |
were pursued by six Russians, but
Parkes with his single sword, held them at
arms length and retired slowly, fighting and |
defending the Trumpet Major until deprived |
of his weapon by shot This is no rhodo- |
montade, but plain fact, as recorded in the
Gazette. Lieut.. Alexander Robert Dunn, of
Cardigan's boys was another hero OF that day, |
fruitful in heroes. He saved the life of Sergt. |
Bentley, of his own corps, by cutting down |
two or three Russian troopers who were at |
lacking him from the rear, and afterward
hewed to the chine Russian hussar who had |
fallen upon Private Levett. This Dunn, twill
be remembered, afterward commanded the
Thirty-,hird, being the youngest man of his
rank in the army, and persisted in the Abys- |
sinian expedition. Riding-master Joseph |
Malone had his horse shot in the charge, but,
properly speaking, his bit of glorious gun
metal was gained the day previous, when he
volunteered with three troopers, on the march |
to Balaklava, and captured an escort of the
enemy's cavalry and the baggage they were
conveying to Sebastopol Troop Sergt. Major
John Bergman, of the old death s-head
and Cross bones" the same sturdy cavalier
who took prisoner three Russians while they
were within reach of their own guns at Mac
kenzie's Farm, behaved splendidly at
Balaklava. When his horse was shot
under him he stopped on the field
with Captain Webb, who was sur
rounded. amid shower of shot and shell,
and although repeatedly told by that officer
to consult his own safety and leave him, he
refused to do so, and Sergt. John Farrell
coming by, the two faithful fellows carried
Capt. Webb out of range of the guns. The
courageous Irishman, Farrell, who had lost
his horse like the majority of his plucky COM
panions, and had gone near to losing his life,
was awarded the envied honor, but did not
long survive to wear it. Charles Wooden, now
a quartermaster in the One Hundred and
Fourth Foot, was another of the
Seventeenth Lancers, who earned the Cross
on the 25th of October, 1854, and he too had
his charger killed in the wild melee
Assisted by DR.. Moustt, of the Inniskilling
Dragons, he succeeded in carrying Major
Morris, of his own regiment, who lay dread
fully wounded, to place of safety. In chatty
recollection such AZ those we have tried to