The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-11-19
The Charge Of the Light Brigade.

The details of the following sketch OF
the famous % Charge of the Light Brig
ade" were furnished the Daily Graphic
bv officer Charles III. Mckenzie, now on
the New York police, but the modest I
possessor of testimonials for gallant con- I
duct in the British army at the relief OF I
Lucknow and throughout the Crimean /
and British-Indian wars.
In the charge of the Light Brigade I
Mckenzie rode in the second troop, CEN
ter squadron, rear rank. The half
league over which the Light Brigade |
passed was rolling country, no part OF
which, however, was so much depressed
as to be sheltered from the iron hail OF
the Russian batteries. The entire force /
of light cavalry at hand were ordered to /
the charge. The French hay to the rlght,
and it was expected that troop OF
French cavalry at least equal In number
would be ready to join in the assault
But they had not received orders and
did not come. Some one had blum
dered."
Behind the guns the Russian infantry
was drawn up six ranks in depth and
numbering along the line in all $4,000
men, and behind this strong line was
very large force of Cossack cavalry. From
the moment the bugle sounded for the
charge, Mckenzie says that, like those
who rode with him, he knew nothing
except that he was galloping in cloud
Of dust and smoke towards the enemy.
The earl Of Cardigan, who commanded
the brigade, Mckenzie says, was far In
advance of his men, encouraging them by
his voice as well as by his example, al
though, with every intelligent man in his
3 l.. hxrf hrs
time at least that the charge was perfect
madness Scarcely pause was made at
the guns. The gunners were cut down
or oYerrun in their fight. Then the
/ foremost horses were driven forward
against the Russian infantry. Mckenzie
/ saws they were brave men, and appeared
/ to scorn to fall in squares against such a
/ handful of the enemy. 1t was afterwards
/ reported that squares were formed, but
/ ne SAYS that he saw none. The force of
/ the charge broke through the six lines
without a pause The bayoneted horses
fell forward with the impetus they had
gained, and their weight made way for
/ those that followed. Those in the center
of the brigade had only dead and wounded
men and horses to ride over. The six
ranks had been broken through like
]
pected hand-to-hand contest with Cos
/ sack cavalry. This was a terrible mo-
ment 1t was expected, at the very
least, that after the Russian line had
been broken through there would be
opportunity to form, although under
fire. A counter-charge of cavalry on
their weakened and disordered mass was
the climax of their misfortunes. In this
. 1. T. oI-o.
stroke on the left side of his head, which
cut through his tough shake and made a
deep cash, the scar Of which is still plainly
visible, after the lapse of twenty-one
wears. He says he knows he gave the
Cossack one stroke in return, but whether
it was fatal or not he could not tell. The
next moment he was carried on by his
horse. He struck where he could, and
was compelled to guard himself on all
sides. 1t was a wild maze of struggling
horses and hostile riders The Cossacks
fought bravelv and had the advantage of
superior numbers. The English had
found themselves attacked before the
last of the troop had passed through the
gap in the Russian lines. 1t might have
been a minute or five minutes that they
were thus engaged. Then they heard
the bugle sound for retreat. Hitherto
the guns had been silent, but as the
shattered column broke again through
the center of the semicircular battery the
guns at either end began to open upon
it. The slaughter was terrific in retreat
as well as in the advance.
1t is history that of the 600 who rode in
the charge only 1913 returned. There was
indeed a terrible blunder Lord Raglan,
who commanded the English army, de-
MED that he gave the order. Lord Lucan,
who commanded the cavalry, said he re-
ceived the order from Capt. Nolan, of
Lord Raglan's staff. Capt. Nolan, the
only man who could dispute either, fell
among the first in the charge. Mckenzie
says that he saw that gallant officer riding
far in advance of the brigade by the side
of the Earl of Cardigan. Capt. Nolan
had written a book on tactics, IN which
he had maintained that light cavalry, il
well led could ride down any branch OF
the service. 1t was his duty after having
delivered an order to report Immediately
} to the officer who gave it. The fact that
he did not do this, but rode in the
: charge, inclines Mckenzie to believe
that, having perceived possibly some
} evidence of disorder in the Russian lines
and Sinking that the guns were not vel
supported, he was carried away by de
sire to exhibit to the world the truth o
! his theory, and so gave a false OrdOr