The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-03-15


to move down through ravine behind
Sugarloaf Hill, toward Balaklaya Har-
bor.. Rhere lay the British supplies Su.
garloaf Hill bristled with Russian guns
Further IN front the Russians bad pushed
. twelve-gun battery Of tbirty-tvo. .pobn-
ders, To, the left we're the Russian re
doubts oh b irangs ofschalk hills ibnt II
was the twelve-gun field battery that
% enaced- the road 10 BslskIava. French
Hill, behind which lay the Light Brig
ade, was mile and d half from the baf-
terry. Between it and the battery was
plain, across which the battery covered
the road. ,ox s, s,a
Aldridge was in Troop A. .on the right
OF the Eleventh, which formed the right
of the first line, two horsemen deep.
He casually noticed Captain No,sn ri
ding down toward them from Earl Lu
cans Heavy Brigade, He did not give
the matter much thought He saw Cap
tain Nolan salp.e Lord Cardigan, who
commanded the Light Brigade. H.
could no: hear what was said, and did
not care to hear it. Soon, however,
Lord Cardigan had long look at the
guns over the hills. Then he turned to
the brigade, and. IS If explaining the
matter to party Of gentlemen. said: !.
"Men, there are the guns (pointing
toward the Geld battery }, and we've got
TO take :hsm." ssl s 3 !.
Aldridge says the men oil felt that
some mistake must have been made
There .was no infantry TO support them,
so far as they could see. But Trumpet.
MAJOR Dan Wall blew the order: "Ad-
vance echelon' from the center;" and
the brigade formed and moved forward
at walk up over the hill. The Eleventh
and the Seventeenth formed the 6rst
line, two deep. Behind the Eleventh,
but extending beyond it, rode the Eight.
while the Fourth rode in the rear Of the
left of the 6rst line, and extending be-
youd it. M v
"Here goes the last oftbe Cardigans.n =
said the leader as he rode over the bill.
| His only brother had previously been
killed in . charge in India. 3 ifs
Lord Cardigan, six feet high, rode .
fiery chesnut horse, with q white of
heel He had the kind OF face Aldridge
says that men love to follow into battle.
Beside hin rode the Trumpet Major, be-
hind him rode HE A6jutant, while in
front of the meu rode the Captains. The
men wore scarlet trousers and blue jack
cts. Their breasts glittered with yellow
braid and the rows Of gilt buttons. A
slug jacket tuckled around their necks
swayed with ts\dangling sleeves from
their left shoulders, while from the tops
of their tall bearskin busbys the bright
scarlet bags depended to.the shoulder.
Aldridee's size placed him in the front
rank, and, as the Light Brigade trotte,i
into the plain, he saw the Russians at
their guns less than mile and : . halt
away, while coon the heavy guns from
the redoubis further to the left began to
blsze.~ Aldridge saw troops G and ] oi
the Royal House Artillery gallopipg up
on the left flank, Their guns we're soon
unlimbered. and poured shower ol
shell and canister into the Russian bat.
.ltery. Il was partly cross FIRE, and 4,
was kept up until the advance OF the
troopers finally shut of the Russians
from their view. So much aid the Light
Brigade got 10 their charge. Ilol +.
A few men had Quilted their saddles
when the order "Front; form line - was
sounded. This drew the entire bod,
outinto one line two horsemen deep
The battery was now telling their ranks
with broken shell and canister. Th,
heavy guns we're throwing shell
from the redoubts, and Sugarloai Hill
was laundering in the distance. "Can
lister !! was the next order, and then tb'
bugle sounded "Charge; open order 7
The long line drew out from the cente
ito give space for each man 10 use hi,
: saber This WAS at six hundred yards
The guns Of the battery could be loaded
snd 6red now without aim, aud the Rus
sians, screened hy their foes from th.
FIRE OF the Royal Horse Artillery, mad,
good use OF their time. They stood tc
their guns until the dragons were within
two hundred yards Then they brok,
and scattered in all directions Theil
work was done. Aldridge saw some o
them tugging to get ont their sabers a
they ran. So bard had they worked OF
their guns that they had poked th,
Sword knots up under their belts bebint
!, 70 keep those weapons out OF their way
I, MAny of these we're over taken by til,
Hong line Of horsennen and ssbered A.
1.-THE brigade galloped through between
1.-THE guns, their order. was broken, ani
thereafter the only order maintained wal
what came from previous habits Of drill
Lord Cardigan was still in front, ant
that showed every man where. be .ough
to 60.
! Tue guns we're now client, but bebint