The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-03-31
The Famous Charge Of the Six Hundred.

In a hospital in New York City, slow
ly wasting away with terrible disease,
is one John Brown, who claims to have
been in the charge of the famous "six
hundred" at Balaklava. This claim is
disputed by two men in New York. who
claim to be the only survivors of that
disastrous conflict now in this country.
One of these men, q Mr.. Gdney, who
is connected with paper in New York,
gives the following graphic account OF
the charge made doubly famous by Ten
nyson:
"To the left front of the light brigade
there was hostile artillery; to their right
front there was hostile artillery, and
they had to sweep along the rifle range
of three of the redoubts still in the
hands of the enemy. Straight before
those 600 riders. the whole of the Rus
sian cavalry, now reunited in six mas
sive divisions. 5000 strong. Before the
light brigade, squarely in front of them,
frowned thirty heavy guns along reg
ular line of six enormous battalions OF
infantry, over whose heads in the rear
Numbered the great position batteries
from the hills-a whole army. in short,
of So 900 men, impregnably posted, and
holding perfectly in hand everything
which the 600 could attempt to take or
assail. Before the little band could
make one stroke of the sabre, or one
thrust of the lance, they had to clear a
mile and half of ground"
The troopers broke away upon their
APPALLING errand. their comrades and al
lies on the nights watching the move
ment-first with wonder and even in
credulity, then with absolute consterna-
ton and boundless horror. Cries of as
tonishment and dismay rose throughout
the whole camp. The two Command
ers-in-chief were lost in awe. None
could cooperate with those horsemen
or protect them now; they were past
help.
He then described how the storms of
musketry and cannon, from redoubts
and batteries. broke upon the charging
horsemen, thinning their ranks and
breaking their line, but not turning
them aside, nor " hindering them from
carrying q charge which swept down
the whole of these defenses, and fell
like a spent thunderbolt on the further
side, shaking the enemy's entire force
to such a degree that had it been prop
erly supported. the Russians would
have been annihilated that day." Then,
in turning to retrace their steps, they
were met by IS double hurricane of
shot, which, coming from opposite
quarters. seemed to meet in their per-
sons, and half the remaining force van
ished on the spot" Their way was in
tercepted by a cloud of Cossack lancers,
partly hidden by the smoke. " Strong,
swift and sudden was that terrible
crash, which, as with q battering ram,
swung open the center of the Cossack
line and flung its folds in shivered frag-
ments on either hand. Thus did the
remnant of the Light Brigade out an
avenue through their foes and bring
their perilous ride to an end. It was
indeed the remnant of the British corps
which had looked SO magnificent few
minutes before. AL bloody, lacerated,
grim with sweat and smoke of battle,
they came struggling into camp"
's In the face of such terrible Odds"
said a reporter, % and the almost GER
tainty of humiliation, how did you feel
as you went IMP"
was all glory then"
"You We're a single man with only
your horse to care fOr?"
"Yes, and had one well worth it.
We were all well-mounted. In coming
out my horse was killed by a piece Of
shell, and 1 had my left foot laid open
with the same piece. fell with my
horse"
" Amid such terrible slaughter how
did you escape?"
II was fortunate enough to catch
another horse, as he dashed by me. He
had lost his rider. caught the bride,
which was flying loose, and checked
him, and somehow got into the saddle.
Some others did the same. There were
q good many horses that came in with
out riders. / went home ON crutches,
hut afterwards served in India No,
did not serve in the war of the rebellion.
did not get here early enough. l have
been here ten years"
The losses in that charge are given
officially as follows: Fourth Light Drag
oons, 79 out of 11S men; Eighth Hus-
sars, 66 out of 104; Eleventh Hussars,
85 out of ITO; Thirteenth Light Drag.
oons, 50 out of $50; Seventh Lancers,
11O of 1dS Total 400 ont Of 607 man