The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-02
INFO THE JAWS OF DEATH.
The Light Brigade's HerOism ct Balaklava
Described by an Eyewitness.
Pittsburg Dispatch.

The Light Brigade's HerOism ct Balaklava
Described by an Eyewitness.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
1t was thirty years ago that the Earl of
CaHdigans hight brigade made its famous charge
at Balaklava, near Sebastopol. A gentleman
who was on the staff of an English general, and
who witnessed the charge, gives the Dispatch
this description of it,
ION Oct. 25, 1854, our eyes turned to the
heights of Balaklava, on the possession of which
depended the very existence of the allied forces
On that day the Russians made desperate at
tack on our lines to be as desperately repulsed
Word was sent to headquarters that the enemy
under cover of heavy fire from the forts, had
left Sehastopoi IN force and was massing him
self so to threaten the safety of the heights.
was at once sent with an order for the cavalry
and horse artillery to move and be ready to as
sumo the offensive. They had not to wait long
and with our Mohammedan allies the word was
sauve qui peut The heavy cavalry on the right
and the light brigade on the left were advanced,
with the artillery in the centre playing a game
at long bowls. Meanwhile a Russian battery
was oStentatlouSly moved forward, whose well
served guns promised TO be embarrassing
"Lord Raglan, who did not know the full
strength of the foe, saw that this obstacle must
be removed; but whether or not he also foresaw
the necessity of first looking before the leap was
taken must be forever a mystery. The com
manders of the cavalry brieades, Lords Luean
and Cardigan, brothers-n- law, between whom
no love was lost were waiting the word to en-
gage, Lord Lucan being the senior officer. To
them sped Capt. Nolan, dashing hussar. Sa
luting the General, he said he bore an order
unwritten-from Lord Raglan that the battery
must be silenced and the guns captured. Lord
Lucan man so cautious as to have earned the
nickname Lord Look-on,' fearing to expose his
small force to anv ambushed dangers, asked for
more definite orders. With a slightly contempt
uous turn of his hanpsome lip, the aide-de
camp pointed in the direction of the battery and
said:
" You see your enemy, my lord
even the Earl of Cardigan, impetuous az he
was, generally speaking looked at his command
er in doubt as to the words But, owing to the
unhappy enmity existing between them, neither
would speak his thoughts, and once more Nolan,
impatiently waving his sword, which he had
fercely drawn from its scabbard, and pointing it
TO the artillery, cried: Take the guns; these
are your ordersP
THE crisis has arrived No recourse is left
but to do as he bids. A cold nod of assent from
Lord Luean. profound bow follows from
Lord Cardigan. Light Division, forward,
charged breaks from his lips. An eehoing cheer
is the reply from 607 throats, as with elang of
scabbard and rattle Of bride and bit, and the
hraying of the trumpet and the ringing cheer of
the 'Heavies, the Fourth and Thirteenth Lights,
the Eighth and Eleventh HussaFs, the latter
Lord Cardigans own corps, conspicuous in their
cherry colored trousers and the Seventeenth
Lancers, with ranks closed up and seuadrons
dressed as evenly as if at march past, trot for
ward down the slight declivity. At their head
ride the gallant Nolan and the dauntiess Cardi-
gan-even in this supreme moment with a reek-
less laugh upon his face, as he argues some
point of war with his brother hussar.
1.-The unmasked batteries are already belching
forth shot and she'll The trot breaks into gal
lop. the gallop into furious headlong charge.
Already Nolan has fallen. cut down by grape
shot, the secret of the fatal day dying with HIM.
The serried ranks show frequent gaps, as saddle
after saddle is empted. Close up! Close upl
Charged is the unceasing cry, and in shorter
time than 1T takes to tell, the opening ranks of
the foe disclosed to the doomed but indomitable
few cannon to right Of them, cannon to left of
Them cannon in front of them-and now cannon
behind them On through the broken Russian
line pressed the noble army Of martyrs. their Or
if1amme, their brave leaders flashing sabre, their
support;
cherry clad heroes fly over the guns as lightly
they would over five-barred gate on the hunt
ing field, sabring the gunners they leap. A
bearless boy, not yet seventeen, holds fast to
the colors he has sworn to carry to death or vic
tory, and falls with the cry, My mother will
hear of thisr on his dying lips, still grasping
that banner in his hand.
Far away, clear in front, with his aide-de-
camp, and few choice spirits on his right hand
and on his left-none ahead of him. raging like
a lion, fights, with forlorn hope, the leader
and commander Of the Light Brigade. He bears
q charmed life, and his brawny arm is endowed
with a power of slaughter that grows mightier
every moment from the meat it feeds on. Furth-
er and further ne dashes on, cleaving his way
with his blood stained sword, till he reaches the
last of the guns.
Here when he sees the end is not yet but
that rank upon rank of cavalry and infantry,
with heavy artillery in the rear, stretches out
back to the city's utmost bastion, he recognizes
how useless it will be further to tempt the fates
and fight one against thousand Coolly and
calmly as if in Hyde Park, he takes
in the situation at glance, and
gives the word to the trumpeter to
sound first the assembly then the retreat A
bullet crashes through the boys hand as he
raises his trumpet 10 his mouth but, stoic-like,
he makes no sign. Clear rings out the summons
A dozen only answer the call Not one, save
Lord Cardigan, but is wounded more or less Sc
verely, and his clothing shows where lance, or
saber. or ball, had plowed their way over his I'M
scathed flesh. Right about the little band turns
leaving the boy trumpeter dead on the ground
behind them,
1.-The enemy, paralyzed by the shock of the
charge, and faneying that the whole British
army supports the handful of braves, pauses
in his mlrderous work to cheer the 108 sur
vivors who returned slowly and sadly to the
place from which they came, having from a
nailitaar stand point. achieved nothing yet Gov
cred with deathless fadeless wreath of glory.
1T was magnificent, said General Bosquet, but