The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-06-13
THE SIX HUNDRED.
"reminiscences of the Light
Brigade.
THE CHARGE AT BALAKLAyA.
a story OF Personal Adventure In the
Crimea. Told by fete-
rams Son

Though "heroism has gone out of fash
ion" nothing can be more int resting
than TO hear from the lips Of some one
who knows the truth OF what he speaks.
"reminiscences of these achievements OF
vaIor whose lame has passed into his
tory. Such an interest HKRALD re-
porter recently experienced IN greeting
Mr.. yohn James. who now resides in the
Twentietn Ward. OF this ciIy. Auu who
arrived in America just year ago from
England.
MT. James father, George James, OF
Pembroke. England, was one of the
FORTY men who survived the famous
charge of the Light Brigade" thr
"Nehle Six Hundred" at Baiakiava,
during the Crimean war OF 1884 Ar.
lanes died in 1882. and bis death was
fully chronicled throughout England, |
as "another Balaslaya veteran gone
His decease left but two survivors out |
Of TIE forty, and one Of those has since |
gone over 10 the great majority. His |
son, who is a young man OF bright
ness and intelligence. has a store
Of entertaining anecdotes regarding bis
father, and Of the part he took IN the
memorable cavalry charge. and other
81 well remember" said Mr. James,
"of hearing my father speak Of the fear
full slaughter inflicted on the Light
Brigade in that memorable charge.
They were 600 men, picked for their
stature, their workmanship and their
ability to manage their steeds. They
were mostly mounted on gray horses.
and Just before the moment Of the
charge, they were drawn up prepared
to retire. The bugle sounded a retreat.
and Lord Raglan. who commanded the
brigade, was not at the head. BY some
mistake, young ofic cried out.
Charged" and in a moment the whole
troop was careering over the plain; oy
having heard They were but 600
charging upon q height where there
were 5000 Russians strongly en-
trenched with cannon, with more con-
stantly arriving from the rear. Whist
a terrible mistake had been made. no
man, OF course, stopped 10 consider.
You, Of course, remember the lines in
famous poem:
Forward the Light BrigsdeP'
Was there a man diEmay'df
Not though the soldier knew
Some one had blnnder'd:
Theirs not 20 make reply
81 Theirs MOTTO reason why
Theirs but 70 do and die. /.
Into the valley OF death
Rode the six hundred.
j have heard my father say that he
never fully realized this hlnnder; such
vas the speed of the charge, the rattle
Df the ACCOMPLISHMENTS the roar OF the
cannon in front OF them that he had no
we're emptying and men tumbling all
around him, but q good force reached
The Russians, and 80 fierce was the on
,laught that the whole troop went clear
through their ranks, they turned and
charged back then back again, and still
1ack again fourth time, scattering the
Russians each time, and turning their
,annen against them. Out Of the 600
men Who went into the charge. only
oyty returned alive, and ynots one of
hese was unhurt. Ny father had
eFere woHnd from q Russians lance In
lis side, I'd though il healed up. It
'roke on. Afresh thirty years after and
vas the cause of his death. yiiuI
Vas tried by court martial Tor the
ablnn6s r. made by ordering the
Aght Brigade, to It's destruction.b The
d0Fy Of. The charge, however, secured
Us acquittal.. q Another anecdote,
Iaye frequently heard my father relate
q connection, With his experiences In |
be Crimea, was in relation 70 this
anne Lord Raglan, a. vary fine COM
handler and . very popular soldier. Ny
ather vas on guard arhorsebaok one
lark night just after Sebastopoot when
le VAS Approached BY amsn dressed
q the Uniform Of An officer. who asked
i'm where Lord Raglan's gtsnt was.
dis, susplcions ~ were Immediately
~~~,ua1 49, .r s,fE ,G-,,ta -
gnorant of . fact 20 well known 70 the
ommonest soldier, and affecting deaf
,ees. he ieapf down and peered into the
Ipeetf0ner's face. With q request that
le repeat his question. HeW&s satisfied
rem his survey that there was some-i
hing wrong and seizing him by the
eat collar, and saying be would escort
lin 20 Lord Raglsn's tent he galloped
~ With him without giving him time to
aake anotherremsrk- When he was
'e4rched. q vas i found that he
.at an armed Russian % spy, and
lstle doubt was Il .entertainedoe bat
Ne conmander. For this service
ny father was publicly thanked by his
ordship. presented with q purse Of ave
y1iseAs. and decorated with the Vic
ofia Cross By this Queen herself on his
STUN 10 England 9r@ a. 1v~ A
After one Of the ssrerest battles enl
me occasion &c came very near ioangt
" Ne by conrt-Ihsrtial He and al
riezd- bis eonstsht CEN panion, who
led Known pSn tie same town and
'nkstsd at the same time-had been
ietaiied 70 accompany q surgeon
,ver the field in search OF the wounded.
they came to . Russian, soldier who
lad both legs shot OF, and who lay ap-
at his last gasp. The doctor
merely looked At him a moment, and
hen said He HASN'T I've minutes 10
i've; there DO use doing anything for
nm and they passed on. They had
rot gone half . dozen steps, when there
vas Q report from behind then, and my
ather's friend fell dead by his side
,ierced BY sbHiiet-E The Russian sol
her, enraged at the doctors leaving
him, had picked mp 9 gun which lay
" him and taken bis revenge By dr.
ng AZ the man nearest him. In his
age and grief my father returned TO
De spot where the Russian lay and blew
lis brains out With revolver. For this
le vas arrested and tried By court
:. - ga --r--A<.