The Irish standard., 1889-01-19
THE LIGHT BRIGADE.

s. .
TIE LIGHT BRIGADE.
One OF the Noble Six Hundred
Talks About Balaklava.
Ehe Famous Chsreo Which, According to
French General, Was "htagnih-
cont, But Not Wharf.-The At
tack and Its Sad Results.
One OF our few living heroes who rode
Into the jaws Of death " at Balaklaya lies
In the Indianapolis Hospital slowly recover
Ing from the effects of two months of danger
Gus illness, writes a correspondent from
that city. John Lev:ck is his name, and,
according to the strange story that he tells,
he was born in Sheffield, Eng, in March,
1880. There IS a slight tinge OF gray IN his
hair aud mustache, but he doesn't look as
old as his history makes him. When he
was young fellow Of eighteen, filled with
overweening desire tor adventure, ne ran
away from his humble English home and,
at Nottingham Barracks, entered the
service Of the Queen as one OF the Eighth
Royal Irish Hussars. A year later sail
Ing vessel In which he was making q
voyage 70 Biscay Bay went to the bottom OF
the sea, and with all but half dozen OF the
Sixth Innishillen Dragons Levick was
nna Of the fortunate half dozen. In q
narrative of his experiences he traces the
movements of the English troops in Turkey
from their landing al Varna up to Septem-
Der, 1854, where they idly spent their time
b making accommodating expeditions about
The country. He recalls the review at Zeni
Bazaar by Omar Pasha, and gratefully
mentions that after the review the Turkish
General ordered pint Of rum to be given
10 every two men in the army, which was
thoughtful and generous in consideration
Of the fact that the native soldiers were
aeyer allowed liquor. His story of the 1nove-
ments OF the troops after the enemy en-
sarked from Turkey for the Crimea is inter-
esting enough to be given just as he tells 1t.
sou approaching Eupocoria," he says,
hIhe vessels advanced IN three lines. We
could see the Russian Cossacks on the hills,
but, as we landed, they disappeared. In the
hurry CT disembarking I forgot my am
muir, ton box. After landing noticed that
{ did not have it, and returned to the ship
In a small boat for it. I hunted for it in
vain, and again returned to the shore, to
ard that the whole brigade had gone on q
accommodating expedition. I stayed alone
apon the shore. At midnight the boys re-
turned The next day, September %, we
marched into the country aud met the
Russians. The battle OF Butchemet en-
sued. was detailed for skirmish duty.
The Russian cannon moved down our in
PANTRY, but the boys fought stubbornly,
knd, at the close OF the day, the British flag
aoated from the battlefield. September
50 we marched to Alma, and The Russian
batteries on the heights were taken. My
brigade next marched upon Balaklava and
captured it. At that time the Menschikos,
The rear guards OF the Russians, were en-
campsa on McKenzie's farm, near Sebss-
topol We were at Ealaklava, and the
French were at Kumiesh Bay. We oc~
.upied Kandahoy Plains October rs. It
was strip Of land about Il mile wide, be-
tween Balaklava and Causeway Heights.
November Is the Russians appeared
General La Prandi. Our heavy dragoons
SANS were driven back in the direction
from which they had come over Causeway
Heights. On these heights tia Turks had
four batteries and redoubts, which the
Russians captured, aud after their repulse
from tho piain they retired into tbs valley
beyond, leaving enough men to bold the
batteries. The British were On the op-
posito side OF Causeway Heights and the
Erederkne Hills. On the high hill behiud
them were Lord Raglan and staff. The
flight Brigade Numbered $40 znen, not GOO,
ss Tcnuysou's poem reads.'
chow about the disputed order which
caused ths chargea"
~ will explain it as the survivors under
stooc the matter. Captain Nolan was the
aide-tse~camp Of Lord Raglan. Nolan was
the one who brought the order to Lord
Cardigan. our commander. Fence the order
must have como from Lord Raglan instead
Of Lord Lucan, Captain Nolan came rush
ing down to Lord Cardigan, crying out to
him: Take those guns Lord Cardigan
thought he meant the Russian twelve.gun
battery in trout of us about quarters
Of a mile. Captain Nolan, however, meant
the batteries on top of Causeway Heights,
which the Russians had taken from the
Turks. He did not live to see that his order
had been misunderstood, for Lord Cardigan
rushed to the front aud said: sWell, here
goes the last Of the Cardigans,' and q
charge was begun. Just as we started
Captain Nolan was killed, and ne was the
FIRST that fell. When about half way down
Che three-quarters Of mile before US SIX
Russian squadrons were hastily formed
under command of General Jeropkima
Around the Frederkine Hills on which were
The Russian batteries there is circular
road. On this three squadrons went one
way and three the other. We went on,
reached the batteries, which occupied cut
IN the road, rushed past them, being able to
spike hut few Of them, and threw ourselves
against the mass of Russians behind them.
We were broken into parties Of three and
tour fighting desperately for our lives. I
believe that every officer yelled out orders
10 retire, and in few minutes we did begin
70 retire. We formed in line as we'll as pos
kihle, but while we were behind the guns
the Cossacks had taken position for pre-
vomiting our retreat, all of the squadrous
excepting one had fallen into line, and this
Was just forming when we rushed against it,
"After the charge we retired to Aker-
nan Heights. There were only 200 of the
$40 left The charge had lasted only long
enough for horse to go threerquarters Of
mile, stop. turn around and return
The hardships that were suffered by the
soldiers just preceding the battle, Levick
says, were most distressing. A vessel
loaded with clothing for them had arrived
ir tina I'M rh4nr INIT could not he unlOaded, In