The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-17
1t is true that at

| ed In the poem took place, occurred the
| one great cavalry fight of the Crimean
war. But it is also true that, as results
are counted in war, the most brilliant
achievement on that field was the charge
Of the Heavy Cavalry Brigade of English
horse before the Light Cavalry Brigade
went in. The heayies were 300 strong and
they rode full tilt against ten times their
number, or 5000 advancing Russian cav
llry, and put them to rout. This exploit
figures largely, as it should, in all sober
histories of the Crimean war. So also does
the charge of the Light Brigade, but for a
wholly different reason. The former af-
fected campaign results; the latter was
one of those unfortunate affairs that lead
to endless controversies.
The first turned the tide of battle and
perpetuated the war won honors of Eng
lands chivalry; the second was tragedy
which froze the battle ardor of an army OF
beholders and melted their gallant hearts
to tears The one was an act of war Justly
awarded historic fame; the other was a
bloody episode that challenges attention
and wins historic notoriety. Nevertheless
the subject of Tennyson's grand poem was
worthy of the master hand that treated it.
And that poem-all so marvellous, all so
fanciful, all so thrilling-is only a plain
statement of the truth. The Six Hundred
did ride half league along valley Of
death. There had been a blunder and
every man knew it, yet rode boldly on.
There were cannon to the right, to the left
and in front of them, and the mouth of
hell did cape before Them still they rode
on. They did plunge into battle smoke,
l. l.
the world wondered, for around that val
ley, on five miles of sloping hillside, stood
the allied armies and the opposing host,
looking down on the grandest spectacle
that ever thrilled SO great an audience on
the field of Mars.
1t is poem of simple truth mounting to
the sublimest pathos, and for that reason
it wears its way from one generation to an
other Of the English speaking race, and the
doings of the Six Hundred find lodg-
ment beside our nursery tales, the ale
house stories and camp fire narratives.
And it never grows stale. but like Home,
Sweet Home" and Last Rose of Summer
is always welcome. The shy and nervous
school boy may stammer over and mangle
1t and win applause, while the orator may
rest his laurels on it to close peroration
The star Of tragedy who has won enduring
fame in sounding Shakespeare's noble
numbers may score new triumph and
conquer obdurate hearts by STOPPING to a
recitation with the Six Hundred for his
theme and even the pert soubrette, when
caught in grave company and impelled to
do something solemn just for looks, may
render the DID, old story and win a recep-
ton which will still her pit-a-pat going
heart and place her well at ease. Yes, so
powerful is the charm that should a man
condemned for crime in any land where
English is spoken prove that he rode with
the Six Hundred Tennyson wrote about
the fact would win speedy pardon. And
on its merits it is marvellous recital this
poem. When was ever wed to strong and
homely Saxon words sublimer thoughts
tha2 these:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die;
Into the valley of death
Rode the Six Hundred
What then was the charge which this
is sll about! In order to make plain the
situation adopt a simple diagram from
Kinglake's History of the Crimea." The
valley between the forefnger and the little
finger runs nearly east and west The ex-
tended fingers represent heights; the north
ern range of hills occupied by Russian
troops in heavy force, the southern a sue
cession of knobs crowned with redoubts
planted by the allies and just wrenched
from them by charge of Russian cavalry,
and then manned with Russian artillery
men and supports. Well toward the west
end of the valley the Russian horse adj
vancing from the east had been met bv
Gen. Scarlett's 300 heavies and driven
back along the valley, where the
close fingers represent them, and there
rallied to reform behind a twelve gun bat
terry. At the extreme west end of the val
ley were the Chersonese mountains, where
the allied armies rested; so the scene of
combat was looked down upon from three
elevated positions swarming with armed
men, among them the chiefs of the oppos-
ing camps and their colleagues, and other
distinguished spectators. Below the Cher
sonese. in the valley and well hidden from
view of the plain, was a division of En-
glish cavalry under Lord Lucen, the Heavy
Brigade of Gen. Scarlett. and the Light
Brigade of Lord Cardigan.
The battle opened by rapid advance at
daylight of Russian cavalry along the
valley where the allied redoubts manned
by Turks invited attack A correspond
ing movement of all arms on the heights
north OF the valley placed the Russians in
strong force on and around the plains Of
Balaklava Gen. Scarlett's bold charge
forced back the Russian cavalry center
and left the troops in the captured redoubts