Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-26

to move TO the support OF the Highlanders
| The Heavies were nearest, so, leaving
Lord Cardigan with the light Brigade sit
ting in saddle in front of their camp, Lord
Lucan trotte1 over to General Scarlett and
baoe him move by his right flank in the
direction of the distant battle.
Away they went, the bearskin shakos of
the Grays (''those terrible gray horsesl"
said Napoleon at Waterloo. looking at this
/ same regiment) and the brass helmets of
the Inniskillens we'll to the front, the
Royals and the Fourth and Fifth jogging
along IN the rear.
They opened out to pass little vine
yard and then, heading for BaIaklava,
rode jingling out Oh the rolling open
prairie and were presently we'll over in
what was called the south valley, with
low ridge-that of the Causeway Heights
separating them from the north valley,
where at this very moment their comrades
Of the Light Brigade were placed in posi-
ton at its western end ana in full view of
what they. the Heavies could not see at
ala dense mass of Russian horsemen,
| 5000 Of them at least count. in their fiat
caps and heavy gray coats riding west
ward up the valley.
+ CHARGING TEN TIMES THEIR NUMBER,
An English light battery had trotted out
! to the crest of the Chersonese, uniimberad
there, and the moment it caught sight of
| these gray masses let drive a few shells
right over the heads Of Cardigan's troop
ers, and no sooner had the Russian
leader found himself under fire of the
guns than he sounded, by the left flank
on his bugles, and away swung the whole
mass directly in front of the Light Bri-
gade-moVed steadily up the Causeway
slope, beyond which Yorke Scarlet was
trotting downward with the relocated
dragons, and the next thing he and
Lieutenant Eliot knew the whole ridge to
their left was alive with the banner
oles" of Russian lancers; and then, in
magnificent order, solid, massive. sixteen
horse came directly at his slender col
umn.
Why! if the Russians had suddenly
sounded The. galiop ard charge they would |
have come laundering down that broad. |
and by sheer weight and inertia, without
striking blow, could have swept the |
brave British from the field. There were
just about ten to one at the instant Scar |
lett caught sight OF them, and how many
more there might be behind that low
ridge a quarter Of q mile away he never
stopped to ask. Seeing the preponder- |
ance Of metal against him any cavalry /.
man would have been justified in wheel |
ing to the right and scampering under !
the shelter Of the guns on the Chersonese. |
where at this moment Raglan and all his |
officers sat, mad with anxiety as to the |
probable fate of the little brigade of red
coats Everybody expected to see him
scurry off to the right, but Yor1e Scarlet !
was d glorious fellow. Like a bulldog he |!
whirled to the left and flew straight at the |
throat of his foe, France and England !,
looking On from the crest behind.
Think OF 1t Left wheel into line :"
was his order, and the instant the Russian |
leader saw it, be proved his incompetence |
by sounding Halt, and then, as though |
utterly aghast at the nerve and pluck Of
those brilliant ranks, there he sat IN sad
die, amazed, iTTesolute wondering what
to do next. Scarlet settled all that for
him.
SOME WONDERFUL WORK
The Russian horse batteries with more
cavalry were popping up on that Causeway
crest, but if there had been million
there inside of a minute it wouldn have
checked him now ''Galiop!" '"Charge!'
he ordered as soon as the troop leaders
had aligned their ranks, and never wait
ing for the Royals Or the Fourth and Fifth
to come up, or the leading squadron of the
lnniskillens to get back, in he went, Eliot
and big trumpetar at his heels, the Scots
Grays laundering behind them, all riding
straight as a dart for the center of the
Russian division.
Up on the heights men held their breath
and watched in amaze, yet thrilled with
admiration and delight. Ia trout Of them
sat the Russians, stupid, almost stupefed,
as with the savage, Celtic yell of the
lnnlskl lens, the deep, cultural roar of the
Scots and later the ringing cheer of the
Saxon Royals the four nearest squadrons
came dashing up the slope
No time to think now!
A splendid looking officer-the colonel
probably-sat in saddle in front of the
Russian centre. Scarlett's brass helmet
and red coat under the suTtout deceived him
He took Eliot, Ia chapeau and blue frock
for general, and his last act in life. was a
furious cut at abide camp, which Gld no
hal N, for Eiiot's blade transixed him and
Ghirled him dead under tie horses hoofs,
nearly wrenching the sword from even
Eliot's grasp.
The next instant Scarlet and his staff
officers shot deep into the Russian mass,
and now, wedged in solid on every side
ere battling for their lives. The two
light ranks of British troopers had dashed
upon the solid phalauK of MuScovite horse
and could lot budga it.
The clang of steel, the rattle Of fierce
blows, the wild shouts Of the combatants,
the neigh and scream of terrified horses,
many of whom bowed their heads to escape
the rain of blows, while others, furious
with the crush, bit and kicked with savage
strength, lance ard sabre, pistol and fist.
RUSSIAN HOSTS ROUTED.
Never had the mild hammered Musco-
vites known sach assailants as those wild
| Irishmen or brawny Scots who dashed
about like madmen and drew blood with
every blow. Dozens of these docile rid
| ers, terrified at the vim and fury of the
islanders, slipped from their saddles and
| took refuge under their horses bodies.
| Others fought and proded the best they
knew how, but such savage fighting they
| had never dreamed of-such mad audac-
| lty.
Three hundred dragons charging 5000
solid lancers up hill was something never
| before heard of.
| Scarlett and Eliot were by this time so
| far in the heav1ng mass. as to be beyond
| help Of any hand, and there was no telling
| how things might have ended when with
resounding cheers the belated souadrons
of the Fourth and Fifth came dashing in
on the Russians right. The advance of
| the lnniskiIens rushing back to the scene
and charged home On the opposite flank,
and then-then-to the enthusiastic de-
light to the snactators on fine hpj rnts-