Morning journal and courier., 1892-12-12
The BaInclava Survivors.

The survivors of the immortal charge
sin the valley of death" thirty-eight years
ago, art down together this afternoon, q
small company of grizzled, bemedalled
veterans, to banquet in the banquetting-
room of st. James hall. In the chair was
Sergeant Herbert, of the Fourth Light
Dragons; while Lieutenant Wightman,
of the Seventeenth Lancers, occupied the
vice chair. The committee by whom the
banquet was organized searched the Uni
ted Kingdom for survivors, and tho result
was the appearance of twenty-seven men
only. As they met hearty grssps were
given, and the old familiar names called
out, Jimmy" "Pete," "Harry," "Bill,"
answered to the old call, and as hands
were wrung one gray-haired veteran would
say to another, GOOD old chum, we man
aged to wriggle together for many year."
The medals which were worn spoke of serv
ice in India during the mutiny as well as
in the Crimea, and though the veterans,
with one exception, wore plain clothes, on
every breast the medals we're conspicuous
ly displayed. There were over thirty
guests present, non commissioned officers
in the old regiments. that the old and
the new life mingled together, and COM
radeship was cemented in good nut brown
ale
Or those present in the charge there
were nine of the Eleventh Husssrs, nine
of the Seventeenth Lsncers, eight of the
Fourth Light Dragons, one of the Scots
Greys and two of the Eighth Royal Irish
Hussars. The single survivor who wore
his uniform and probably the finest man
in the company, was Sergeant Fswke, who
stood six feet in height, and measured
forty four inches around the chest. He
was twenty-five years of age when he rode
with the Scots Greys in the famous charge
immortalized by the dead Laureate. There
| is not white hair to be seen in his close
ly-cut black crop; his cheeks are clean
10 militaire. This man Of sixty not only
stands erect and firm upon his legs, but
| rejoices in his strength, aud in proof there
of he cut bars of lead through with one
sweep of his sword. and played with
forty pound club in a way to astonish eve
ry one. The gallant sergeant wears upon
his breast the Crimean medal, with three
clasps for Balaclaya, Inkerman and Sebas-
| topol, and also the Turkish medal, and his
forehead and cheeks show now the marks
of sword cut and bullet wounds. In the
charge he tells with great energy of the
| incidents which befell himself, how In the
mad mixing up of Russian and English
one enemy raised sword to cut off his
head when Sergeant Major George Tides
ley ran the fellow through with his sword,
which he subsequently gave to Sergeant
Fawke. Riding back the sergeant tells
how shell came skipping along, and, af-
ter passing through the Dragons, struck
| the snow-whits Canadian charger on
I -; ~, hn <al L. kl~o
| spot. When he fell came the supreme
moment of danger, but his companions
rescued him. and sergeant major of the
Dragon Guards gave him the bride of a
| riderless charger of the Thirteenth Light
Dragons, and, mounted upon him, he es-
| capped out of the valley. When about to
dismount Fawke noticed that the white
sheepskin on which the saddle rested was
covered with the brains of the dragon to
whom the horse belonged, and, filed with
nausea, he let the animal 60 free. There
were seven wounds in all received by
Fawke on the eventful day, three of which
were on his legs. Sergeant Fawke rode in
| the Lord Mayors show last year, and
earns livelihood as teacher of physical
exercises in colleges and schools. His res
idence is at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.
Among Others present were representa-
tives of the Thirteenth Light Dragons;
Private Lamb, who was wounded in two
places BY canister shot and had his horse
killed under him; Sergeant Frsd Peck,
who had the bars shot off his jacket, but
escaped unhurt; Sergeant Allen, whose
horse was shot, but was uninjured HIM
self; and Private William Sewell, who WAS
wounded in the head by fragment of
she'll After the usual loyal toasts were
given Sergeant Major Smith, of the Third
Surrey, rscited the Charge of the Light
Brigade" with drum accompaniment,
which went we'll "Oar Dead Comrades"
was drunk in solemn silence, and SINH.
lar honor was paid to "Oar Leaders" The
old heroes did full justice to an excellent
mesl, and the company broke up at an ssr.
II hopr.