The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-23
service. gaining hOnors and medals innu-

service. gaining honors and medals innu-
merable.
THE disaster of Balaklava," began the
veteran. "arose out of misc0neeption of
orders and opportunity. In my early days
1t was a regulation that bodies of cavalry
could not work Independently when CON-
prising a division or brigade, so many
chances escaped for want OF orders from
the senior. who might have been a mile
away. The drill is now quite altered.
There were two large forces OF Russian
cavalry on the day of Balakiava. one in
full retreat after threatening the thin red
line.' the other disorganized and retreating
after its defeat by the heavy cavalry
brigade. They had TO cross large plain
in front OF the barbor in order to regain
shelter behind the five forts taken by the
Russians In the early part of the action.
The light cavalry was on raising
ground on the flank of the retreating Rus
slams. The Seventeenth Lancsrs and my
squadron of Eleyenth5Hussars moved so
as TO similarly come into line with the
enemy. At this moment. had the Earl of
Luean, the divisional leader, given the
order, the Seventeenth Lancers and right
squadron of the Eleventh Hussars would
have formed 'front.' made charge and, in
my opinion. utterly routed the disor-
ganiZed cavalry, and, with q troop of
horse artillery and the rest of the light
brigade, could have succeeded in recap
turing the guns. Unfortunately that order
was not given.
"Just at this opportune moment the.offi-
Ger in command OF the Sevent eenth Lam
GERS said to the young Earl of Cardigan:
There. nv Lord, is an opportunity never
likely to returD.'
g L sac it, was Cardlgan's answer. but
Lord Lucan, the divisional commander, is
nIOkf Nan,
yards away. and he has given me written
orders not to move unless he sends me
an other written order to do so.
what dav it would have been If Car
digan. like Nelson. had disoDeyed, for the
light cavalry would have charged the
ranks of the Russians, cut them off and
captured them.
Lord Raglan. the commander-in-chief,
saw the opportunity and dispatched Cap
tain Nolan with the order. Follow uD the
enemy, try to recapiurs the guns; troop of
horse artillery to follow YOU But Nolan
had mile and half TO come. and in the
meantime the Russians disappeared ON the
other side OF the valley behind the guns
captured il the morning.
when Nolan came the order was CIV
en- to Charge but how or when no one
knew. No Russian cavalry was in sight.
So off we went around the end of the val
ley and charged half league straight
through the batteries of guns in front.
with guns on both TANKS and rif1smen lin
ing the hills Or as Tennyson put it:
Into the jaws OF Death,
Into the mouth OF He'll.
The valley was about three.quarters OF
a mile broad. AT the end of it was the
Russian army. 10000 rong, with high
noun tains at the back of it.
Captain n olan. who brought the order
believe tried to prevent the charge. We
had not gone far when he gave fearful
yell and dropped dead. l shall always
think that as he died he tried TO shout
halt. seeing the frightful impossibility.
"On we went. the lancers shaking their
lances and waving them in the air like
madmen, and all the time Cardigan bang
in front. for all the world as il be were
going do WI the Park. The grapeshot was
tearing holes in u.s. One Of our seniors
was literally blown NJ at this stage, as
we found no trace OF him afterward. The
guns on our left opened on the lot OF us,
Russians and all. and hofses fell in
heaps
"a feeling had long existed that we
would come to grief in some way, and it
was fully realized. Then we rode back.
but not, not the Six Hundred
When questioned as to whether ne had
any feeling of fear during the engagement.
Colonel Trevelyan replied: II didn't
have time. II was all over in half hour,
and l was Just coDgratulating myself upon
NOT being dead, Wnen 6all struck my
headdress and l stopped thinking directly
l could sit on my horse, which escaped
safely, although was sent to the hospital
that evening. having bullet hole through
the calf of nv left leg, sword point on
my wrist which cut the lgaments of nv
little finger. besides several minor cuts
and wounds.
1--WE labored at great disadvantage. for
we had no con fideDce in our division al
leader. He had been out Of the harness
twenty years, and never commanded a
regiment In the field. He and his brother
in-iaw. the second in command and our
! Light Cavalry brigadier. were at daggers