The morning times., 1895-11-10
ONE OF THE SIX HUNDRED
Capt. Thomas Morley, of the
Light Brigade.
HISTORY OF THE CHARGE
Rode with Gen. Cardigan Unto the
Jaws of He'll" and Captured the
Only Gun Taken During That Ter
ribIe Fight-was In Libby Prison
and in Eord's Theater Disaster.

Capt. Thomas Morley still lives, and h'
lives in Washington. Who is he? A mar
who has dared death as few men have
He has survived war, famine, and wreck
He is a survivor of the charge of the Light
Brigade. Libbey prison, and the Ford s
Theatcr disaster.
The main feature of interest about the
grizzled veteran is that he rode with Gen
Cardigan into the jaws of hell and broke
through the Russian lines at Balaklava, in
the Criinea. He is a bona fide survivor OF
that fight.
Thomas Morley enlisted In the Seven
teenth Lancers, famed in British military
history as the Death or Glory LancerS, .
at Dublin, Ireland, on June 80, 1919
He was born in the parish of st. Mary's
county of Nottingham, England in 1880,
and at the age of eighteen left his home to
enlist in the Seventeenth Lancers, then
stationed in Ireland. He continued with
this famous regiment till December, 1854.
These facts were taken out OF his regi-
mental account book by a reporter for The
Times, this morning. His name also ap-
pears on the roll of the Balaklava Com
memoration Society.
Following is a copy of a letter to Capt.
Morley from Lord Tredegar, who comma nd
ed the Seventeenth Lancers at the Battle Of
Inkerman, fought between the English and
Russians on November 8, 1854:
Tredegar Park, Newport, England; April
6, 1sS9-Morley: 1 remember quite well
that on the field OF Inkerman you asked per-
mission TO fall out to go and try and bring in
Cornet Cleveland, who had been seriously
wounded a short time previously. / gave
you permission, and you went, with two
other men, and brought Cornet Cleveland
into camp. also know that you displayed
great gallantry in the light cavalry charge
OF Balaklava. Yours sincerely,
TREDEGAR,
Late Captain 18th Lancers.
Morleyis the wearer ofthe Queens Death
or Glory" medal, inscribed: ''Sebastopol,
Inkerman, Balaklava, Alma" He also
wears the Sultan's medal for gallant serv.
ice in the Crimean war.
The Times called On Capt. Morley at his
home, No. 230 First street southwest, this
morning. He bears his age as easily as his
honors and his scars. He speaks with de-
cided English accent. He stands feet
inches, is deep and broad chested, erect,
and wearsa long Observation-Disclosures
while his hair is scarcely tinged with gray.
He has a direct, blue-gray eye, an aquiline
nose and a firm jaw. The reporter found
him willing talker, and in fighting his
battles over this is what he said of the IA
nous charge of the Light Brigade:
CHARGE OF THE SIX HUNDRED.
''I recall the fearful charge of the Light
Brigade a 5 thought occurred but yesterday
The charging column was composed Of the
Fourth Light Dungeons, the Eighth R. /.
Eussars, Eleventh P. A. o. Hussars, the
Thirteenth Light Dragons, and the Sew
enteenth Death or Glory Lancers.' In the
engagement l was corporal, and later sar-
geant. L was at the end of the line on the
eight flank of the second squadron Of my
regiment.
I'VE went in with 145 men, and at roll.
call after the fight only forty-five answered
The strength of the brigade was $40 4, and of
these only 1876 crie;l here when their
names were told off. Every man had blood
Oh him with the exception of our command
tng officer, Lord Cardigan. Though his
clothes were cut and torn, yet l do not
think that he received wound, and am
quite certain that he was the only man who
escaped unhurt.
Il received a slash over the head from the
sword of a Russian officer, and a wound
in the right hand. During the morning of
the 25th of October we were stationed in
the South Valley, close tothe Heavy Brigade.
We witnessed their engagement with the
Russians, but were not ordered to partici-
pate in ii.
THE attack of the Russians on this
brigade was unexpected. II came while
the English soldiers were al break and
they rallied, and after some tangled fight
ing charged the enemy, who were scat
tered by the courage and discipline of the
men and the greater weight of their horses,
the Russian horses being very light. Itwas
thrilling engagement, but the list of IA
talities was not long.
The order came for the Light Brigade to
go into the North Valley, and after some
naneuvering We entered il. II is a little
valley about500 yards wildcat its narrowest
and with a slight declination towards a
Russian battery which obstructed 1t at the
lower end about one mile away. The
main body of the Russian forces lay behind
this. The Causeway Heights were on our
right, and the Fdioukine Heights on our
left. Along these elevations there were
plenty of Russian batteries.
The men or my regiment did not know !
of the arrival of the order to move. None of |
them knew what our destination was to be, |
though no one would have believed that !
we had been ordered to charge through that |
valley, fringed and blocked by guns.
The brigade struck a good trot, and |
Lord Cardigan headed it straight down the |
valley. l saw C.pt. Nolan, our regimental |
commander, who had brought the moving 1
order from Lord Raglan TO Lord Cardigan. |
waving his sword toward the latter and |
indicating that it was the batteries on the |
right which had been intended in the order
SdpO- ITOOp Edw tnfS,
too. and understood the signal and ordered /
Second squadron, threes right and we
obeyed.
Just then Nolan was killed by frag-
ment OF shell. Then Corp. Nunncrly, who
is also a survivor and is still living at orms-
kirk, Liverpool, shouted, 'Threes left, for
~ardl' In obedience to this order we
went TO the left and headed straight down
the valley, every foot OF which is now such
historic ground. Just as this move
ment was executed, shell dropped in the
midst OF our troop, and dozen men went
TO their eternal home.
SLAUGHTER BEGINS.
THE shock of the explosion felled nv
horse, but be arose without dismounting
me, and onward down the valley we rode.
I'VE had then proceeded but q few hun
dred yards, but the batteries were opening
on us, and the roar of guns as they belched
death and destruction was deafening Men
were dropping all around by this time and
although the gapsin theranks were promptly
closed, yet there was so much noise and
smoke and confusion that nobody really
could tell what was going on or where we
were going
Captain Winter, our troop leader, fell
next, and close after him Captain Webb
fen morally wounded This left our
troop without commissioned officer
pit we rushed on with the rest of tbe bri'
Eade The guns on the heights W ere doing
good work against us, but, being at the dis
advantage OF having to shoot down hill,
they were not nearly SO effective as the
batteries directly ahead, which raked us
with terrific effect, for the Russians were
good gamers.
''At the very instant that we came upon
these guns, volley " as discharged with
horrible result, but, in a moment more, we
dashed against and through the guns,