Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-04-30
THE NIGHT BEFORE BALAKLAVA.
What an Old Soldier Saw, or Thought He
Saw


laming usuts from window to Win
dow for apparently no earthly. or I'M
earthly, purpose save that Of terrifying
out OF MS wits some poor hind bearing
home a bewildered brain after staying
too long with John Barleycorn' in
the village inn, but for something that
has forever badled Inc and made me
often wonder whether I was deamlng
or awake commend me to what saw,
or thought 7 saw. The night before Ba-
laklava. October %. 1854"
And my father threw himself back
in his armchair before the fire in the
smoking room crate as he took long
Whit Of a newly lighted cigar and
g9zed dreamily into the flames that
we're cracking up the chimney.
The subject Of conversation had
drifted from the battlehelds Of yester-
dav. in Abyssinia and Zululand to
those of thirty years before, when the
tall. heavy forms before us OF my faith
er and HIS old comrades in arms, Sir
LANGLEY FetherstOne and Colonel Elm
hurst. with their gray, bristling NOUS
t7ches. their still erect gait, their IN
consciously imperative style and their
solemn and grave department, were as
light as my own. Aubrey's, or Bob
Fetherstone's that night, as we sat
around listening to thestOries OF the
hot DAYS when our fathers were men
rs young as we.
"Hand me my memory, Aubrey. -
said my father, pointing to a huge
cavalry sabre that hung over the man
Jlepiece. The sword that had waved
over the now iron gray head, that then
was chestnut. as its owner with ashout
of defiance bore down upon the ranks
OF the Muscoyites, on the wintry plains
of the Crimea.
NV father drew the sword from its
scabbard and lovingly surveyed the
glittering blade.
"Old 'never-failed-mep he said.
DO you see that dint in its edge, Lang?
Cot that crossing the Alma off the he'll
met Of a Russian cuirassier. / sent the
blow through steel and skull together.
There is anotherl Got that the 18th of
October from the commander of the
Cossacks that charged the left flank
of the 'heavies. He struck at me,
I PARTED. there is the mark
And them" said Sir Langley.
q swept it round and caught him
across the throat" answered my IA
Their. abstractedly Il saw his body af-
terward when it was turned over TO his
relatives, for he was a noble, grand
duke. believe. The same angry frown
was upon his handsome features as
just before my steel entered his jugu-
lar. And here is anOther-but there
If once get started telling anecdotes
Of every experielce that old blade went
through in my hands ! would stay
talking until morning. Put it I'D
again, Vic. 1 love to handle it when
ever i settle down to tell story Of
the old days 1t, as it were, Inspires
me. By bringing back the events Of by
gone years to my mind as if they had
happened Yesterday
Seeing that we were all watching
him in anticipation he again took some
Whiifs Of his cigar and commenced
1T was the night before the never-to-
be-forgotten 25th of October. We We're
close TO the Russian lines. our pickets
being almost within hailing distance
Of the enemy.
Il was riding out to inspect the SEN
tries stationed along the Grodno road
It was wet, cold night, and / clasped
my great coat close about me, and
spurred my charger along the muddy
road. As 1 reached the side Of the val
ley l drew him in quickly, as l heard
distant rumble, like the moving Of
some parks Of heavy ordinance at the
extreme end. I listened. All was still
again. An occasional stray shot from
The outposts, a distant challenge Of q
sentry. a light here and there peering
through ytle mU-ky mist from the
doomed city, and between it and us a
large. uneven mass Of something in
distinguishable that marked out the
Russian lines.
q rode on. I arrived at the station
of the sentry, and as l did so some
smart firing broke out toward the rear
Our pickets We're evidently being
driven in, and l sent the sentry back
10 hasten up the supports. He never
returned. I subsequently heard that
he had gone on with the achievements
he had been sent to summon, and had
been captured.
Il stayed cursing his delay for over
half an hour. When l again heard the
same rumbling noise | looked up the
valley. All was dark. but the rumble
| seemed to be advancing at terrific pace.
AS it was coming from our lines,
thought it might be night attack.
Although. how cavalry could be OF any
service at such an hour on such a
night / failed to see But it is the
soldiers duty to obey first, and to form
his opinions afterward, and | eagerly
| awaited the oncoming Of the force.
a white streak appeared two hun
| dred feet away, the noise crashed upon
/ me with full force, and in an instant
saw the charging ranks and the wild,
| eager form of the soldiers seated on
their foaming. galloping steeds. Forms,
did I say? Yes, forms only. Forms
! pale and shadowy. Horse and man
alike woven, as it were, out Of the mist.
On they came. icy breezes rushing with
! them as they swept by. Ny horse
plunged and reared frantically. To
/ save myself from being dismounteI /
! sprang from his back into the snow.
| and. prancing and snorting, he made
/ off toward our lines. giving rise 10 the
! subsequent rumOr of my death.
! Assn turned l saw the form OF Louis
Nolan. He was sitting half round in
| his saddle. his sword hanging from his
wrist. his forage cap in his hand, which
he was waving exaultingiy. His face
was partially turned from me toward
The ranks. but not a word passed the
3pen mouth with the ashen hue on
The lips. though I could see blaze in
the glistening eye. on they came.