New-York tribune., 1895-12-22

Harrison told his story OF the episode which
inspired Tennyson. Before he began his mar
rative he showed the reporter the special medal
presented by Queen Victoria in recognition of gal
lantry On one side is a relief engraving Of the
Queens head and on the other double figure rep
resenting war 1t is engraved with the Queens
name and the edge is Mr.. Harrisons name and
individual regimental number, registered by the
eniisting officers. He No l46l. This number
Will help to fix Mr. Harrson's identity If any
sceptical person wishes TO investigate his state
ments.
1T has been long since that October after
noon" said he. "and age is beginning to tell on me
so heavily, that forget most things in my life forty
years ago The charge of the Light Brigade il
fresh and strong in my memory, however. Earl
Cardigan was in command. In his command were
the Gray Battery, Royal Artillery, Aorke Scarlet
in command lst Royal Dragons. Captain Sinclair;
I'd Royal North British Dragons, Scots Grays. Cap
tain Ramsey: 9th Enniskllen Dragons. and
the sth. 10th and 18th Light Cavalry. All
told there 675 Of us. Yorke Scarlet was
really the officer in actual charge An order
came from Lord Raglan substantially as follows;
Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance and
heights These heights Lord Raglan lost to the
Russians the day before. and he felt mighty sore
over Il. There something wrong IN the giving
of the order. Probably 1t was intended for the
general In command OF an the e,,cy cSvay m mere ERE
young officer, Captain Nolan, VINO delivered the or
as he turned to ieave' Yorke scarlett wasn't the
kind of man to hesitate. He got us into motion
fire Of round shot grape and MIME balls.
" From the centre. extend! Canterr SAID scar4ett
dead game, and We all realized that were going
As soon as the Russians from the heights that
slender column was in the act OF chaTsing they
Pgnfd oRP line ON wa as broken Whole sections of the boys
would be swept down by the shot and Shell; The
or grape knocked off my helmet. and had the
queerest sensation OF my life. actually imagined
fel, for my head and found il all right, much to
age the first time. Soon We forced our way, cut
ting and sashipg & as we w17s we Up 10 wnsfe @
scorched us when shots fired Then set up
seemed TO get new strength then" said the old
soldier. breathing hard and straghtenins up his
head off clean with my sabre then; was so nerved
up l split Russian gunners Skull open Just as ne
was going 10 yank his lanyard. doubt II he ever
knew what hit him Then the Russians broke and
leaving their battery In our possession iS Some
who couldn't get away, on account OF their wounds
threw themselves under their guns ana begged Tor
Retreat was sounded, ahd we DeSah lai!hg PACK
with the guns In our possession. was little slow
the returning Russians than most OF the boys. sud
denly saw a single shaggy little Cossack, with
little rascal yet. HIS horse seemed 10 fly through
the air toward me He sat on his mount Ike
alone I met him with parry ana point our horses
came together like billysoats head on. ana down we
nv thigh close to the groin. and he with red cash
on his hard head. We grappled on the ground, and
our horses ran away. Ny right hand was strapped
TO my sabre with a buckskin keeper, and al short
range Oh the ground ! couldn't use it, struck the
C'ossack blow with my fist and he closed his eyes
and stopped struggling; wrenched the lance from
nv thigh and the gush OF blood that followed tho
Withdrawal made me suddenly faint. But kept my
eve on the Cossack He began 70 move his hands,
and | tightened my grip on my blade for last
clash al him Suddenly | discovered that he was
making the sign of the cross ana trying u say
something The blow from my sabre across his
skull was fatal. J tried to help him. but he soon
closed his eyes In death and then everything began
70 grow dark / heard the tramp OF
horses about me and felt horse step my leg
! closed my eyes in unconsciousness. When |
opened them n few hours later surgeon was look
Ing in nv face and one OF Miss Nlghtngales nurses
was bathing my head
"Of the 675 who rode down the valley in the charge
only 1g5 rode back II IS wonder that any OF us
got back alive. Since that memorable day have
read OF more dying who belonged to the Light
brigade than belonged 10 Il when IL at It's
fuli strength. The most Of the claimants were at
Balaklava at the time perhaps. but mighty few
re alive to-day who actually rode up against those
Russian guns with the Light Brigade"
Mr. Harrison is a welpreserved man for his age
He does not look to be over hftyhve years old. He
freely admits however. that his memory is growing
poor and that only the famous charge Is fresh In
his mind to-day He says ne never expects TO forget
that. He will return TO Delhi this week