The Portland daily press., 1897-09-21
WAS AN EQUINE HERO.
The Horse That Led the Light Brigade.
Cincinnati Commercial. }

(ClnclnnaJl COMMERCIAL.
Comparatively few people are aware
that the noted white Arabian steed rid
den by Captain Nolan in the charge of
the Light Brigade at the memorable bat
tie of Balaklava, of the Crimea, was
quartered for several years in the imme-
diate vicinity of Cincinnati, and died a
natural death at a ripe old age in the
neighborhood of Morrow, o.
Every school child of twelve years is
familiar with Tennyson's immortal lines,
on "The Charge Of the Light Brigade"
that daring and disastrous charge
wherein that little body of intrepid
soldiers dashed down to certain death.
A laundering order and misconcep-
ton of its exact meaning was given out
to the public in extenuation of the de-
plorable event. Privately it was whis-
pered that, owing to a strong rivalry ex-
listing between Lord Raglan and the gal
liant Earl of Cardigan, because of we'll
known beautiful woman-the order was
actuated by spirit of animosity, quick
to take advantage of an opportunity to
revenge itself under the guise of military
tactics.
Howbeit, the 25th of October, 1854,
on the heights between Tchernaya and
Balaklava's land-locked harbor, signal
lied, says one writer, those unparalleled
cavalry charges. the record of which is
among the saddest but proudest memories
of the British army. The enemy's in
fantry and guns held the hills nearest
Kamara-a village to the east of Balak-
lava-having taken nine twelve-pounders
which the English had confided to the
Turks. The English held the two points
nearest their own position, while an in
termediate one remained unoccupied. The
brigade of light cavalry had advanced to
the crest of the slope, whence they could
look down upon the enemy rallied on
their own side of the plain, with artillery
in front and upon their TANKS. 1t then
appearing that an attempt was being
made by the enemy to remove the cap
tured guns, the fatal order was dispatched
by Lord Raglan, the bearer of which was
Captain Nolan, Aide-de camp to Sir
Richard Ashley, QHartermaster General.
z Lord Raglan wishes theslight cavalry
to advance rapidly, follow the enemy and
try to prevent them from carrying away
the guns. Troops of horse artillery may
accompany. French cavalry is on your
left.
"R. ASHLEY.
's(Immediate. ~
: Thinking some mistake must have been
made in the dispatch, Captain Nolan was
commissioned to return at once to head
quarters and authenticate the order.
To Captain Nolan's inquiry regarding
the correctness of the dispatch, Lord
Raglan disdainfully responded: ''Are
you afraid, sir?'
With a significant gesture the dauntless
his breast to the sight, exclaimed, Fire
here, My Lord'' and saluting rode
rapidly forward to Lord Lucan, Lieu
tenant General.
Captain Nolan, on his conspicuous
white Arab, spurred far in advance of
ALA fine mark for Russian rit1eman.
With his sword high uplifted and a
breast by fragment of she'll, thrown in
the Russians first discharge, and in
stantly killed. His sword dropped from
his hand, but the arm retained it's up
right position and his left hand the, bride
rein, as his horse instinctively turned
back, and galloped toward the brigade.
AS the files opened to let him pass an I'm
to have been the last agonizing cry of
Nolan in vain effort to turn the
brigade from it's impending doom, but
thought by others to be the result of no
human will, but due rather to those
"spasmodic forces which may act upon
the form when life has ceased"
Straight into the Russian guns, which
nTanrpd fnlI thQr, dachnd hn
brigade, and ''then they rode back; but
not, not the six hundred" The immense
loss was "only counterbalanced," says
one, "by the brilliance Of the attack and
the gallantry, order and discipline which
distinguished it.
The remnant of the Light Brigade was
sent over to Quebec to recuperate, and
slight saber cuts in his side. He carried
the marks to his death. After his mas
ter's death the horse was called Nolan.
While in Quebec Lester Taylor, whole
sale cotton merchant of Cincinnati, pur-
chased the horse, and brought him to
Cincinnati, where he shortly afterward
sold him tosAugust LIE Broot, doing bust
ness on Front street, between Main and
Walnut.
LIE Broot was Frenchman. His wife
was daughter of Captain Cromwell for
many years landlord of the old Broadway
Hotel we'll known to Cincinnatians. The
LIE Broots owned pretty summer house
at South Covington, KY, on the cliffs of
Licking River, and now known as Din
more Park. Luxurious quarters were
fitted up for Nolan. A French Zouave
was brought from France to care expressly
for him and a handsome jet black stall
ion, called Sultan, purchased in Algiers
by Mr.. LIE Broot on one of his numerous
trips to Europe. Nolan was magnifi-
cent creature, fifteen and a half hands
high, snow white, with name and tail
like strands of FURNISHED silver and
nostrils like pink satin; fleet as the wind
under the saddle-the only use to which
he was.put-with a swinging, easy gait,
most inviting to the equestrian lover;
high spirited, yet gentle withal as
fawn Both Nolan and Sultan were
regularly exercised in ring laid out On
one part of the grounds for that purpose.
So docile was Nolan that the two little
daughters of the house were much given
to climbing upon his back during this
exercise. If either CHANGED to slip and
fall beneath the feet of the horse while in
motion he would stop instantly, and,
with the Zouave's cry to the child
"rranquiel! Tranquiell' meaning be
Or,iat uouId with rara ipto1li0opoo