Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-03-05
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V@y 600, whose charge at Bala.
49,. klava Tennyson immortalized
49, in verse. The name Of this
&E' survivor Of the Light Brigade
is Jeremiah Ryan. He enlisted at Lin.
erlck, Ireland, in the Fourth Light ORA.
eoons and went with his regiment to
the Crlmea, where England and
France were supporting Turkey against
Russia.
In speaking Of the battle OF Baia.
klava, fought Oct. %. 1854, Mr.. Ryan
says: "The battle Of Balaklava was
brought on BY the Russians on Oct. %,
when they tried to drive Us from the
heights we occupied. 1t was q good,
hot fight, and the cavalry did most Of
the lighting on our side. and 40 was
In the cavalry I got my share. re-
member the charges Of the Light Bri.
gade best. although 1t did not seem
much at the time. The Light Brigade
conslstedof COT men. They were picked
from the various regiments, all young
and energetic men and good fighters.
I'm his poem Tennyson. with the II.
cense Of q poet, makes It appear that
we all knew we were going to certain
death. As q matter Of fact, we knew
nothing Of the kind. We did not have
the slightest idea what we were going
to do. We merely obeyed orders and
had no thought that We were about to
charge the whole Of the Russian army.
There had been heavy fall Of dense,
damp snow, and the ground was hard.
Under Capt. Nolan we charged In two
lines at quick pace. We did not know
where We were going, and the enemy,
being behind bluiY, were not In sight.
We had not gone more than 1000 yards
before the whole line Of the Russians
opened flood of smoke and fame upon
us from the months Of thirty cannon.
Then We could not have fallen hack II
we wanted to. Men and horses fell un.
der the fire. Onc.third Of Us fell to the
front, dead or dying. Another third Of
the men were wounded. The horses,
well trained, huddled together and chr.
ried us onward toward the Russians.
Another battery opened fire upon us,
md to the oblique fire Of the cannon
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the Russian infantry.
"With sabers drawn we kept on TO-
ward the Russian guns. We could moi
fight much. for we were huddled close
together In solid mass for our protec'
lion. The men In the middle Of the
ranks dared not draw their sabess, fol
they could not tell friend from foe
| VS,~.~ 40, &S,o ~s,&sSao (rs,w1,& avA ma,
down the Russians In our way. Their
the order was given to return, and w
retreated IN best we could. Some OIL
the horses broke with their riders and
carried them back to our lines. Slowl,
We fought our way back surrounded b!
Russian infantry and soldiers.
"But while we were fighting to re
gain our own lines the Russian gunner
returned to their guns, and, angry tina
we had only just ridden over them, an,
thinking Of nothing but revenge. the!
fred Mt the mass Of fighting soldiers
and this time they killed more Rus
SLAMS than Engllshmen In front Of tn
guns. Meanwhile the Eighth Hussar
and the heavy brigade came to our res
cue and helped Us cover our retreat.
~ wretched lot we were when W
returned. They made heroes Of tn
survivors, but the dead ana dying wer
left where they fell. There were 90
Of us when we followed Capt. Nolan Il
the charge. OF these 1OS came bach
and some Of these received wound
from which they died shortly aftel
ward. I myself received two cuts 4
the hand and another Just above til