Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-10-07

with flowers lei deep today, and the
peoples are SO thick upon the meadow
where the charge Of the Light Brig
ade was made that it looks like a
field of blood. There are patches of
purple flowers whose name l do not
know, and the road which winds
around the battle field has a hedge Of
sweet briar roses which are covered
with pink blossoms.
You cannot imagine a more peace
full landscape than the gentle slope of
that beautiful valley lying between
two low ridges, which on the norm
ing of Oct %, 1856, was covered with
1000 spectators Englishmen, Rus
sian, Frenchmen, Sardinians and
Turks In voluntary and aStoniShed wit
nesses of one of the most reckless eXhi-
billions Of human courage ever seen,
and n OF the most useless sacrifices
of human life.
No arena could have been arranged
for a better view of the spectacle.
And today the landscape is precisely
| oo 1 y "0 CAiSI3 OASOPO CiiuO CANS civ
is now dotted with several farmhouses
surrounded by groves of locusts and
shrubbery.
SHAFT MARKS SCENE OF BLOODSHED.
The spot where the dragons start
ed, where Earl Cardigan, the impetu-
Gus young Irishman, who commanded
the Light Brigade, gave his n and
only word Of command during the
charge, is marked by a marble shaft
and the pedestal is inscribed:
Erected by the British army to
the memory of their comrades who
fell at Balaklava."
That word of command a s.:
LEFT wheel into line! Forward march!
Not a word was spoken after that.
Where stood the battery which was
the object of assault is now a cherry
orchard.
Water Is very scarce upon the bat
tie field Of Balaklava: all the farmers
have is pumped up by a Chicago wind
mill, and hauled in casks to the
neighboring houses. Every drop used
to water the English cemetery is
hauled, half a mile.
TWO FAMOUS CAVALRY CHARGES.
There were two splendid cavalry
charges at the battle Of Balaklava,
one by 300 heavy dragons under COM
mand of Major General Scarlett and
the other by the light cavalry under
command of the Earl Of Cardigan.
The former, from a military stand
point, was remarkably successful, be-
cause three squadrons of Englishmen
surprised, demoralized and practically
put to rout two brigades of Russian
cavalry, numbering nearly three
Thousand men. The latter, although
one of the most spectacular displays
Of human daring in all history. vas OF
comparatively no effect and was the
result OF a misunderstanding OF or.
|ders.
The scene Of those two cavalry
charges is a wide and beautiful valley
between two low ridges about two
miles south of the picturesque little
port of Ralaklava. The British troops
had taken possession of the ridge
north OF this valley, were throwing
up earth works and completing theil
camp, when Of the evening of Oct. "a,
1855, Rustem Pasha, in command OF
the Turkish contingent, sent word tc
Lord Raglan, in command of the Brit
ish troops, that the Russians were
preparing for a surprise attack the
next morning. AS there had already
been more than one false alarm, Lord
Raglan contented himself with asking
for an Immediate report of any furth'
er news and no extra precautions were
taken.
sCARLETT 8 SURPRISE ATTACK.
Shortly after daylight the next
morning General Scarlett, with eight
squadrons of heavy dragons, started
out on a reconnaissance. and as he
passed " the ridge, came plump
upon the flank of a brigade Of Russian
cavalry, about three Thousand strong,
which was advancing quietly upon
the Brithish position. Both forces,
were moving without scouts or flank.
ers, and thus neither Of the cavalry
generals, whose men we're soon to be
In personal conflict, was aware of the
movements of his adversary.
When General Scarlett realized the
situation, he Immediately gave the
command to charge, and plunged di-
rectly into the center of the Russian
line which was only about two humid
red yards distant. But the order was
heard by only three OF the eight
squadrons, the other five having