East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-03-13
CHANCES HISTORY
THE LIGHT BRIGADE.


Glorious as has been the stand OF
the thin, red line" and the charge
of the Heavy Brigade at Balaklava
the battle was to be distinguished
by another feat of almost matches
heroism, the charge OF the Light Bri-
gade. Hardly another deed OF gal
lantry in modern times has thrilled
so many readers as the story of the
Light Brigade, whether told in
Tennyson's glowing verse or in the
soberer tones o6 historians. For
sheer heroism. 1t has been to mod
ern times what the fight of the Spar
tans at Thermopylae was to ancient
days.
When TenRyson deserted the Light
Brigade as riding into a valley Of
death, he used no poetic license
They rode for a mile through a val
ley that was commanded by Russian
guns from ridges upon both sides
and at the further end, with Russian
infantry and cavalry' 'massed behind
The responsibility for the magnifi-
cent but unnecessary charge has new
er been determined. Lord Cardigan
only understood that he was to lead
his men to the further end of the
valley. into what seemed a DEATH
trap. All of the 673 men who rode
out on that charge knew that ter
rible blunder had been made but they
rode out with as little unsteadineJs
noticeable as though they had been
on parade.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not TO reason why,
Theirs but to do and die,
Into the valley OF death
Rode the six hundred.
Straight forward they cantered un-
til they came under the fire from
the ridges at both sides. Horses were
put to the gallop and finally lorna
do of flame and shell was sweeping
them from front and sides. Horses
stumbled and fell here and there but
the survivors rode on until they
reached the Russian line Of guns.
Cardigan and the handful of men left
him went straight through the Rus |
slams here, sabering a passage until
the Russian cavalry was encountered |
Only stragglers came back from
the charge. making their way by twos
and threes, as depicted in Lady But
ler's paintings to the safety of the
British lines. Only 10 of the 673l
men were mounted at the parade late
that afternoon; 247 men had been
left in the valley. How so many ever
came back from the glorious charge
Is a mystery that can be explained
only by the astounding courage OF
the men who fought their way into
and out of the valley Of death. II
was the last stirring episode at Bal
aklava which left the Russians mast
ers of the field but the prestige gain.
ed by the British was probably
worth more to them in later battles
than was the possession of the bat
tleground to the Russians.
Less than a month after the great
day at Balaklava was fought the bat
lie of Inkermann, the most import
int battle OF the Crimean war. 1t
vas series of isolated combats rath-
n than a battle between closely
oined armies. 1t ended in a Rus
ian retreat and a certainty that the
French and British would be able to
'emain in the Crimea until the war
lad been settled.
The horrors of the winter that fol-
owed have not yet been forgotten in
ireat Britain. The cold came earlier
he glaring mismanagement The
Ireaded cholera broke out an disease
nd old claimed more victims than
i'd the Russian guns Matters were
ardily remedied by spring but terri
lie weeks passed before Sebastopol
ell. Finally, however. the French
formed the Malaboff Tower. the key
D the city's defences. and two days
lter the city was surrounded.
Public opinion in Russia and France
-as now clamorous for peace which
-as signed in 1856. COnstantinople 1
ad been saved to the Turks by the
of France and Great
ritian who are now seeking to
apture the glittering city that they
ept out of Russias clutch. But
Dme reform was made in the blood
Balkans for the practical
of Rumania was ac-
the nation, that has
nlked so largely in the news colu-
ms in the last few weeks. .