South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-06-06
CEDAR RAPIDS MAN
RODE INTO VALLEY
OF DEATH WITH 900
Takes Great Delight in Telling
Experiences in Charge of
Light Brigade"

CEDAR RAPIDS. Ia. May o.
(By MaiD Cutting OF this city,
rode into the valley OF death with
the immortal six hundred.
Sitting al his home here this man
who rode into the jaws Of death.
into the mouth OF hell" recalls the
charge OF the Light Brigade at
Balaklava in the Crimean war. He
saw Capt Nolan. suave young aide
de-camp Of the British commander.
Lord Raglan. dash up and hand Lord
Lucan. cavalry commander. a note.
Mr. Cutting. then 17-year-old Brit
ish trooper did not know what the
note contained. History says 1t con-
tanned these terse orders:
Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry
TO advance rapidly 20 the front and
try to prevent the enemy carrying
away the gurs-French cavalry Is on
your left"
Cutting saw his commander thrust
the note into his glove before its
bearer rode away
Forward. the Light Brigade"
The command rang. There was a
fash OF sa bres. Down into the valley
dashed the line OF British hOrsemen,
TO certain destruction
Cutting. who for 40 years was a
railroad employe at Iowa Falls and
Cedar Falls. retired two years ago
and is now making his home in tlis
city He is now IS years old and was
l. when he enlisted in the Eleventh
Hussars of her majesty. Queen Vic
toria Mr.. Cutting believes he is
among the last. If not the last, of the
men who were immortalized by
Tennyson.
He wildly recalls the charge. He
says he saw nothing. knew nothing,
heard nothing. but felt within him
the insane urge that drove him for
ward with a furious desire to bury
/ his sabre in a Russian breast.
The Light Brigade" Mr. Cutting
! says was composed of the Fourth
and Thirteenth Dragons. the Eighth
and Eleventh Hussars and the Seven
teenth Lancers. 1t was con- manded
! by Lord Cardigan. The men wore
red trousers and blue jackets which
gained for them the name of Cherry
| legs.
! The Brigade had been lying In
active during the progress OF the
/ fighting until the order to charge
came The battle had hardly begun
until il was over Blindly a few
stragglers, clambering over moaning
comrades, struggling through the
I heaps Of dead and dying. horses and
men in death throes. pools of blood
| fought their way TO the rear Of the
line"
Mr.. Cutting disagrees with history
as TO the number who returned. He
says there were only six.
He was asked what was the secret
of the futile and merciless command
Cutting said Lord Raglan denied TO
Lord Lucen that he had even given
the order 20 charge, and that then
/ Lord Lucan pulled the order from mis-
glove where he had tucked It,
is that your handwriting" Lord
Lucan asked
Mr.. Cutting does not know what
! the reply was. but for ten minutes
he saw them engaged in a battle OF
words. He believes Lord Raglan
| gave Il in good faith. but that In
stead OF rushing in the cavalry. the
| infantry should have been sent in tC
| maneuver.
After the Crimean war. Mr. Cut
/ ting went TO India with the British
| troops and passed through the
mutiny. He marched form Delhi tc
Lucknow and fought in that famou:
seige. once he was wounded He
passed through Egypt and was in
active service in South Africa in
/ 1857. In June. 1850, he received his
I discharge from the British army
and in 1871 he came to the United
States.