The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-06-05
SURVIVOR OF LIGHT
BRIGADE" LIVES in IOWA
Ellis Cutting, Now IS, Was One Of Six
Hundred lmmortaI'zed by
Tenny5on,

Tenny5on.
Cedar Rapids. la, June 5.-Ellis
Cult ng of this city, rode into tho
valley Of death with the immortal
six hundred.
Sitting at his home here this man
who rode into the jaws OF death, Il
into tie mouth of Hell" recalls the
charge of the Light Brigade at Ba-
laklava in the Crimean war, He
saw Capt. Nolan, suave young alde-de-
camp OF the British commander, lard |
Raglan, dash up and hand Lord Lu-
can, Cavalry Commander note. Mr. |
Cutting, then seventeen.year-old /
British trooper, did not know what
the note contained. History says 1t |
contained these terse orders:
Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry
to advance rapidly to the front and
try to prevent the enemy carrying
away the guns--F'rench cavalry is on
your left"
Cutting saw his commander thrust
that note into his glove before its
bearer rode away
Forward, the Light Brigade"
The command rang. There was a
, flash of sabers, Down into the valley
| dashed the line Of British horsemen,
to certain destruction.
Cutting, who for As years was
railroad employe at Iowa Falls and
Cedar Falls. retired two years ago and
is now making his home in this city,
He Is now SIS years old and was seven
teen when he enlisted in the Eleventh
Hussars of her Majesty. Queen Vic
toria. Mr. Cutting believes he is
among the last. il not the last, of the
men who were immortalized by Ten
nyson.
He vivdly recalls the charge He
says he saw nothing, knew nothing,
heard nothing but felt within him the
insane urge that drove him forward
with furious desire to bury his saber
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. II was commanded
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
ing until the order to charge came
, active during the progress Of the fight
The battle had hardly begun until il
was over. Blindly a few strugglers
| clambering over moaning comrades,
struggling through 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 does not know what
as to the number who returned. He
says there we're only six.
He was asked what was the secret
OF the futile and merciless command
Cutting said Lord Raglan denied to
Lord Lucan that he had ever given the
order to charge. and that then Lord
, Lucan pulled the order from his glove
whore he had tucked Il.
is that your hand writing?' LORD
I, Lucan asked
Mr.. CCutting does not know what
|, the reply was, but for ten minutes he
, saw them engaged in battle Of
, words He believes Lord Raglan gave
!. II in good faith but that instead o
rushing In the cavalry. the infantry
should have been sent N to maneu
, yer.
s After the Crimean war, Mr. Cult NJ
, went TO India with the Britt h troops
2 and passed through the mutiny. II,
: marched from Delhi to Lucknow ant
. fought in that famous siege. Once HI
( was wounded. He passed through
, Egypt and was In active service IL
. South America In June 1860, he receiy
= ed his discharge from the British arm!
), and in 1871 he came TO the United
Q States.