The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-06-08
Recalls Charge of
The Light Brigade

Cedar Rapids, Ia, May 5.-Ellis
Cutting of this city rode into the val
ley of death with the immortal 600.
Sitting at his home here this man
who rode Unto 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. No
Ian, suave young aid-de-camp of the
British commander, Lord Raglan, dash
up and hand Lord Lucan, cavalry COM
mander, a note. Mr.. Cutting, then a
17-year-old British trooper, did not
know what the note contained. His
tory says it contained these terse or
ders:
lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to
advance rapidly to the front and try
to prevent the enemy carrying away
the guns-French cavalry is OIL 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 val
ley dashed the line of British horse
men, to certain destruction.
Cutting, who for as years was a
railroad employe at Iowa Falls and
Cedar Falls, retired two years ago and
is now making his home in this city.
He is enow 85 years old and was II
when he enlisted in the Eleventh Hus-
sars of her Majesty, Queen Victoria.
Mr. Cutting believes he is among the
last, if not the last, of the men who
were immortalized by Tennyson.
He vividly 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 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 commanded
by Lord Cardigan. The men wore red
trousers and blue jackets which gain
ed for them the name of 'Cherrylegs.'
"The Brigade had been lying mac
tive during the progress of the fight
ing until the order to charge came.
The battle had hardly begun until it
was over. Blindly few stragglers
clambering over moaning comrades,
struggling through heaps of dead and
dying, horses and men in death throes,
pools of blood, fought they 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 secdet
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
where he had tucked it.
as 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
it in good faith but that instead of
rushing in the cavalry, the infantry
| should have been sent in to maneuver
| After the Crimean war, Mr.. Cut,
ting went to India with the British
troops, and passed through the mutt.
ny. He marched from Delhi to Luck
now and fought in that famous siege
Once he was wounded. He passet
through Egypt and was in active ser
vice in South Africa in 1857. In June
1860, he received his discharge from
the British army. and in 1871 he came
| to the United States