Year: 1868

"Iord Cardigan and his first line sti descending at
speed on their goal had rived their way diuy through
the folds OF the cloud which lay piled up IN ront OF
the battery; but then there the swift moment when
through what remained OF the dmness at last saw
the brass cannons cleaning with their muzzes toward
the chests of horses and vbly the Russian artillery
men-unappaed by the tramp aud the aspect Of squad
rons driving down through the smokewere as yet stand
ing fast TO their guns.


By the material obstacle which they offer to the onset
OF horsemen, eldpieces In action, with their attendant
mbercarriages and tumbris behind them add so sure
of Illustration to the peril that there in riding at
the mouths Of the guns, that upon the whole, the ex
pedent of attacking battery In front has been forbid
den cavalry leaders by a recognized maxim OF war.
the hugo msconcepOn Of orders which had sent tho
brigade down this valley yet to be fulfilled to its
utmost conclusion and the condition of things bad now
tobe such that whatever might be the madness Tin
generaD OF charging battery in 'front.' there by this
tme choice of measures BY far the greater part
Of the harm which the guns could nnlct had already
been suffered and believe that the idea Of stopping
short on the verge Of the battery did not even present
itself for moment to the mind of the leader.


Lord Cardigan moved down at pace which he has
estimated at seventeen miles hour and already he had
to within two three horses lengths of the mouth
of OF the guusa gun believed to have been atweve
FOUNDERS but then the piece was discharged and its tor
rent of flame seemed to gush in the direction Of his
chestnuts of forearm The horse governed by the
impetus he had gathered and by the hand and the heel
of his rider to be able to shy only little at the baze
and the Of the gum but Lord Cardigan being pres
emily enwrapped in the column OF smoke now all az
once piled up around him, some imagined him slain He
had not been struck. In the next moment and being
still horses lengths In advance of his squadrons
he attained the ongsough battery, and shot in be-
tween two of its guns"


That perhaps, is the point at which the history of
the Charge Of the Light Brigade ought to stop Over
that mile and quarter of ground, swept by triple


fire. the Brigade and its matchleSs leader have ridden
I'D to the battery in 'front.' AS their leader had just
done before them, now our hOrsemen drove In De-
tween the guns and then at the instant tore on
to assa the gray squadrOns drawn up in the rear OF
the tumbrls Others stopped to fight in the battery
and sought to make prize of the guns. After long
and disastrous advance against clouds and Invisible
foes they grasped as it were the reality. What be-
fore had been engines of havoc dimy seen' OF only
inferred from the jets of their fire and their smoke,
were now FURNISHED pieces of cannon with the bright
ness and the hue of red godcannon still in battery
still hot with the slaughter of their comrades"


Not staying his course in the battery, Lord Cardi-
gan rode on with little remission of speed. The
tumbrils the guns the carriages the caissons, were
so crowded together that his people who had fol-
lowed him hitherto, had each to seek out his own
path beyond the point they had reached together.


"In this way 1t happened that Lord Cardigan had al
ready become almost entirely Isolated when still pur-
suing his onward course, he found himself riding down
singy toward large body Of Russian cavalry then dis
tan he has since eoboned about so yards from the
battery This cavalry was retrestng put presently 1t
came to q halt went about aud fronted Lord Cardigan
stopped and at this time he to the enemys
squadrons that he has reckoned the intervening distance
at so little twenty yards The phenomenon which
had enforced the attention Of OF scaretVs dragons


okl,o n.
tons to Lord Cardigan All along the confronting ranks
Of the graycoated Lorsemen he found himself hungry
eyed by @ breed OF the human whose numberess
cages Of teeth stared out with wonderful cearDess
from between his writhed lips, and seemed all to be
gnashng clenched II is believed that this peculiar
cOntoron OF feature, often observed In the Russian
sodlery not In general, expression OF anything


like brutal erocit but rather OF vexaton and keen
care with OF baed energy Lord Cardigan himself
magnes that with the feelings Of the Russian troopers
while eyeng him, the thought Of gain possibly mingled
his pelsse being rch and close at the time like
a coat, showed blaze of gold lace to the enemy"


An acquaintance Prince Radzivill, recognized
Lord Cardigan, and directed some Cossacks to take
him unhurt. But Lord Cardigan showed no purpose
to surrender and the COssacks began to assail him
with their lances.


"And for a moment his demeanor was like that of'a
man who regarded the movements Of the COssacks as
dsordery rather than hostile for full Of high
the wretchedness OF their nags-he sat up stiff in the
saddle and kept his sword at the slope Presently, how
ever he found himself slightly wounded by thrust re-
ceved the hip and in peril Of being unhorsed by
which caught hold Of him by the pesse and nearly
forced him out Of has saddle Yet that last effort
TO have been made by Cossack who himself almost
in retreat for the man at the time had his back half
turned Lord Cardigan and the thrust he delivered
the one known TO science by the OF the right
point Tie assaauthad possibly learned by this time
that his comrades little way off flying from the
English cavalry, and that he must not be too slow in con-
forming


It was right OF course that instead OF submitting
be taken prisoner or be butchered by overwhelming
numbers Lord Cardigan being nearly alone, and alto
gether unaded should disengage himself II he could
from the reach Of his assailants by sucng movement
Of retreat and this he accordingly did, but before he had
galoped far back and while still the Russian side OF
the battery he found that he already had extrcated him
self from personal molcsaton and had leisure deter
mine what next he would do.


Being on the verge Of that period in the battle
when Lord Cardgans OF action became such TO
leave for question and controversy IL not for un-
sparng blame. would here nerpose, and say that home
down to the moment when he found himself almost alone
in the presence Of the enemys cavalry he had pursued
his desperate task with rare, and most valorous persis
tency And English officers know, Will take pleasure in
learning that from the moment when he quietly said,
The brigade will advance TO the when nearly alone
in the presence OF the enemys cavalry, he sty awaited
his assaans with his sword at the slope. Lord Cardigan
performed this historic act Of devotion without word
gesture Indicative OF bravado excitement but rather
with the air Of man who was performing an everyday
duty with his everyday courage and hrmness."


Into the events that followed we do not care to
examine too closely. Lord Cardigan made his way
back ont of the battery found, as he says, ren-
nant of his brigade to rally. and kept on down the
valley till he met the supports which Lord Lucan