"NOBLE SIX HUNDRED!"

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1921, 2 December 1913, Page 14

"NOBLE SIX HUNDRED!"

BALACLAVA CHARGE RECALLED.

A BALLARAT SURVIVOR.

Tlio Battle of Balaclava took plaeo in October 59 years ago. The event is recalled by tho publication of tho reminiscences of a Ballarat survivor of the charge of tho Light Brigade. Of the "gallant six hundred" which took part in it nearly all have passed , away. It was only a few weeks ago that "Tho Times" announced the death of Sir Gcorgo Wombwell, tho last surviving ■ officer, who was a cornet in tho 17th . Lancers when ho charged tho Russian ! guns on tho heights of Balaclava. If he , had livod a few days longer ho would havo been tho solitary guest at tho dinner which the officers who took part in the charge used to hold on October 25 ■ each year, and, alone and silent, would ; have "drunk tho toast to .his dead companions in arms. Eailarat Hera. Although all tho officers have passed away, a remnant of the rank and tile remain, and among them is Michael Alcx--1 ander Carinichael, a, resident of Ballarat, who is to-day almost as erect and soldierly-looking as when lie rode into the valley of death nearly threo scoro ■ years ago. The veteran is not now a 1 pensioner of tho Imperial Army, having sold his pension at Chelsea beforo set- ' ting out. for Australia many years ago. Tlio old-time warrior is content with ■ tho modest pittance of 10s. a week 'granted,by to thoso who; havo borno the heat and burden of the day, as he undoubtedly has done, . "Nothing to Blow About." ' Eighty-six years havo passed since Carmichael" first saw the light, and he is weathering' well. AVhen asked to give his version of the charge tho veteran modestly said: "I see nothing to blow about, but. I 1 ( will givo you the truo story of the charge. I was called on in tho morning by tho orderly sergeant to go for dispatches. Our brigade was a mixture -of all sorts, and it was the first timo I 'was ordered to carry dispatches, a task that is no joke. Tlio usual orders fcr movements of cavalry are 'trot, gallop, ' charge,' but wo used to go off at tho gallop, and for a very simple reason, ', too. The, Russians were constantly on tlio watch for dispatch riders, and their sharpshooters levied a heavy toll from, rtlie lnoro,.venturesome riders. They were'excellent shots, and wc had about a. milo and a half's ride under fire, and it was a caso of ride hard and keep your pecker up. ... "I-was presented with three bullets .'.JoCthe ; sharpshooters on the return *jcurney,j but 1 reached tho lines safely, and'gave tho dispatches to tho orderly sergeant. I dismounted in a not very orderly fashion, and said to a comrade,' 'Hei£, Jack, give mo your canteen, for I'm weak.' My.boot was full of bjood,-as-I liad been hit on tho leg and''thigh,""but tho pistol holster really saved my life. M.v helmet was also shot through. I felt tho value of tho 'rum, ."and thero was a call to : attention, .'v. hich I answered as well as , I could.": ??pw- I'm coming to tho point " of my-story:" •• Tlio-veteran proceeded to explain that thdre'.worb .about- 12,000 Russians who had'dislodged a small group of Turks ■fronrsomoj'edoubts. They followed up •by- striking' at tho British, who sent • 'thdm'to'the rightabout, a feat in which : tho'..,lieayy. .'.cavalry was prominent. Misunderstanding Lord . Raglan's order, Lord Lucan dispatched Lord Cardigan, a junior' officer commanding the light cavalry;; to;chargo tlio Russians, who hacVagainjassumed a menacing attitude, having, put their artillery in front. " . "Thsm Guns Yondor." ■ "Thero were indeed cannons to the right of us and cannons to tho loft of us ; "-ho went on' to say. "I saw Captain Nolan coming down talking to tho Brigadier, and I said to- my mate, 'Jack, what's our work to be?' Ho replied, 'Them guns yonder.' Thero wcro moro liko 700 than 600 of us. Just then I saw Cardigan speak to Nolan, and I saw Nolan straighten up, and as ho turned to go he was shot dead. We rodo into tlio valley, and the Russians training their guns on to us mowed us down in sections. 'It was deadly work. Our captain was shot by my side, and I tried to catch him as he fell, but lie rolled off his horse, and I could seo he had gone. We pressed on, and were soon among tho Russian guns, meeting tho euemy hand to hand. It was mighty \varm work at this stage, and wo were cutting and slashing at everybody around' us. . It seemed as if there were 30,000 or 40,000 Russians. I cannot recall how long it lasted; but it seemed a long -timo. Some of tho lads rode back. I was left on the field, having been shot down, horse, and all, and my ribs' .were smashed in. My horse was lying across me, and I would have been loft there but for tho 'heavies' (cavalry) coming across to help us anil one 'of them seeing mo moving. I was picked up by tho ambulance and put into hospital. Handful of Heroes. "Ah, yes ! They thought our charge a -big thing, and I can toll you it was hot work all right. Out of our 600 or 700 cavalrymen, but 200 lived' to tell the tale of tho charge, and * am ono of a mere handful left tho wido world over/ ' "After' tho charge I was sent back to Scutari, whero I saw our good lady, Florence Nightingale, for I was in hospital for 12 weeks, and; of course, saw r'Tlie Lady of tho Lamp' pretty often. She was tlio sweetest woman in tho world. I was tho first to rcceivo a Crimean shirt, by the way. When I ■passed out of tho hospital the Crimean War was but a memory." I . Indian Mutiny Memoriss, "I saw active service again, this time with tlio Light Dragoons at Delhi, Cawnpore, and Lucknow. I remember seeing Nana Sahib, -who offered free passages to tho Cawnporo garrison, and when they got in the boats opened firo on tlieni," shooting nearly all of them down. Did I distinguish myself there? Well,'l" hardly did that, but if you won't think mo boasting, I'll tell von this. I carried our colonel's wife and daugliter for 4S hours through_ tho jungle, and uoiio of us had a bito to eat. I saw tho gates of Delhi blown up, and -when wo took the old King prisonor'tho mutiny ended. Wo all got prize-money. Wo occasionally looted tho cities, "but wo were not allowed to keep what we got. However, -wo got our share of tho spoil later. I got £300 for my. part. I won a sergeant's stripes for 'saving our colonel's life. I also got my 2s. 4d. pension and medals ■for tlio Crimean war, and tho Turkish medal and Balaclava clasp, and I also received medals tor Lucknow, Delhi, nnd Gwalia. Tho medals? Where are they ,i(9W?.. j\yhy, bless you, I pawned them. ' In concluding his narrative, Carmichael said that ho spent two years and eight mouths in America, and returned to' Ireland, where he was arrested as a suspect hccauso ho had a "Yankee six-shooter." Ho camo to Australia irT-1866, and after a term exploring in West Australia with "Jack" Forrest (Sii"..Tohn) and Major Warhtirton, he settled in Ballarat, getting workas a- sa(ldlcr.