The Famous Charge

Horowhenua Chronicle, 30 January 1911, Page 4

The Famous Charge

Lord Tredegar rarely speaks of his Crimean days, 'but once lie was persuaded do tell the story of the famous balaclava Charge as the remembered it. Here are the words:

"I do not imagine that anybody except those in the front line saw what had happened. We wont on. When we were about 200 or 300 yards off the battery of the Russian horse opened lire. ido not recollect hearing a word from anybody as we gradually 'broke from a trot to a canter. The noise of the .striking of moil and horse by grape and rouudshot wrf.s deafening, while the dust, and gravel thrown up was almost blinding, and irritated my ihorso so that I could .scarcely bold him. I?int a.s we came nearer 1 could see plainly enough, especially when we ■■were abount a hundred yards from the guns.

"I appeared to bo riding straight to tho muzzle of one of the guns, and T distinctly saw the guu.ttcr apply t-lio fuse. I shut my eyes then, for I thought that .settled the otiesfcion n.s far as I was concerned. Hut the shot just missed me. and struck the Inan on tny rigiht full in the chest. In a not,her minute I was on the guns, and the leading Russian liors'\ shot, .1 suppose, with a pistol by someone on mv ri-jhif, lei! across my horse, dragging it over with him. and pinning me in between tV? gun and ihimself.

"A Russian gunner nr. foot at once covered me with his carbine. He was just wilth.in ''reach of my .sword, ant} T struck at bim. The blow (!'•-" oncerted his arm.

"At tlii 1 same moment a mounted'' gunner struck my horse with his sabre, and the animal bolted witih me right into the Russian lines. I remember inv efforts to get out, and I succeeded, in spite of their attempts to cut me down.

"Wiicu once clear of the guns, T saw two or three of my men making their wav back, aiid. a.s ifhe lire from bath flanks was still heavy, it became a matter of running the gauntlet again."

Thus modestly does Lord Tredegar record one of the most brilliant epis'i 'es in the historv of the world. -From "P.T.0."