SOME FAMOUS CAVALRY CHARGES.

Waikato Argus, Volume I, Issue 71, 19 December 1896, Page 1 (Supplement)

SOME FAMOUS CAVALRY CHARGES.

i From the Melbourne Aipis). (eoxTisri-.n) The Itu-sian cavalry formed a hu:re and solid oblong, hut. two front lines were ex tended, c iiisidcrably beyond the (rue width of I he oblong, so a-' to enormously prolong the front, and the prolongations of cither extremity served as n kind of antennaThey could bo swung back, si as to protect the flanks of the or swung forward yo as to enclose, in within tho claws of a crab, a body attacking in front. At this stage of the fight these two " horns " so to speak, wheeled forward, and shut round on the Russian front so as to <• mi pletely KWf.lloW up the tiny spiadron that followed Scarlett. HOW THEY ROOK TO TdE RFstUlv What, meanwhile, was Scarlett's second lino doing? It, was a soldierly impulse on the part of Saarlett whiyh made him instantly swing round, and charge with the squadrons he had in hind, the huge bulk of Russian civ.ilry which suddenly appeared on the hill a»ovo him. Lot it was a scandal to his generalship that he had not discovered the preseiie I of s ) formidd.le a force within striking distance earlier: ;' was a -till further blunder that, instead of striking the enemy with his whole for.;?. J is nion '.vere left to expend Ihem.s.dves in no fewer tt.au five separ.it • and unrelated n't.ok-. The fib Dragoon (!iiard< were moving in tie.' rear ef Scarlett's !ir.-l line wh-n th ■>• si'.v at. alines! tho same n»"lent the du-ky Russians-, Sc.iih't.t himself, Id- white whiskers visible beneath bis glittering helmet, in their midst fl ntrishing his swoid, and the lir-t at full gallop .just crashing on lie Ku-sian fron'. The Ith Dragoons were advancing in leisurely fashion; but at that epiclacle, the men, without orders, instinctively dr.nv their sword--, and their olonel, IIo.li!*>, -aid to his seoend in command, " foster, 1 am going on witli the left squadron, as soon as your fqnadroii gets dear of the vine-yard, front, form, and charge."' Hodge was a good soldier; he went at. its right Hank, brought, up his left shoulder—still at the gallop - -crashed it upon the unprotected Russian flank, and hewed hi" way at the sword's edgcclran frJin flank to flack of the mass. Tho Royals bad received in orders at all, but the shouts of the combat, had set then: moving. They came over the fold of the hill iii'time to see the right arm of the Russian front fold round on tho Greys. Tied spectacle set the Royals on flames. Some voice cried out, " By <! the Greys are cut, off! (Jallop ! < edlop ! " Tho men broke into a decp-voluniod cheer, Ihe blast of trumpet pcal.d out. and, trying to form line as they moved, the Royals galloped up, and smotj the wheeling Russian line on its rear, and broke it. to fragments. Mill fuilhcr to the right, wire the oth Dragoon Guard*-, who also sprang forward, like hounds unleashcl, a! the tight of the melee. Some stray trooper- oil' duty joined thorn— a man or two from the Light I'.iigade drawn by pure hive of fighting, the two regimental butchers in their shut, sleeves, etc. The oth Dragoons came up at a gallop, and also e night the wheeling Russian lino in tho rear A sjcond sqil-.drnn of tin: Inniskiiliugs, still further to the right, was the only one which Scarlett before lie .-i it ted on hi- ehartrc had summoned to follow him. i! was a clear field f'er the gallop ; the men came oat in full charging pace, shot char through I he Russian left « ing —which it also caught Hying to wheel in on Scat]I*' 1 *' and ili-- men—and drove it with their ti'ry onset in rains upon the main body. Meanwhile the Greys in iho centre of the swaying ma.-- hail been rallying round their adjul nit, i big man, on a gigantic stood, with a voice famous fer it- ranee', who, holdinir up erect in toe air a swa-.l that from p ant t i bill dripped wi'h blood, shouted •' The Greys ! Rally ! Rally !" Tormented at it- centre by Greys and Inuisidlliii;.s, rent from Hank to Hank by the Ith Dragoons, smitten with shocks after shoo: - by the charge of the K >y«N and the 1-t rqicHlron of Inniskilliucs, what could the Bus-inn do': They -waved to and fro ; the clamour of shouting, the clash of sword en sword grew ever fiercer till at Inst the many yielded to the few ! The huge bulk broke asunder, and, a mere tumbled wreck of squadrons, -wept in High! over the crest of the hill, down which not ten minute- before, in such a threatening shape, it bad moved, in order so majestic. The O.'Jrd hail watched the sight, and as the l!us.-ians broke, they cheered madly while Sir Colin Campbel 1 , will; head bar,', galloped up to th" i irays, his wnr.batt< red fin-j shining, " <>reys, gallant titvys!" hesaid, -'lam sixty-one years old, but if I were a lad a«.iin I would be proud to join votir ranks.'' " Tint," said one of the French generals who watched the s.-oie " is the most glorious thing I ever saw.'' TDK LIGHT CAVALRY I'.RIOADIv As the Busdans swept back in confusion they pie- id light across the front of the Light Cavalry Brigade, seven splendid |.quadroiis, brought to white heat by the gallant fight of the Heavy Brigade, which they had watched as mere spec-tutors. Lord Cirdigan, their nun. mander, had received two orders -(I) to •'defend the pnsiti in " he occupied, and (J) •'t i dtrike at anything that came within distance " ol him He forgot the second clause of his orders and remember, d only the first. Lord Cirdigan was a brave man, but a bad soldier. Nature, in fact, intended him for a lawyer of tic old hair-splitting type, and tin unkind fate hid made him a cavalry officer and put him in command of seven sipiadrons of tho finest horsemen in the world. All Ihrougb tic light, of Scarlett's men the officer.-near si him heard Cardigan explode at short intervals into the sentelie':, • • |) __ those Heaves ! They have the |ait::h of us this day." But when the di.-vrdeicd Russians swepl past him Lord C.rdigan'.- opportuni'y mine. He had amongst bis < |lie-rs one at least— Mmrin, of the 17th La net rs -who had taken part in great battle- in India, and he implored Cardigan to strike with the full force of his brigade the flank of lie: flying Russian-, or at least to allow him to charge them with hi-own regiment. But Cardigan had a train as narrow and as impenetrable as his own -word. He was :i precisian capable ef quarrelling desperately about, trill.-. He had foiigll', two deadlv duels when a young man. one about the colour of a bottle, another about the ,-'/c of a teacup. He could easily become the prisoner of a phrase. His orders were to "defend'' his position, and Cardigan was -o ignor-inl of bis business as a soldier that he thorght an order to " defend " meant a prohibition to attack. And to the derision of military mankind, and. the wrath of every man in hi:, own brigade, Cardigan flung away his chance, But the testing-hour of (he Light Ihigade e line quickly. About 11 o'clock, as the British yet remained absolutely impassive, Lipraudi began to remove the guns from the redoubts be bad captured. Now, to see British gun- carried oil under the eye- of a British army waa spectacle that pricked even Lord Ra"-lan's lethargic spirit ii to anger, and he sent an order I i Loid l.ucan, who ymiinanded the British cavalry, to advance and roeovel' the Causeway Heights, and added that he would b-j' " supported by

infantry." Lucau, however, made no siirn of movement. It turned out that he was wailing for the infantry which Lord Iviisflaii had somehow failed to provide. Ait a-a pmseof nearly three-quarters of an hour. Lord Raglan sent a second order, peremptory in tone but, vague in expression, directing the cavalry to "advance rapidly to the front" and try to " prevcut tie- enemy carrying away the ltuiis." The. order was carried by the ill-fated Nolan, a splendid horseman and sabreur, but a man of vehement temper. Luc in, like Cardigan, was an obstinate and contentious man, who must first eritioiso an order before he obeyed it. ■' Attack, sir !" said Lucau to Nolan. "Attack what? What gnus, sir?'' Nolan, with a gostiire, pointed up the valley, and said. " There, my lord, is your enemy; there are your guns !"' Liican had from the first fatally misunuor-tood Lord Raglan's order, ami by this time he was in a white heat of passion, with reason temporirily suspended. A FATAL BLUNDER. Kin.dak", very happily, likens tho position of the Russians to tho four out-spread fingers of the human hand. The little finger represents the Causeway Height-, the fore-linger the ptrailed range called 1.110 Fedioukine Hills. Betwixt these ran the North Valley, up which tha Russian cavalry an 1 guns •representing the see md an 1 third fin«ors—had advanced. But the charge of Iho Heavy Brigade had Hung this force back : the valley was empty, the two central fingers, to to speak, being doubled hick. Hint, there rem lined the oar died heights, crowned by Russian b itt 'lie-, corresponding to the outer fingers of the hand while the position of the ''knuckles" of the reverted fingers was occupied by n battery of IS guns, with tit leas'. tOO cavalry drawn up in their rear as a support. Raglan meant the cavalryt) attickthe tip of the little finger. Lui-in understood him to mean lb it. the cavalry was to !>.' 'launch, d down a mile and a quarter of level turf under the cross-fire ot the hills the whole way, on the eighteen guns at the eastern end of the parallelogram. This was a simply lunatic performance, but Lucan considered he had no choice but to undertake it. He fade to Cardigan, told him what was to be done, anl that the Light, Cavalry must lend. Cat-digm brought down his sword in salute, said " Certainly sir: but the Rus dans have a battery in our front, and riflemen and batteries on both II inks.'' Lucan shrugged his should, rs, and siid, " We. have no choice hut to obey"; whereupon Cardigan turned quietly to his men and said, •■ I'll .• brigade will advance," and set oil'on the ride which has become immortal, saying to himself as bo moved off, " .Here goes lie; last of the Bruudencl-." Tho brigade numbered a little over GOO mon, seven dainty glittering squadrons, the perfection of military splendour. When the brigade v.-as in full movement the 17th L-.n.'.rs and the loth Light Dragoons'formed the first line, the Nth and 11th Hiiss.irsnnd-Hh'Light Dragoons the second line, under the command of Lord George Paget. Lord Cardigan. quite alone", lei. Nolan joined in the charge, bin before the brigade h d moved a hundred paces lie galloped across its head from left to right shouting and waving his sword. To Cardigan's martinet soul this was an indecorous performance, which kindled ie him a 11 una of anger that lasted at white heat through tho whole fatal charge; but No'an had, as a matter cf fact, discovered the tragical mistake that was being made, and tried to diver! the Brigade to the Into point of attack, tho Cms?way Heights, 'flat moment n Rus-ian shell—the first fired exoloded iu fr-ml id Nolan, and instantly killed him. IDs ho'-', freed from the rihr's hand, wheeled and galloped with him, thoughdead, sittingorectiuthcsaddlc with sword unlil'ted, hi- death-cry still ringing in the air. HOW Till-: 01J AUG K BKC VN. MoiiMvlifo fron tho h'ights above, the -:v. rater-, to th or horror, saw the double lines of Kngii.ih hor-em .'it turn their heads straight up lli; fatal .'alley, and begin the'- f tmous lid" •• int ) of bell." The height ion the other side broke into ti va-t tliime, the white smoke swept acne- the valley, and within that wail of drifted smoke the gallant lines vanished, their trail already marked by fallen men and horses. Cirdigan led magnificently. He cbo-e the Hash of the central gun in the batteiy across the he id of the valley, and rode -baddy, and .vithiut looking back, upon it. The galloping line behind him quicketiel as the scourging of the cross.lire became more deadly, but Cardigan put his sword across the breast of the efli'cr who ied the Lancers, and bade him not to ride before th; leader of his brigade. Fast rode the line-, and fast fell the men, and the iron band.- of disciple began to relax. The eager troopers could md. he restrained from carting forward in front of their officers, the raring spirit broke oul, tie; thunder of hold's behind Cardigan pre--,d ever close!-. lie could not keep down the pace, but he would not let it outrun him, and his own -'ride grew s\\ iftc until the thoroughbred he rode was at full speed. When within eighty yard-- of the great batten' it Hied its 'final blast. Half of the British line went down : not ni'ie than 00 horsemen were l"ft untouched, and, with Cardigan -till leading, they drove thundering through the smoke upon gnus and gunners. They saw the bra-s e union "loam before theiii. their mouths hot with the flames of the la-t discharge. Cardigan dashed betwixt two ot the pieces, his men broke over thou, and fiercely hewed down the artillerymen. Mon is, who led the Lancers, tojk the suvv v, r< of his squadron—mini twenty horsemen—forward with a rush past the battiry full upon the cavalry behind, Morris himself drove his sword, to the very hilt, through the otliojr who stood in front of ih; Russian squadrons, and the b'us.-ian tumbled front his hots'. .Morris could not disengage his sword, and was dragged with hi- slain antagonist to the ground, where the Inn.-i,' of a dozen Cossacks were liercdy thrust into him. lb; was cruelly wounded but not killed, and had to surrender, though afl-rwar.ls he broke away and escaped. His twenty Lancers meanwhile smote the Rats dan squa lions before them. wi'h such fury that they fairly broke them. Cardigan himself racial past the guns to within twenty yards of the Russian cavalry, .lose enough, indeed, to recognise in one of it.-others an acquaint-inn-J he had met in London drawingr loins. But Cardigan war alone ; he turned his horso's bead round, and rode back to tho captured battery. Up the valley he .-aw some remnants of the loth and 17th in retreat, bill through the whirls of eddying smoko there were no other men wealing the Ibiti-h uniform in sight. Cardigan concluded th .1 the liltlo cluster of troopers in retreat Wire the hole survivor- of bis brigade, and he rode off. actually leaving bis second line and -urvivors 'of the 17th Lancers -till in full conflict. The astonished spectators at the other end of the valley presently saw the leader of tic Light Cavalry Brigade emerge .alone fr.cn the smoke, returning without his brigade. HOW TilK SKCOND LINK RODE. Meanwhile the second line, led by Lord (teorge I'aget, rodo as gallantly as the first, oul with even worse foriune. Tiny iiad lo ride over the bodies of their companions who bad fallen from the squadrons before them. The rideilts- horso-J

from tboso squadrons, 100, were a source of confusion. A horse ia the horror of a great cavalry char/re, suddenly finding itself riderless, goes half-mad with terror, and dashes, for mere company's sake, into the moving ranks of squadrons, l'lgct, who rode in advance of his line, had at oac time no fewer than five lidorles? horsca galloping beddc him and squeezing up against him. 'flic officers: strove steadily tT keep down the pa?e and hold the squadrons steady, liut they were riding 111 a perfect hail of lite. Still the gallant lines swept onward in perfect formation till, suddenly, through the grey smoke, gleamed tie: brazen mouths of the Russian guns. Then some officer put his hand to his mouth, and delivered a shrill " Tally-ho." The lines instantly broke into a tumult, of galloping horsemen, and over the guns broke the British : Tiie 1 I'h Hussars swept past the flank of the buttery, and dashed at tho cavalry drawn up in the rear. The 11th, from their cherry -coloured overalls, are familaily knnvn as the " Cherubims," and here, says Lord George Paget, " was witnessed the astonishing spectacle of 40 C'iieraliims assaulting the entire Russian cavalry—indeed, the. Russian Army." There were now some 'I'M) British horsemen— all military order gone, but each man in the highest mood of warlike fury -hewing liereely at the Russian gunners or the Russian cavalry, and it is an amazing fact that before that fiery onset the great mass of cavalry fell back and back until the mass was practically rent asunder ; and then were visible behind them battalions of infantry, filling hastily into square, as though they expected these terrible IJritish horsemen to sweep over them in turn ! The British officers, however, knew that their bolt was shot. They rallied their ni'ii, held a brief consultation with each ether, tried to discover the whereabouts of their first line, and a«kcd one another, " Where's Lord Cardigan ?" That surprising officer was at that moment safely back in the IJritish liius. The survivors of the heroic Brigade turned their heads back, up the fatal valley, and found a bar of Russian cavalry drawn betwixt them and safety ! The gmis, too, were re-manned behind them, and they found themselves betwixt the flame of a Russian battery and the lances <>f Russian cavalry. They never hesitated, however. The cavalry that barred their way was broken through like a hedge of bulrushes, and " back from the gates of death" and from the "jaws of hell" they rode—but " not the Six Hundred '." HOW TIIKY CAMK BACK'AtSAIN ! Tlh.tj is now time to tell how the French had, meanwhile, by a soldierly all ;e'v of Chasseurs d'Afrique, doubled up the batteries on one Hank: and, in units, or in scattered clusters, bloody with wounds and spent with riding, the wrick of the brigade came out of the smoke and regained the British lines. As each survivor, or cluster of survivors, appeared a clicsr broke from the slope of the hills ami friendly hands weir mied thorn, Lord (icorge Paget was the list man to appear, and amongst the officers who welcomed hiin was Lord Cardigan," composed and formal as ever. "Hullo! Lord Caidigin," said Paget, "weren't yon there ? " When the broken fragments of tho squadrons were re-forming (,'ardig m looked at them, and broke out, "Men, it's a mad-brained trick, but it's no fault of nunc." And it tells tho temper of the men that they answered him, " Never mind, my lord, we're ready Co go again " ! Of that mad but heroic charge a hundred incidents are preserved—thrilling, humorous, shocking. A man of tho 17th Lancer-, for ex unple, was heard to shout, just ;is they raced upon the guns, a qiiotitirm trim Shakespeare- ' Who i* there here would ask more men from Kugland:" The regimental butcher of the 17th Lancers was engaged in killing a sheep when he heard the trumpets sound for the c'arge. He leaped on his horse: in shirt-sleeves, with bare arms, and pipe in mouth, role through tho wli do charge, slew, it is said, si* men with his own hand, and crime back again, pipe still in mouth ! A private of the 11th was under til-res'; for drunkenness when the crnirgc begin: but he br)ke out and, followed his trjops on a spare horse, picked up a sword as he rode, and shared in the rapture and perils of the charge. The charge listed twenty minutes ; and was ever before such daring or such suffering picked into a space eo brief! The squadrons rode iuto the fight numb-ring 1i73 horsemen ; their mounted strength, when tho fight vras over, was exactly 1 !>.">. 1 11K WONDER OF IT! It was all a blunder ; bill it evoked a heroism which made the blunder itself magnificent. And long as brave deeds can thrill the imagination of men the story will be remembered of how—- '• Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode, and well, Into the jaws of death. Into the mouth of hell; Noble Six Hundred.' Fate and the poets have been somewhat unkind to Scarlett's Three .Hundred. Tennyson's lines on them have not the lift which makes them live in the ear of a people, though there is an echo of trampling hods in some of the stanzas. '• The trumpet, the gallop, the charge, and the might of the right, Four amid thousands! And up the hill, up the hill, (ta'lopcd the gallant Three hundred, the Heavy Brigade." Hut the stanzis which tell the story of Cardigan's men are as ini-morf il as the dec.i itself : "Half a league, half a league, I lalf a league onward, A 1 in the valley of death Rode the Six Hundred. ■ Forward the Light Brigade ! Charge for the guns !' he s.iid. Info the valley of death Rode the Six llundiod. '• When em their glory fade ''. O, the wild charge they nude. AH the world wondered. Honour the charge they mad", Honour the Light Briirade, Noble Six Hundred !"