1100 
, , ,, 1 i a v I Clint tell liow long it is 
are in the saddle night and • - thftt it has been so long 
since I was undressed . I “ ‘ we had was the 
that I have ^ A t daybreak the enemy appeared, 
day before y c »*™^ uch uum b er s that they took from the 
and advanced, and in r rf aU(l turned the guns 
Turks two of t ie to vetr eat out of range 
T?he U ^u.s end this so elated the enemy that they 
°* 2?v ha-1 courage enough to come into the open field 
2 a ?? Three regiments of their cavalry tried to gum 
th of the Highlander* (93rd) position, and charged 
SSTbS ,t; L“ bot time to re, A f.,r ti.ey went d.^n 
like cut coni; what were left of them turned and fled, and 
we pursued them over their own hills ; hwe^they were * rem- 
forced 1-v three more regiments of cavalry, incoming 
SoW. entok Imperial Guard.. Th.ru th. toy, 
and First Royals up at this time, and we charged them 
they had nothing else for it, so they charged at the same 
time. Oh God ! I cannot describe it ; they were so supenor 
in numbers that they “outflanked" us and we were m the 
middle of them. 1 never certainly felt less fear in my life 
tl.au 1 did at that time, ami I hope God will f ° 
I felt more like a devil thou a man. We foughtour jay out 
of them ns only Englishmen can fight ; and the 4 tb 5th ^d 
rSb‘gun-W truly awful, hut I 8 „pp....tw T . r 
Ban- ; we cut them down like sheep, and they did not seem 
S have power to resist. The plain ,s covered with dead 
Russians, and of course we left some of our poor coim^es 
on the field. We only lost two, and about seven wounded. 
Well, when we bad finished this, we thought of going home 
to breakfast ; but, no ; they (the enemy) had 
the hills that Lord Raglan sent word were to be charged 
and captured at any cost So off we went again. The) ie- 
ceived us quietly into their ground— Lord Lucan leading the 
Heavies, and Lord Cardigan the Light Brigade. The Light 
charged first this time, took the guns, cut down the gunners, 
and then, when they thought all was right, were met by 
thousands of Cossacks, who had been in ambush. 1 he 
Royals, the Greys, the 4th, 5th, and 6th now charged again. 
The butchering was repeated ; when suddenly cross front 
and rear fire opened upon us from the hills, cannon, rifles, 
and file firing. I cannot attempt to describe to you the 
scene that ensued— balls, shells, and rockets whizzing about 
our ears. The men on the right and left of me were both 
killed on the spot. We hacked our way out of it as well as 
we could, but were obliged to leave the ground. Colonel 
Yorke had his leg broken, and all the officers in the front 
rank were wounded. The Heavy Brigade have not lost 
many men, but,- sad to tell, out of about 800 of the Light 
Brigade that went into the field only 400 came out ; but this 
is nothing to what the enemy suffered.- 
T1IE FIELD. 
— : ( n^T^bt, the farthest and most elevated of all. 
i .l - r 1,01-semen were chasing the lurks across the mtei- 
v“ which lay between it and redoubt No. 2. At that moment 
Se cavalry; under Lord Lucan, were formed in glittering 
V lap Liclit Brigade, under Lord Cardigan, m advance ; 
STStot; un.l'er BrigmlierGcneral ^ Scarlett, iu 
They were drawn up just in front of their encamp- 
ment j~aud were concealed from the view of the enemy by a 
slight “wave” in the plain. 
Considerably to the rear of 
[ritOSl THE SPECIAL COllHESPONDENT OF THE TIMES.]. 
At half-past seven o’clock an orderly came galloping in to 
the head-quarters camp from Balaklava, with the news that at 
dawn a strong corps of Russian horse, supported by guns 
and battalions of infantry, had marched into the valley, and 
had already nearly dispossessed the Turks <>f the redoubt 
No. 1. (that ou Caurobert's Hill, which is farthest from our 
lines), and that they were opening fire ou the redoubts, Nos. 
2 3, nud 4, which would speedily be in their hands unless 
the Turks offered a stouter resistance than they had done 
already. Orders were dispatched to Sir George Cathcart 
and to H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge to put then- 
respective divisions, the 4tli and the 1st, in motion for the 
sceue nf action, aud intelligence of the advance of the 
Russians was also furnished to General Canrobert. Imme- 
diately on receipt of the news the General commanded 
General Bosque* to get the Third Division under arms, aud 
sent a strong body of artillery and some 200 Chasseurs 
d’Afnque to assist us iu holding the valley. Sir Colin 
Campbell, who was in command of Balaklava, had drawn up 
the 93d Highlanders a little in front of the road to the town 
at the first news of the advance of the enemy. The marines 
on the heights got under arms ; the seamen's batteries and 
marines’ batteries, on the heights close to the town, were 
manned, and the French artillerymen and the Zouaves 
prepared for action along their lines. Lord Lucan s little 
canqi was the sceue of great excitement. The men had 
not had time to water their horses ; they had not broken 
their fast from the evening of the day before, and had barely 
saddled at the first blast of the trumpet, when they were 
drawn up on the slope behind the redoubts iu front of their 
camp to operate ou the euemy'B squadrons. When the 
Russians advanced the Turks fired a few rounds at them, got 
frightened at the distance of their supports in the rear, 
looked round, received a few shots and shell, and then 
“bolted," and fled with an agility quite at variance with 
common-place notions of Oriental deportment ou the battle- 
field. 
Soon after eight Lord Raglan and his staff turned out aud 
cantered towards the rear of our position. The booming of 
artillery, the spattering roll of musketry, were heard rising 
from the valley, drowning the roar of the siege guns in front 
before Sebastopol. 
General Bosquet, a stout Boldierlike-looking man, who 
reminds one of the old genre of French generals as depicted 
at Versailles, followed, with his staff and a small escort of 
Hubnivh, at a gallop. Faint white clouds rose here and there 
above tlie hill from the cannonade below. 
Looking to the left towards the gorge, we beheld six com- 
pact musses of Russian infantry, which had just debouched 
from the mountain passes near the Tehemaya, and were 
slowly advancing with solemn stateliness up the valley. 
Immediately iu their front was a regular line of artillery, of 
’ at least twenty pieces strong. Two batteries of light guns 
were already a mile in advance of them, and were playing 
with energy on the redoubts, from which feeble puffs of 
smoke came at long intervals. Behind these guns in front 
of the infantry were enormous bodies of cavalry. They were 
in six compact squares, three on each flank, moving down en 
echelon towards us, aud the valley was lit up with theblaze of 
their sabres and lance points and gay accoutrements. In their 
front, and extending along the intervals between each battery 
of guns, were clouds of mounted skirmishers, wheeling aud 
whirling in the fi ont of their march like autumn leaves 
tossed by the wind. The Zouaves close to us were lying like 
tigers at the spring, with ready rifles in hand hidden chin 
deep by the earthworks which run along the line of these 
ridges on our rear, but the quick-eyed Russians were 
manoeuvring on the sides of the valley, and did not expose 
their columns to attack. Below the Zouaves we could see 
the Turkish gunners in the redoubts, all in confusion as the 
shells burst over them. Just as 1 came up the Russians had 
their right, 1 the 93rd Highlanders were drawn up in line, in 
V* , f 8 the approach to Balaklava. Above and behind them, 
v»iU. through the glees, 
drawn up under arms, and the gunners could be seen ready 
fu X earthworks, in which were placed the heavy s up* 
guns. The 93rd had originally been advanced somewhat 
more into the plain, but the instant the Russians got posses- 
sion of the first redoubt they opened fire onthemfromour 
own guns, which inflicted some injury, and Sir Colin Camp- 
bell " retired” his men to a better position. Meanwhile the 
enemy advanced his cavalry rapidly. To our inexpressible 
dig Jt we saw the Turks in redoubt No. 2 fly attheir approach 
They ran in scattered groups across towards redoubt 
No. 3, aud towards Balaklava, but the horse-hoof of the Cos- 
sack was too quick for them, and sword and aucewere 
busily plied among the retreating herd. The yells of the 
pursuers and pursued were plainly audible. As the Lajeera 
Ld Light Cavalry of the Russians advanced they gathered 
up their skirmishers with great speed and m excellent order 
—the shifting trails of men, which played all over the valley 
like moonlight on the water, contracted, gathered up, and 
the little nekton in a few moments became a solid column. 
Then up came their guns, in rushed them gunners to the 
abandoned redoubt, nud the guns of No. 2 redoubt soon 
played with deadly effect upon the dispirited defenders of 
No! 3 redoubt. Two or three shots m return from the 
earthworks, and nil is sileut. The Turks swarm over the 
earthworks, and run iu confusion towards the town, filing 
their muskets at the enemy ns they run. Again the solid 
column of cavalry opens like a fan, and resolves itself into a 
“ long spray" of skirmishers. It laps the fl> mg Tui ks, steel 
flashes in tlie air. aud down go the poor Moslem quivering 
on the plain, split through fez aud musket-guard to the chin 
aud breast-belt. There is no support for them. It >s evi- 
dent the Russians have been too quick for us The lurks 
have been too quick also, for they have not held their re- 
doubts long enough to enable us to bring them help. In 
vain the naval guns on the heights fire on the Russian 
cavalry : the distance is too great for shot or shell to reach. 
Iu vain the Turkish gunners iu the earthera batteries which 
are placed along the French entrenchments strive to protect 
their flying countrymen ; their shot fly Wide aud short of the 
swarming masses. The Turks betake themselves towards 
the Highlanders, where they check their flight and form into 
companies on the flanks of the Highlanders. As the Russian 
cavalry on the left of their line crown the hill across the valley 
they perceive the Highlanders drawn up at the distance 
of some half mile, calmly waiting their approach. They 
halt, and squadron after squadron flies up from the rear, till 
they have a body of some 1,500 men along the ridge— 
Lancers and Dragoons and Hussars. Then they move en 
echelon in two bodies, with another in reserve. The cavalry 
who have been pursuing the Turks on the light are coming 
up to the ridge beneath ns, which conceals our cavalry from 
view The heavy brigade in advance is drawn up in two 
lines. The first line consists of the Scots Greys and of their 
old companions in glory, the Enniskillens ; the second of the 
4th Royal Irish, of the 5th Dragoon Guards, and of the 1st 
Royal Dragoons. The Light Cavalry Brigade is on their left, 
in two lines also. The silence is oppressive ; between the 
cannon bursts oue can hear the champing of bits and the 
clink of sabres in the valley below. The Russians on their 
left .drew breath for a moment, and then in oue grand hue 
dashed at the Highlanders. The ground flies beneath then- 
liorses’ feet ; gathering speed at every stride, they dash on 
towards that thin red streak topped with a line of steel. 
The Turks fire a volley at 800 yards, and run. As the 
Russians come within 600 yards, down goes that line of steel 
in front, and out rings a rolling volley of MinitS musketry. 
The distance is too great ; the Russians are not cheeked, but 
still sweep 'onwards with the whole force of horse and man, 
through the smoke, here aud there knocked over by the Bhot 
of our batteries above. With breathless suspense every one 
awaits the bursting of the wave upon the line of Gaelic rock ; 
but ere they come within 150 yards, another deadly volley 
flashes from the levelled rifle, and carries death and terror 
iuto the Russians. They wheel about, open files right and 
left, and fly back faster than they came. "Bravo, 
Highlanders! well done," shout the excited spectators ; but 
events thicken. The Highlanders aud their splendid front 
are soon forgotten, men scarcely have a moment to think of 
this fact, that the 93rd never altered their formation to 
receive that tide of horsemen. “ No," said Sir Colin Campbell, 
“ I did not think it worth while to form them even four 
deep !” The ordinary British line, two deep, was quite 
sufficient to repel the attack of these Muscovite cavaliers. 
Our eyes were, however, turned iu a moment on our own 
cavalry. We saw Brigadier-General Scarlett ride along 
in front of his massive squadrons. The Russians — evidently 
corps (T elite — their light bluejackets embroidered with silver 
luce, were advancing on tljeir left, at an easy gallop, towards 
the brow of the hill. A forest of lances glistening iu their 
rear, and several squadrons of grey-coated dragoons move 
up quickly to support them as they reached the summit. 
The instant they came iu sight, the trumpets of our cavalry 
gave out the warning blast which told us all that in another 
moment we should see the Bhock of battle beneath our veiy 
eyes. Lord Raglan, all his staff and escort, and groups of 
officers, the Zouaves, French generals and officers, and bodies 
of French infantry ou the height, were spectators of the scene 
as though they were looking on the stage from the boxes of 
a theatre. Nearly every one dismounted and sat down, and 
not a word was said. The Russians advanced down the hill 
at a slow canter, which they changed to a trot, and at last 
nearly halted. Their first line was at least double the length 
of ours— it was three times as deep. Behind them was a 
similar line, equally strong and compact. They evidently 
despised their insignificant looking enemy, but their tune was 
come. The trumpets rang out again through the valley, 
and the Greys and Euniskillenors went right at the centre 
of the Russian cavalry. The space between them was only 
a few hundred yards ; it was scarce enough to let the horses 
“ gather way," nor had the men quite space sufficient for 
the full play of their sword anus. The Russian line brings 
forward each wing as our cavalry advance, and threatens 
to annihilate them as they pass on. Turning a little to 
their left, so as to meet the Russian right, the Greys rush on 
with a cheer that thrills to every heart — the wild 
shout of the Enniskilleners rises through the air 
at the same instant. As lightning flashes through a 
cloud the Greys aud Enniskilleners pierced through the 
dark masses of Russians. The shock was but for a moment. 
There was a clash of steel aud a light play of sword blades 
iu the aii-, aud then the Greys aud the red coat3 disappear 
in the midst of the shaken aud quivering columns. I n 
another moment we see them emerging and dashing ou with 
diminished numbers, andiu broken order, against the second 
line which is advancing against them as fast as it can to re- 
trieve the fortune of the charge. It was a terrible moment 
" God help them ! they are lost !" was the exclamation of 
more than one man, and the thought of many. With un- 
abated fire the noble hearts dashed at their enemy— it was a 
fight of heroes. The first line of Russians which had been 
smashed utterly by our charge, aud had fled off at oue flank 
and towards the centre, were coming back to swallow up our 
haudful of men. By sheer steel aud sheer courage Ennis- 
killener and Scot were wanning their desperate way right 
through the enemy’s squadrons, and already grey horses and 
red coats had appeared right at the rear of the second mass, 
when, with irresistible force, like oue bolt from a bow, the 
1st Royals, the 4th Dragoon Guards, and the 5tli Dragoon 
Guards rushed atUe remnants of the first line of the enemy, 
went through it as though it were made of pasteboard and 
dashing on the second body of Russians, as they were Btill dis- 
ordered by the terrible assault of the Greys and their 
companions, put them to utter rout. This Russian horse in 
less thau five minutes after it met our dragoons was flying 
with all its speed before a force certainly not half its 
strength A cheer burst from every lip— m the enthusiasm 
officers and men took off their caps and shouted with delight, 
and thus keepiug up the scenic character of their position, 
they clapped their hands again aud again. Lord Raglan at 
once dispatched Lieutenant Cur zon, aide-de-camp, to convey 
his congratulations to Brigadier-General Scarlett, and to say 
“well done." The gallant old officer's face beamed with 
pleasure when he received the message. “I beg to thank 
his Lordship very sincerely," was his reply. The cavalry 
did not long pursue their enemy. They pulled up rather 
too soon. Their loss was very slight, about 35 killed and 
wounded in both affiiirs (the second will be detailed 
subsequent ly). Major Clarke was slightly wounded but had 
a narrow escape from a sabre-cut at the back ol the head. 
Lieut -Colonel Griffiths retired after the first charge, having 
been wounded at the back of the head. Comet Prendergast 
was wounded in the foot. There were not more than four 
or five men killed outright, aud our most material loss was 
from the cannon playing on our heavy dragoons afterwards, 
when covering the retreat of our light cavalry. 
In the Royal Horse Artillery we had a severe, but, I am 
clad to say, a temporary loss. Captain Mautle, who directed 
the service of his guns with his usual devotedness and 
dauntless courage, was struck in the araby a shell which 
burst at his horse's saddle-bow and killed the animal. To 
the joy of all the army it is ascertained that he is doing well 
on board ship. After the charge. Captain the Hon Arthur 
Hardinge came galloping up to Lord Raglan with the news 
of what the cavalry had done. He had beeu sent with orden 
to Lord Lucan, and at the moment of the charge lie had 
joined the Greys and dashed with them into the Russian 
columns. He was an object of envy to all his friends on the 
staff while he described in animated language the glorious 
events of those brilliant five minutes. ... w . 
At ten o’clock the Guards and Highlanders of the First 
Division were seen moving towards the plains from their 
camp The Duke of Cambridge came up to Lord Raglan tor 
orders, and his lordship, ready to give the honours of the day 
to Sir Colin Campbell, who commands at Balaklava, told his 
Royal Highness to place himself under the direction of the 
Brigadier At 10.40 the Fourth Division also took up their 
position in advance of Balaklava. The cavalry were then on 
the left front of our position facing the euemy. The Light 
Cavalry- Brigade was on the left flank forward. The Heavy 
Cavalry Brigade en echelon in reserve, with guns on the 
right. The 4th Dragoons aud 5th Dragoons aud Greys on 
the left of the brigade ; the Enniskillens and 3rd Dragoons 
on the right. Tlie 4th Division took up ground m the centre 
The Guards and Highlanders filed off towards the extreme 
right, and faced the redoubts, from which the Russians 
opened ou them with such guns as had not been spiked. 
At 10.50 General Canrobert, attended by his stall, ana 
Brigadier-General Rose, rode up to Lord Raglan, and the stalls 
ofthe two Generals and their escorts mingled together in praise 
of the magnificent charge of our cavalry, while the chiets 
apart conversed over the operations of the day, which pro 
mised to be one of battle. The Russian cavalry, followed 
by our shot., had retired in confusion, leaving tlie ground 
covered with horses and men. In carrying an order early in 
the day, Mr. Blunt, Lord Lucan’s interpreter, and son oiour 
Consul in Thessaly, had a narrow escape. His horse was 
killed; ho seized a Russian charger as it galloped 
riderless, but the horse carried him almost into the 
cavalry, aud he only saved himself by leaping lnm into » 
redoubt among a number of frightened Turks w-lio we 
praying to Allah on their bellies. I should mention Here 
that the Turks who had been collected on the flanks of tn 
93rd, fled at the approach of the Russians without hrinfe 
shot ! At 10.55 a body of cavalry, the Chasseurs dAlnq u fJ 
passed down to the plain, nud were loudly cheered y 0 
men. They took up ground in advance of the ridges ou ° 
And now occurred the melancholy catastrophe which 
And now occurred Uie meioucuuiy uiwumwi-*™ , 
us with sorrow. It appears that the Quartermaster -Geu ! 
Brigadier Airey, thinking that the Light Cavalry bat 
gone far enough iu front when the enemy B horse bad a . 
gave au order in writing to Captain Nolan, 15th Hussars, 
take to Lord Lucan, directing his Lordship “ to advan 
his cavalry nearer to the euemy. A braver soldier 
Captain Nolan the army did not possess. He was kno' 
all his arm of the service for his entire devotion to his I ^ 
fession, and his name must be familiar to all who tab 
tercst in our cavalry for his excellent work published a J 
ago on our drill and system of remount and breaking ^ ^ 
He entertained the most exalted opinions respecting ^ 
capabilities of the English horse soldier. Properly 
British hussar and dragoon could in his mind break. sq ^ 
take batteries, ride over columns of iufantry, aud pierce 
other cavalry in the world, as if they were made ol # . 
He thought they had not had the opportunity or 
all that was in their power, and that they had nussei 
such chances as they had offered to them, — that, in ^ 
they were in some measure disgraced. A matchless 
and a first-rate swordsman, he held in contempt, I ' f 
even grape ami canister. He rode off with his oi • j ] 
Lord Lucan. He is now dead and gone. Gocl I , 
should cast a shade on tho brightness of his honoui, 
