prevent the accomplishment of this purpose, he dispatched Captain Nolan to Lord Lucan, with an order thus worded: —
" Lord Eaglan wishes the Cavalry to advance rapidly in front, follow the enemy, and try to prcvoit their carrying away the guns. Troop of Horse Artillery may accompany. French Cavalry is on the left. Immediate.
R. AlREY."
Lord Eaglan thus states the circumstances under which this order was given, and the nature of the service on which he meant the Cavalry to be employed. "As the enemy withdrew from the ground which they had momentarily occupied, I directed the Cavalry, Hiqrported by the Fourth Division under Lieutenant-General Sir George Cathcart, to move forward and take advantage of any opportunity to regain the heights, and not having been able to accomplish this immediately, and it appearing that an attempt was being made to remove the captured guns, the Earl of Lucan was desired to advance rapidly, follow the enemy in their retreat, and try to prevent them from effecting their object. In the meanwhile the Russians had time to reform on their own ground, with artillery in front, and upon their Hanks. The Lieutenant-General considered that he was bound to attack at all hazards, and he accordingly ordered Major-General the Earl of Cardigan to move forward with the Light Brigade.
Lord Cardigan, it is stated, represented the rashness of a movement which must involve the certain destruction of the force under his command; but his remonstrances were over-ruled, and the Light Cavalry was ordered to advance, without supports, over a plain of nearly a mile and a half in length, and exposed to a crushing fire of artillery and musketry in front and on both flanks. Without a murmur or a moment's hesitation these lionhearts rushed on to the discharge of the fearful duty assigned to them; resolved, since the ordinary alternative of death or glory was denied, to do and die. The Brigade, which only counted 800 sabres, and scarcely outnumbered one effective regiment, consisted of the 4th, 8th, and 18th Light Dragoons, the 11th Hussars, and the 17th Lancers, and advanced in the following order: the 17th and 13th leading in line, the 11th and 4th following in support, and the 8th still further back, forming a sort of third line. The story of this unparalleled achievement has been so eloquently and graphically given by Mr. Russell, whose description we have ventured to borrow in another part of this work, that we shall content ourselves in this place with quoting a private letter from an officer who witnessed the charge, and with allowing Lord Cardigan to narrate in his own words an action in which so conspicuous a part was assigned to himself.
The letter referred to thus briefly, but ably, tells the saddening tale:—
" Our Heavy Cavalry had made a magniticent charge against vastly
84 THE SEAT OB' WAU IN THli EAST.
superior numbers, and rode over the enemy, who retired in disorder. Up to this point no serious harm had been done — the redoubts were lost but could be regained, when an order, said to be Lord Eaglan's, for the Light Cavalry to charge the guns, was given, and the flash of 800 sabres answered it. A charge, such as never before took place, led our brave fellows beyond the guns (I believe twenty in number) which they captured, when they perceived they were unsupported and enfiladed by a terrible fire of infantry. They turned about, cutting through all obstacles, and bringing back 191 men out of the 800 who had paved the way to victory, which, alas, has turned into disaster! Li short, our Light Cavalry is no more."
"It was a bitter moment," says another account, "after we broke through the line of cavalry in rear of their guns, when I looked round and saw there was no support beyond our own brigade, which, leading in the smoke, had diverged, and scarcely filled the ground. We went on, however, and hoped that their own men flying would break the enemy's line, and drive them into the river. When I saw them form four deep instead, I knew it was all up, and called out to the men to rally. At this moment a solitary squadron of the 8th came up in good order. This saved the remnant of us, for we rallied to them, and they, wheeling about, charged a line which the Russians had formed in our rear. You never saw men behave so well as our men did."