SURVIVORS OF THE BALAKLAVA SIX HUNDRED.

Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 3200, 2 December 1875, Page 3

SURVIVORS OF THE BALAKLAVA SIX HUNDRED.

The old soldiers of the Light Cavalry Brigade, says a contemporary, the men who "rode into the Valley of Death" on that fatal October morning one-and-twenty years ago, were invited to attend a meeting on September 22nd to make arrangements for a dinner in celebration of the anniversary of the famous Balaklava Charge. The tryeting place was the Prince of Wales tavern, VilHere street, Strand, and the hoar fixed for the master was nine, to enable those engaged in business to pat in an appearance. Iα consequence of the disagreeable drizzling rain not so many came as were expected, bat a respectable contingent, in every sense of the word, of war worn vetegane answered to the roll call all the same. Hale, hearty men they were, the most of them, but so portly of build that they set oae wondering what sort of a light cavalry that mast have been where the weight in the pigskin ran np <o eighteen stone of living flesh in sundry instances. Jovial of manner,.and neat of address, they discussed the matter before them «c one might have expected—in brief, soldierly, and most harmonious manner. It was agreed that a dinner should be given in the Charing Cross Hotel on the 26h of October, and it was stated that many officers who had helped to write one of the most brilliant pages in enr military annals, had promised to give the event the fraction of their presence. The greatest part of those in tbe room had helonged to the 11th Hussars, that distinguished corps having been principally recruited in London. One warrior had served his apprenticeship to arms under Cβ Lacy Bvana in Spain ; another was remarkable as having borne the flag of trace to the Banian lines tbe day after Balaklava; a third was never of celebrating the haute faiU of hie captain Bir Roger Palmer, who led the B tsoos of the ilth into action, and did his with cold steel, having torgotten hi^xcvolrea

in the hairy to jump into the reddle. Mr Wooden, of Organ's regiment, occupied the chair, and the following provisional committee was appointed to superintend the ~ preliminary arrangements, with power to add «" to their wnaber:-*Mr Letbbrfage, late of !*■ Calptain Maude's troop;?«« Boy al Hone oe Artillery; Meeare Cousins and Carter, late of w i fthe 4th Light Dragoons; Measta Bird and Perry, late of the Bth (King's Royal IriahY Hussars; Messrs Jowett and Brown, of the °f llth (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars ; Meamt j** Nicholson and Campbell, of the 13th Light °b Dragoons; and Messrs Joy and Catter* m mole, of the 17th Lancerc. After the OI formal proceedings were over, there wae eoffie rare gossip orer former campaigns a* and the. non-military obeetrer was enabled n to pick up some interesting reminiscence*!. It is a carions circumstance that every mv n \ but one, who won that snpmneet of all mili- ■*| tary distinctions, the Victoria Croee, in the "» magnificent mad ride rmmortaHsed by the !»» Lanreate, had hie horse shot under him. There was Trooper Samuel Parkes, of the ! "» Light Dragoons, who stood on the groand ; » with his charger writhing m the death agony >c beeide him. Trumpet Major Crawford Sashed s- by ; his goed steed atwmbled, the rider ws* if dismounted, ami bia aeked salwe sent whirv a ring out of hie grae* A pair o* Coesacke » saw their opportunity, and spnrred Bpon the f> defenceless Orawfocd, bet Parkea confronted to them aeri kept them at bay. When the re*f treat came the two brans fellows followed » their comrades, and were paraned by ste. a Russians, but Parkee, with hie single •r sword, held them at arm's length, • and retired slowly, fighting and defending - ie the trumpet • major until deprived of- 1 • his weapon by a shot, Tbi* ie ao rhodoe mentede, bat plain fact, as recorded In the* 7 Garette. Lieutenant Alexander Robert o Dunn, of Cardigan's boys, wae another hero J of that day, fruitful in heroes. He saved the c life of Sergeant Bentley, of his own corps, by > cutting down two or three Russian troopers, 0 who were attacking him from the rear, and » afterwards hewed to the chine a Russian s huesarwhohad fallen upon Private Lovett. : 8? This Dtinn, it will be remembered, after- «- wards commanded the 33rd, being the a youngest man of his rank in the army, and r perished in the Abyssinian expedition. Riding - master Joseph Malone bad his horse shot 5 L 1? tJ i e ckarge. bnt . properly speaking, hie k bit of glonous gun metal wae gained on the J day previous, when he volunteered, with ! three troopers, on the march to Balaklava. • and captured an escort of the enemy's cavalry ■ and the baggage they were conveying to Se- ' bastopol. Troop-Sergeant-Major John Berry--1 man, of the old " Death's-head and Croesi bones," tEe came sturdy cavalier who took '■', prisoner three Russians while they were • within reach of their own guns at Mackent zie's Farm,, behaved splendidly at Balaklava. I When hie horse was shot under him, he ' stopped on the field with Captain Webb, c who was surrounded, amidst a shower of shot and shell, and although repeatedly told i by that officer to consult his own safety, and leave him, he refused to do so, and Sergeant • John Farrell coming by, the two fellows > carried Captain Webb out of range of the guns. The courageous Irishman, Farrell, • who had lost hie horse, like the majority of • his plucky companions, and had gone near ta losing his life, was awarded the envied honor, i but did not long survive to wear it. Charles i Wooden, now quartermaster in the 104 th Foot, was another of the 17th Lancers who earned the Cross on the 25th October, 1854, and he too had his charger killed in the wild melee. Assisted by Dγ Monatfc, of the Inniekilling Dragoons, he succeeded in carrying Major Morris, of his own regiment, who lay dreadfully wounded, to a place of safety. Iα chatty recollections each as those we hare tried to pen, and in tales of hairbreadth escapes in the hard days gone by, the time was pleasantly passed, and shortly before midnight the survivors of the " Sir Hundred ,, separated, looking forward with joyous anticipation to a merry meeting on Balaclava day.