THE LIGHT BRIGADE

Otago Witness, Issue 3592, 16 January 1923, Page 26

THE LIGHT BRIGADE

SURVIVOR IN AMERICA. FAMOUS CHARGE RECALLED. VETERAN’S REMINISCENCES. A correspondent in Piqua (Ohio) sends lo the Manchester Guardian a cutting from the Piqua Daily Call in which appears the following description of Mr Ellis Cutting, 85 years of age, who, it is claimed, is the sole survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava, in 1854: Ellis Cutting, sole survivor of the famous “Charge of the Light Brigade,” rode unscathed through that gallant but futile action to be hurt by a snow plough near Cedar Rapids (Iowa). To-day, 68 years after the immortal execution of blundered orders, Cutting is alive and alert. He recalls as though it were yesterday the charge at Balaclava, in which he participated as a youth of 17, charge Tennyson’s poem imrqortalisod. With the Crimean war in progress—Britain and France allied with Turkey against Russia—the Russians attacked the allies at Balaclava, October 25, 1854, hoping to cut allied communications. The “Heavy Brigade of British cavalry made a furious charge, swept back the attackers, and drove them hack behind their own artillery. The “Light Brigade," commanded by Lori Cardigan, then received orders to charge these cannon and prevent their removal. For cavalry, mounted and armed with lances and sabres, to charge cannon was plainly suicidal. Lord Cardigan read the order and questioned the aide delivering it. The latter, Captain Nolan, waved his arm down the valley towards the Russian cannon. “Forward, the Light Brigade!” commanded Lord Raglan. Unquestioning, the 690 troopers galloped forward, guidons flying, sabres flashing. Beyond the allied lines Russian artillery fired point blank from three sides into the gallant horsemen. Captain Nolan, hearer of the note to charge, suddenly dashed across the front of the chargers, possibly to swerve the troops from the death trap. A shell macfe him the first to fall. Straight at the enemy guns out in front rode Cardigan's command. The numbers dwindled rapidly as converged cannon fire swept them. The guns were reached, silenced. Small parties even attacked fhe cavalry behind. But a battle against such overwhelming odds could only end in annihilation. Other cavalry arrived in time to hold the ground won by the Light Brigade. Most historians say a third of the Light Brigade survived. Cutting, though, says only six came out alive. Lord Cardigan was one of these. “I can’t describe it, it’s beyond me,” says Cutting. “Wo were 6wept through that hell of fire and death, hearing nothing, knowing nothing, feeling nothing but a desire to reach the Russians. Everyone hoped to pick a man. All I thought was to get him first. Instead of rushing in cavalry, Lord Raglan ought to have ordered an infantry manoeuvre. That would have saved hundreds of brave boys.” Cutting later served in the British Army in the Indian mutinies, in the Lucknow siege, in Egypt, and in feouth Africa. The only wound he reoeived was a bayonet thrust in one foot. Coming to America, he became a fireman on what is now the Rock Island, was promoted to engineer six months later, and served until pensioned in 1910. Forty years ago he was thrown 60ft by a rotary snow plough, and sustained several broken bone®. Apart from that, he has never been hurt in railway work. “Foin Tim” Cutting, the railwaymen call him over the Rock Island system. He reads newspapers without his glasses, and he walks two miles or more every time he goes to town from his home.