The Battle of Balaklava Part 5 - The Charge of the Light Brigade - Page 5© John Barham
Page 5
Sep 21, 2001
The first line was getting close to the guns and galloping through a veritable storm of fire. Private Mitchell was in the leading rank of the 13th Dragoons. 'As we drew near, the guns in our front supplied us liberally with grape and canister, which brought down men and horses in heaps....We were now very close to the guns, for we were entering the smoke which hung in clouds in front. I could see some of the gunners running from the guns to the rear, when just at that moment a shell.. struck my horse..my horse was lying on his near side; my left leg was beneath him..at that moment I heard the second line come galloping towards where I lay, and fully expecting to be trampled on, I looked up and saw the 4th Light Dragoons quite close. I called out "For God's sake don't ride over me."'
They didn't and Mitchell finally got back safely on foot. His CO Captain Oldham however did not. His horse had bolted just before reaching the battery and got bowled over by a shell which accounted for three or four. Oldham seemed to get up unscathed but then raised his hands to his head and pitched over onto his face, never to be seen again. Cardigan had led a charmed life and was still in front. He was an inspirational figure in his royal blue and cherry red 11th Hussars uniform, with his magnificent gold lace fronted pelisse worn like a jacket. At about 100 yds to go, he had picked his spot to jump into the battery between two guns when a last panic point blank salvo was fired which somehow left him unscathed though nearly blowing him off his horse. Then he was into the battery at a speed he reckoned at 17 mph, followed by the 17th Lancers on the northern half and the 13th Light Dragoons on the southern. Private Wightman was riding almost directly behind him. " I saw...Cardigan disappear into the smoke. A moment more and I was within it myself..The smoke was so thick that I could not see my arm's length around me..I was through and beyond the Russian battery before I knew for certain that I reached it." Most of the gunners managed to take effective evasive action as the First Line spurred through, but the Support Line had not had to face the grape and canister and the more numerous 4th Light Dragoons exacted full revenge on the unfortunate gun detachments, and sabred all who hadn't managed to escape with the transport.
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