Within a short distance of our encampment were pitched the tents of the 93rd Highlanders, and a little nearer the sea could plainly be seen the camping-ground of the Marines. On the hill-tops, farther away from Balaclava, were erected some earthen redoubts which were armed by heavy ship-guns, and manned by Turks. These redoubts were in tended to hold in check the enemy, should he advance from Sebastopol by any of the roads in the direction of Balaclava.
Soon after daybreak on the 25th October, our outlying pickets discovered a large force of the enemy’s horse, artillery and infantry, marching rapidly along the valley, and extending their artillery and cavalry within range of the Turkish redoubts before named. Mounted orderlies were at once despatched to the front for reinforcements. We had not yet broken our fast, neither had our horses been fed with their scanty rations, or even watered. There was not a moment to be lost, and in less time than it takes me to write three or four lines, every available man had leaped into his saddle—a few from each of the five regiments, the 8th and 11th Hussars, 4th and 18th Light Dragoons, and 17th Lancers, or, as they were familiarly styled, “death or glory boys,” their regimental badge being a death’s head and cross-bones, and their motto, “Death or Glory.” The badge of the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars is the “harp and crown,” and their motto, Pristinae Virtutis Memores, with “Leswarre, Hindoostan,” inscribed on their colours and shabraques—the latter being the cloth covering of the saddle. The 4th Queen’s Own Light Dragoons had inscribed on their colours and shabraques the names of the various actions in which they had been engaged—namely, “Talavera, Albuera, Salamanca, Vittoria, Toulouse, Peninsula, Afghanistan, Ghuznee.” The shabraques and colours of the 11th, Prince Albert’s Own Hussars, bore the inscriptions, “Egypt, with the Sphinx, Salamanca, Peninsula, Waterloo, Bhurtpore;” and the 13th Light Dragoons wear the regimental motto, Viret in aeternum, with “Peninsula, Waterloo,” on their colours.
Thus it will be seen that each regiment, though so very slenderly represented, had to sustain the well-earned honours which had previously been bestowed upon it. For the sake of illustration, I may state that the 17th Lancers wore a blue coatee and trousers with white facings, and a square-topped shako with black plume. The 8th Hussars were at that time attired in blue jackets and overalls, with a blue “pelisse” or loose jacket hanging over the left shoulder and fastened round the neck with a loop. The head-dress was a fur busby and white hackle. The uniform of the 11th was precisely the same as the 8th, with this difference, that their overalls were of crimson cloth; the colours of both regimental facings being yellow, with a profusion of lace running in lines across the breast, and each wore sashes of scarlet and yellow silk and worsted around their waists. The saddles of the men were covered with the “shabraque” before named, and over that was a black sheep-skin; tiger skins being substituted for the latter on officers’ saddles, the tiger’s head being cured with glass eyes substituted for natural ones, and the tusks revealed as if the beast was in the act of growling. The 4th wore blue coatees and overalls, with scarlet facings, shakos and plumes of horse-hair; and the 13th Light Dragoons were attired in blue coatees and buff facings, shako, and horse-hair plume. Thus attired and thus mounted, we were formed up to await our summons for battle, six hundred of us, all told.
By the time Sir Colin Campbell had his Highlanders under arms, the marines on the hill-tops were forming, and the sailors were rushing to their guns on the heights that commanded the road to the beach. The first glimpse we had of the enemy was a couple of batteries (one behind the other) of field-guns, marching direct upon the Turkish redoubts. About half-a-mile in the rear of the hindmost of these two batteries was another line of heavier guns, reaching right across the valley. Behind these, again, appeared an immense number of cavalry, enough to eat up our brigade, horses and all. After these marched very many squares of infantry, while extended on each flank, and far out to the front, were parties of mounted skirmishers, already firing, although they were not within range. Gradually the leading field-battery nears the Number 1 Turkish redoubt. A puff of white smoke rises from the approaching battery, then a report, followed by another and another. Now the heavy ship-guns boom from the redoubt, but the fire from the approaching enemy becomes too hot, and the Turks take to their heels: the enemy’s light cavalry were soon upon them, a flash of steel in the air, and a sweeping cut or lance-thrust laid many of them low; while redoubt after redoubt with the guns were taken, and immediately manned by Russian gunners, and the guns turned against us. The Turks ran direct to the lines of the Highlanders, and in this direction literally swarmed the enemy’s cavalry, but they advanced in good order. By this time our heavy cavalry brigade had joined us under General Scarlett, and were at first held in reserve. These were the Scots Greys, the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, the 6th Enniskillens, the 1st Royal Dragoons and the 5th Dragoon Guards. The light brigade were formed on the left of the “heavys,” and the whole in two ranks, Lord Cardigan, the Earl of Lucan, and General Scarlett were in earnest conversation, while the men were looking anxious at a numerous column of cavalry in the very act of charging the Highlanders, who, much to our surprise, never formed square, as is customary to receive cavalry. The Turks formed on each flank, fired on the first approach of the Russian horse, when far enough out of range, and ran away, leaving the Scots to take care of themselves.
A cloud of dust almost hides the Highland infantry from view; we had seen them fight at Alma, and knew they would stand, but oh, how we longed to dash between them and their foes! The result showed us, however, that they needed no such assistance. Nearer and nearer the horsemen swept, and still undaunted the kilted heroes stood like rocks. Now the Russians appear to be within 800 yards of their line, and quick as lightning the front rank kneel and fire: not more than one or two saddles are emptied, however, the distance was too great. A brief interval, during which the horsemen unchecked ride on until within about 100 yards of the line, when the rear-rank men, over their kneeling comrades in front, each having singled out his advancing foe, and covered his breast with the minié muzzle, pulls the trigger, and down in a confused mass tumble numerous horses and men; the remainder turn “files about,” and gallop back under cover of their guns.
It was now our turn, for during the previous events thousands of the enemy’s cavalry were moving up the hill, and without halting at the top, they descended first at a gallop, then a canter, then a trot, then a walk, and soon afterwards they halted, probably surprised that we did not scamper off at their approach. They were at least ten to one of us, and their front rank far outflanked us both right and left. Our trumpets sounded the “advance,” followed by “charge,” and at them dashed the heavy brigade in succession of squadrons. Full tilt at their centre galloped Greys and Enniskillens, shooting through their line as if it were made of rotten sticks. Such a crash, and a cheer, a flash of sabres for an instant, and they are clean through the first Russian lines, the flanks of which have been brought forward with the intention of overlapping us. Another line of the same formation is charged through, and, close in the wake of their leaders, follow with like success the detachments from the other three regiments, and in an instant afterwards the Russians were in full retreat, leaving great numbers of their cavalry dead on the field, while the number of our killed did not exceed six, and our wounded about thirty.
It is the custom in our army for heavy cavalry to break the line, and the light cavalry to dash in, pursue, and sabre the enemy right and left while they are all in confusion, and before they have time to re-form. Accordingly, we galloped up, and pursued the enemy for a short distance, when the “recall” was sounded, and we returned to the point from whence we had started to wait for further orders. Finding they were not pursued, the enemy retired, cavalry, infantry, and artillery, in the direction from whence they came, and formed as if they expected a general attack from all our available forces, with their field-batteries in front extending across the vale; behind these were squadron after squadron of cavalry, burning with a desire for revenge; and in rear of these, a dense mass of infantry.
On the steep hill-side, beneath whose shelter they formed (a perfect army in position), were placed numerous field-guns; and within range of the captured redoubts (still in their hands), were stationed several divisions of infantry ready to defend them. The redoubts themselves were well manned, and also within the reach of the field-guns before mentioned. By whose orders the “recall” was sounded while we were in pursuit of the disorganised cavalry, after the “heavys” had broken them up, I know not; but it afterwards appeared that either Lord Raglan or General Airey considered that we had been recalled too soon—in fact, that we ought to have pursued the enemy beyond the redoubts, and retaken the guns. Be that as it may, after considerable time had been lost in allowing the enemy to collect their scattered forces, and dispose them so as to protect the redoubts, Captain Nolan galloped up with an order from Lord Raglan, and handed it to Lord Lucan, who appeared not rightly to understand it. Captain Nolan held out his hand in the direction of the enemy, by which (I was told by a sergeant who was near) Lord Lucan at last understood he was to pursue the enemy still further, and re-capture the guns as well. It must be remembered, that the main body of the Russian army was completely hid from view, having only retired, as it were, to draw us into a trap; and, at the time when they were disposing their forces in order of battle within the mountain gorge, there is no doubt but our generals imagined them to be in full retreat, and, therefore, that no serious difficulty would be encountered in re-taking the guns, of which we had been deprived ere the proceedings well began. The order was handed to Lord Cardigan; what he said, or what he thought, I know not.
Placing himself at the head of the brigade, without waiting for any supports, he commanded the trumpeter to sound the “advance,” which we did, in two lines, as we were formed before the order was given. We galloped on for more than half-a-mile before we came within range of the enemy’s guns, which we now found raked the valley by an oblique fire from guns posted on the hills, as well as from those planted across the valley.
Onwards we dashed at an increased pace, men and horses tumbling dead at every bound, thus sadly impeding our progress. At length, however, we reached the guns, and could see the whites of our enemy’s eyes through the smoke. They met us with a horrible yell, and we answered with a ringing cheer. I felt still unhurt, although bespattered with blood. A forest of bayonets was behind the guns; but neither looking on my right nor left, I pressed my legs to my gallant horse (a powerful, three-parts bred chestnut); he rose beautifully, cleared the field-piece in front of him, and dropped with a crash that I shall never forget, on the other side. Simultaneous with my horse’s leap, three hundred more of my comrades had jumped their horses over the guns, and dropped among the Russian infantry. Others had managed to get through the narrow spaces between each gun; and now we were fighting, with little more than five hundred men, a whole army, hemmed in on every side by artillery, infantry, and cavalry. There was little or no smoke; and, beyond an occasional shot from an officer’s revolver, firing had ceased; but the carnage was extraordinary. Still we rode on, cleaving our way through solid blocks of human flesh: the sabre cuts one and two, with the corresponding points, were most used. Every cut told a horrible tale, and every point extinguished a life. The shrieking infantry, unable to fly, thrust their bayonets up to the musket muzzles into our horses’ breasts, and down the noble animals fell, in quivering heaps; the rider, clearing his stirrups as he fell, would sometimes drop on his legs, and fight like a demon until cut to pieces.