"Then, as now, the Greys charged in the first line, and on the left of the Inniskillings.
"Of the two comrade regiments each had its distinguishing characteristics. The Inniskillings, with still some remaining traces in their corps of the old warlike Orange enthusiasm, were eager, fiery, impetuous. The Scots Greys, with a great power of self-restraint, were yet liable to be wrought upon by their native inborn desire for a fight till it raged like a consuming passion.
"From the exceeding tenacity of their nature, it resulted that the combative impulses, when long baffled by circumstances, were cumulative in their effect; and the events of that day—the capture of British guns under the eyes of our horsemen—the marching, the counter-marching, the marching again, without ever striking a blow, and finally, the dainty dressing of ranks under the eyes of the enemy's host—all these antecedent trials of patience had been heating and still heating the furnace by the very barriers which kept down the flame....
"The Greys were led by Colonel Darby Griffith; and the two squadron leaders who followed him were Major Clarke on the right, and Captain Williams on the left. Handley, Hunter, Buchanan, and Sutherland were the four troop leaders of the regiment; the Adjutant was Lieutenant Miller; the serre-files were Boyd, Nugent, and Lenox Prendergast. And to these, though he did not then hold the Queen's Commission, I add the name of John Wilson, now a cornet, and the acting adjutant of the regiment, for he took a signal part in the fight."
The Illustrated London News of November 25th, 1854, has two large illustrations, one a full page, called "The Action at Balaclava: Charge of the Scots Greys, October 25th," and the other a double page illustration, "The Battle of Balaclava: Attack of the Scots Greys." The reference is to the following:—
"The Attack of the Scots Greys.
"A soldier who was in the midst of the terrible conflict at Balaclava, and who escaped unhurt, gives the following account of what he felt and saw in that deadly struggle:—
"'We charged. Oh, God! I cannot describe it; they were so superior in numbers; they "out-flanked" us, and we were in the middle of them. I never certainly felt less fear in my life than I did at that time; and I hope God will forgive me, for I felt more like a devil than a man. We fought our way out of them as only Englishmen can fight; and the 4th, 5th, and 6th were there up with us. I escaped without a scratch, thank God, though I was covered with blood; my horse was not even wounded. But oh! the work of slaughter that then began—'twas truly awful; but I suppose it was necessary. We cut them down like sheep, and they did not seem to have power to resist. The plain is covered and covered with dead Russians, and, of course, we left some of our poor comrades on the field. We only lost two and about seven wounded. Well, when we had finished this lot we thought of going home to breakfast; but no, they (the enemy) had some guns over the hills that Lord Raglan sent word were to be charged, and captured at any cost. So off we went again. They received us very quietly into their ground—Lord Lucan leading the Heavies, and Lord Cardigan the Light Brigade. The Light charged first this time, took the guns, cut down the gunners, and then, when they thought all was right, they were met by thousands of Cossacks, who had been in ambush. The Royals, the Greys, the 4th, 5th, and 6th, now charged again. The butchering was repeated; when suddenly a cross front and rear fire opened upon us from the hills—cannon, rifles, and file firing.
