(Reverse.)
MEDAL FOR INDIAN MUTINY, 1857-8.

Meanwhile the battles of Balaklava and Inkermann had been fought, both brought about by the efforts of the Russians to raise the siege, and both battles remarkable for the courage and fearlessness of the British troops, and alas! for the lack of simple military genius on the part of many of the officers. As a military authority has stated, "The army ought to have been beaten according to all the canons of war, but it wasn't!" Tommy Atkins saved the face of his superiors.

Balaklava.—The charge of the Light Brigade in this battle was an example of what appears to have been either muddle-headedness or overweening belief in the importance of our cavalry, but it gave to the Light Cavalry of the British Army undying fame. Their "death-ride" gave them eternal life! The battle of Balaklava was fought on October 25th, 1854, the anniversary of Agincourt. The Russian relieving force, numbering 22,000 infantry and 3,400 cavalry, with 78 guns, advanced from the Tchernaya by Kamara across the Woronzoff Road to attack the front of the position at Balaklava, and to meet them Lord Raglan took down the first and fourth divisions to the plain, which General Canrobert—St. Arnaud had died—reinforced with the first division of French Infantry and the Chasseurs d'Afrique.

"The Thin Red Line."—The Russians obtained possession of three forts, and managed to retain two of them with 7 guns; then "their artillery advanced with a large mass of cavalry, and their guns ranged to the 93rd Highlanders, which, with 100 invalids, under Lieutenant-Colonel Daveney, in support, occupied very insufficiently, from the smallness of their numbers, the slightly rising ground in front of No. 4 Battery." Then a body of the enemy's cavalry, "amounting to about 400, turned to their left, separating themselves from those who attacked Lord Lucan's Division, and charged the 93rd Highlanders, who immediately advanced to the crest of the hill, on which they stood and opened their fire, which forced the Russian cavalry to give way and turn to their left; after which they made an attempt to turn the flank of the 93rd ... upon which the Grenadiers of the 93rd under Captain Ross were wheeled up to their right and fired on the enemy, which manœuvre completely discomforted them." Thus the gallant Sir Colin Campbell officially described the deed of the "thin red line" at Balaklava; that line of imperturbable Highlanders armed only with muzzle loaders, that, despite the rounds of shot and shell which harried them, dared to accept the charge of cavalry and drove them off.

Charge of the Heavy Brigade.—Then the main body of the Russian horsemen, about 3,000, advanced against the British Heavy Brigade, 900 sabres strong. The light-blue jackets, with embroidery of silver lace, the grey coats of the Dragoons, and the glitter of the lances, made a brave picture as the enemy's cavalry cantered toward their objective. They "nearly halted. Their first line was at least double the length of ours—it was three times as deep. Behind them was a similar line, equally strong and compact. They evidently despised their insignificant-looking enemy," but the trumpets rang out again in the valley; then Brigadier-General Scarlett, with about 300 Scots Greys and Enniskilleners, went right at the centre of the Russian cavalry, and then, as W. H. Russell, the famous Times correspondent, graphically described, "as lightning flashes through a cloud the Greys and Enniskilleners pierced through the dark masses of the Russians. The shock was but of a moment. There was a clash of steel, and a light play of sword blades in the air, and then the Greys and the redcoats disappeared in the midst of the shaken and quivering columns. In another moment we saw them emerging with diminished numbers, and in broken order, charging against the second line. It was a terrible moment.... With unbated fire the noble hearts dashed at the enemy. It was a fight of heroes.... By sheer steel and sheer courage, Enniskillener and Scot were winning their desperate way through the enemy's squadrons, and already grey horses and red coats had appeared right at the rear of the second mass, when, with visible force, like one bolt from a bow, the 4th Dragoon Guards riding straight at the right flank of the Russians, and the 5th Dragoon Guards, following close after the Enniskilleners, rushed at the remnants of the first line of the enemy, went through it as though it were made of pasteboard, and put them to utter rout." Then followed that "superb incident—at once a blunder and a miracle."

Charge of the Light Brigade.—Lord Raglan, being desirous that the withdrawal of the Russians should be taken advantage of to regain the heights, and fearing that the enemy might attempt to remove the guns from the redoubts captured from the Turks, gave orders for the Light Cavalry to be moved forward. Captain Nolan misconstrued the order, and indicated to Lord Lucan that the heavy battery of guns a mile away, supported by masses of cavalry and infantry, with other batteries on either flank, was to be charged. Lucan hesitated to carry the mad order into effect, but ultimately decided that it was his duty to do so, and gave the order to the Earl of Cardigan to take the terrible odds which he saw arrayed against him. Cardigan, like Scarlett, was a brave and daring cavalry leader, and into the "valley of death" he rode with his Light Brigade of 621 men. Encircled by fire they charged down the valley, dashed through the guns, sabred the gunners where they stood, cut their way through a brigade of Russian cavalry and a company of infantry, turned about, what was left of them, when four squadrons of Lancers were hurled at them, but they met the charge gallantly, and then the Russian artillerymen, recovering from their shock, but without regaining their senses, turned their guns upon the daring British cavalry and their own men who were struggling with them! The Greys and Enniskilleners, and the Chasseurs d'Afrique created a diversion, otherwise it is doubtful whether a single man of that brave little band, which rode so fearlessly and fought so uselessly, would have survived to receive the plaudits of his countrymen, and—shame of shames—as was the case with several of them, to end his days in the workhouse or eke them out with the aid of charity. It were almost idle for the poet to sing:

"Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!"

Four hundred and twenty-six of the brigade were placed hors de combat, 13 officers and 162 men were killed or taken prisoners, the former including Captain Nolan, who was struck early in the charge by a piece of shell and killed; 27 officers and 224 men were wounded. There struggled back to camp, in scattered groups, a remnant of 195 mounted men. In this charge Quartermaster Charles Wooden, whose group of medals forms the frontispiece to this volume, as Sergeant-Major in the 17th Lancers, gained the Victoria Cross by assisting Surgeon Mouat in saving the life of Lieutenant-Colonel Morris of his own regiment when lying exposed to a heavy fire of shot and shell, and carrying him to a place of safety. The Sergeant-Major had a horse shot under him.