"Early in the morning a strong Russian force, 20,000
infantry, supported by large masses of cavalry and
artillery, descended from their position on the hills, and
cautiously approached our position in front of
Balaklava. Two batteries in the centre of our position,
manned by Turkish troops, lately arrived from Stamboul,
were the first objects of their attack, and these
they engaged a little before 6 A.M. This part of the
action is completely shrouded in mystery, and the most
contradictory statements are current about it. Some
assert that the Turks behaved shamefully, and thought
of nothing but their own safety and goods and chattels
in the shape of blankets, pots, and pipes. Others assert
that they fought gallantly, but were surprised and
overpowered by numbers. Just at present it is too early to
decide between these conflicting statements. Certain it is
that the two batteries had no pickets in front, and no
supporting force in the rear. It is also a fact that, after
firing once or twice, they spiked their guns and hurried
off, leaving the guns and batteries in the possession of
the Russians, who, at a later hour, finding it untenable,
blew them up, and, I believe, removed the guns.
Immediately after taking these advanced central batteries the
Russian cavalry spread over the plain, and advanced on
our left to the foot of the hill, which is protected by the
furthest battery of the Balaklava position, and on our
right to that rising ground near the village of Kadikoi,
on which Sir Colin Campbell and his Highlanders had
established their camp. The horse were closely followed
by artillery, and I believe the greatest fault the Russians
committed was that they advanced in an extended line
against our very extended position. Sir Colin Campbell's
camp had in its rear Maude's and Thomas's troops of
Horse Artillery. Captain Maude's troops advanced to
the front, and commenced that very effective fire against
the Russians which, short as the campaign has been,
has already gained so much fame for that troop and its
gallant leader. It was then the Russian Artillery came
up and tried to cope with ours, but after a few
discharges, Captain Maude made them repent of their
ambition, and they retired. But Captain Maude
himself was among the victims of the contest. A shell
bursting near, or as some say in his horse, took off his
left arm, and completely opened his side. He was taken
to Balaklava, and on board of one of her Majesty's ships.
It is devoutly to be hoped that he may survive. He is
certainly lost to the service and the country. I am but
the echo of public opinion in the army when I say that
a better comrade or more gallant soldier, and a more
efficient officer, never held a commission in her Majesty's
service.

"In the meanwhile the brigade of heavy cavalry had
formed, and were led against the Russian horse. The
regiments present were the 4th, the 5th, 6th, and 7th
Dragoons, who advancing rode over, hewed down,
routed, and put to flight four Russian regiments—that
is to say 2,400 of the enemy's cavalry. The charge was
splendid, and it so surprised the Russians, that they
hardly thought of defending themselves. Our horses
stamped them under foot, and the sabres of our men
were at work among them, while they, meeting the
charge almost without a movement, stood agape with
astonishment and terror, uttering wild cries. Our loss
in this cavalry encounter was very small. The 5th
Dragoons, for instance, had only two men killed, and
seven or eight wounded. Indeed, I can safely say that
the fighting was almost wholly on our side.

"Orders had meanwhile been sent up to the camp in
front of Sebastopol, and several regiments of the Light
Division and the three battalions of Guards were
marched down to support the position of Balaklava.
But before they arrived the French had thrown several
regiments of infantry, some batteries, and two regiments
of Chasseurs d'Afrique, into the field. Neither the
French infantry nor ours took part in the engagement.
There was no opening for them. The affair remained
from first to last a cavalry and artillery fight.

"Our cavalry scoured the plain, and drove the
Russians back upon their position on the mountain
side. And here we should have stopped, or, if we
advanced, the advance should have been on the part of
the infantry. Here is another mystery of the action.
Lord Cardigan, at the head of the Light Brigade of
Cavalry, charged a Russian battery of 21 guns, while at
the same time he was exposed to the cross-fire of two
flanking batteries. No one was prepared for this
manœuvre of the light cavalry. No one could support
it. It is easy to imagine the result. The four regiments,
dashing on at headlong speed, were fully exposed to the
enemy's fire, and fearful was the havoc that fire
caused among them. After each discharge, horses and
riders were seen rearing, reeling, falling about in every
direction. Still that gallant troop, obedient to the
orders received, dashed on, braved the full discharge of
grapeshot from the central battery, drove the Russian
gunners out, and then—stood still, their reeking sabres
in their hands, and then, for the first time, did they
look back upon their fallen comrades, whose bodies
marked the road of their attack. They had gained the
battery, killed one-half of its gunners and cavalry
support. They had done all they could do, and nothing
was left them but to go back. Back again through the
cross-fire from the flanking batteries—back again,
pursued by the shot from the battery which they had
taken, for they could not remove the guns, nor, for want
of implements, could they spike them. Russian cavalry,
too, was hurrying up to intercept their retreat. Back
they dashed again past a regiment of Lancers, who
were just about to form in their way, and who, as our
men galloped past, poked at them with their lances.
But in their retreat they were exposed to the fire of one
battery only, for the French General (Bosquet) acting
in a truly brotherly spirit—though he disapproved of
the manœuvre, and, indeed, could not understand it,
had ordered the Chasseurs d'Afrique against one of the
flanking batteries, which they silenced for the time
being. This the gallant French did at an enormous
sacrifice of their own numbers. The loss in our own
regiments is very serious, and though they effected the
object, the gain is next to nothing. I have not been
able to ascertain the particulars of all the regiments
engaged. Officers and men are chary of information,
though certainly they are not the men who have cause
to be ashamed of this affair. Of the 8th Hussars, Lieut.
Fitzgibbon, Cornet Clewes, and Captain Lockwood
(staff), are missing; most probably they are dead, but
as they fell in the Russian position, their bodies remained
in the hands of the enemy. Lieuts. Clutterbuck and
Seager are slightly wounded. The regiment had 26
men killed, and 17 wounded. It lost 38 horses.

"Nobody ordered the attack: yet an order was
given. The Earl of Lucan repudiates the order, and so
does Lord Cardigan. It is asserted that the order was
caused by a mistake, or indiscretion, of Captain Nolan,
of the staff, who, if living, would be tried by court-
martial. But as this officer fell in the attack, of course
he cannot be tried, and there is no means of unravelling
the mystery.

"This last unfortunate attack closed the battle. The
cannonading and skirmishing continued for some time
longer, and had hardly ceased at 11 A.M., but to all
intents and purposes the fighting was over. The
Russians had been compelled to return to their position.
We kept ours. The two Turkish batteries remained
unoccupied in the midst of the contested plain."

An officer of distinction, who was an actor in the
scene, thus describes it:—

"You will be glad to hear I am alive after our
tremendous affair of the 25th.

"We were ordered to charge some Russian batteries
and cavalry, and the light brigade went down, the 17th
and 13th leading in line; the 11th were ordered to hang
a little back as a support, and the 4th and 8th followed,
in a sort of third line.

"We all knew that the thing was desperate before we
started, and it was even worse than we thought.

"In our front, about a mile and a half off, were
several lines of Russian cavalry and nine guns; to get
at which we had to pass along a wide valley, with the
ground a little falling, and in itself favourable enough
for a charge of cavalry; but the sloping hills on each
side gave the enemy an opportunity (which they used)
of placing guns on both our flanks as we advanced; and
not only guns, but infantry, with Minié rifles.

"However, there was no hesitation; down our
fellows went at the gallop, through a fire in front and on