Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/259

 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 237 vors of the first line who remained undisabled chap were feeble by this time, in numbers scarce more ' than some fifty or sixty;* and the object they rode at was a line of twelve guns close supported by the main body of the Russian cavalry, whilst on their right flank as well as on their left, there stood a whole mile's length of hostile array, com- prising horse, foot, and artillery. But by virtue of innate warlike passion — the gift, it would seem, of high Heaven to chosen races of men — the mere half of a hundred, carried straight by a resolute leader, were borne on against the strength of the thousands. The few, in their pride, claimed do- minion : Rushing clear of the havoc just wrought, and with Cardigan still untouched at their head, they drove thundering into the smoke which enfolded both the front of the battery aad the masses of horsemen behind it. Whilst the first line thus moved in advance, it The advance of the three was followed, at a somewhat less pace, by the regiments . . acting in three regiments which were to act m support, support. The officers present with these regiments — I take them from left to right — were as follows : With officers - 1-iixr i • n y^ii itn i i present with the 11th Hussars, besides Colonel Douglas who theiith Hussars. commanded the regiment, there rode Captain Edwin Cook, Lieutenant Trevelyan, Lieutenant the strength of the two regiments as ascertained at the muster after the battle ; and 2d, the absence of proofs showing that any numerous casualties occurred in these two regiments at a later moment.
 * The grounds of this necessarily rough computation are, 1st,