Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/433

 APPENDIX. 411 < 8th Hussars and the 4th Light Dragoons became gradu- ' ally separated, the 8th Hussars hearing to the right, and ' the 4th Light Dragoons to the left ; and as we advanced ' farther, the distance between the two regiments increased ( very materially.' 6. Extract of a letter written by Lord George Paget to H.E.H. the Duke of Cambridge in 1856, the following passage occurs : ' On the advance of the first line, I gave ' the word, " Second line will advance ; 4th Light Dra- ' " goons direct." Soon, however, in the advance, I per- ' ceived that the 8th Hussars were bearing away to the ' right, and they kept gradually losing their intervals, and by ' the same process their alignment, till they finally became ' separated from us. There are plenty of witnesses who
 * could prove that during the whole of this time I was

' doing my best, and using the utmost exertions of my ' voice to keep them in their proper place, and to close ' them to the 4th ; and at last Lieutenant Martin, 4th ' Light Dragoons, galloped to Colonel Shewell to assist me ' in my efforts.' 7. General Scarlett states : ' At the instant when the first ' line of the Light Brigade charged into the battery, it was ' almost impossible, from the dense smoke and confusion, ' to discover what took place ; but a few minutes after- ' wards I observed the remnants of the Light Brigade, as ' well as the remains of the second line, retreating towards ' the ground which they had occupied immediately before ' the charge ; whilst dismounted men, and horses without ' riders, were scattered over the space which the brigade ' had just traversed. I recollect on this occasion pointing ' out to Lord Cardigan the broken remnants of his line as 1 they were retreating up the hill. I firmly believe, from ' the information I received both at the time of the ' engagement and afterwards, that Lord Cardigan was ' the first to charge into the battery, and that he was