Newspapers: Colorado Spring Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colorado) October 28, 1894 Newspaper Article http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/elpaso/newspapers/1894oc28.txt Transcribed and formatted by Betty M Baker February 20, 2004. ********************************************************************************* A VETERAN OF THE FAMOUS CHARGE LIVES IN DENVER Denver, Oct. 27 [1894], - Yesterday for the fortieth anniversary of the famous charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava in -----, immortalized in the well known poem, "Forward the Light Brigade." It is not generally known that in this city lives one if the buglers who sounded the charge upon that day, and which launched the famous Six-Hundred into the valley of death. Alexander Sutherland, now over 85 years of age, but still a well-preserved man, lives in West Denver. He served in the Light Brigade under Lord Cardigan through the Crimean war and was one of the few who came back alive from that terrible charge, of the like of which history has no record. He came to America after the war and settled in Denver in 1881 (1861?), having lived here ever since. Though the event of his life is forty years away, it still affects Mr. Sutherland to tell the story. It was October 25, 1854. The Russians had captured the guns from the Turks on the Causeway heights. General SCARLETT, with a heavy cavalry, the Scots Grays and the Enniskilleners in the front line, had made a brilliant charge, routing many times their number of Russians. The Light Brigade, near by, had been simply idle spectators, but they had been eager to join with SCARLETT's men in their victorious charge. Lord Cardigan had been riding impatiently up and down the line of his own men, disappointed as well as envious that he and his soldiers were not participants in the fight. Here . . began the first blunder, either through the loose orders of his superiors or the failure of Lord Cardigan to properly interpret their commands. Lucan had expected that Lord Cardigan with the light cavalry would have flanked the Russians when General SCARLETT with the heavies was making his charge. Mr. SUTHERLAND can tell the story of this charge in a thrilling manner. He charges that Lord Raglan was to blame for the fearful slaughter that day. His commands were not plain, and while it was afterwards found that his intention was to hurl the Light Brigade upon the Causeway heights and capture the guns the Russians had taken from the Turks, the orders to Lord Cardigan were not distinct. He was ordered to charge for the guns, and as he was a soldier he did as he was told, though he knew that someone had blundered. As to the story of the famous charge. Tennyson has told it all in his great poem. Out of the 613 men who made the charge into the valley, only 195 returned, and most of them were wounded. Over 500 horses were lost in the fight. Mr. SUTHERLAND was wounded in the head and leg, but not seriously. Mr. SUTHERLAND is an Irishman and came of a fighting family, his father before him having been in the British army, and was one of the officers of the guard over Napolean at St. Helenn. Mr. SUTHERLAND is well know to many people in Denver, but it is not often that he will tell story of the charge of the Light Brigade. ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://http://www.usgwarchives.net/ ************************************************************************