That Brigade, after its various movements, had been finally drawn up facing directly up the South Valley, and had stood dismounted there for more than three-quarters of an hour, when Lord Cardigan gave the order which showed that its time had come. In the Seventeenth that morning there were 139 men in the ranks, increased at the last moment by the arrival of Private Veigh, the regimental butcher, who, hearing that the regiment was about to be engaged, rode up fresh from the shambles to join it. He was dressed in a blood-stained canvas smock, over which he had buckled the belt and accoutrements of one of the Heavy Dragoons who had been killed in the charge; and, having accommodated himself also with the dead dragoon’s horse, he now rode up with his poleaxe[12] at the slope. The rest of the regiment was in marching order--full-dress jackets and lance-caps cased--with the exception of Captain Morris, the commanding officer, who wore a forage cap. The first squadron was led by Captain White, the troop leaders being Captain Hon. Godfrey Morgan and Lieutenant Thomson; [Sidenote: 1854--25th Oct.] the second squadron was led by Captain Winter, with Captain Webb in command of the right, and Lieutenant Sir William Gordon in command of the left troop. Lieutenant Hartopp, Lieutenant Chadwick (the Adjutant) and Cornet Cleveland were the other officers with the regiment, Cornet Wombwell being with Lord Cardigan as aide-de-camp. The two squadrons of the Seventeenth formed the centre of the first line of the Brigade, having the 11th Hussars to their left, and the 13th Hussars to their right; while the 4th and 8th Hussars composed the second line. In this formation the Light Brigade moved off to the attack; its duty being to advance over a mile and a half of ground, flanked by Russian batteries and riflemen on the Fedioukine heights to the right, Russian batteries and riflemen on the Causeway heights to the left, and fall upon a battery of twelve guns to their front, which guns were backed by the mass of the Russian Cavalry. The first line began the advance at a trot, and was presently reduced to the Seventeenth and 13th only; the 11th being ordered back to the second line by Lord Lucan. The formation of the Brigade was thus altered from two lines to three. The Seventeenth was now therefore on the left of the first line, though Captain White’s squadron still remained the squadron of direction.