The Strand Magazine, Vol. 01, No. 03, March 1891: An Illustrated MonthlyVarious
History
The Strand Magazine, Vol. 01, No. 03, March 1891: An Illustrated Monthly
Various
English literature -- Periodicals; Short stories, English -- Periodicals
This officer was General Morris. We resumed our patient, and got
to the doctors (Massy and Kendal). I saw the boot cut off and
the nature of the wound, the right shin bone being shattered.
Farrell made an exclamation, and I was motioned to take him
away. I told him that I should go and see the end of it. He said
that he was too exhausted to do any more. Finding a horse in the
lines, I mounted him, although the animal belonged to the 4th
Light Dragoons, and thus dropped in behind the Duke of
Cambridge, and heard what passed. The Duke, speaking to Lord
Cardigan, said:--
"Cardigan, where's the Brigade, then?"
"There," said Cardigan.
"Is that all of them? You have lost the finest Brigade that ever
left the shores of England."
A little further on he spoke to Captain Godfrey Morgan (Lord
Tredegar):--
"Morgan, where's the regiment, then?"
"Your Royal Highness, that is all of them!"
"My poor regiment, my poor regiment!"
I now took my place in the ranks, and, in numbering off, being
on the extreme left, I counted 22. We fell back during the
night, and, being dismounted, I, with my servant, was left
behind. I suffered intensely with my head, and got a napkin and
tied it as tightly as possible round my brows. I also had time
to examine my wound, which was inside the calf of my leg. A
small piece about the size of a shilling had been cut clean out
of my leg; but except that the blood had run into my boots, I
felt but very little inconvenience from it. Cold water bandage
was all I used; but, unfortunately, scurvy got to it, and it was
a long time healing.
PRIVATE WILLIAM NORMAN.
Private William Norman, of the 7th Regiment, in a true modest and
soldier-like style thus describes the exploit which won for him the
Victoria Cross:--
On the night of December 19, 1854, I was placed on single sentry
at some distance in front of the advanced sentries of an
out-lying picquet in the White Horse Ravine--a post of much
danger, and requiring great vigilance. The Russian picquet was
posted 300 yards in our front. Three Russian soldiers advanced
under cover of the brushwood for the purpose of reconnoitring. I
immediately fired my rifle, which was the signal of alarm, and
then jumped into the trench almost on the top of the three
Russians, two of whom I succeeded single-handed in taking
prisoners, and marched them into our lines, the other one having
fled back to the Russian lines.
[Illustration: "I JUMPED ALMOST ON THE TOP OF THREE RUSSIANS."]
My feelings I can hardly describe, as what I did was on the spur
of the moment. But it was no doubt the means of saving our
position.
PRIVATE JAMES DAVIS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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