Show Last of the Although the famous char charge e of the Light Brigade at Balaklava immortalized by Tennyson occur occur- occurred red ed 78 years ears no a ago o on October 25 1854 the last survivor of that gallant six hundred died only recently He was Edwin Hughes Hu hes a ser ser- sergeant ser sergeant I geant major who until his death received assistance from a special fund raised for veterans of that heroic char charge e which was an meld meld- incident incident ent of the Crimean War in which I Turkey with aid from England i Fran France e and nd Sardinia defeated Russia i iThe The Light Brigade composed of I British cavalrymen charged Ithe the Russian field artillery over a aI I distance of a mile and a half half los los- losing losing los ing ing ing- 47 men and 47 horses in 20 I Ithe of down minutes They cut many the Russian gunners but were forced to retreat in di disorder order Their dashing exploit raised the morale II I of the allies however and dimin dimin- diminished diminished diminished that of the Russians A few days later at the battle of Inkerman on November 5 British held Russians at bay in a hand lland to hand conflict un- un until until un until til the French arrived and routed the enemy enemy Then after ar er a years years year's siege during which the allies sm untold hardships the great fort of Sevastopol was by bv the Russians and the war v was wase e ended ded It was during this siege that Florence Ni Nightingale organized the first nursing s system stem in milli- milli tory tary hospitals Thus while the charge of the I Light Bri Brigade ade was unsuccessful I it was a moral victory which probably probably ably turned the tide of war against the forces of the Czar It was a stirring memory that Edwin Hughes carried with him during life I his long |