Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
233
Seeing their comrades about to engage, they
without orders rode forward to be near. Its
significance was at once discerned. " By God,
the Greys are cut offl" shouted a voice from their
ranks. "Gallop! gallop!" was the ciy now set
up from all ranks. Colonel Hodge, with great
skill and presence of inind, led his men straight
forward on the right flank of the outer or rii/ht
column of the Russians. The trumpets sounded,
and the gallant regiment bounded forward with-
out waiting to dress ranks, passed along the
side of the column till his rear was abreast of
its front, then wheeling to his right, bore down
with an impetuous rush upon the defenceless
flank of the enemy. Some of the Russians in
the rear saw the danger of the movement,
spurred forward to break the shock. They
were too late. Only a few horsemen got far
enough to interpose. They were swept aside
and knocked over, while the regiment as a
whole, like an arrow from the string, struck at
the disordered throng, each rank toppling over
the other, and from Hank to Hank drove through
them all without loss of men — and .so faithfully
fulfilling the old precept, "hard all across."
This ended the ever glorious contest. An
irrepressible cheer broke forth from the spectators
on the allied side. The Heavy Brigade had
nobly done its duty, a force of 750 had put to
the rout well nigh four times that strength.
The Russians soon quitted the scene and made
off to the valleys ; there was no pursuic.
Sir Colin Campbell, a little later on, rode up
to the Greys, and uncovering, exclaimed,
"Greys! gallant Greys ! I am sixty-one years
old. If I were young again, I should be proud
to serve in your ranks ! "
Notwithstanding the desperate fighting, the
loss sustained by the Heavy Brigade was
comparatively slight. The Russian loss was
about 500. The loss of the Scots Greys, 2 men
killed, i officers and 48 men wounded.
Lord Raglan sent one of liis aides-decamp
to congratulate General Scarlett, and to say
"well done." The gallant old officer's face
beamed with pleasure when he received the
message, and with the modest bluntness of a
brave Englishman, replied, "I beg to thank his
Lordship very sincerely." In reporting to the
Minister of War two days later his Lordship
wrote, " The charge of this brigade was one of
the most successful I ever witnessed, was never
for a moment doubtful, and is in the highest
degree creditable to the Brigadier General, and
to the officers and men engaged in it."
The Scots Greys with other regiments of the
brigade were engaged later jn the day in
covering the return of the survivoi's of the light
cavalry charge, and remained in the Crimea till
the end of the war, sharing in the hardships
and privations which the British troops suffered
and so nobly endured during the terril)le winter
of 1854-55. They lost many men by disease,
and but a few of those gallant fellows who
marched from Nottingham so full of life and
spirit were with the regiment when it returned
to England in July, 1856.
The strengtii of the Scots Greys on embarking
for the Crimea was 18 officers, 299 N. C. officers
and men, and while serving in the Crimea they
received reinforcements amounting to 10 officers
and 272 N. C. officers and men. Of these 2
officers and 89 N. C. officers and men died in
the East, 1 1 officers and 75 N. C. officers and
men were invalided home.
Since the return from the Crimea the Scots
Greys as a regiment have seen no active or
foreign service, but in 1884-5 a detachment of
2 officers and 44 N. C. officers and men pioceeded
to Egypt as part of the Camel Corps, which
went through the Desert March, fought at Abu
Klea, and I'eached the L^pper Nile too late to
save General Gordon. At the Battle of Abu
Klea the Greys detachment had 1 officer and II
men killed, 1 man wounded (died of his wounds).
The Greys and 1st Royal Dragoons ai-e the
only remaining regiments of the old " Heavy
Cavalry Brigade" which only go abroad in time
of war. This privilege the Royal Scots Greys
have enjoyed since they were raised. It enables
them to enlist men who would be too tall and
heavy for the Indian troop horses.
The regiment is at present on the strong
establishment and numbers 682 of all ranks.
In closing this record of the Royal Scots Greys
it may be truly remarked almost unbroken
success has ever attended its arms, from its
formation to the present day — a period of two
hundred and twenty years. In the numerous
campaigns in which it has been engaged, a
single instance can scarcely be found where
the regiment was broken, or compelled to
retreat for its own sake, and only once (at Val)
did it lose a standard.
In camp or quarters, in peace or war, the
gallant Royal Scots Greys have always main-
tained their glorious reputation, tiie honour of
their country, and nobly proved their right to
the proud motto —
"Second to None."
[Concluded.]
The ClanDonnachaidh Society have just started
a branch in London, which was inaugurated under
most favourable circumstances. Struan Robertson,
Chief of the clan, presided, and Mr. Forbes Robert-
son gave a glowing account of the achievements of
members of the clan in the tine arts, in science, and
in warfare, and urged the meeting to keep green
the memory of the clan by joining the society.