336 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. <:hap. them whether they had not been made drunk
- before the charge, they were able to assure him
with truth that the men of our Light Cavalry (as also, indeed, those of Scarlett's brigade who had defeated General Ryjoff in the morning) were not only guiltless of having touched any strong drink, but had been actually fasting all day.* For proof of this they appealed to the state of their haver- sacks when taken from them, which contained their untouched rations, including their untouched ration of rum. Liprandi showed a strong wish to learn the name and rank of an English officer who had been seen retreating on a chestnut horse with white heels ; and upon questioning the English prisoners on the subject, he was told by some of them that the officer so seen was Lord Cardigan. Upon receiving this answer General Liprandi re- marked that nothing but the advantage of having a good horse could have saved the rider from the Cossacks who pursued him.+ It has been computed that the onset, the com-
- It was just when they were about to be dismissed to their
breakfasts that our cavalry were called upon to advance ; and from that time until the Light Cavalry charge they were either kept moving or on the alert. t Supposing that the prisoners were right in identifying the rider of the chestnut horse as Lord Cardigan, Liprandi's words add another corroboration (if any such wore needed) to Lord Cardigan's account of the circumstances under which he began his retreat. There is only one witness— Thomas King- who connects the retreat of the rider of the chestnut horse with the time ' when the second line were going down.'
