Hugh Massey STEELE - Possibly rode in the Charge
Hugh Massey Steele was born at Rathdowney (Airlie) Co. Queen's, Ireland. He enlisted at Dublin on 22 April 1845 into the 8th Hussars at the age of 18 years 2 months. He was discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on 12 July 1855, being, `Disabled by lameness -- after frost bite of the great toes of both feet in the Crimea.'
He was entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps `Alma', `Balaclava', `Inkerman' and `Sebastopol'.
Steele lived in Melbourne from 10 October 1857.
Article from the Windsor and Richmond Gazette, published in October of 1888, said -
`A Neglected Hero -- Few people living but are acquainted, more or less fully, with the facts of the splendid feat in arms, immortalised by Tennyson and which will be known in history, when every individual hero of it shall be laid to rest, as "The Charge of the Light Brigade." It is not generally known that we have in Cootamundra, says an exchange, one of the gallant 600, who rode into the very jaws of death with "cannons to the right of them, cannons to the left of them, cannons in front of them," - in the person of H Steele, a vendor of oranges! This may sound like coming down from the sublime to the ridiculous, but so it is. Mr Steele generall has about him the proud mementoes of the glorious campaign in the Crimea, in the shape of two silver medals, one being presented by Queen Victoria in person, bearing the name, his regiment (8th K R Hussars) also, on four silver lines, the names of the four great features of that campaign Sebastopol, Inkerman, Balaclava and Alma. The other medal was presented by the Sultan of Turkey, "La Crimea, 1855; One of the 600." Not more than a third of them came out of that singular dash. England, as a rule, treats her heroes great and small, rich and poor, handsomely; but since the remote days of princely annuities have been paid to the Marlborough's (sic) down to the good for nothing Duke of the present day, and it appears to us high time that some of these ancient heroes were knocked off the roll, and better justice done to the latter day warriors. One shilling a day to a corporal, and one of the few remaining 600 heroes, looks mean and unworthy of the Mother country.'
The Cootamundra Herald newspaper for 25 September 1886 said -
`The 23rd anniversary [sic] of the battle of the Alma was celebrated in Sydney on Monday night, Sergeant Dalton [see his record] of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, having called a few old comrades together for the purpose. We may also state that the event was toasted also in Cootamundra by a couple of Crimean heroes - Corporal O'Dwyer, who was engaged at the battle of the Alma, of Muttama, and our town hero (Steel) of Cardigan' Light Brigade.'
He died at Cootamundra on 16 January 1894, aged 66 years, from `Senile Decay, about 12 months'. His occupation was recorded as Retired Gaol Warder. He had been very feeble and ailing for some considerable time. The newspaper death notice said -
`Death - We have to record the death of Mr. Hugh Steele, the veteran soldier, of this town. He had been very feeble and ailing for some considerable time. He leaves a widow and a grown family'.
His death certificate shows him as having lived in Australia for 33 years, and left a widow and four children (one being deceased), their ages ranging from 9 to 21 years. He was buried in Cootamundra Cemetery on 19 January 1894. He was of the Methodist religion.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Australian+graves+of+Crimean+War+Light+Brigade+veterans-a083477092