This obelisk, sited on Hatherleigh Moor, commemorates Captain, later Colonel, William Morris.William Morris, who had been born and brought up not far from this obelisk was ordered to lead the 17th Lancers in the first line of the Charge - he led the Light Brigade and did not expect to live through the Charge. His horse was shot from under him and he received a severe head wound but in spite of this he managed to grab hold of the reins of a loose horse and haul himself up onto its back so he could ride back to the British lines. But again, his horse was targeted and he fell and this time he lost consciousness.
On one face of the obelisk, a bronze plaque illustrated what happened next. Not one, but two men ran forward in an attempt to rescue him from enemy troops who were closing in for the kill.
One, Surgeon James Mouat, of the 7th Dragoons, was awarded the Victoria Cross but initially the other was ignored. However the other man, Sergeant Charles Wooden of the 17th Lancers who had been in equal danger, was ignored. Wooden felt the injustice of it and wrote to James Mouat, telling him of his feelings and to his credit, the Surgeon began a campaign at the highest level, to try to ensure that the sergeant received the same recognition as the officer had received and eventually this did happen.
William Morris was safely brought back to British lines, and taken down to the hospital at Scutari where he was nursed by none other than Florence Nightingale. So he survived this pointless and terrible event but never really recovered his health. He died from sunstroke in Poona, India, in 1858 aged 38.