Okla-homey
10/25/2010, 07:06 AM
Oct 25, 1854 Charge of the Light Brigade
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/cardiganimage.jpg
152 years ago, on this day in 1854, in an event alternately described at the same time as one of the most glorious and disastrous episodes in British military history, James, Lord Cardigan leads a charge of the Light Brigade of cavalry against well-defended Russian artillery during the Crimean War.
The British were winning the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimea when Cardigan received his order to attack the Russians. Tragically, orders to attack a Russian position were miscommunicated and he attacked the wrong objective.
At any rate, his approximately 600 cavalry gallantly charged down a narrow valley and were nearly completely destroyed by Russian artillery into what could best be described as a "kill sack."
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/cardiganCharge_of_the_light_brigade_-Our_fighting_services_-_Evelyn_Wood_pg451.jpg
The Russian artillery supported by infantry was dug in on three sides of a U-shaped valley and it was into that sack British horse soldiers charged. Cardigan's brigade suffered enormous casualties, losing nearly half their number.
What made it glorious despite the horrid waste of life was the simple fact that each man among the 600 going in knew he would quite probably die in the attempt but in an extraordinary display of discipline and esprit-de-corps, charged anyway.
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/cardiiganarticle-1245585-07FC4639000005DC-207_233x423.jpg
Thomas James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, rode to glory at the head of his brigade.
It was later revealed that the order was the result of confusion and was not given intentionally. Lord Cardigan, who survived the battle, was hailed as a national hero in Britain for a time. As more became known and alleged of the bumbling which had preceeded and led to the fatal charge, Cardigan's reputation began to suffer.
Of course, there was plenty of blame to go around since several other much more senior officers who had been on the scene pointed fingers at each other. We'll probably never know the exact cause of the failed charge but here's what most historians think probably helped ensure the misunderstood order was not questioned or corrected in time.
In short, it was about stubborness and petty upper-class rivalry. George Charles Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, in overall command of the cavalry and subsequently promoted to Field Marshal, was an imperious and over-bearing aristocrat who was promoted to high position over more proficient professional officers because of his social connections.
Lord Lucan let a personal quarrel with his brother-in-law Lord Cardigan, reach such a point that their respective staffs refused to co-operate and an order from Lucan to Cardigan was misconstrued, leading to the charge. To make matters worse, the 'galloper' who delivered the message to Cardigan, Captain Nolan, despised both of them. This whole subject is covered in a classic book, The Reason Why, by Cecil Woodham-Smith.
http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/6964/charge8ky.jpg
A 1968 film on the subect starring Sir John Gielgud, Trevor Howard and Vanessa Redgrave is well worth a look.
Incidentally, Cardigan is the very same guy the button-up sweater w/the "v" neckline is named for. He popularized the style back in the mid 1850's. A fine lawyer, and an expatriate Okie now living in New Orleans, reported that Cardigan "invented" the button-up sweater because it allowed Cardigan to put on the sweater without messing-up his hairdo.
Alfred Lord Tennyson immortalized the charge in one the most well known examples of English verse, The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
The Charge of the Light Brigade
http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/6215/alfredlordtennyson3pc.gif
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Some one had blundered:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they tuned in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right through the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reeled from the sabre-stroke
Shattered and sundered.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came through the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
o the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/8185/insane7zo0vw.jpg
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/cardiganimage.jpg
152 years ago, on this day in 1854, in an event alternately described at the same time as one of the most glorious and disastrous episodes in British military history, James, Lord Cardigan leads a charge of the Light Brigade of cavalry against well-defended Russian artillery during the Crimean War.
The British were winning the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimea when Cardigan received his order to attack the Russians. Tragically, orders to attack a Russian position were miscommunicated and he attacked the wrong objective.
At any rate, his approximately 600 cavalry gallantly charged down a narrow valley and were nearly completely destroyed by Russian artillery into what could best be described as a "kill sack."
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/cardiganCharge_of_the_light_brigade_-Our_fighting_services_-_Evelyn_Wood_pg451.jpg
The Russian artillery supported by infantry was dug in on three sides of a U-shaped valley and it was into that sack British horse soldiers charged. Cardigan's brigade suffered enormous casualties, losing nearly half their number.
What made it glorious despite the horrid waste of life was the simple fact that each man among the 600 going in knew he would quite probably die in the attempt but in an extraordinary display of discipline and esprit-de-corps, charged anyway.
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Okla-homey/cardiiganarticle-1245585-07FC4639000005DC-207_233x423.jpg
Thomas James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, rode to glory at the head of his brigade.
It was later revealed that the order was the result of confusion and was not given intentionally. Lord Cardigan, who survived the battle, was hailed as a national hero in Britain for a time. As more became known and alleged of the bumbling which had preceeded and led to the fatal charge, Cardigan's reputation began to suffer.
Of course, there was plenty of blame to go around since several other much more senior officers who had been on the scene pointed fingers at each other. We'll probably never know the exact cause of the failed charge but here's what most historians think probably helped ensure the misunderstood order was not questioned or corrected in time.
In short, it was about stubborness and petty upper-class rivalry. George Charles Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, in overall command of the cavalry and subsequently promoted to Field Marshal, was an imperious and over-bearing aristocrat who was promoted to high position over more proficient professional officers because of his social connections.
Lord Lucan let a personal quarrel with his brother-in-law Lord Cardigan, reach such a point that their respective staffs refused to co-operate and an order from Lucan to Cardigan was misconstrued, leading to the charge. To make matters worse, the 'galloper' who delivered the message to Cardigan, Captain Nolan, despised both of them. This whole subject is covered in a classic book, The Reason Why, by Cecil Woodham-Smith.
http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/6964/charge8ky.jpg
A 1968 film on the subect starring Sir John Gielgud, Trevor Howard and Vanessa Redgrave is well worth a look.
Incidentally, Cardigan is the very same guy the button-up sweater w/the "v" neckline is named for. He popularized the style back in the mid 1850's. A fine lawyer, and an expatriate Okie now living in New Orleans, reported that Cardigan "invented" the button-up sweater because it allowed Cardigan to put on the sweater without messing-up his hairdo.
Alfred Lord Tennyson immortalized the charge in one the most well known examples of English verse, The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
The Charge of the Light Brigade
http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/6215/alfredlordtennyson3pc.gif
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Some one had blundered:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they tuned in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right through the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reeled from the sabre-stroke
Shattered and sundered.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came through the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
o the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/8185/insane7zo0vw.jpg