.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The Charge of the Light Brigade, Balaklava, 25 October 1854
The charge into North Valley by the Light Brigade, comprised of the 4th and 13th Light Dragoons, the 8th and 11th Hussars, and the 17th Lancers under the command of Lord Cardigan, ranks amongst the most infamous of British military blunders. The Battle of Balaklava began in the early hours of 25 October with a large Russian assault against allied positions protecting the vital supply port of Balaklava. Having moved against redoubts manned by Ottoman troops situated along the Causeway Heights with some success, the Russian attack had faltered as the allies regrouped and held ground. The Highland Brigade had valiantly turned a cavalry charge by the Ingermanland Hussars, an action which found its way into popular legend described as 'The Thin Red Line', and the Heavy Brigade had successfully stemmed the advance of a much larger Russian cavalry force under the command of Lieutenant-General Ryzhov. Throughout these actions, thanks to ambiguous orders, the Light Brigade had for the most part watched the battle unfold positioned in the mouth of the North Valley. This first phase of the battle was over by 0930 and the Russian commander, General Liprandi, began to consolidate his positions in and around the North Valley waiting for an expected allied counterattack. At 1000 the order was given for the Cavalry Division " to advance and take advantage of any opportunity to recover the Heights". Confusion ensued with the cavalry waiting for promised infantry support which had not yet arrived. During this lull in the fighting, the Russians occupied the former allied redoubts on the Causeway Heights with eleven infantry battalions and thirty-two cannon. On the Fedioukine Heights opposite there were now eight battalions of infantry, four squadrons of cavalry and between ten and fourteen cannon, and blocking the eastern end of the North Valley were substantial elements of Ryzhov's cavalry, originally comprised of eighteen squadrons and reinforced by eight cannon served by two hundred men. This formidable force was further bolstered with six squadrons of lancers split between the opposing sides of the valley, and it was in the mouth of this heavily defended valley that the Light Brigade waited. From the vantage point on the Sapoune Heights an unknown staff officer informed Lord Raglan that the Russians had been seen trying to drag away captured British cannon from the redoubts on the Causeway Heights. Already exasperated by the lack of movement from the cavalry, this news prompted Lord Raglan to dictate the infamous order to Brigadier-General Richard Airey:
"Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front - follow the enemy and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns - Troop Horse Artillery may accompany - French cavalry is on your left. R Airey. Immediate"
Captain Edward Louis Nolan of the 15th Hussars, Airey's young aide-de-camp, who was recognized as one of the most accomplished and creative riders in the army (he had published The Training of Cavalry Remount Horses: A New System in 1852, acting as a model for its illustrations, and Cavalry: Its History and Tactics in 1853), was summoned and dispatched to deliver the order to Lord Lucan, commander of the Cavalry Division, as quickly as possible and backed by a further verbal instruction from Lord Raglan: "Tell Lord Lucan the cavalry is to attack immediately". On receiving the order Lucan hesitated, questioning the order. According to the journalist W.H. Russell it was at this moment that the 36-year-old Nolan, who had a reputation for being rather quick-tempered, sealed the fate of the Light Brigade with a vague sweep of his arm towards the end of the North Valley stating "There, my lord, is your enemy; there are your guns". Lucan, rather put out by being spoken to in this manner by a mere Captain, rode over to Cardigan and relayed the order. Cardigan responded with an accurate assessment of the situation: " Allow me to point out to you that there is a battery in front, battery on each flank, and the ground is covered with Russian riflemen", to which Lucan responded "We have no choice but to obey".
At 1110 the Light Brigade started off down the mile long North Valley in two lines at the traditional parade ground trot, the Heavy Brigade under Lucan's command forming up behind them in support. At first all appeared in order but then it became apparent to the Staff on the Sapoune Heights that the orders had been misinterpreted and instead of charging towards the captured redoubts on the Causeway Heights the brigade was heading straight along the valley. At this point Nolan took off in pursuit of the Light Brigade waving his sabre and shouting to Cardigan. Nolan managed to catch and pass Cardigan but his motive remains controversial. Traditionally it was thought he hoped to turn the charge towards the Causeway Heights as Raglan had intended or simply prove himself in combat as a fellow 'galloper' had earlier that day when he conveyed orders to the Heavy Brigade before they engaged Ryzhov's cavalry. A more recent theory is that Nolan was trying speed the charge up, his belief being that if the pace was increased the Brigade could beat the Russian artillery reload, an exercise he had taught as a cavalry school instructor. Nolan took his reason to the grave as he became one of the first victims of the Russian barrage, killed in the saddle by shrapnel fired by a gun positioned on the Fedioukine Heights.
The fate of 666 men of the Light Brigade is well-known. They reached the guns at the end of the valley, split the Russian forces in two and drove off their cavalry but had suffered appalling casualties in the process. Lucan, on witnessing the devastating barrage ahead of him, had not followed in support with the Heavy Brigade therefore leaving the Light Brigade effectively stranded behind the enemy lines. With this realisation the Russians regrouped forcing the survivors to fight their way back to the British lines, the only direct support coming from the French Chasseurs d'Afrique which attacked the Fedioukine Heights. The shocking loss of the Light Brigade was to be the final action of the day, the Causeway Heights being left in Russian hands with attentions returning to the siege at Sevastopol.
The Charge was immortalised by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in his poem of 1854 The Charge of the Light Brigade, which ended:
"When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd."
The charge into North Valley by the Light Brigade, comprised of the 4th and 13th Light Dragoons, the 8th and 11th Hussars, and the 17th Lancers under the command of Lord Cardigan, ranks amongst the most infamous of British military blunders. The Battle of Balaklava began in the early hours of 25 October with a large Russian assault against allied positions protecting the vital supply port of Balaklava. Having moved against redoubts manned by Ottoman troops situated along the Causeway Heights with some success, the Russian attack had faltered as the allies regrouped and held ground. The Highland Brigade had valiantly turned a cavalry charge by the Ingermanland Hussars, an action which found its way into popular legend described as 'The Thin Red Line', and the Heavy Brigade had successfully stemmed the advance of a much larger Russian cavalry force under the command of Lieutenant-General Ryzhov. Throughout these actions, thanks to ambiguous orders, the Light Brigade had for the most part watched the battle unfold positioned in the mouth of the North Valley. This first phase of the battle was over by 0930 and the Russian commander, General Liprandi, began to consolidate his positions in and around the North Valley waiting for an expected allied counterattack. At 1000 the order was given for the Cavalry Division " to advance and take advantage of any opportunity to recover the Heights". Confusion ensued with the cavalry waiting for promised infantry support which had not yet arrived. During this lull in the fighting, the Russians occupied the former allied redoubts on the Causeway Heights with eleven infantry battalions and thirty-two cannon. On the Fedioukine Heights opposite there were now eight battalions of infantry, four squadrons of cavalry and between ten and fourteen cannon, and blocking the eastern end of the North Valley were substantial elements of Ryzhov's cavalry, originally comprised of eighteen squadrons and reinforced by eight cannon served by two hundred men. This formidable force was further bolstered with six squadrons of lancers split between the opposing sides of the valley, and it was in the mouth of this heavily defended valley that the Light Brigade waited. From the vantage point on the Sapoune Heights an unknown staff officer informed Lord Raglan that the Russians had been seen trying to drag away captured British cannon from the redoubts on the Causeway Heights. Already exasperated by the lack of movement from the cavalry, this news prompted Lord Raglan to dictate the infamous order to Brigadier-General Richard Airey:
"Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front - follow the enemy and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns - Troop Horse Artillery may accompany - French cavalry is on your left. R Airey. Immediate"
Captain Edward Louis Nolan of the 15th Hussars, Airey's young aide-de-camp, who was recognized as one of the most accomplished and creative riders in the army (he had published The Training of Cavalry Remount Horses: A New System in 1852, acting as a model for its illustrations, and Cavalry: Its History and Tactics in 1853), was summoned and dispatched to deliver the order to Lord Lucan, commander of the Cavalry Division, as quickly as possible and backed by a further verbal instruction from Lord Raglan: "Tell Lord Lucan the cavalry is to attack immediately". On receiving the order Lucan hesitated, questioning the order. According to the journalist W.H. Russell it was at this moment that the 36-year-old Nolan, who had a reputation for being rather quick-tempered, sealed the fate of the Light Brigade with a vague sweep of his arm towards the end of the North Valley stating "There, my lord, is your enemy; there are your guns". Lucan, rather put out by being spoken to in this manner by a mere Captain, rode over to Cardigan and relayed the order. Cardigan responded with an accurate assessment of the situation: " Allow me to point out to you that there is a battery in front, battery on each flank, and the ground is covered with Russian riflemen", to which Lucan responded "We have no choice but to obey".
At 1110 the Light Brigade started off down the mile long North Valley in two lines at the traditional parade ground trot, the Heavy Brigade under Lucan's command forming up behind them in support. At first all appeared in order but then it became apparent to the Staff on the Sapoune Heights that the orders had been misinterpreted and instead of charging towards the captured redoubts on the Causeway Heights the brigade was heading straight along the valley. At this point Nolan took off in pursuit of the Light Brigade waving his sabre and shouting to Cardigan. Nolan managed to catch and pass Cardigan but his motive remains controversial. Traditionally it was thought he hoped to turn the charge towards the Causeway Heights as Raglan had intended or simply prove himself in combat as a fellow 'galloper' had earlier that day when he conveyed orders to the Heavy Brigade before they engaged Ryzhov's cavalry. A more recent theory is that Nolan was trying speed the charge up, his belief being that if the pace was increased the Brigade could beat the Russian artillery reload, an exercise he had taught as a cavalry school instructor. Nolan took his reason to the grave as he became one of the first victims of the Russian barrage, killed in the saddle by shrapnel fired by a gun positioned on the Fedioukine Heights.
The fate of 666 men of the Light Brigade is well-known. They reached the guns at the end of the valley, split the Russian forces in two and drove off their cavalry but had suffered appalling casualties in the process. Lucan, on witnessing the devastating barrage ahead of him, had not followed in support with the Heavy Brigade therefore leaving the Light Brigade effectively stranded behind the enemy lines. With this realisation the Russians regrouped forcing the survivors to fight their way back to the British lines, the only direct support coming from the French Chasseurs d'Afrique which attacked the Fedioukine Heights. The shocking loss of the Light Brigade was to be the final action of the day, the Causeway Heights being left in Russian hands with attentions returning to the siege at Sevastopol.
The Charge was immortalised by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in his poem of 1854 The Charge of the Light Brigade, which ended:
"When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd."