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It is the subject of a famous poem entitled "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
The charge was made by the Light Brigade of the British cavalry. Made up of the 4th and 13th Light Dragoons, 17th Lancers, and the 8th and 11th Hussars, it was commanded by Major General the Earl of Cardigan. Together with the Heavy Brigade (the Royal Dragoon Guards and the Scots Greys) it was the main British cavalry force at the battle; overall command of the cavalry was with the Earl of Lucan.
Lucan was delivered an order from the army commmander Lord Raglan stating that "Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front and to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns. Horse Artillery may accompany. French cavalry is on your left. Immediate." The order was drafted by Brigadier Airey and was carried by Captain Louis Edward NolanLouis Edward Nolan ( 1818 1854), British Army officer. Louis Edward Nolan was born in Upper Canada, now Ontario on January 4, 1818, the third, but second surviving son of Captain John Babington Nolan, 70th Regiment of Foot, and his wife Eliza Harleston Ha, who may have carried further oral instructions, but he was killed during the charge so that is conjecture.
In response to the order Cardigan led 673 (or 661) cavalry men straight into the valley made between the Fediukhine Heights and the Causeway Heights. The Russian forces, under Pavel Liprandi , on the sides of the valley and at the end included over fifty artilleryFor the thrash metal band, see Artillery (band Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. The term also describes ground-based troops with the primary function of manning such weapons. The word as used i pieces and around 20 battalions of infantry. It appears that the order was interpreted to refer to the mass of Russian guns in a redoubt at the end of the valley, around a mile away, when, in actual fact, Raglan had been referring to a set of redoubts on the reverse slope of the hill forming the left (to the cavalry) side of the valley, which, although clearly visible to Raglan, were hidden from the view of the Light Brigade down in the valley. The brigade reached the end of the valley and forced the Russian forces from the redoubt but suffered heavy casualties and were soon forced back. Lucan failed to provide any support for Cardigan; he may have been motivated by personal enmity with his brother-in-law. The troops of the Heavy Brigade entered the mouth of the valley but did not advance further. The French cavalry, the Chasseurs d'AfriqueThe Chasseurs d'Afrique were a light cavalry version of the French Foreign Legion. In addition to numerous campaigns in North Africa, this colorful regiment also served in the Crimean War, Franco-Prussian War and both World Wars. Algerian independence bro, was more effective; they broke the Russian line on the Fediukhine Heights and later covered the remains of the Light Brigade as they withdrew.
When the Light Brigade regrouped there were only 195 men still with horseThis article discusses ungulate mammals. For other meanings of horse see Horse (disambiguation). The Horse Equus caballus is a large ungulate mammal, one of the seven modern species of the genus Equus''. It has long played an important role in transportats. The brigade had lost 118 men killed and 127 wounded; 362 horses were killed. The stupidity of the action and its reckless bravery prompted Marshal Pierre Bosquet to state C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre ("It is magnificent, but it is not war.") Initially the Russian commanders believed the British soldiers must have been drunk and it measurably improved the reputation of British cavalry during the rest of the conflict.
Tennyson praises the Brigade, "When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made!", while mourning the appalling futility of the charge: "Not tho' the soldier knew, someone had blunder'd... Charging an army, while all the world wonder'd."
Books which analyse the events leading up to the eventThere are many kinds of events In common language, an event is something that happens (changes), in particular something special of limited duration, for example a major football match or pop music concert. An event is an outcome, result, reference or sin offer insight into British military historyBritish military history is a long and varied topic, extending from the prehistoric and ancient historic period, through the Roman invasions of Julius Caesar and Claudius and subsequent Roman occupation; warfare in the Mediaeval period, including the inva and also into the baleful consequences which can result from courageCourage is the ability to confront fear in the face of pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. As a virtue, courage is covered extensively in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, its vice of deficiency being cowardice, and its vice of excess being recklessn coupled with lack of insight.