Charge of The Light Brigade: Someone Blundered

From an original complement of 650 or thereabouts only 195 returned back up the valley, many on foot, 247 had been killed, many more wounded, and others captured. The charge had lasted less than 20 minutes but was so stunning that fighting ceased elsewhere on the battlefield, but the Light Brigade had been destroyed. The French General Bousquet, who had witnessed the scene commented, “C’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas le guerre!” ( It is magnificent, but it’s not war)

The Battlefield

The recriminations started almost immediately. Lord Lucan, was at first blamed for not coming to the support of his much hated brother-in-law. Some suggested that his tardiness was a result of their mutual antipathy. Lucan, demanded a court-martial to clear his name but this was refused. He was, however, cleared of any culpability in the disaster in a future inquiry. Lucan, who had always been a soldiers soldier, dining with his men and sharing their hardships, unlike his idiot brother-in-law who had spent his time in the Crimea frolicking with various women aboard his luxury yacht moored in the bay, without question had saved the Heavy Brigade from a similarly disastrous fate as the Light by his refusal to come to their support. Lord Raglan avoided any blame by dying in 1855. Whoever was to blame, someone had blundered.

Lord Cardigan, returned to Britain a national hero, and he wallowed in his new-found status, demanding for the rest of his life that he be treated as one. Ironically, he was to die in 1868, aged 71, from injuries sustained falling from his horse.