October 25, 1854: The Charge of the Light Brigade

On October 25th, 1854, during the Crimean War, a British light cavalry brigade was ordered to make a disastrous charge. The Charge of the Light Brigade, 160 165 Years Ago.

Czar Nicholas I of Russia basically Went to war with the Ottoman Empire. France and England were disturbed at his territorial goals, which apparently included Constantinople. This would give the Russian Fleet access to the Mediterranean Sea. Fighting broke out in 1853, and Britain and France declared war in March of 1854.

As for the battle in question. Egos got in the way of communication. Orders were poorly understood, and not communicated correctly. A lot of people died as a result of idiocy on the part of officers. Which was apparently not that uncommon in the 19th Century.

In the end, of the roughly 670 Light Brigade soldiers, about 110 were killed and 160 were wounded, a 40 percent casualty rate. They also lost approximately 375 horses.

The Alfred, Lord Tennyson poem, “The Charge Of The Light Brigade”, was written to immortalize the bravery of the men involved. The most famous couplet from that poem is probably, “Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do & die.” The poem begins as follows.

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.