BALACLAVA

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 February 1927, Page 11

BALACLAVA

Q F the amazingly casual nature of discipline and the amateurishness of the strategy in the Crimean War, Lieut.Colonel Whitton, in the November Nineteenth Century and After, gives some striking documented instances. Lord George Paget, commanding 4th Eight Dragoons, not liking the prospect of winter in the Crimea, asked for, and received in the friendliest way, permission to retire from the army, but finding on his return that clubland,- just awaking to the reality of war, did not approve of his action, he went back again. Lord Cardigan, the commander of the Light Brigade, used to sleep on hoard his yacht in Balaclava Harbour while his brigade was suffering the discomforts of camp life three miles away. At Inkerman he missed the most important part of the fighting. Most, of Colonel Whitton’s article, however, is devoted to vindicating Lord Cardigan’s conduct in the charge of the Light Brigade. The ridge of the little plateau held by the English commanded two valleys separated-by a lower ridge, on which were placed redoubts manned by Turks working British guns. These covered the cove of Balaclava, nicked out of the southern valley. The Russians, suddenly appearing in full force, captured four of these redoubts, and began to remove the guns. A huge mass of cavalry was sent towards Balaclava, and was checked by the 93 rd -Highlanders, and driven a mile and a half up the south valley by the Heavy Brigade, where it reformed behind 12 guns in line at its head. The far side of the north valley was occupied by Russians, wnosc line thus formed a vast horseshoe. The Russians on the redoubt formed tho left, the cavalry at the head the arch, and the Russians on the north valley tho right.

Seeing the enemy removing the captured guns from the redoubts. . Lord Raglan sent a written order by Captain Nolan to Lord Lucan, commanding the cavalry, ordering the cavalry to attack

at once and prevent, the enemy removing the guns. Lord Lucan interpreted this to refer to the 12 guns at the head of the valley; anil ordered Lord Cardi-gan,-with the Light Brigade, to attack, promising to support with the Heavy Brigade. Lord Cardigan pointed out the risks to Lord Lucan, but hearing that, it was Lord Raglan’s positive order, no composedly accepted what he thought was liis martyrdom. “Led by Lord Cardigan in person, the Light; Br> gade moved down the valley in three iines," says Colonel Whitton- “The pace was at first a trot, with horses in poor condition, and with nearly a mile -.uni a half to go, a steady advance was essential, at any rate, till the goal was neared. Actually, and contrary to the accepted legend, ihe charge was never sounded. Nor did Lord Cardigan, once his brigade was in motion, by trumpet., voice, or signal, issue any order or command. Erect on his charger, alone, without speaking, without gesture, without even once turning in his saddle, he picked out the central flash of the Russian battery, steered on it as his mark, and showed his officers and men the straight, honest road—the way down to the enemy’s guns. Before 50 yards had been traversed the brigade came under lire. Captain Nolan was instantly killed while in the act of galloping furiously across Lord Cardigan’s front, with v.'liat object can never be accurately known. Automatically the pace now grew faster, and in spite of Lord Cardigan’s desire to keep his brigade well in hand till the 'last moment, it swept forward at a constantly quickening rate. Before half the distance had been crossed the casualties were becoming terrible.

“To the watchers from the plateau there was visible in the first line a constant lateral extension and contraction, as men and horses were knocked over, and the survivors.steered clear of them, and closed in immediately. But there was no check in the pace, and the move-

CHARGE OF LIGHT BRIGADE

A WONDERFUL DESCRIPTION

ment observed had all the precision of a piece of machinery. Some eight minutes had now elapsed since the advance had first begun. L.ord Cardigan, followed" by the remnant of the first line, was close upon the battery, and moving ai a pace estimated at 17 miles an hour. Through the unspeakable noise and confusion Lord Cardigan rode, and coming out the -other side of the smoke, found himself facing a body of Russian cavalry 80 yards away. Before he could check his ‘horse he was only 20 yards off. A Russian cavalry officer recognised m the gorgeously caparisoned hussar an acquaintance of London drawing-rooms, and ordered his capture In the scuffle Lord Cardigan got away, galloped back through the battery, and seeing only his stragglers retreating, do cided that the only thing to do was to return with them. As he had not turned round during the charge, he did not know that his second and third lines had swept round the guns. Thus it happened that a few. minutes later, when Lord George Paget got bach to the starting place with the remnant of the brigade, after incredible lighting and adventures, the first person to greet, him was Lord Cardigan. Utterly surprised, Lord George involuntarily exclaimed, ‘ * Why Lord Cardigan! Weren’t you there?” There was a titter from the bystanders, but Lord Cardigan at once answered, ‘‘Wasn’t I. though? Here, Jeiiyns, you saw me in the guns?” This was Captain Jonvns, of the Kith Light Dragoons, a survivor of the front line regiment, who corroborated his chief’s statement. The incident was quickly forgotten. But Lord Cardigan, “a vain, ambitious, arrogant, and not too scrupulous man,” finding himself the national hero, did not share the glory as ho should have done. He made enemies, and was spitefully libelled by si young staff officer., acting ns press correspondent. • Only an action for criminal libel succeeded in establishing the facts firmly nine years later.