NEW LIGHT ON "CHARGE OF LIGHT BRIGADE."

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11630, 11 May 1912, Page 3 (Supplement)

NEW LIGHT ON "CHARGE OF LIGHT BRIGADE."

Ihe Army and Navy Gazette publishes an interesting statement- written oy Lord Cardigan for Airs Norton, the well-known authoress, which throws an entirely new light on the circumstances which led up to the famous charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava. Lord Cardigan says: The brigade was suddenly ordered to mount, upon which I sent one of mv aides de camp to reconnoitre the ground. Lord Lucan then came in front of my brigade and said: "Lord Cardigan, you will attack the Russians in the battery." I said: "Certainly, my lord; but allow me to point oiit to you that there is a battery in front, a battery on each flank, and that the ground is covered with Russian riflemen." Lord Lucan answered: "I cannot help that, L.it is Lord Raglan's positive order that the Light Brigade is to attack the enemy," upon which he ordered _the 11th Hussars hack to support the 17th Lancers. After advancing about eighty yards a shell fell within. reach of my horse's feet, and Captain Nolan, who was riding across the front, returned with his arm up, through the intervals of the brigade. I led straight down to the battery without seeing anybody else in front of me. I had to restrain some of the officers, who got very muck excited within 80 yards of the battery by the heavy fire. I led into the battery and through the Russian guns, limber carriages and ammunition wagons in the rear: I rode within twenty yards of the line of Russian cavalry, was attacked by two Cossacks, slightly wounded by their lances and with difficulty got away from them, they trying to surround me. On arriving at the battery, through which I had led, I found no part of the brigade.

I rode slowly up the hill and met General Scarlett. I said to him: "What do you think, General, of . after such an order being brought to us which has destroyed the Light Brigade, the officer riding to the rear and screaming like a woman?" Sir John Scarlett replied: "Do not say any more, for I have ridden over his body.

Lord Lucan was present at the conversation. I then rode to the place from which we had turned off and I found all my brigade there, and upon having them counted that there were 193 mounted men out of 670. I immediately rode to Lord Raglan to make my report, who said in a very angry way: "What do you mean, sir, by attacking a battery in front contrary to all the usages of warfare and the custom of the service?"

Upon which I said: "My lord, I hope you will not blame me, for I received my orders to attack from my superior in front of the troops." I then narrated what I had done, as described above. The charge of the Light Brigade only lasted twenty minutes. (Signed) Cakdigan. This is the first account there has even been of a personal interview between Lord Lucan, commander of the cavalry division, and Lord Cardigan before the charge. It has hitherto been believed that Captain Nolan, Lord Lucan's A.D.C.. came to Cardigan with the message: "The Light Brigade willadvance." Cardigan asked what was to bo his objective, and Nolan, pointing with his sword to the Russian battery in front, said, in the presence of the" troops, "My lord, there arc your enemies." Cardigan's soldierly pride, was stung and he immediately ordered the brigade to charge "into the valley of death."

Captain Nolan, a hot-headed Irishman, seeing that a disastrous misunderstanding had occurred, rode across the front of the brigade and, with gestures of his sword endeavored to divert them to their true objective, which was the right flank of the Russians. He was. however, instantaneously killed ; hut the stiffened muscles kept him on his horse, and he rode a dead man through the ranks of the brigade with his sword arm uplifted as Lord Cardigan describes. Lord Cardigan's words that he rode "screaming like a. woman." however, seems to show that life, though not consciousness, remained for a season. The new version vindicates the memorv of. Nolan. It shows that the hi::me for the blunder rests on Lord Lucan himself. Nolan's share was confined to the attempt to direct the brigade on to i+s true objective. The rebuke of Lord Raglan is interesting as showing that the blunder committed was recognised at the time.