Charge of the Light Brigade

[ziksby]

Tomorrow, 25th October 2004, marks the 150th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

"At ten minutes past eleven, our Light Cavalry Brigade advanced. As they rushed towards the front, the Russians opened on them from the guns in the redoubt on the right with volleys of musketry and rifles. They swept proudly past, glittering in the morning sun in all the pride and splendour of war .... A more fearful spectacle was never witnessed than by those who beheld their countrymen rushing to the arms of death. At the distance of 1200 yards the whole line of the enemy belched forth, from thirty iron mouths, a flood of smoke and flame, through which hissed the deadly balls. .... With courage too great almost for credence they were breaking their way through the columns which enveloped them, when there took place an act of atrocity without parallel in the modern warfare of civilised nations. The Russian gunners, when the storm of cavalry passed, returned to their guns,and poured murderous volleys of grape and canister on the mass of struggling men and horses. At thirty-five minutes past eleven not a British soldier, except the dead and dying, was left in front of these bloody Muscovite guns."

Eyewitness account by William Russell, The Times correspondent

[Guy Etchells]

I would not put too much stock in the accounts of the charge of the Light Brigade, apparently the casualty lists show a complely different account of the charge in that there were comparatively few dead and injured from that encounter.
There has recently been issued a history based on the evidence and participents experiences and this reveals a different account.
For example it was possible to see cannon shot coming towards you and manoeuvre out of its path due to the slow speed of such shot.
Makes you think.
Cheers
Guy

[ziksby]

You're right, of course Guy, .... "never believe anything you read in the newspapers" ... even if its The Times and its most respected Victorian correspondent, William Russell, whose readers hung on his every word. He covered many wars including The Crimean, The Indian Mutiny, American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian, the Zulu .. probably the greatest war correspondent of all time.

[Peggy]

Speaking of the Charge, I have a book which lists the participants, by regiment. There is some biographical information for some names. Not easy doing lookups; but if someone has a name, preferably accompanied by rank and regiment, AND good reason to think that the man was in the Charge, I'll give it a try.

Peggy

[revsandie]

Hi Peggy

If you are still willing to have a look, my 3 x Gt Grandfather David McInnes was in the right regiment at the right time to have been in the charge, and I'd be really interested to know if he gets a mention. He was in the 13th Light Dragoons and was either a private or a Corporal at the time - I'm not sure of the date of his promotion. The regiment has him listed as 1425 Pte David McInnes, and have confirmed that at a later date he was promoted again to Sergeant. They couldn't tell me if he was in the charge, but he was awarded the Crimean Medal with clasps for Inkermann, Balaklava, Alma and Sebastopol so he was certainly around.

Otherwise, could you tell me the name of the book and I can try and get hold of it?

Thanks

Sandie



Peggy wrote "if someone has a name, preferably accompanied by rank and regiment, AND good reason to think that the man was in the Charge, I'll give it a try. "

[Peggy]

Hi Sandie,

Found him. His name is not listed in full caps, so he was not known to have ridden in the Charge. That doesn't mean that he didn't; no one made a list at the time. He was a Private on 25 Oct 1854.

Enlisted: 17th January 1851
Promoted: Corporal
Sergeant: 1st October 1855
Medal: Crimea (A.B.I.S.). New medal granted 13th August 1856.

The clasps are for the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol. Indicate the recipient's presence at the engagement.

Peggy

[Lawrence W. Crider]

A few more details about David from my book:

☼ McInnes, Pte David, (1425), 13th LD (p225)
Bn in Barony, Glasgow [58-2-24]. Enl 01-17-51 [58-2-24]. Prior Occ: Painter [58-2-21]. Abd Monarchy 2nd Mstr & on Outpost Duty 3rd Mstr [54-2-5]. Prom to Cpl 01-01-55 [55-1-4, 5]. In Crimea all 3 Mstrs [55-2-4][55-3-4]. Prom to Sgt 10-02-55 [55-4-3, 4]. At Scut all 3 Musters [55-4-3, 4][56-1-3]. Dc 06-28-56 at Kilmainham [58-2-24]. Medal [462] w/ A [462], B [487], I [462], & S [475] Clasps. Regt no. shown as “1426” (sic)[ref Thomas Blackett][56-1-3].

[jamsieree]

Speaking of the Charge, I have a book which lists the participants, by regiment. There is some biographical information for some names. Not easy doing lookups; but if someone has a name, preferably accompanied by rank and regiment, AND good reason to think that the man was in the Charge, I'll give it a try.

Peggy

Hi Peggy, I'm not sure if you're still on here at all, but in your book do you see a Charles Lambert in the 13th Light Dragoons?

[helachau]

Hi Peggy, I'm not sure if you're still on here at all, but in your book do you see a Charles Lambert in the 13th Light Dragoons?

Had you seen this item in the Milford News, a Michigan newspaper?
https://digmichnews.cmich.edu/?a=d&d...981224-01.1.5&

See highlighted /middle page - column 3, half way down.

Another article in the Milford Times, Mar 5 1898, describes him as " ... a resident of this township ..."

[janered]

Having just found this site and seeing Peggy's offer of looking up relatives in her special book- I wonder if that is still possible.

I have a relative John Turner (b1821 Isleham Cambridgeshire)
who was a Colour Sergeant in the 11th Hussars
and I was wondering if he was in the charge of the light brigade.

On the 1851 his wife says he is a marine but not at home, but they are living in Manor St which is opposite Brompton Barracks, Gillingham.
On 1861 in Chatham.(moving to Hounslow by 1864)
On the 1871 census he is listed as a chelsea pensioner living at Militia cottage, High St, Hounslow.
On the 1881 census he is now living at 11th hussars barracks, Hounslow.

I would like to know if he was present at C of LB and was he injured, is that why he is a chelsea pensioner (as it seems quite young)?
Also does the census fit in with the 11th Hussars movements?
Also what do Colour Sergeants do?

Any help would be gratefully recieved
Thanks
jane