the charge of the light brigade took place at the british army.
the charge of the light brigade took place at the british army.
where did the charge of the light brigade take place?
british army
in this charge, cardigan formed up his unit and charged the length of the valley of the balaclava, under fire from russian batteries in the hills. the charge of the light brigade caused 278 casualties of the 700-man unit. the light brigade was memorialised in the famous poem by alfred, lord tennyson, "the charge of the light brigade". although traditionally the charge of the light brigade was looked upon as a glorious but wasted sacrifice of good men and horses, recent historians say that the charge of the light brigade did succeed in at least some of its objectives. the aim of any cavalry charge is to scatter the enemy lines and frighten the enemy off the battlefield. the charge of the light brigade so unnerved the russian cavalry, which had been routed by the heavy brigade, that the russians were set to full-scale flight.
crimean war
after the defeat, wilson was once again scornful of buller's lack of progress and of his predictions that he would be in ladysmith by 5 february. that month saw the light brigade take the hill at vaal krantz (6 february) before being withdrawn by buller the following evening. wilson recorded that buller was right as he did not have the 3:1 numerical superiority needed to storm entrenched positions, but by 20 february wilson was again expressing his frustration at buller's slowness in exploiting further recent victories. leo amery later told a malicious story of wilson had suggested gathering the brigade majors together to arrest their commanding general, although wilson in fact seems to have thought highly of lyttelton at this time. he was also highly critical of fitzroy hart ("perfect disgrace … quite mad & incapable under fire"), commanding general of the irish brigade, for attacking inniskilling hill in close order on 24 february (see battle of the tugela heights), and, on the same day, leaving the durham light infantry (part of the light brigade) exposed to attack (wilson visited the position, and they were withdrawn on 27 february after wilson lobbied lyttelton and warren), and for leaving wilson to organise a defence against a boer night attack on light brigade hq after refusing light brigade requests to post pickets. the light brigade finally took inniskilling hill on 27 february and ladysmith was relieved the following day, allowing wilson to meet his old friend rawlinson, who had been besieged there, again.
sir henry wilson, 1st baronet