Famously the sarcastic reply from a lazy adjutant to Lord Cardigan when he sought clarification as to which Russian battery he was to take his cavalry to attack, leading to a near-disastrous cavalry charge at full speed directly into the line of heavy fire, 150 years ago today. Total madness allied with astonishing horsemanship and courage; of such accidents of fate are legends born. It is reminiscent of simialr scenes of Polish cavalry desperately charginf Nazi panzers in 1939, although the Light Brigade were rather more successful at a terrible cost. Worth noting that the Crimean War was one of the first media wars in history - a new fangled device called the telegraph allowed the war correspondents to wire back accounts within hours. And not just tales of dashing heroism for the jingoistic masses - the horror stories of the suffering of injured soldiers and the conditions they lived in caused such outrage that parliament was forced to look into provision for the care of soldiers while Florence Nightingale was inspired to suit word to deed and went out herself to help, in the process becoming prbably the most famous nurse in history (second most famous being Major Hotlips Hoolihan in M*A*S*H*).
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.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them, Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.
The Charge of the Light Brigade, Alfred, Lord Tennyson
I wonder how many people around the globe quote - or misquote or paraphrase - some of these lines without every knowing the poem or the history behind them?
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