The Cause of the Charge of Balaclava — Themes and Context

ng carried off on a stretcher severely wounded. We retired about one hundred yards past his command and remained in that position watching the Artillery fire all its ammunition away. When it did finally retire, the heavy Brigade also retired. Lord Lucan had now found out that an army of Russians had manoeuvred around his cavalry pickets, and that thirty guns and ten thousand Infantry had taken up position within one and half mile of Balaclava and supplies, and opened fire on the three Turkish redoubts before his cavalry pickets were aware of it.

The Russian General could not see any troops near the three redoubts, as Lord Lucan had retired with his fifteen hundred cavalry and troop of Horse Artillery and left the poor badly armed Turks to themselves. No one had sense enough to order the Turks to fall back to the three redoubts which had not yet been armed. We had plenty of Artillery Horses (without ammunition for their guns) which could have removed the seven guns and the ammunition out of the first three redoubts into the three redoubts without guns. Had this been done we should not have lost any guns, but our victory would have been complete and the Light Brigade would not have been destroyed. The Russians had thirty guns and eight pieces of heavy calibre firing at number 1 redoubt with three guns, yet the Turks held on until the Russians stormed it with some thousands of Infantry. Kinglake says thirty guns opened upon numbers 2 and 3 redoubts and eleven battallions of Infantry stormed them; the same guns opened fire on 2 and 3 redoubts. If five hundred Turks were defending number 1 redoubt only seven hundred Turks would be in numbers 2 and 3 redoubts of two guns each. These ran away before the Russians got near them and also left their guns unspiked.

CHARGE OF THE HEAVY BRIGADE.

The British Army and the Turkish Infantry were in the south valley. The Russian General, not seeing the enemy in his front, thought he had a clear road to Balaclava Harbour. He began to advance his army toward it. He sent four strong squadrons of cavalry from near number 1 redoubt which he had just captured to reconnoitre, and they advanced toward Balaclava Harbour. Sir Colin Campbell commanding the Infantry, had taken up his position on a knoll and ordered his command to lie down, the commanding officer of the four squadrons of Russian Cavalry could not see them because of the long grass and brush. Sir Colin Campbell was between Balaclava Harbour and the Russian Cavalry. When they arrived within firing distance Sir Colin ordered his command to form a single line two deep and from that position they fired a volley into the four squadrons of Russian Cavalry advancing. It took them by such surprise that it seemed to paralyse them by the sudden shock. They all wheeled about and retired in a kind of circle back to the point from which they advanced. Their loss, however, was but slight. The British Cavalry was on the slopes of the Causeway heights in the south valley, looking on at Sir Colin Campbell, and his few Highlanders instead of assisting him with our Horse Artillery. We had a sailor’s battery near the Harbour on the hills. They fired at the Russians, but I could not see at whom. The British Frigate lying across the harbour of Balaclava also opened fire on the Russians. After this for some time everything seemed to be quiet.

Sir Colin Campbell’s command and the Turkish Infantry were ordered to take position at Kadikoe, to defend the approach to Balaclava Harbour.

The Heavy Brigade’s camp was situated between the 5th redoubt and the Vineyard on the slope of the Causeway heights in the south valley.

The camp lying in a very exposed position, Lord Lucan ordered it to be removed in great haste to the south side of the vineyard for safety.

At the same time the Light Brigade took up position at the top end of the South Valley about five hundred yards from the vineyard.

The first line consisted of the 17th Lancers on the right, the 13th Light Dragoons and the 8th Hussars completed it, and remained mounted commanded by Lord Cardigan.