Posts Tagged ‘valley of death’

Sir James Scarlett's specially modified helmet

General Sir James Scarlett was placed in command of the entire Heavy Brigade of cavalry in the Crimean campaign.  English Army of the East landed at Kalamita Bay in the Crimea in September 1854, without the Heavy Cavalry Brigade (2^nd Cavalry Brigade), which was still at Varna, awaiting transport.  Brigadier General Scarlett began landing the Heavy Brigade along the Crimean coast on 24 September 1854, and completed the landing at Balaclava on 6 October 1854.  The Heavy Brigade battle honours include The Battle of Balaclava and the Siege of Sevastopol.

On 25 October 1854, in South Valley at the Battle of Balaclava, General Scarlett led his Heavy Brigade in a charge against a strong force of Russian cavalry, and succeeded in driving them off the field.  Unfortunately, not much is heard of this charge, as it was over-shadowed by the spectacular disaster that followed it.  This was when Lord Cardigan led his Light Cavalry Brigade against massed Russian artillery and cavalry down a gauntlet of enemy fire in the North Valley.  The Heavy Brigade followed in support of the Light into the Valley of Death, but stopped midway into the valley on orders from Lord Lucan, who commanded the entire cavalry division.

General Scarlett’s own regiment was the 5^th Dragoon Guards.  The helmet of the 5^th Dragoon Guards is brass, but the front peak is straight down over the eyes, and there is a regimental badge on the front.  Scarlett was nearsighted and designed the helmet in this photograph with the front peak extended forward, no doubt to lend a better view.  He substituted long elegant black feathers for the horsehair plum.  He also seems to have redesigned the 5^th Dragoon Guards helmet plate with a full silver garter surmounted by a crown, leaving out the dragoon badge in the center.  Altogether this makes the helmet and this photograph quite unique.

Ironically, in spite of the better view afforded by his modified helmet, the near-sighted Scarlett almost missed the on-coming Russian cavalry until a staff officer politely pointed them out to him.

This artifact was photographed courtesy of the Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Museum, Burnley, Lancashire, UK, where the Scarlett collection is maintained.

I thought I’d tell the stories of two of my favorite horse heros who took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War.  The first is the horse ridden by Captain Louis Nolan, 15th Hussars, on the staff of Brigadier General Richard Airey, Deputy Quartermaster General of the British Army of the East.  The second horse is “Ronald,” who belonged to Lord Cardigan, Commander of the Light Brigade.  Both of these horses survived the charge, although hundreds of their four legged comrades did not.

I don’t know the name of Nolan’s horse, but I do know it was one fine animal.  It was a former troop horse of the 13th Light Dragoons.  When Nolan was assigned to deliver the fateful order, which, although misinterpreted, triggered the disastrous charge, it was in no small part due to his expertise as a horseman.  The order had to be delivered quickly, which meant Nolan had to ride at speed down into the valley from the heights.  A treacherous journey requiring both an accomplished rider and a superb steed.

After delivering the order telling Lord Lucan, the Cavalry Division commander, to attack “the guns,” Nolan joined his friend, Captain William Morris, Acting Commander, 17th Lancers.  Although a staff officer, Nolan was determined not to be left out of this action.  As the Light Brigade advanced, Nolan was seen to ride forward on his own.  His reasons are the subject of vast controversy and much speculation.  In any event, his audacity didn’t last long.  He was struck in the chest by a piece of shrapnel, making him one of the first casualties of the charge.

Nolan, or perhaps only his body, remained upright in the saddle.  The horse veered right, then back through the advancing line of the 13th Light Dragoons, the horse’s former regiment.  After passing through the lines, Captain Nolan finally fell to the ground, but his gallant horse was not through.  Troop Sergeant Major John Linkon of the 13th had just lost his horse.  He managed to mount Nolan’s horse and rode after his regiment.  Thus, although Captain Nolan did not complete the famous charge, his horse did.

Lieutenant-General Lord James Thomas Brudenell, the seventh Earl of Cardigan, leader of the Light Brigade, was without question brave, but not a particularly astute military leader.  He led his courageous brigade into the “valley of death,” through a veritable gauntlet of Russian canon and small arms fire.  He did this to obey a poorly considered, badly worded, and certainly misunderstood order.

Lord Cardigan was riding his cherished handsome chestnut horse, Ronald.  Ronald was lovingly brought to the valleys of the Crimea by ship all the way from Deene Park, Northhamptonshire, the Brudenell family home.

At Balaclava, on 25 October 1854, the black day of the ‘Charge,’ Lord Cardigan took Ronald straight into the teeth of the massed Russian canon.  Ronald survived the charge, as did his master, without a scratch, to return to Deene Park and live out their days with the memory of this ill-conceived, yet magnificent action.  Many of the troopers he led, and even more of their horses, were not so lucky.

Ronald's Hoof, courtesy of The Royal King's Hussars Museum - Photo from Crimean Memories: Artefacts of the Crimean War

In remembrance of this loyal and magnificent horse, one of his hooves was placed on a bronze pillow, surmounted by a small statue of Lord Cardigan riding Ronald.  This artefact can be seen at The King’s Royal Hussars Museum, Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, UK. It can also be seen in my photography book, Crimean Memories: Artefacts of the Crimean War.

There are many excellent books written about the Charge of the Light Brigade, but if you want to read a rather new release about Nolan, Cradigan, and the charge, I recommend Messenger of Death:  Captain Nolan and the Charge of the Light Brigade, by David Buttery.