Ten Englishmen of the Nineteenth CenturyJoy, James Richard
History
Ten Englishmen of the Nineteenth Century
Joy, James Richard
England -- Biography
It must be premised that Lord Raglan had in the morning only
ordered Lord Lucan to move from the position he had taken near
the center redoubt to "the left of the second line of redoubts
occupied by the Turks." Seeing that the ninety-third and invalids
were cut off from the aid of the cavalry, Lord Raglan sent
another order to Lord Lucan to send his heavy horse towards
Balaklava, and that officer was executing it just as the Russian
horse came over the bridge. The heavy cavalry charge took place,
and afterwards the men dismounted on the scene of it. After an
interval of half an hour, Lord Raglan again sent an order to Lord
Lucan: "Cavalry to advance and take advantage of any opportunity
to recover the heights. They will be supported by infantry, which
has been ordered to advance upon two fronts." Lord Raglan's
reading of this order is, that the infantry had been ordered to
advance on two fronts; but no such interpretation is borne out by
the wording of the order. It does not appear either that the
infantry had received orders to advance, for the Duke of
Cambridge and Sir G. Cathcart state that they were not in receipt
of such instruction. Lord Lucan advanced his cavalry to the
ridge, close to No. 5 redoubt, and while there received from
Captain Nolan an order which is, verbatim, as follows: "Lord
Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front, follow
the enemy, and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns;
troops of horse artillery may accompany. French cavalry is on
your left. Immediate."
Lord Lucan with reluctance--gave the order to Lord Cardigan to
advance upon the guns, conceiving that his orders compelled him
to do so.....It is a maxim of war that "cavalry never act without
a support," that "infantry should be close at hand when cavalry
carry guns, as the effect is only instantaneous," and that it is
necessary to have on the flank of a line of cavalry some
squadrons in column, the attack on the flank being most
dangerous. The only support our light cavalry had was the reserve
of heavy cavalry at a great distance behind them, the infantry
and guns being far in the rear. There were no squadrons in column
at all, and there was a plain to charge over, before the enemy's
guns could be reached, of a mile and a half in length.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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