The Light Brigade were being kept in reserve, after the successful charge of
the heavy brigade, but the slow advance of the British Infantry to take
advantage of the heavy brigades success had given the Russian forces time to
take away Artillery pieces from captured redoubts. Raglan, after seeing
this ordered the light brigade "to advance rapidly to the front, follow the
enemy and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns. This message taken by
Captain Nolan, to Lord Lucan, the cavalry Commander.
One of the Officers of raglan's Staff, urged Lucan, who could only see the
main Russian Artillery Position at the head of a valley. Lord Lucan rode
over to Cardigan and ordered him to attack these guns. So the Light
Brigade charged these Russian guns, and not the guns being taken away by Russian
forces from the redoubts.
The Carnage was great, from the 673 men who started the charge, 113 men were
killed and many others wounded. The Light Brigade was made up of the 4th and
13th Light Dragoons, 8th and 11th Hussars and the 17th Lancers. A
Spectating French Officer General Pierre Bosquet proclaimed "It is
magnificent but it is not war".
