New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-28
LORD RaGLANs DEFENSE.


The following lie ter jus, produced the House Of
Lords, puts quite different aspect the affair to
which it r.lsts, and exoners'es Lord Ragl.n from
the responsibility Of destro,iOg the Light Cavalry
Brigade at Bslaklsvs on Nov. u.s.
"BEFoRE SEvAsroroL, Dsc 10 1854.
"MY LORD DUKE: regret 10 be under the neces.
sity Of forwarding to your Grace the copy OF letter
which has been addressed 10 me by Lieutenant Gen.
eral the Earl of Lucsn. When received il placed
4, in the bsr DIS Of Brigaier General Arsy. the Qdr-
termsster G. neral and requested him 10 suggest 10
bis Lerdship 10 Withdraw the communication, coatif-
errg that It would not lead 10 bis advantage IN the
slieitsst degree but Lord Lucan having declined 10
take the ste recommer ted have but one course 10
pursue-bst of syipg the letter before your Grace
and submitting to you such observauons upon
il ss / am bound. in justice to myself. TO put
you in possession of Leuten sn;.G General the All
of Lucan complains that, in my oispaten TO your
Grsce of the 2sth of October | stated thai, fro n
some misconcepiiOu of the instruction 10 advance,
9Th, Lieu enan' neral considered that he was bound
so attack at ell hazrcs His ordship conceiyes
this statement 10 be grave charse snd an itnpu's-
ton rejecting seriously upon his professional ca wac
ter and be Deems il 10 be incumbent upon him TO
state the facts which he csnnot dcuo' must ce' him
from Whist be re.I ec,fully submits n altogether un.
merited He has referred TO my dispatch, ana lar
from beirg wiling 10 alter one word Of y am pre-
pared 10 declare that not only did the Lieutenant
General nisconceive the written instruction that
wss cent him. but ihs. there WAS nothing IN that lu-
st,u1,ion which called him 10 alta at al hszards
or 10 undertake the operation which leo - such
brilliant display of gsllantry on the put OF the H9as
blpcde and " happily, at the same time occasloned
such lsmenisbs Casualties in every regi ~ ut conf
posing it, In his lordships letter be Is wholly silent
with respect TO previous order ~l'n hAd been sent
him. He merely Gays that the cavairy vas totneu
10 support an Intended movement al the iufantry
That IRE yi0us order was in the fOlioE wing worcs;
THE cavalry to advance aod take ad'autsse o;
any opportunity 10 recover the high's. ihey wiz
be supported by infantry, when hss oeeu crder 0,'
TO advsr ce on so fronts. This order DID oct seem
10 IRE TO bayeAeen attended 70. aut therefore II was
that the instruction by Captain ian was ior"arced
10 iim Lord Lucan must have rea1 me nrs' orueE
with very ile ait.Itlop, tor he 20" ta1rr tn1s cn
alry was formed TO support the infantry, whereas ne
was told by Briga1ier. General Air.y that me cav
slIy was TO advsrce and take advantage OF any op;
portunity TO the nights aud ms, they wouu
be supI orted by infantry -not that they wsce 70
sunnort the infantry and little had he osght % co
as he had been directed that he bst no men IN ad'
vance of his main body, made no otemp, 10 regain
Il hights and was so little mora cd ot me position
of the ereny, that he asked Captsn nolan where
ard what he was 70 attack, neither enemv nor
gnns were ia sight This your Grace gill Observe,
IL the Lieutensnr- Generals own admission Inc re-
sut If his ina;teLon TO the hrss Greer Vas, una
never occurred 10 hi1 that the second was connected
with and a repetition of the first. Tie viewed It only
ne no.itiye order 10 stack at al hizsrds The word
s;ieck be il observed. was not msds Use OF III ueu'
elal Ai,eys note an unbnown enc ny whose poslloh'
numbers and congestion he was wholly unacql4int-
cd with snd whom, in Consequence o. 4 previous
order he Lad taken no step whatever 10 watch
undoubtedly had no Intention that he should make
such en- attsck--;heie WAS nothing IN the instruction
10 require t-snd therefore l Conceive was tdliy
usihed in stating TO Jour Grace @hii was the exact
untb-that the charge arose from the mscoocepcoh
of an order for the advance, which }rd Lucan con-
sic cred Obliged him TO atack at all hazaids "lsn
| could say, my Lord Duke, that having decliea
sgsl 8, bis conviction TO make the m)geInSnt, be dld
ali he ceulG 10 render it little percus as poseoe
This inreed il fer from being tins case In my ddg-
accompany the cavalry lie dad not bring it up. lie
was inform ed that the French cavalry vas on is LETT
He did not invite their cooperation. tie ma ihe
whole Ct the heavy cavalry al bis disposal lie men
tons having brought up only two regiments
in support snd no omls al tuose pfecau-
tiers either from Mt OF due corsidersuon or IRON
the supposi.ion that tie unseen enemy was nH
in such great force as be apprehendea, notwtnstand
inc that he WAS warned Of it by Lord Cardigan after
H. latter hs6 receyedthe order 20 attack. am much
concerned, my Lord Duke, 20 have TO submit these
obseIysiior 10 your Grace. Ientertan wish 20 dis
paroge the Earl Of Lucen ia your opinion or 10 cast
sur upon his pro al epu alton, but having been
accused by his Lordsbp OF having stated OF him what
was unueied, in my dispatch have iet obliged TO
enter into the subject, ard trouble your Grace 1t
more lere'h than could hsye wished in vncica'ion
of report 10 your ace, in which had strictly con-
fined myself to that which knew TO he true. had
il duleed in 10 observations whatever in any eX-
presions which could be viewed either ss harsh ia
any way grazing to he feelings of his Lordship
81 have. &C., "KA"LAS.
To his Grace the Duke of Newcastle"