Year: 1868

WIN the exception OF the first hfty-one pages the
whole of Mr. Kinglake's fourth volume is devoted 10


the battle of Balaclava and TO the who bore part
in that famous transaction In am ante room on our
way to the great ball in which the panorama of the
battle is to be unrolled two full length portraits are
| hung those of Lord Luean and Lord Cardigan. The
former commander of the whole cavalry force in
the Crimea under Lord Raglan His division oom-
prsed two brigades, the Heavy and Light, and Lord
| Cardigan was the General commanding the Light
Brigade For years the actions of these two
the subject Of a controversy which ragged all En-.
gland with great bitterness. single paragraph Is
all we quote at this moment in respect to Lord
| Lucan


"FOr general as we'll as for special reasons, Lord
Lucans command was OF an embarrassing kind but
despite the inherent difficulties Of his potondespite all
the hnderances created by himself ard the hnderances
created by others-he digent, gable
manderalways in health, always at his post alsays toll
ing to the best of his ability and maintaining high,
daunted, and bnOyant spirit under trials the most
depressing. He expended prodigfous industry upon
his duties Imay be that he not perfectly consequent
or that his measures were wrong and ined or, again.
that he unduy thwarted for certainly the result
seems to have been tha in proportion to the energy ex
erted, his mind left great trace Of its action but II
mans power of commanding could be safely inferred from
words the collection which has been made of Lord
Lucans divisional orders would be striking example OF
ygOr applied to the management OF cavalry In time OF
the heaviest trials Disling apparently every sacrifice
however temporary Of the controlling power he did
take upon himself TO lead in person any cavalry eharge
and therefore the degree in which he may have been
qualified for that very peculiar kind OF duty must Of
be subject of conjecture rather than proof bus
his cOmpOsure under heavy fire perfect that
in army where prowess evinced in that way
ceedingly general It did not escape observation YES
damn him, he's brave the comment pronounced
Lord Lucan by one of his most steady baters"
The Earl of Cardigan as the actual leader Of the
Light Cavalry charge, has far more enduring fame
than Lord Lncan. He was so keenly solicitOus Of
good renOwn that years ago he extracted from 1lr.
Kinglake promise that he would in advance Of its
publication apprse him of the scope of the Judgment
at which he should arrive. From that time almost 10
hisdeath he favored Mr. Knglake with frequent visits
| and an ample correspondence going repeatedly over
every question connected with his conduct Of the
charge. In February last the information hc desired
was given and was far from satisfying him that
he laid before Mr.. Kingake two statements in the
nature of protests against his judgment. Just be-
fore the appearance of this volume, and when the
whole Of it was in type, Lord Cardigan died. We
have heard that his death gave rise 10 pithy but
ungente criticism from the proofreader OF this book


who alone of all mOrtals knew what his lOrdshp had
escaped by dying, and who had amused his cynical
mind with the anticipation Of Lord Carliganswrath
when he should feel the full weight Of the historians
verdict in print Damn him" said the testy Scot, h0
] never dld anything at the night time' Yet we do
not think Mr. Kinglake's Judgment on the whole
| injurious to Lord Cardigans memory. Upon tho
mind of reader, who comes without bias to the PEE
rusa of this narrative, its impression seems to us
likely TO be favorable. The truth is told and some
things are said which man would rather not hear
about himself yet the net result of il al is 10 leave
Lord Cardigan the true hero, and the undisputed


leader of the Light Cavalry charge. AT the time OF
| his appointment to command be is thus described;
"He had a passionate love for the scrylcc-a fair


knowledge it believed Of so much cavalry business az


is taught by practice in England-a strong sense oi mil


ary duty-a burnng desire for the fame which awaits
heroic actons-and fnally the gift Of high courage
Lord Cardgans vaOr not at al Of tho Wild needless
kind bur the result Of strong determination Even from
his way Of riding 10 hounds it visible they say that
the bodness he eynced was that Of reSole man Win
a set purpose aud not daredevil impulse. lie boro
himself firmly in both the dues he fought and upon the
occasion which opposed him to officer against whom
he was bitterly angered, he shot his foe through the
bodys His mlnd although slnguarly barren and want
ing i'm dimensions was without force and lie mad the
valuable quality Of perslstency. He had been so eonstl
tted by nature formed by the wateia care Wiueh
is sometimes bestowed upon only sOnSas 20 nave u
habit of attending to the desires aud the Interests OF sell
with curious eYacttude The tendency OF course was
one which he shared with nearly all living crctGres and
IL WAS only from the extraordinary proportions IN WHICH
the attribute existed, and FROM the absence Of any at
tempt to mask the propensity that formed distinctive
peculiary. When engaged in the task OF Scfascfilon
or sefady ooacy adhered 20 his subject with the most
curious rgor going the least bit asray rom IT. ana
separating from all that concerned the rest OF creation
as matter altogether irrelevant and unheresting ON
ers before him may have secretly concentrated upon seh
an equal amount Of attention; but in Lord Cardigan
there was such an entire absence OF guile thar exactly as
he was so he showed himself to the world or all false
he
est in others he was as innocent horse. Among his
good qualities was love of order bat this with nm WAS


in such morbid excess that it constituted really dan
reros foie involving him from time 10 time In mischief
One OF his quarres was founded upsn the color OF Dot
tie another upon the size OF eacup In cach case VIC


,devanee was want of uniformity. To bis formulated


mind the distinction between awfuland right was lmper-
eeptibe A thousand times over 1t might DC suSgeseo


TO him that ought not 10 have been sleeping on Doaru
his yacht-a yacht with French cook on board-when
not only all the officers and under him. bat also ms
divisional chief eheerfuly bearing the hardshs
and priyatons OF camp life but thousand times over
he woud answer that he INDUCED himself thus with the
permission of Lord Raglan aud the hwfuness OF tue
practice being thus established. he never seemed 10 u
derstand that there could remain any question Of pro-
priety or taste, or right feeling.


was hardly TO be expected with confidence that on
GERS appointed to high cavalry commands without having
earned them by serving their country In the ned "ouo
all at once show themselves able TO pat sound consoc
tons upon the orders which 70 guide them 10 tho
presence Of the enemy; and the personal qualities


Lord Lcan and Cardigan not OF such kno as
70 supply in this point the Of warlke experience
WITH Lord Lucan tho danger that his fertile ana Vs
orous mind might bring HIM into some elaborate ana sun
v.rsiye process of reasoning IT, for instance VIC snouo
hear him informed that he is TO be supported by nianD
we must be prepared find him convinced that inc In