A version of this post ran on The Week : The Earl of Cardigan's sartorial legacy lives on. (Bettmann/CORBIS, Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images) March 28, 2014, is the 160th anniversary of Britain declaring war on Russia to formally start the Crimean War. The war was fought by Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire against Russia, mainly to curtail Russia's presence and ambitions in the Black Sea and Eastern Europe. It lasted until 1856, and was fought in several places, not just Crimea. But it's best remembered for just one battle, a battle that was vaunted as glorious and heroic by the side that lost it (but won the war)—and that has left us with some misquotations, three articles of clothing, and some lessons in accidental and deliberate miscommunication. Advertisement Balaclavas. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) The battle we are speaking of was the Battle of Balaclava. Balaclava (also spelled Balaklava) is a bay south of Sevastopol (its name is thought to come from words meaning "catch fish").

The battle was fought on October 25, 1854, and it was already plenty cold there at the time, so the British soldiers wore knitted pull-over head coverings. These came to be known as Balaclava helmets, and now they're just called balaclavas. They're associated more with crime than with Crimea these days. Cardigan Advertisement A noted hero of the Battle of Balaclava was James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan. British officers in the Crimean War wore knitted waistcoats (again: it was not warm there at the time), and Brudenell became quite the famous figure after the war, so the buttoned sweater vest came to be named after him. Once associated with a dashing cavalry hero, cardigans are now seen on bookworms and grandmothers. Charge of the Light Brigade Tennyson. (Bettmann/CORBIS) What was the Earl of Cardigan famous for? A suicide mission in a lost battle. He led a cavalry brigade, the Light Brigade, made up of units of dragoons, lancers, and hussars.

He was given a poorly written, badly relayed order, which was not the only time that happened during that battle; in fact, just about everything to do with the Battle of Balaclava was a showpiece of sloppy communication and misunderstanding. He was supposed to be chasing after a retreating artillery battery. Instead, the order he got was to make a frontal assault on a different artillery battery—one that was not retreating at all, and bombarded the Light Brigade quite effectively. Of some 666 men, 118 were killed, 127 were wounded, 60 were taken prisoner, and only 195 still had their horses at the end. On the other hand, the insane bravery of the charge unnerved the Russians. And the Light Brigade were immortalized by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in his poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade," which portrayed the charge as more doomed than it was, thanks to a mistaken news report. When given a correction, Tennyson refused to change his poem. Why would he? It sounded better his way.

Advertisement Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die Perhaps it’s plain justice on Tennyson that the most-quoted line from his poem is typically misquoted. You have surely heard people say "Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die" in sardonic stoicism about orders from upper management. Here is the original as Tennyson wrote it: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die Raglan Advertisement The poorly written orders that led to the misguided charge came from FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, overall commander of the British forces. He was a senior career soldier and sometime politician; he had lost his right arm at the Battle of Waterloo. It is likely because of his dis-armed state that he preferred a coat with the sleeve fabric extending to the collar rather than stopping at the shoulder. That style of sleeve came to be called a raglan sleeve, and it's usually seen on casual wear and sportswear now.

I know when I was a teenage boy in the '80s I had no idea my T-shirt had sleeves named after a war "hero" who botched his last assignment and died of dysentery before the war was over. Thin Red Line Training exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C. (DoD/Corbis) Before the charge of the Light Brigade there were two more successful maneuvers. One was the charge of the Heavy Brigade, and before that was a standing defense by the 93rd Highlanders. The Russian cavalry were charging, and the Highlanders were put in place as the first line of defense. Their commander, Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde, had a low opinion of the Russians and lined his men up across a hilltop only two soldiers deep rather than the usual four, and told them to die rather than move. William H. Russell, correspondent for The Times, jotted hastily as he watched: "The Russians dash at the Highlanders. The ground flies beneath their horses' feet; gathering speed at every stride, they dash on towards that thin red streak topped with a line of steel." The Highlanders fired as the Russians approached, inflicting damage.

But the real reason the Russians retreated was that it was so crazy to have just a thin line of soldiers there—the Russian commander figured they had to have a much larger force lurking behind them. Russell's description of a "thin red streak topped with a line of steel" came to be shortened to "thin red line," which entered popular usage as a bit of old-style sloganeering for the British army. It is echoed in "thin blue line," a term for police in American cities and the title of a documentary by Errol Morris. Advertisement Valley of death Another quote from Tennyson's poem is "Into the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred." This "valley of Death" is undoubtedly influenced by the 23rd Psalm's reference to "the valley of the shadow of death." But don't give the credit to Tennyson; the soldiers in the battle called it that. And after the battle, a photographer named Roger Fenton took a famous picture of it, the road strewn with cannon balls—how could anyone have survived that? When he put the picture on show in England, he improved the title to The Valley of the Shadow of Death. But actually, he took two photos.

In one, the road is strewn with cannon balls; in the other, the cannon balls are mostly in the ditches on the side of the road. Fairly recently, a noted documentarian examined the photos closely and determined that the one with the balls in the ditch was taken first. Fenton may have had assistants move balls onto the road because it looked better. And who was the documentarian who figured that out? Errol Morris again. So there we have it. A battle characterized at the time by sloppy orders, and afterwards by misrepresentation, has now been memorialized in misquotations and in articles of clothing that to most people carry no suggestion of the military heroism they were named after. And are we supposed to be surprised when there are errors, miscommunications, and misapprehensions involving Crimea now? More from The Week: Battle of Balaclava | Article about Battle of Balaclava by The Free Dictionary Battle of Balaclava | Article about Battle of Balaclava by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia .

Balaklava , Balaclava a small port in Ukraine, in S Crimea: scene of an inconclusive battle (1854), which included the charge of the Light Brigade, during the Crimean War Balaclava Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: Battle References in periodicals archive ? Sergeant John Howes was one of the last men who made it back alive after he charged the Russian guns in the Battle of Balaclava in October 1854. Road name honour for Crimean war hero John HEROES Z Black Watch soldiers in Helmand THIN RED LINE J Sutherland Highlanders at the Battle of Balaclava in 1854 IN THICK OF IT J In action at El Alamein.

350 years of proud military history wiped out in a stroke from a Tory pen; ARMY CASUALTIES NAMES OF FAMOUS SCOTS REGIMENTS TO BE SCRAPPED The biography of Godfrey Morgan describes how this eventual heir to the Tredegar estate was one of only two officers who survived the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava. STORIES OF OLD GIVEN A MODERN TELLING; Online biographies shed new light on the characters who made Cardiff Just three weeks after the bloody battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War, Alfred Lord Tennyson penned his famous poem The Charge of the Light Brigade, immortalizing the valor of men who carried out a brutal, blundered order, and did so with matchless bravery, riding resolutely "into the mouth of Hell. The Crimean War / Useful Notes - TV Tropes Doubles as a Crowning Moment of Awesome for the 93rd Highland Regiment. And from Russia's point of view, the defence of Sevastopol. To make this even more complicated, the siege of Stevastopol tended to be one as well.

The Allies had dug in siege lines all around Stevastopol, and the Russians tried to use their superior manpower to try and break through several times only to be defeated every time . So in a way, the entire campaign consisted of both sides Holding The Line against each other, and the campaign ended when the Russian one collapsed. Intrepid Reporter : William Howard Russell is notable in being the first reporter to ever be attached to an army; his reporting revolutionized the practice. Notably, his condemnation of the British logistical system's utter failure in comparison to the French system led to widespread reforms. Lord Error-Prone / General Failure : Both Lucan and Cardigan were and are criticized for ordering the Charge of the Light Brigade; after the event was over both of them vigorously tried to smear the other. On a larger scale, the incompetence of so many military officers in the British force eventually led to a reform leading to phasing out the practice of purchasing commissions. Not that the British had a monopoly on bad generals, however: Canrobert of the French army was nicknamed "Robert Can't" for his indecisiveness, and Prince Menshikov was downright incompetent, losing the Battle of Alma before being Kicked Upstairs .

If there was one commander who bore the ultimate responsibility for the Charge of the Light Brigade, it was the British commander Lord Raglan, who first of all appointed two Lucan and Cardigan in the first place, then issued ambiguously-worded orders, and finally ordered his notoriously hot-tempered ADC Captain Nolan to insist that they be carried out straight away. The combination of Raglan's vagueness, Lucan and Cardigan's mutual antipathy and Nolan's hot temper led to Poor Communication Kills : see below.note The entire episode has been analysed by the psychologist Norman F. Dixon as a classic example of military incompetence. The Medic : Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole on the British side, Nikolai Pirogov and Dasha Sevastopolskaya on the Russian side. Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! : The Battle of Sinop. Admiral Nakhimov burned the Turkish fleet in one sudden attack — only to cause much, much more powerful French and English forces to get involved. It didn't end well for Nakhimov himself and the whole Russian Black Sea fleet. But the victory is still celebrated in Russia.

(Of cource, this is not a failure of Nakhimov's, who was a soldier sent to the war who did his very best; it was a disastrous miscalculation of Russian diplomats and analytics who didn't believe that European powers could ever cooperate with each other, much less enter the war.) Obnoxious In-Laws : Lords Cardigan and Lucan, Britain's two primary cavalry commanders, were brothers-in-law nursing a long-held grudge against each other. This had dreadful consequences when Lord Raglan appointed Cardigan to serve under Lucan . The Plague : The British and French were scourged by cholera at their initial base in Varna. Poor Communication Kills : This is what led to the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava. To summarize: During a lull in the battle, Lord Raglan wanted the British cavalry to recover artillery captured by the Russians earlier in the day. Raglan didn't realize that due to the undulating landscape, the South Valley where he was to direct the advance wasn't visible across the entire battlefield. Raglan sent several vague orders to Lord Lucan, his cavalry commander, directing him to recover the guns.

Lucan couldn't see the South Valley from his vantage point and declined to act. He was further baffled by Raglan's comment that he would "be supported by infantry, which has been ordered to advance on two fronts;" he assumed this meant he shouldn't attack until British infantry arrived.note It's also unclear what infantry Raglan meant. The only infantry on the field was Colin Campbell's 93rd Highlanders, deployed defensively to Raglan's extreme right, and various Turkish units routed in the morning's fighting. The closest substantial infantry force was George Cathcart's division, still several miles away. However, Lucan made no effort to clarify Raglan's instructions. Not understanding Lucan's inaction, Raglan wrote the fateful fourth order, which read: "Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front, follow the enemy, and try to prevent the enemy from carrying away the guns. Troop of horse artillery may accompany. French cavalry on your left. Immediate." Note the absence of specific reference points for Lucan to follow. Raglan sent his aide, Captain Louis Nolan, to deliver the message, verbally emphasizing that Lucan must attack immediately.

Still confused by Raglan's orders, Lucan lost his temper and angrily demanded that Nolan clarify. Nolan responded by gesturing towards the North Valley, where the Russians had positioned several artillery batteries, supported by riflemen and several cavalry squadrons. Lucan passed the order to Lord Cardigan, commanding the Light Brigade. Cardigan initially disbelieved the order, sending aides to Lucan asking for different instructions. Eventually Lucan joined Cardigan and explained that he was to advance down the North Valley. Cardigan protested, but Lucan insisted it was Raglan's order , and the Charge began. As a tragic postscript, Captain Nolan rode with Cardigan and appeared to recognize his mistake as the advance began. However, he was killed by Russian artillery fire before he could alert Cardigan. Royals Who Actually Do Something : The Duke of Cambridge, Queen Victoria's cousin, commanded a British infantry division in the war's early stages. Napoleon III reportedly wanted to take personal command of French forces in the Crimea, but was talked out of it by his generals.

Silly Reason for War : The complex background of tensions over Ottoman decline and Russian expansion aside, the war's immediate cause was a dispute over access to the Church of Nativity in the Holy Land between Orthodox and Catholic clergymen. Even at the time, many expressed bafflement that such a trivial issue could trigger an international crisis, let alone a war. Small Reference Pools : Thanks to popular media, pretty much the only things most Westerners recognize from this war are Florence Nightingale and the Charge of the Light Brigade. Never mind that the Charge was only one part of the Battle of Balaclava. Or that Balaclava was a minor skirmish compared to the larger, bloodier and more important battles at the Alma and Inkerman, let alone the protracted Siege of Sevastopol. Or, for that matter, that Russia and Turkey fought major campaigns in the Balkans and the Caucasus without British or French participation. The Siege : Used in Sevastopol and Kars. The Snack Is More Interesting : Sir George Cathcart at Balaclava. Ordered to organize his infantry division as the Russians advanced, Cathcart instead told Lord Raglan's aide to sit down and have breakfast with him.

The incredulous aide refused and argued with Cathcart for half an hour until he finally mobilized his troops. Suicide, Not Accident : Widely rumored to happen to Nicolas I when he saw he couldn't win the war. Officially, he died from catching cold, but if this was the case, he made every effort to succumb to it. He also might have poisoned himself. We ARE Struggling Together : Frictions between the British, the French, the Turks, and eventually the Austrians accounted for much of the blundering. This was largely because there was no unified Allied command: Raglan, St. Arnaud and Omar Pasha operated independently, and more or less had to agree to cooperate. Weather of War : The Battle of Inkerman, fought mostly in a compounded fog and rainstorm. More generally, both sides, but especially the Allies, suffered during an extremely harsh winter. What Could Have Been : Had the war dragged on slightly longer, there was a good chance of Austria, Spain, Sweden and even the United States intervening. After Sevastopol's surrender, the main belligerents agreed to negotiate before things spun completely out of control. Xanatos Gambit : Piedmont's participation in the war.

The Piedmontese Prime Minister Count Cavour came into the war recognizing that no matter how large or small the commitment, no matter whether they won or lost, the other powers, particularly France, would owe the Kingdom a solid. A few years later, Cavour called in the favour: France must ally with the Kingdom of Piedmont against the Habsburgs and help them take Northern Italy. The ever-honorable Napoleon III couldn't refuse, though considering his relations with Russia this wasn't a terrible burden. He later called in the favour from Britain too: two Royal Navy ships covered Garibaldi's landing in the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, allowing Cavour's plan for conquering the place to start. Young Future Famous People : Garnet Wolseley and Evelyn Wood, both future British field marshals, served in the conflict, as did Richard Burton and Charles Gordon . A young Russian artilleryman named Leo Tolstoy first gained literary recognition for his memoirs, Sevastopol Sketches. Finally, the United States sent Captain George McClellan to the Crimea as a military observer.

Eduard Totleben would later take part in reducing Plevna and command the entire Russian field army in the Balkans during the Russo-Turkish War. Zerg Rush : The Russian and, to a lesser extent, Turkish militaries were infamous for this, since unlike the Western parts of the Allies they didn't need to worry about PR or running out of people. It also caused them to suffer more casualties than anyone else. Many works cover the Charge of the Light Brigade,note which isn't an example, inasmuch as a) the attack was made in error and b) the British were heavily outnumbered but the most even more catastrophic Russian attempts to "Bounce" the Western Allies out are left with Leo Tolstoy . The Crimean War in fiction: The "Sevastopol Sketches", by Leo Tolstoy , who actually fought in the siege. Tolstoy is more famous for much longer works like War and Peace . James Thomas Brudenell, seventh Earl of Cardigan (Photo: © Photos.com). From the Summer 2010 issue of MHQ The Crimean War does not figure large in modern history books.

Most people would be hard-pressed to name its dates (1853–1856) or its combatants (the Ottoman Empire, England, and France vs. Russia). Although largely eclipsed by more momentous events, this conflict left an interesting linguistic legacy. Already called the sick man of Europe as early as 1621, the powerful Ottoman Empire was in disarray by the mid-19th century. It had lost Hungary and Greece, and was beset by internal troubles. In 1853 Tsar Nicholas I of Russia said, “We have on our hands a sick man—a very sick man,” and he hinted that it was time for the British to partition the empire. Within months, a dispute arose between Russia and France concerning control over the holy places in Palestine, and it soon escalated into a major dispute with the empire. Russia sent troops to occupy the Turkish states of Moldavia and Wallachia, whereupon Constantinople declared war on Russia. England and France soon joined the Ottomans.

The most memorable battle of the war was at Balaclava, on October 25, 1854, and it gave rise to two British legends, one highlighting honor, the other incompetence. According to one eyewitness account, a large Russian force had advanced on the Allies at the entrance of Balaclava (a Black Sea port now part of Ukraine). Heavy artillery fire prepared the way for Russian cavalry, and the Ottomans retreated rapidly, fleeing for the port. This left 550 men of the 93rd Highlanders to stand between the Russian army and Balaclava. The Scots were face-down in a line two men deep on the far slope of the hillside. To the Russians, the hill appeared unoccupied as they advanced. Suddenly the Scots in their red coats sprang up. They had been told there was no possibility of retreat and so they held their ground. As the cavalry halted, the thin red line loosed a volley of deadly musket fire. The Russians wavered, and after two more Scottish volleys, they withdrew. The Highlanders’ victory was commemorated in their regimental magazine, later called the Thin Red Line. Another engagement that same day had a quite different outcome.

Owing to an alleged error in orders, a light cavalry brigade of 670 commanded by James Thomas Brudenell, seventh Earl of Cardigan, was ordered to charge a Russian position protected by 15,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, and 10 cannons. To reach them, the Light Brigade had to ride down a ravine between two hills, each guarded by another 10 guns. The brigade descended, only to find that the cavalry’s Heavy Brigade had not followed in support, and worse yet, the British were cut off in the rear. The cost was immense, with two-thirds of the British killed or wounded. Although Cardigan had long been considered an incompetent officer, the event was immortalized by poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who in “The Charge of the Light Brigade” emphasized the troops’ gallantry: “Theirs not to make reply, / Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die: / Into the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred.” The names of two items of clothing came from that battle and remain in use. Ill equipped for the harsh winter climate, the troops adopted all sorts of clothing to keep warm.

One was the balaclava, a knitted wool cap that covers the head and neck, leaving an opening only for the face. For a time the name also referred to a full beard such as worn by Crimean troops, but that usage did not survive. The other item is the cardigan, a collarless sweater that buttons down the front. It was favored and popularized by the same Earl of Cardigan responsible for the ill-fated Light Brigade charge. Soldiers wore it under their tunics for additional warmth, and Queen Victoria allegedly praised it. Another Crimean officer whose name became attached to a clothing style was Fitzroy James Henry Somerset, first Baron of Raglan (1788–1855). He had served under Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, and lost an arm at Waterloo. He also distinguished himself during the Crimean War, before he died of cholera. Because of his handicap, Raglan favored a capelike overcoat with sleeves extending to the neck (rather than the shoulder), and it came to be called raglan. The coat itself is no longer in fashion, but the sleeve style, called raglan sleeve, is still used for coats, sweaters, and dresses.

Christine Ammer is the author of several dozen wordbooks, including The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms (2001). Florence Nightingale: War Correspondents War Correspondents in the Crimean SIR WILLIAM HOWARD RUSSELL (1821-1907) William Russell was born at Lilyvale, near Tallaght, in the county of Dublin, on the 28th of March 1821, being one of the Russells of Limerick, whose settlement in Ireland dates from the time of Richard II. Raised by a Protestant father and Catholic mother in Ireland, Russell's family moved to Liverpool, England while he was still a child. He entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1838. Three years later a relative, Mr R. W. Russell , who had been sent to Ireland by the Times, deputed him to report the Irish elections at Lomgford, and his success turned William Russell's attention to journalism. Coming to London in 1842, Russell went to Cambridge, but left before taking a degree.

In the following year he was sent by the Times to Ireland to report the O'Connell meetings, and became their special correspondent on Denmark in the war of 1849-50. He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1851. The Crimean War was carried on chiefly in the Crimea, on the part of Turkey aided by Britain and France, in which Sardinia eventually joined them, against the encroachments of Russia in the east and which was proclaimed against Russia on March 24, 1854. Initially sent by John Delane, the editor of the Times, to Malta to cover English support for Russia in 1854, Russell despised the term "war correspondent" -- though his coverage of the conflict brought him international renown. He was described by one of the soldiers on the frontlines thus, "a vulgar low Irishman, who sings a good song, drinks anyone's brandy and water and smokes as many cigars as a Jolly Good Fellow.

He is just the sort of chap to get information, particularly out of youngsters." This reputation however, led to Russell being blacklisted some circles, including British commander Lord Raglan, who advised his officers to refuse to speak with the reporter. On the outbreak of the war Russell went out as special correspondent, and, accompanying the light division to Gallipoli, proceeded with the first detachment to Varna. On the embarkation for the Crimea he was attached to the second division, and landed with it on the 14th of September. On September 20, 1854, Russell covered the battle above the Alma River - writing his missive the following day in an account book seized from a Russian corpse. The story, written in the form of a letter to Delane, was supportive of the British troops though paid particular note to the battlefield surgeons' "humane barbarity," and the lack of ambulance care for wounded troops.

He later covered the Siege Of Sebastopol where he coined the contemporary phrase "thin red line" in referring to British troops, writing that "The Russians dash on towards that thin red streak topped with a line of steel..." Russell was also at Balaclava on the morning of 25th of October 1854 -- forever remembered as The Charge of the Light Brigade. The battle took place on the morning of October 25, 1854. The first news to reach the British public came in the Times on November 4, via a Foreign Office telegram, but would have remained just one military disaster among many, were it not for the vivid descriptive power of Russell's letter, dispatched on October 26. It took almost 20 days to reach London and was published in on November 14. It was this description of the battle that inspired Alfred Lord Tennyson to compose his �Charge of the Light Brigade,� published in a collection called Maud And Other Poems in 1855. Russell's reports of the plight of the soldiers and his criticism of the medical facilities undoubtedly contributed to Florence Nightingale's determination to help.

However, it was a report of the conditions at the military hospital at Scutari by Russell's colleague, Thomas Chenery, that proved the catalyst. Chenery wrote from Constantinople on September 30, 1854, the report appearing in the paper on October 12. In direct response, Sir Robert Peel, son of the former Prime Minister, sent the editor of the Times a cheque for �200 to start a fund for supplying comforts to the sick and wounded -- what was to become the Times Crimea Fund. Money poured in from all over Britain. On the October 13, Chenery again commented upon the excellent nursing work being done for the French by The Sisters of Charity and on the 14th a correspondent to the paper was asking "Why have we no Sisters of Charity?." It would be wrong to claim that the decision of Florence Nightingale to assemble her team of nurses was a direct result of Chenery's exposures (approaches had already been made by Lady Maria Forester to Nightingale offering to pay for a nursing expedition), but there is little doubt that Chenery's and Russell's reports contributed to it.

By October 21 she had assembled her first staff of 38 nurses, of whom 18 were nuns. In the meantime, the Times Crimea Fund had amassed almost �7,000 and John C. MacDonald, engineer and later manager of the Times, was chosen to act as its almoner. Another Times colleague, Henry Reeve, was a friend of the Nightingale family and interceded with the editor, Delane, on behalf of the nurses. MacDonald was instructed to co-operate with Florence Nightingale and they sailed on the same ship from Marseilles. On her arrival at Scutari, Nightingale embarked on radical changes to the medical arrangements. The public funds were hedged with bureaucratic procedures, and she had to meet costs partly from her own funds and partly through donations made by MacDonald from the Times fund. She and MacDonald evolved a close working relationship, and the fund became a powerful weapon against official incompetence. As a result the newspaper was subjected to a campaign of vilification from elements in the establishment, who either denied that things were as bad as reported or imputed base motives for the paper's involvement.

MacDonald filed a detailed report on the Sick and Wounded Fund and the condition of the hospitals at Scutari, which was published on February 3. This pre-empted the plan to wind up the fund. Instead a renewed appeal was made which brought in �8,000 in just four days. MacDonald was subsequently replaced by William Stowe as almoner of the fund. Stowe, a literary critic on the newspaper, arrived in the Crimea in the spring of 1855. Towards the end of May 1855 Russell left the Balaclava camp to accompany the expedition to Kertch, and Stowe came from Scutari to take his place. Shortly after his arrival Stowe contracted cholera. As a civilian he was refused admission to the military hospital, and died on June 22 age 30 years. The Times of July 6 published a eulogy of his work in the Crimea as well as an indignant protest at his treatment: The event has led to a determination in which we hope to have the concurrence of our supporters.

We shall not send out another friend, another valuable life, to a service in which, among other dangers, British inhumanity is to be encountered. Whoever goes out to administer our Fund must expect that, in the event of his sickening in the crown -- and almost everybody there does sicken at one time or another, till he is acclimated -- he will be excluded from the hospitals where he is sent to minister, and deprived of the medical aid which he has, perhaps, assisted with the most needful supplies. Another Times journalist, Frederick Hardman finished the work undertaken by MacDonald and Stowe. By this time the hospitals were well equipped, and little remained beyond supplying reading matter for the convalescents and supervising the "Inkerman Café" which the Times had established, with the collaboration of Florence Nightingale, between the two main hospitals at Scutari. Russell was at the fall of Sebastopol, on Sepember 8, 1855, represented the beginning of the end for the Russian forces. The Treaty of peace was signed in Paris, in March 1856.

Through its uncompromising reporting of the events in the Crimea the Times gained the respect of the public and achieved a standing never before reached by a newspaper. This did not come without cost. A significant section of the establishment accused the newspaper of providing information and encouragement to the enemy by publishing reports of the strength, situation and condition of the Army. Closer to home, the paper also lost one of its best journalists in William Stowe. Russell finally left The Crimea in December 1855. However, if he had not set out to shock the conscience of the nation there would have been no Times Fund, no mission of Florence Nightingale, no reform of the military commissariat, no shake-up of the political establishment, and no reinforcements on the scale eventually sent. The resultant condition of the Army would have left it in no state to pursue the war to its successful conclusion. His dispatches were hugely significant: for the first time the public could read about the reality of warfare.

Shocked and outraged, the public's backlash from his reports led the Government to re-evaluate the treatment of troops and led to Florence Nightingale's involvement in revolutionising battlefield treatment The popularity of the Times Crimea correspondence led to its republication in two volumes under the title of The War, 1855-56. In 1895 Russell published a personal retrospect entitled The Great War with Russia. Russell's letters to the Times were mainly responsible for the enlightenment of the public at home as to the conduct of affairs at the scene of action, and his exposure of the mismanagement during the winter of 1854 did more than anything else to cause the downfall of Lord Aberdeen's ministry. Russell was knighted in May 1895, and was the recipient of numerous war medals and various foreign orders. He married twice, first in 1846 to Mary Burrowes, who died in 1867, and secondly in 1884 the Countess A. Malvezzi. He died on the 11th of February 1907.

-- John Roberts A CLARIFICATION ON RUSSELL'S ROLE Among some common misunderstandings about the Crimean War and Miss Florence Nightingale is the one about William Howard Russell and the Times of London newspaper. It is said that Russell was the "first" war correspondent and that his story in the Times caused the public and private uproar over the lack of medical attention paid Crimean War troops. This is almost true but distorted; the truth is: The telegraph had been invented but lines not laid. The British military laid a line from the Crimean across the Black Sea to the Eastern shore where the war started but that was all. There were sailing ships and steam ships. The fastest trip for news was a fortnight or two weeks. The Times manager Mowbray Morris wrote to his correspondent in Constantinople, Thomas Chenery, how excited he was at the thought of assigning a writer to cover the British and French siege of the Fort of Sebastopol. The Times editor John Delane was given the job of finding reporters to go "to the front." Delane himself went to the Crimea and witnessed the British Armys� problems in person. Some reports are by Delane himself.

It is William Howard Russell who Delane assigned to accompany the British Army to Malta, then on to the Eastern shore of Russia and finally to the Crimea and Sebastopol. But it is the stories of Thomas Chenery, the Times' Constantinople reporter, that awoke the British to the problems at the Barrack Hospital. In a dispatch published October 12, 1854, Chenery wrote: ...it is with feelings of surprise and anger that the public will learn that no sufficient medical preparations have been made for the proper care of the wounded. Not only are there not sufficient surgeons--that, it might be urged, was unavoidable--not only are there no dressers and nurses--that might be a defect of system for which no one is to blame--but what will be said when it is known that there is not even linen to make bandages for the wounded? The greatest commiseration prevails for the suffering of the unhappy inmates of Scutari, and every family is giving sheets and old garments to supply their want. But, why could not this clearly foreseen event have been supplied?...It rests with the Government to make enquiries into the conduct of those who must have so greatly neglected their duty...

The Times supported the article with an appeal for a charity to come to the rescue. The next day, October 13, 1854, the Times ran another dispatch from Chenery which is often mistakenly credited to Russell: The worn-out pensioners who were brought out as an ambulance corps are totally useless, and not only are surgeons not to be had, but there are no dressers or nurses to carry out the surgeon�s directions and to attend on the sick during intervals between his visits. Here the French are greatly our superiors. Their medical arrangements are extremely good, their surgeons more numerous, and they have also the help of the Sisters of Charity, who have accompanied the expedition in incredible numbers. These devoted women are excellent nurses. These dispatches printed in the Times of London created the next historic chain of events. The next day the Times carried a letter signed "A Sufferer by the Present War," who asked, "Why have we no sisters of charity?" and added, "There are numbers of able-bodied and tender-hearted English women who would joyfully and with alacrity go out to devote themselves to nursing the sick and wounded." Later the same day Miss Nightingale wrote to her friend Mrs.

Sidney Herbert (Liz), wife of the Secretary for War, or at war according to who you read, whose job it was to supervise hospitals for the Army, saying "I do not mean to say I believe the Times accounts but I do believe that we may be of use to the wounded wretches," and setting out a scheme for a private nursing corps. Liz Herberts� husband, Sidney Herbert, had written at the same time a letter to Miss Nightingale asking her to do such a thing...and the letters crossed in the mail! -- Joe McDonald Victorian Wars Forum • View topic - Role of the 93rd Highlanders @ Balaclava: the Thin Red Line Role of the 93rd Highlanders @ Balaclava: the Thin Red Line Role of the 93rd Highlanders @ Balaclava: the Thin Red Line by clansman » 27 Jan 2009 19:55 I believe the stand by the 93rd Highlanders against the Russian cavalry was somewhat unusual, not because of the bravery involved, but because the square was normally used as a defence.

Joined: 27 Jan 2009 17:06 Location: Scottish Highlands Re: Thin Red Line by Dewey » 05 Feb 2009 04:15 I am new here and am a Canadian, my mother's family are McCallums and are originally from Argyllshire. I am curious as to any books or other materials where I can learn more about this battle, as I understand that her/my ancestors served in the 93rd. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks. by Liz » 05 Feb 2009 08:15 Hi Clansman & Dewey When threatened by cavalary, infantry caught in the open would normally form a defensive square. HOWEVER, if you were under artillery fire, you faced an evil choice: to form a square (making you an easy mark for the artillery) or to stay in line (making you an easy mark for the cavalry). In Sir Colin Campbell's case the decision was relatively straightforward - they were under artillery fire and they had the terrain in their favour.

Here's a summary of the situation from Cecil Woodham-Smith's Book The Reason Why: A behind-the-scenes account of the charge of the Light Brigade. I haven't read her book in its entirety YET but it has some fascinating passages including the following passage on the 'thin red line'. This passage appears on p219 and 220 of the 1978 edition. Cheers, Liz The Russians had now advanced far enough to bring Sir Colin Campbell's force within range of their guns, and they opened fire with considerable effect. Sir Colin had drawn up his force on a hillock at the entrance to the gorge leading to Balaclava, and he ordered his men to lay on their faces in a line two deep on the far slope. Lying helpless under artillery fire is notoriously a strain, and at this moment the four [Russian] squadrons came into view, bearing rapidly down from the Causeway Heights, while behind them, just becoming visible, was the main body of the Russian cavalry. The sight was once more too much for the Turks; they leapt to their feet and officers and men fled for the port, again crying "Ship! Ship!

Ship!" As they passed the camp of the 93rd a soldier's wife rushed out and fell upon them, belabouring them with a stick, kicking them, cursing them for cowards, pulling their hair and boxing their ears, and so pursued them down to the harbour. Five hundred and thirty men of the 93rd and 100 invalids were now left to stand between the Russian Army and Balaclava, and Sir Colin rode down the line telling them, "Men, remember there is no retreat from here. You must die where you stand." To the Russian cavalry as they came on, the hillock appeared unoccupied, when suddenly, as if out of the earth, there sprang up a line two deep of Highlanders in red coats - the line immortalised in British history as 'the thin red line'. Every man in that line expected to be killed and, determined to sell his life as dearly as possible, faced the enemy with stern steadiness. The Russians were taken aback. Their intelligence service was quite as inadequate as the British; they had no idea of the strength and disposition of the British troops and they suspected once more that they had fallen into an ambush.

Indeed, the gorge ahead would have been perfect for that purpose had the idea of an ambush ever occurred to the British command. The Russian cavalry checked, halted, and from the thin red line came a volley of the deadly musket-fire, every bullet aimed, which formation in line made possible. The Russians wavered, steadied, advanced, and a second volley was fired. Once more the Russians wavered, and such was the eagerness of the 93rd that there was a movement forward: the men wanted to dash out and engage the cavalry hand to hand, and Sir Colin Campbell was heard shouting sternly "Ninety-third! Ninety-third! Damn all that eagerness." The British line steadied, a third volley was fired, and the Russians wheeled and withdrew in the direction of the main body of their cavalry. The Highlanders burst into hurrahs. Balaclava, for the moment, was saved. by clansman » 05 Feb 2009 19:54 Hi Dewey. Welcome to the forum. As I have already posted on the books thread, there is an excellent account of the Crimean War by Julian Spilsbury.

It gives an account of all the regiments involved, including the 93rd. There is also a lot of information on Google, including the regimental museum in Stirling Castle. I have a great interest in both the 91st and 93rd, who merged to become the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, now part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. I served twelve years with them. Good luck with your search. Re: Thin Red Line by Liz » 08 Feb 2009 00:55 There were indeed batteries manned by the Royal Marines on the heights above Balaclava harbour. They were oriented to the north-east whereas the 93rd faced north... for more info on the key troop locations/movements and terrain, see the maps in Trevor Royle's book Crimea. The history of cavalry vs infantry is a little more complex. At Waterloo, for example, there were examples of infantry lines and squares on both sides being broken by cavalry. I seem to recall that the 69th Regiment's colours were lost after the French cavalry broke the British infantry square?

I should also mention that, while some British troops in the Crimea still carried muskets, Woodham-Smith's description of musket-fire is misleading. The 93rd were armed with the far more accurate Minie rifles, hence their capacity to fire their first volley and reload 2 more times in the face of the cavalry. Joined: 21 Jun 2008 01:53 Location: Australia Re: Thin Red Line by clansman » 08 Feb 2009 17:59 Alluding to the Marine artilery batteries, which I don't think fired a shot in support, and the fact that they had just been issued with the new Minie rifle which admittedly was more accurate and efficient, should not detract from the enormous credit due the 93rd for their courage, discipline and steadfastness in the face of the Russian cavalry, who were by no means "average". The fact that the Turks who were supposedly guarding the flanks broke and ran only enhances the reputation of the Highlanders.

by Eric CL » 08 Feb 2009 19:12 clansman wrote: , should not detract from the enormous credit due the 93rd for their courage, discipline and steadfastness in the face of the Russian cavalry, who were by no means "average". I totally agree with you on this, my point was just to remind that the Highlanders were not totally alone to face the Russians. Here is the quote from Sir Colin Campbell's despatch, dated "Balaklava, Oct. 27." : During this period our batteries on the hills, manned by the Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal Marines, made most excellent practice on the enemy’s cavalry, which came over the hill ground in front. Eric Joined: 06 Feb 2009 21:15 Location: FRANCE Re: Thin Red Line by clansman » 08 Feb 2009 21:42 I don't know how effective the artillery fire was but it certainly didn't stop the cavalry charge. Thanks for that anyway, Eric. I hadn't heard of that account.

An interesting postscript to that scenario was that an officer wrote home saying that some of the Turkish casualties were caused by the angry Highlanders firing at them as they ran. Some of them ran through the Highlanders' camp in which case one of the wives went after them with a heavy stick, no doubt uttering a few choice words as she did so! Joined: 27 Jan 2009 17:06 Location: Scottish Highlands Re: Thin Red Line by kodger » 25 Apr 2009 01:58 I recommend Mark Adkin's description of this incident in his book The Charge (1996, pp. 103-4) for a more level-headed view of what occurred. He concludes (p. 104): ' It was all over in five minutes. Six hundred and fifty British infantry , supported by artillery and a few hundred Turks (not all fled), had seen off less than half their number of Russian cavalry without suffering a single casualty.

No charge was pressed home on the Highlanders' position, their fire had inflicted minimal loss but the Russian hussars had no stomach for a serious fight.' Re: Role of the 93rd Highlanders @ Balaclava: the Thin Red L by balaklava » 17 May 2010 15:10 Greetings. I read somewhere recently (Spillsbury ? Wonderful new book !) that a Russian cavalry officer ran into some of the 93rds officers when they were viewing one of the Crimean villages (?) after the conflict was over. The Russian officer was recovering from a severe leg wound, noticing the Highlanders garb asked, "were you among the British force at Balaklava on Oct 25th?". Their response was in the affirmative and the Russian fellow went on to say that many casualties could be counted in the cavarly squadrons after the foray, as wounded horses carried their riders until later halted and wounded Russian cavalrymen clung to their mounts until back in the rear of the Russian line. I don't think I have ever seen Russian cavalry figures form this charge, wondering if the number was indeed great.

I haven't read where the field was littered with Russian cavalry casualties, hence some validity of the horses carrying off their wounded riders .... ? Cheers, Johnnie, 93rd Highlanders, Reenactors 1812-1858 period. by Swordswoman » 10 Nov 2010 00:29 Greetings all, I'm researching this subject too, and would be especially glad to hear of any eyewitness accounts by soldiers of the 93rd at either Alma or Balaclava. If you're still looking, Dewey, the books I've found most useful on the 93rd in the Crimea are: The obvious secondary works, eg Spillsbury and Royle as mentioned below, but also Christopher Hibbert's 'The Destruction of Lord Raglan'. These are great books, but they're all based on the same primary source material, most of which can be found in: William Howard Russell 'The British Expedition to the Crimea'. As the Times correspondent he was an eyewitness to Balaclava, and of course it was he who coined the phrase 'thin red streak tipped with a line of steel'.

Kinglake's 'The Invasion of the Crimea' Vol 5 (Balaclava). This is the most detailed eyewitness account we have, though allowance has to be made for Kinglake's desire to absolve Raglan from all criticism and blame everything on the foreigners - ie the Turks and the French. This is where we get most of our Campbell quotations from, eg the 'You must die where you stand' speech. Kinglake's 'The Invasion of the Crimea' Vol 3 (Alma). This has a great description of the 93rd which goes a long way to explain Campbell's faith in it, and especially his famous '93rd, 93rd, damn all that eagerness' during the action of the Thin Red Line. Kinglake says: 'The 93rd in the Crimea was never quite like other regiments, for it chanced that it had received into its ranks a large proportion of those men of eager spirit who had petitioned to be exchanged from regiments left at home to regiments engaged in the war.

The exceeding fire and vehemence, and the ever-ready energies of the battalion, made it an instrument of great might if only it could be duly held in, but gave it a tendency to be headlong in its desire to hurl itself upon the enemy.' The account of the Alma is worth reading for Campbell alone, especially his great 'Now, men, you are going into action' speech - and also his riposte to the officer who suggested the First Division should withdraw rather than risk destruction in the disaster at the Redoubt - 'It is better, sir, that every man of Her Majesty's Guards should lie dead upon the field than that they should now turn their backs upon the enemy.' 'Letters From the Army in the Crimea' by Lt Col Sir Anthony Coningham Sterling (staff officer, 93rd Highlanders). This is dry, formal reading, but does include all Campbell's dispatches, as well as this crucial 'Order' from Raglan a few days after Balaclava: '...he has great pleasure in publishing to the army the brilliant manner in which the 93rd Highlanders under his (Campbell's) able directions, repulsed the enemy's cavalry.

The Major-General (Campbell) had such confidence in this distinguished regiment that he was satisfied that it should receive the charge in line, and the result proved that his confidence was not misplaced.' So going back to the original question - Raglan's line (echoed in Kinglake) does indeed suggest as Clansman says, that the square would have been more usual in the circumstances, but that Campbell knew his men could hold in this frail formation. This is supported by Russell's account, where he mentions the fact 'that the 93rd never altered their formation to receive this attack. "No," said Sir Colin Campbell. 'I did not think it worthwhile to form them even four deep!' Even so, Liz is quite right that the 93rd were also under artillery fire as Campbell's own dispatch makes clear - 'roundshot and shell began to make some casualties among the 93rd and the Turkish battalions, I made them retire a few paces behind the crest of the hill.' That in itself is a good enough reason for the 'line', which is indeed the deployment Campbell used at the Alma. For the sake of completeness, the Marine Battery wasn't the 93rd's only support.

Campbell himself refers to '100 invalids' from the sick at Balaclava under the leadership of 'Lt-Col Daveney' who took their place in the line, and Sterling also says: 'two boys of the Guards, Hamilton and Verschoyle by name, who were quartered in Balaclava with thirty or forty of their men, came of their own accord, without any order, and formed up with the 93rd, showing themselves thorough-bred and the right men in the right place.' Kinglake also says that not all the Turks did run from the line, and reminds us that even those who did had already fought a long hard battle of their own, holding the redoubts for over an hour against an overwhelmingly superior force - totally unsupported by their British allies. None of this, in my opinion, detracts in the slightest from the heroism of the 93rd or the greatness of that particular action. Apologies for such a long post (especially for my first!) but the Thin Red Line appears in my next book and I'm desperate to get it right. I'd be very grateful for any other sources anyone can point me at on the same subject.

Louise PS Johnny - You do reenactment!! The only 93rd reenactors I've traced so far are in the US - you're not by any chance somewhere more reachable, like the UK for instance? ETA - Oh, sorry - I've just seen your location is Maryland. Shame... Re: Role of the 93rd Highlanders @ Balaclava: the Thin Red L by balaklava » 12 Nov 2010 15:57 Greetings, Louise. See the Reenacting page here on the Forum. Look at no. 5 or 6 post for Battle of Alma from Daniel, there were links for the many photos posted. They put on a great event it seems. We have nothing like this happening in the USA that I am aware of. I am incredibly jealous !!!! Please obtain a copy of Surgeon Monros narrative on his time with the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders during the Crimean War and at the Indian Mutiny. He has an interesting take on events from the medical perspective. perhaps 10 USD, not very expensive.

To enhance my impressions from the time period my next project should be reproducing the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders flags, the Union & regimental colours. This will take a year I wager. Very best to you in your writing endeavors Sir. Cheers, Johnnie, 93rd Highlanders, reenacting the 1854-57 period. by Swordswoman » 12 Nov 2010 17:36 Hi, Johnnie, and thanks so much for the response. I've actually just got Munro's book, and you're right, it looks excellent - with some lovely human detail. I've also taken pot-luck on a general history, James Cromb on 'The Highland Brigade', but I don't know how much (if any) primary source material that will have. The book I really, really want, of course, is Brig-Gen A.E.J. Cavendish's regimental history, but this is horribly rare. There's a copy on Amazon for over £1,000 and the cheapest is at Abebooks for £480. I do hope somebody digitizes it soon and uploads it to Guthenberg or similar!

Good luck with the flags. You're right, that will be a monumental task. But do let us know the next time you're staging a Crimean reenactment - I may just have to hop on a plane. Many thanks again, Louise PS Do you know, by any chance, the origin of the quotation that appears on a number of 93rd Highlander sites of Campbell being asked about the 'square' issue and saying specifically 'I knew the 93rd and did not think it worth the trouble of forming a square'? It's in the Argyll's History, but I can't trace this to a primary source anywhere. It may just be a reworking of Kinglake's quote above, but it may come from someone who actually heard it, which would be wonderful. Battle of Balaclava - definition of Battle of Balaclava by The Free Dictionary Battle of Balaclava - definition of Battle of Balaclava by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . bal·a·cla·va (băl′ə-klä′və) n.

A knitted cap covering the head and neck with an opening for the eyes or face, used as cold-weather gear especially by soldiers, mountain climbers, and skiers. [After Balaklava.] Balaclava helmet n (Clothing & Fashion) (often not capitals) a close-fitting woollen hood that covers the ears and neck, as originally worn by soldiers in the Crimean War [C19: named after Balaklava] a knitted cap that covers the head, neck, and upper shoulders. [1880–85; after Balaklava ] Noun 1.

balaclava - a cap that is close-fitting and woolen and covers all of the head but the face [ˌbæləˈklɑːvə] N (also balaclava helmet) → pasamontañas m inv balaclava [ˌbæləˈklɑːvə] n (= hat) → passe-montagne m; (child's) → cagoule f Balaclava n (also Balaclava helmet) → Kapuzenmütze f balaclava [ˌbæləˈklɑːvə] n (also balaclava helmet) → passamontagna m inv Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: ski mask References in periodicals archive ? They earned their nickname, The Thin Red Line, for their courage at the battle of Balaclava in the Crimea in 1854.

Fencing: Sport with a long history Relatives of those who fought in the battle and of those who were in command on the fateful day including the ancestors of Lord Cardigan were at yesterday's service which took place at the monument which remembers those who died at the Battle of Balaclava. Duke pays homage to the valiant 600 One shows the Battle of Hyderabad in 1843, where our brave lads put down an Indian uprising, and a second depicts the Battle of Balaclava, immortalised by the mad Charge of the Light Brigade. The fascinating linguistic legacy of the Crimean War The fascinating linguistic legacy of the Crimean War The Earl of Cardigan's sartorial legacy lives on. (Bettmann/CORBIS, Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images) March 26, 2014 10 things you need to know today Today's best articles The week's best photojournalism Daily business briefing March 28, 2014, is the 160th anniversary of Britain declaring war on Russia to formally start the Crimean War.

The war was fought by Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire against Russia, mainly to curtail Russia's presence and ambitions in the Black Sea and Eastern Europe. It lasted until 1856, and was fought in several places, not just Crimea. But it's best remembered for just one battle, a battle that was vaunted as glorious and heroic by the side that lost it (but won the war) — and that has left us with some misquotations, three articles of clothing, and some lessons in accidental and deliberate miscommunication. Here is your pocket guide to what we owe to that battle. Balaclava (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) The battle we are speaking of was the Battle of Balaclava. Balaclava (also spelled Balaklava) is a bay south of Sevastopol (its name is thought to come from words meaning "catch fish"). The battle was fought on October 25, 1854, and it was already plenty cold there at the time, so the British soldiers wore knitted pull-over head coverings. These came to be known as Balaclava helmets, and now they're just called balaclavas.

They're associated more with crime than with Crimea these days. Cardigan A noted hero of the Battle of Balaclava was James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan. British officers in the Crimean War wore knitted waistcoats (again: it was not warm there at the time), and Brudenell became quite the famous figure after the war, so the buttoned sweater vest came to be named after him. Once associated with a dashing cavalry hero, cardigans are now seen on bookworms and grandmothers. Charge of the Light Brigade Tennyson | (Bettmann/CORBIS) What was the Earl of Cardigan famous for? A suicide mission in a lost battle. He led a cavalry brigade, the Light Brigade, made up of units of dragoons, lancers, and hussars. He was given a poorly written, badly relayed order, which was not the only time that happened during that battle; in fact, just about everything to do with the Battle of Balaclava was a showpiece of sloppy communication and misunderstanding. He was supposed to be chasing after a retreating artillery battery.

Instead, the order he got was to make a frontal assault on a different artillery battery — one that was not retreating at all, and bombarded the Light Brigade quite effectively. Of some 666 men, 118 were killed, 127 were wounded, 60 were taken prisoner, and only 195 still had their horses at the end. On the other hand, the insane bravery of the charge unnerved the Russians. And the Light Brigade were immortalized by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in his poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade," which portrayed the charge as more doomed than it was, thanks to a mistaken news report. When given a correction, Tennyson refused to change his poem. Why would he? It sounded better his way. Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die Perhaps it’s plain justice on Tennyson that the most-quoted line from his poem is typically misquoted. You have surely heard people say "Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die" in sardonic stoicism about orders from upper management.

Here is the original as Tennyson wrote it: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die Raglan The poorly written orders that led to the misguided charge came from FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, overall commander of the British forces. He was a senior career soldier and sometime politician; he had lost his right arm at the Battle of Waterloo. It is likely because of his dis-armed state that he preferred a coat with the sleeve fabric extending to the collar rather than stopping at the shoulder. That style of sleeve came to be called a raglan sleeve, and it's usually seen on casual wear and sportswear now. I know when I was a teenage boy in the '80s I had no idea my T-shirt had sleeves named after a war "hero" who botched his last assignment and died of dysentery before the war was over. Thin Red Line Training exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C. | (DoD/Corbis) Before the charge of the Light Brigade there were two more successful maneuvers. One was the charge of the Heavy Brigade, and before that was a standing defense by the 93rd Highlanders.

The Russian cavalry were charging, and the Highlanders were put in place as the first line of defense. Their commander, Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde, had a low opinion of the Russians and lined his men up across a hilltop only two soldiers deep rather than the usual four, and told them to die rather than move. William H. Russell, correspondent for The Times, jotted hastily as he watched: "The Russians dash at the Highlanders. The ground flies beneath their horses' feet; gathering speed at every stride, they dash on towards that thin red streak topped with a line of steel." The Highlanders fired as the Russians approached, inflicting damage. But the real reason the Russians retreated was that it was so crazy to have just a thin line of soldiers there — the Russian commander figured they had to have a much larger force lurking behind them. Russell's description of a "thin red streak topped with a line of steel" came to be shortened to "thin red line," which entered popular usage as a bit of old-style sloganeering for the British army. It is echoed in "thin blue line," a term for police in American cities and the title of a documentary by Errol Morris.

Valley of death Another quote from Tennyson's poem is "Into the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred." This "valley of Death" is undoubtedly influenced by the 23rd Psalm's reference to "the valley of the shadow of death." But don't give the credit to Tennyson; the soldiers in the battle called it that. And after the battle, a photographer named Roger Fenton took a famous picture of it, the road strewn with cannon balls — how could anyone have survived that? When he put the picture on show in England, he improved the title to The Valley of the Shadow of Death. But actually, he took two photos. In one, the road is strewn with cannon balls; in the other, the cannon balls are mostly in the ditches on the side of the road. Fairly recently, a noted documentarian examined the photos closely and determined that the one with the balls in the ditch was taken first. Fenton may have had assistants move balls onto the road because it looked better. And who was the documentarian who figured that out? Errol Morris again. So there we have it.

A battle characterized at the time by sloppy orders, and afterwards by misrepresentation, has now been memorialized in misquotations and in articles of clothing that to most people carry no suggestion of the military heroism they were named after. And are we supposed to be surprised when there are errors, miscommunications, and misapprehensions involving Crimea now?

Question: At which battle in the Crimean War was the phrase The Thin Red Line first mentioned?
Answer: BALACLAVA