cavalry brigades--the Light and the Heavy--commanded by Lord
Lucan, had been manoeuvring to protect Balaklava. The Light Brigade,
under Lord Cardigan, faced the Tchernaya; the Heavy Brigade, under
Scarlett, was on the Balaklava side of the ridge. A great body of Russian
cavalry swept down the slope upon the Heavy Brigade, and for a moment threw
it into disorder. But Scarlett's men charged the Russians. The two opposing
bodies of cavalry clashed and seemed to melt one within the other. Then the
Russian horsemen yielded, and fled over the ridge whence they had first
appeared five minutes before.

[Sidenote: The charge of the Light Brigade]

A disposition on the Russian side to carry off the captured guns induced
Lord Raglan to send Lord Lucan an order "to advance rapidly to the front
and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns." The order was carried
by Captain Nolan, who found Lucan between his two brigades, with the Light
Brigade beyond Woronzov road. Whose "front" was meant Lucan did not know.
Nolan conjectured that "the guns" in question were those which had retired
with the retreating Russian cavalry. Already the Russian cavalry had taken
protection behind its works toward the Tchernaya, and was supported by
Liprandi's troops posted along the Woronzov road, and by Russian guns
bearing on the valley from the ridge and from Fedioukin heights. Nolan,
Lord Lucan reported later, insisted that these very guns must be regained.
Although Lord Cardigan of the Light Brigade shared Lucan's misgivings he
obeyed the command. With the order, "The Brigade will advance!" the famous
charge of the Six Hundred began. Nolan galloped obliquely across the
Brigade as it started. He was killed by the first shell fired from a
Russian gun. Into the thick of the Russians Cardigan rode with his men. The
forlorn exploit has been immortalized by Alfred Tennyson:

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

[Sidenote: Liprandi's victory]

The whole Brigade would have been wiped out after the repulse, when the
Russian cavalry rode in pursuit, had not several squadrons of French
cuirassiers ridden to the rescue. The fact that the Russians retained the
hills which they had captured justified Liprandi in claiming the victory.

[Sidenote: Preparing for