Charge of the Light Brigade, 1854. During the battle of Balaclava (25 October 1854) Lord Raglan ordered Lord Lucan, his cavalry commander, to advance his forces to stop the Russians removing captured cannon from the Causeway Heights. Confusion among the British commanders led to Lucan mistakenly sending the Light Brigade to attack strong Russian positions at a different location, North valley. About one-third of the 673-strong brigade, commanded by Lord Cardigan, became casualties. Thanks partly to Tennyson's poem, the action has become a symbol of military stupidity and blindly obedient courage.

Gary Sheffield

Charge of the Light Brigade (October 25, 1854) British cavalry charge in the Crimean War, one of the most notorious mistakes in British military history. It stemmed from Lord Lucan's misreading of an ambiguous order by the British commander, Lord Raglan. As a result, Lord Cardigan led the unsupported Light Brigade straight at a battery of Russian guns. More than 600 men took part, nearly half of whom were casualties. The incident is commemorated in a famous poem by Lord Tennyson.

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Charge of the Light Brigade a British cavalry charge in 1854 during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. A misunderstanding between the commander of the Light Brigade and his superiors led to the British cavalry being destroyed. The charge was immortalized in verse by Alfred Tennyson.