Charge of the Light Brigade

[Jim McDougall]

Wow! Thank you so much Ariel!
You know me too well, and indeed my youngest years of collecting had me obsessed with finding the swords carried in this charge, not only of the Light Brigade, but that of the Heavy as well.

The 'Thin Red Line' surely does reach the Highlander blood in my veins though!! and this lesser known part of the Battle of Balaklava that October 25th, 1854 surely carried forth the bravery shown by virtually all the combatants that day.

Sir Colin Campbell, commander of the 93rd Highland Regiment positioned his men in lines of two in preparation for a Russian cavalry charge, rather the the four lines usually placed, and said to his men,
"...there is no retreat from here men. You must die where you stand!".
An observer seeing this unusually narrow formation of redcoats in a long line, with bristling bayonets remarked it looked like a 'thin red line'.

With unflinching resolve, the Thin Red Line held firm, and the Russian cavalry unit, its commander thinking this had to be a diversion due to the very unnatural depth of these lines of troops, wheeled away. Many of the Highlanders began to charge after them, with Sir Colin scolding!!,
"...93rd!!! Damn all that eagerness!!" in holding them back.


"The Thin Red Line" by Robert Gibb (1881)

Thank you again Ariel for sharing this,
Jim