Season 3 Podcast 123 Courage

A New Voice of Freedom

Courage

The Charge of the Light Brigade is a story about a famous battle by the British light calvary led by Lord Cardigan against Russian Forces in the Crimean War of 1854. It is controversial because 118 soldiers died needlessly from miscommunications from commanding officers.

Tennyson’s poem, though it alludes to the disastrous miscommunication, focuses on the incredible bravery of the soldiers who rode into almost certain death. The charge was a military failure and is still studied today as a cautionary tale. It is as controversial today as it was in 1854.

Perhaps one of the greatest contributions of the foolish battle was Tennyson’s poem celebrating the courage of ordinary men under extraordinary circumstances. I have read the poem, which was written by Tennyson in minutes only a few weeks after the bloody battle, more times than I am able to count but it remains fresh. Tennyson’s ability with words pulls you into the battle, making you feel the horrors of war. But I am always left with a feeling of the nobility of man when faced with conditions beyond his control.

There is a touching excerpt by Captain Godfrey Morgan, one of the officers who survived the battle,

We went on. When we got about two or three hundred yards the battery of the Russian Horse Artillery opened fire. I do not recollect hearing a word from anybody as we gradually broke from a trot to a canter, though the noise of the striking of men and horses by grape and round shot was deafening, while the dust and gravel struck up by the round shot that fell short was almost blinding, and irritated my horse so that I could scarcely hold him at all. But as we came nearer I could see plainly enough, especially when I was about a hundred yards from the guns. I appeared to be riding straight on to the muzzle of one of the guns, and I distinctly saw the gunner apply his fuse. I shut my eyes then, for I thought that settled the question as far as I was concerned. But the shot just missed me and struck the man on my right full in the chest.

Captain. Morgan accepted what he thought was certain death with such grace, “I shut my eyes then, for I thought that settled the question as far as I was concerned.” Tennyson’s poem is very brief.

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE.

I.

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.

II.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'

Was there a man dismay'd?

Not tho' the soldier knew

Some one had blunder'd:

Their's not to make reply,

Their's not to reason why,

Their's but to do and die:

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

III.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volley'd and thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell

Rode the six hundred.