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Preface.
Foreword.
Contents.
List of Illustrations.
Footnotes.
Books by G. Manville Fenn.
Jack jerked out a note or two as they literally raced along
Blair of Balaclava
A HERO OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
BY
ESCOTT LYNN
Author of ‘When Lion Heart was King,’ ‘Under the Red Rose,’
‘With Robin Hood in Sherwood,’ &c.
WITH SIX COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS
by
W. H. C. Groome
LONDON: 38 Soho Square, W.
W & R. CHAMBERS, LIMITED
EDINBURGH: 339 Hight Street
Edinburgh:
Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited.
TO MY BROTHER FRED
AND THE OFFICERS
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN
OF THE ‘DEATH OR GLORY’ BOYS
{vii}
PREFACE.
Inkermann has been called ‘The Soldiers’ Battle.’ With equal truth thewhole Crimean campaign might be called ‘The Soldiers’ War.’ It was thevindication of the regimental officer and the rank and file; it showedto the world the ineptitude of the general staff as it existed at thatday. Those entrusted with the conduct of the campaign were mostly oldmen long past the age when brilliant service in the field could beexpected of them. Some had seen war-service in the Peninsula forty yearsbefore, the interim being spent doing office-work at the Horse Guards;many had never heard a shot fired in anger in their lives, theirservices being confined to Hyde Park or the Curragh Camp. Family orpolitical influence procured them their appointments, while younger menwho had already rendered splendid war-service in the East were eitherpassed over, snubbed, or relegated to subordinate positions.
The miseries of Varna, the unparalleled sufferings of the troops beforeSebastopol, and the awful blunder of Balaclava give testimony to theunwisdom of the selections.
During the long peace since Waterloo the army had grown unpopular. Ithad been neglected. Even the Duke of Wellington was averse to making anymilitary display for fear that what army there was should be furtherreduced.
The force which left England for the East was one of the worst equipped{viii}and most badly organised that ever left our shores. On the contrary,the men of which it was composed were the finest. They were alllong-service men, of grand physique and of an unrivalled spirit.
Before the Crimean war a red coat was looked on with disdain; after thewar t