Pictures At An Exhibition - Charge of the Light Brigade

I have always had an interest in art from an early age. It has always appealed to my creative side and I have had some limited success in this field, selling commissioned paintings and drawings.

Having been medically retired I found myself with a lot of spare time on my hands. So my wife and I rejoined The National Trust, which is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom.

The trust describes itself as "a charity that works to preserve and protect historic places and spaces—for ever, for everyone". The trust was founded in 1895 and given statutory powers, starting with the National Trust Act 1907. Historically, the trust tended to focus on English country houses, which still make up the largest part of its holdings, but it also protects historic landscapes such as in the Lake District, historic urban properties, and nature reserves. In Scotland, there is an independent National Trust for Scotland. The Trust has special powers to prevent land being sold off or mortgaged, although this can be over-ridden by Parliament.

Anyway that's enough about them, let's get back to the art.

Whilst visiting one of the local National Trust attractions recently a place called Tredegar House and Gardens, which is only less than a half hours drive from where I live, I was captivated by a painting

The painting that inspired me to start this thread is ‘Balaclava: The Charge of the Light Brigade’, referencing a scene at the Battle of Balaclava, October 25, 1854, with Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, riding his horse, 'Sir Briggs'. "Artist John Charlton.


A little about the painter - Finally, in 1905 John Charlton painted ‘Balaclava: The Charge of the Light Brigade’ with the 17th Lancers once more in the lead as they close on the Russian guns. I suspect this work is often referred to as 'Into the Valley of Death'. John Charlton lost two sons on the Western Front in WW1 which was said to attributed to his failure to recover from illness and he died on 10 November 1917 aged 68.

The original painting hanging above the fireplace in the library of Tredegar House as it can be viewed today.

Of all British military engagements during the 19th century, the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaklava remains the most notorious. One of the most spectacular of military disasters, surrounded by controversy as to its cause, the tragic charge of the British light cavalry regiments along the 'valley of death' under murderous fire from the Russian guns was genuinely heroic. The legend of the 'gallant 600' remains deeply rooted in the public mind today.

Due to a misinterpretation of orders, the British Light Cavalry Brigade commanded by the Earl of Cardigan charged Russian artillery stationed at the end of a long valley, while exposed to Russian fire on both sides. On reaching the Russian guns, they rode through them to charge Russian cavalry beyond. After some fighting, the remnants of the force returned along the 'Valley of Death' (as described in Tennyson's poem), under continued fire. The number of horses killed was far higher than the 113 human lives lost in the charge. Of the 643 animals paraded that morning, over 370 were killed in action and another 85 returned, wounded.

The Crimea Medal was a campaign medal approved on 15 December 1854, for issue to officers and men of British units (land and naval) which fought in the Crimean War of 1854–56 against Russia.

The British Memorial at Balaclva

Marcus Antonius:

The Charge of the Light Brigade. 25 Oct 1854. 1895
RICHARD CATON WOODVILLE (1856-1927)​

Click to expand...

cool

Sir Briggs was bought in 1851, the same year he won the hunt Steeple Chase at Cowbridge. When the Crimea war broke out, the most sensible thing would have been to send horses and men by steam ship to the Black Sea. It wasn’t to be. Sir Briggs set sail from Portsmouth in 1854 on board the Edmundsbury, a sailing ship carrying forty horses, four of which belonged to Godfrey. They lost horses to seasickness. ‘Atheist’ Captain Morgan’s 2nd charger died and was thrown overboard. Other horses continued to die.

The vessel stopped briefly at Malta, and by 19 May had reached the Dardanelles. The vessel anchored at Constantinople for four days. The regiment had lost twenty six horses, and others continued to die.

The troops then embarked for the Bulgarian port of Varna. The Bulgarian phase ended when the Turks took Silistria, and the Russians retreated.

At the Crimea, the cavalry remained largely inactive. It was not until Balaclava, that bloody action was seen. The exact numbers taking part in the charge is controversial, and put between 661 and 673. After the charge only 195 came back. Sir Briggs received a sabre cut to the forehead.

Godfrey wrote to his father a couple of days after the Charge.

“My Dear Father,

…… I am at present commanding officer of the 17th Lancers, which gallant little regiment now consists of 50 men and horses fit for duty and 3 officers.

I fear that before you receive this letter you will have heard some bad news of the Cavalry Light Brigade. However, not to keep you in suspense, I will begin by saying that I am safe and well in my own person, having come out of that gallant, brilliant (but as all add, useless) charge under a tremendous fire of all arms from front and flanks, and a perfect forest of swords and lances, untouched, with only a sabre cut on poor old Sir Briggs’ head just over the right eye…”



Inkerman followed. Horses became ‘hog-maned’ and ‘rat-tailed’. Many died from starvation.

Godfrey Morgan became sick and returned to Constantinople. Sir Briggs remained in the Crimea with his brother Frederick Morgan, and was used as his staff horse. In the same year that Sebastopol fell, Sir Briggs won the military steeplechase at Sebastopol.

In 1855 Sir Briggs returned to Tredegar House where he died on February 6th 1874. Aged 28 years.

A visitor will find the grave of Sir Briggs in the Cedar Garden of Tredegar House.

Balaclava (clothing)

Traditional balaclavas were knitted from wool. Modern versions are also made from silk, cotton, polypropylene, neoprene, acrylic, or polar fleece.

The name comes from their use at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War, referring to the town near Sevastopol in the Crimea. British troops there wore knitted headgear, to keep warm.

This type of headgear was known in the 19th century as an Uhlan cap or a Templar cap.

During the Crimean War in 1854, handmade balaclavas were sent over to the British troops to help protect them from the bitter cold weather. British troops required this aid, as their own supplies (warm clothing, weatherproof quarters, and food) never arrived in time. According to Richard Rutt in his History of Handknitting, the name "balaclava helmet" was not used during the war but appears much later, in 1881.

Fenton was born into a Lancashire merchant family. After graduating from Oxford with an Arts degree, he became interested in painting and later developed a keen interest in the new technology of photography after seeing early examples of at The Great Exhibition in 1851. Within a year, he began exhibiting his own photographs. He became a leading British photographer and instrumental in founding the Photographic Society (later the Royal Photographic Society). In 1854, he was commissioned to document events occurring in Crimea, where he became one of a small group of photographers to produce images of the final stages of the Crimean War.

I've sped past this statue outside the City Hall in my car and never given it much thought, until writing this thread encouraged me to go over and examine it.

The statue remembers one who returned from The Charge of the Light Brigade and his horse Sir Briggs.

Godfrey who became Viscount Lord Tredegar, was of the family that lived in Tredegar House, between Cardiff and Newport.