Charge of Light Brigade soldier’s letters and medals donated

[Mael Coluim]

An interesting article in our local newspaper appeared this week that may be of interest to some of you. A local resident has donated to the regimental museum in Yorkshire, England the letters and medals of his ancestor Percy Shawe Smith who rode with the Light Brigade at The Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War and lived to tell the story. Click here.
EDIT: Looks like the newspaper has now removed the link. Sorry.

In summary; Resident Tony Kent's great-grandfather Percy Shawe Smith was a 25 year old lieutenant with the 13th Light Dragoons one of the five regiments of the Light Brigrade. Due to prior injury he could not yield a sabre and could only lead his men in the charge. He made it through the harring fire to confront the Cossock lancers. Escaping the lances of three Cossocks he was rescued by the 11th Hussars cavalerymen. Two thirds of his regiment were killed. He was the only officer who survived on his orginal horse. He was promoted to captain after the battle. He left the army two years after the Crimean War in 1858. He was the longest surviving officer of the charge when he died in 1917. The gift was the letter he wrote his father descriping the charge and the four medals awarded to him by Queen Victoria.


EDIT: From the Daily Mail click here.

And here is a link about Lt. Smith in the book Forgotton Heros of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

The Charge of the Light Brigade
Alfred, Lord Tennyson

1.
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.

2.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

3.
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.

4.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

5.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

6.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

Copied from Poems of Alfred Tennyson,
J. E. Tilton and Company, Boston, 1870

Oil painting by popular Victorian battle scene artist Richard Caton Woodville, "Rlief of the Light Brigade" in 1897.

[Mickey]

Thank you, Mael.

I'd love to be able to see them all.

[English Bloke]

A very generous gesture by Mr Kent. Thanks for posting this Ern. Next time I'm passing Barnsley I'll pop in and get some pictures if I have time.

[English Bloke]

Ahhh well, after further research it seems I won't be taking pictures.

From Barnsley.gov.uk -
Can I take photographs in the museum?
Photography is not permitted in the museum for conservation reasons. Please call in advance if you want to photograph something in particular for research or other purposes. Video cameras are prohibited.

There is a link here with a picture though.

[CopperNGold]

I have not read that since I was a child! Interesting that so many phrases from "The Charge of the Light Brigade" have become part of our language culture.

I was able to read Ms. Kent's article before the link was broken, and felt that she summed up the explanation beautifully. Then, in the last paragraph, I read that she was a former journalist. Kudos to her for a short and very well written synopsis of her husband's ancestor's experiences. That letter brings history to life again, and I'm glad it is now available to the public.

Thanks, Mael, for giving us a chance to read a first-hand historical experience!

[Pleater]

My immediate family live close to Cannon Hall and I have often been there.

There were quite a few interesting items in the house before it was acquired by the council, and there was quite a stink when it was found to have been emptied by the previous owners. Still, it left the place empty for new things to be installed.

It was always a pleasant place to visit.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Mael Coluim]

Ahhh well, after further research it seems I won't be taking pictures.



There is a link here with a picture though.

Thanks John, for that link.

CopperNGold, how right you are! Just the week before when face with unreasonable work demand, I paraphased my situation with, 'In to the Valley of Death rode the 600 not to reason why but to do or die." A person knowing my situation and hearing my words, a retired Lt. Colonel replied, 'yeah".

[Mickey]

Thanks so much for the update! Fascinating reading.

[Sir William]

Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:

Frequently heard during my time with the military - and used many times by me as well.

For some strange reason some of my senior officers didn't like hearing me quote this. (One said he didn't like Shakespeare)