June 20, 2008: Balaclava

[xoxoxoBruce]

From Old Picture of the Day blog.

Not the hat/ski mask, the battle at.
The battle at Balaclava, during the Crimean war, is remembered as, "The Charge of the Light Brigade".

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.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone 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.

This is an actual photograph, taken in 1854, of one of those 600 cavalry men, prior to the charge.