The Charge of the Light Brigade was the result of a misdirection by a commander. While the the Commander Lord Raglan intended the Light Brigade to assault a group of retreating Russian artillery, his vague orders lead Lord Cardigan, general of the Light Brigade, to believe he was ordered to charge the front Russian line and attack their main artillery. Cardigan and his 670 calvary charged the 5,240 Russian soldiers, knowing full well the probable outcome of their attack. Although the brigade did reach the Russian guns, there were 258 casualties in the Light Brigade. The Heavy Brigade was supposed to have followed the Light Brigade in the attack, but a rival general of Cardigan's failed to follow the orders. When news of this 'suicidal' attack came to Britain, Alfred Tennyson wrote a poem describing the event in only six weeks.

The Charge of the Light Brigade