Aftermath
The brigade was not completely destroyed, but did suffer terribly, with 118 men killed, 127 wounded and about 60 taken prisoner. After regrouping, only 195 men were still with horses. The futility of the action and its reckless bravery prompted the French Marshal Pierre Bosquet to state "C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre." ("It is magnificent, but it is not war.") He continued, in a rarely quoted phrase: "C'est de la folie" — "it is madness." The Russian commanders are said to have initially believed that the British soldiers must have been drunk. Somerset Calthorpe, ADC to Lord Raglan, wrote a letter to a friend three days after the charge. He detailed casualty numbers, but he did not make distinction between those killed and those taken prisoner:
| "Killed and missing. | Wounded. | |
| 9 | Officers | 12 |
| 14 | Serjeants | 9 |
| 4 | Trumpeters | 3 |
| 129 | Rank and file | 98 |
Read more about this topic: Charge Of The Light Brigade Famous quotes containing the word aftermath:“The aftermath of joy is not usually more joy.” |