CARDIGAN, James Thomas Brudenell, EARL OF, English general: b. Hambleton, 16 Oct. 1797; d. 28 May 1868. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, and was gazetted 6 May 1824, as cornet in the 8th Royal Irish Hussars, under the courtesy title of Lord Bru denell. His family influence and wealth in England procured for him a rapid promotion, and in a few years he had attained the rank of major. Lord Brudenell was next, 3 Dec. 1830, made lieutenant-colonel of the 15th Hussars. He was a member of the House of Commons from the period of his coming of age in 1818, until 14 Aug. 1837, when on the death of his father, he became Earl of Cardigan. After his regiment returned from India Lord Cardigan got himself into difficulties with the officers, who, one by one, had to sell out until the feel ing of the regiment broke into mutiny in what was known as the "black bottle quarrel." This quarrel arose in 1840, while Lord Cardigan's regiment was stationed at Canterbury. One of his officers, Captain Reynolds, having caused wine to be placed on the table in a "black bot tle," Lord Cardigan accused him of degrading the mess to the level of a pothouse. This led to angry words: Captain Reynolds was placed under arrest, demanded a court-martial, but this privilege was withheld from him, and, as the public thought, unjustly. The excitement created by this affair and by his subsequent misunderstanding with another officer, also of the name of Reynolds, had hardly subsided, when he fought a duel with Capt. Harvey Tuckett because this officer had censured his conduct in the Morning Chronicle. Captain Tuckett was wounded, and Lord Cardigan tried before the House of Lords, but, although acquitted, public opinion was against him. His
reputation, however, as an accomplished cav alry officer, and the satisfaction which the Duke of Wellington expressed in 1848 with the effi ciency of the 11th Hussars' Regiment, which was under Lord Cardigan's charge, led to his promotion. On the outbreak of the Crimean War Lord Cardigan was raised to the rank of major-general and appointed brigadier in com mand of the light cavalry brigade. This bri gade constituted the celebrated a Six Hundred," whose charge at Balaklava will long be remem bered as one of the bravest yet wildest feats, perhaps, ever told in the history of war. On that occasion (25 Oct. 1854), Lord Cardigan is said to have received from Lord Lucan, his brother-in-law, an order to capture certain guns from the Russians. A mile and a half had to be traversed, under fire, before the enemy could be met, and the Russian forces stood in formi dable array in every direction. The enterprise seemed hopeless. Cardigan, however, led on the charge, and actually took the guns, his men cutting their way through the infantry support and through the cavalry, and then back again, under the play of the Russian batteries, but with fearfully diminished numbers, the sur vivors not exceeding 150. As the hero of this daring exploit, Lord Cardigan was received with great enthusiasm on his return to England and appointed inspector-general of the cavalry. The charges, however, subsequently alleged by the Crimean commissioners, tended to reduce the high estimate placed upon his services. He published 'Cavalry Brigade Movements' (1861). See CARDIGAN, COUNTESS OF.