CAMPAIGN GROUPS AND PAIRS 1076


The unique ‘Light Brigade’ group of four awarded to Captain T. G. Johnson, 13th Hussars, later Major, West Yorkshire Yeomanry Cavalry, who was twice decorated by the French Emperor for his Distinguished Services in the Crimea- the only Light Brigade participant so honoured- and whose letter to his brother describing his participation in the Charge was one of the earliest to be published in the British Press


CRIMEA 1854-56, 3 clasps, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol, lugs removed from top clasp (Regt. Serjt. Major, Thomas George Johnson. 13th. Light Dragoons) Regimentally impressed naming in serif capitals; France, Second Empire, LEGION OF HONOUR, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver, gold appliqué, and enamel, France, Second Empire,MEDAILLEMILITAIRE, eagle suspension, silver, silver-gilt, and enamel, blue enamel damage and traces of restoration to bands around central medallions; TURKISH CRIMEA, Sardinian issue (T G Johnson 13th Light Dragoons) Regimentally impressed naming in serif capitals, with contemporary silver swivel suspension, all with plain top silver riband bars, and housed in a fitted gilt frame, lacking glazing, the gilt mount engraved ‘Major T. G. Johnson, Late Captain, 13th Hussars’, light contact marks, generally very fine or better (4)


£8000-12000 Provenance: Spink, November 2004.


Thomas George Johnson was born in Maidstone, Kent, in March 1824, the son of John Thomas Johnson, who at the time of his birth was serving as a Schoolmaster Sergeant with the Cavalry Depot of the 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars. On 27 March 1837, at the age of 13 years and by ‘Special Authority’, he enlisted in the 4th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Light Dragoons at the Maidstone Cavalry Depot. He was appointed a Trumpeter on 24 May 1837 and, save for a six month period in early 1839, he retained this rank until 1 September 1846 when he transferred to the 13th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, then based in Dublin, in the rank of Private. He was promoted Corporal on 1 February 1848 and Sergeant on 25 May 1853. He embarked with the Regiment for the Crimea at Portsmouth in May 1854 and arrived at the Bulgarian city of Varna, on the coast of the Black Sea, on 2 June 1854. A few weeks later, on 25 June, Johnson was one of a patrol of 195 men under Lord Cardigan that was sent north to the River Danube to ‘ascertain the movements of the enemy’. This became known as the Soreback Reconnaissance because of the extremes of heat, thirst, and hunger endured by the patrol over a seventeen day period. In September 1854 the 13th Light Dragoons sailed from Varna for the Crimea- unfortunately during the voyage Johnson fell down the main hatchway on board his ship and was invalided to Scutati Hospital between 16 September and 7 October, thus missing the Battle of the Alma.


The Charge of the Light Brigade


Johnson had returned to his regiment in time to participate in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava on 25 October 1854, and in a letter to his brother John, dated 7 November 1854, he includes a first-hand account of the Charge as follows: ‘My dearest Brother, I can say but a few words. When last I wrote to you we were on the point of embarking for the Crimea; unfortunately I met with a severe accident, fell down the main hatchway and have to thank God I was not killed. I went to the General Hospital at Scutari, consequently was out of Alma, but joined the regiment as soon as possible, being anxious to participate in the next honours. Joined at Balaklava where we passed some weeks in the most arduous and harassing duties, both of outposts and pickets, almost surrounded by Cossacks, and we were obliged to be continually on the alert. At last we engaged them, but I suppose of this you have the account. On the 25th October the enemy advanced and stormed our advanced position on some hills which were well fortified and unfortunately occupied by the Turks. The rascals fled before the Russians came within 150 yards of the forts, our artillery came up and the 13th covered the guns where we were exposed to shot and shell for upwards of two hours, but the positions being lost we slowly retired a short distance. The Russians advanced direct on to us on the ground of our camp, our heavy dragoons were ordered to charge them, and they fled although their numbers were sufficient to overwhelm our handful of cavalry. At this time the light brigade was formed up on the left on some hills which commanded a long valley about two miles, at the end of which the enemy retired. By some misunderstanding we were ordered to advance and charge their guns which they had formed up full in our fronts at the extreme end, and here took place a scene and act unparalleled in history. We had scarcely advanced a few yards before they opened on us with grape and shell. It was a perfect level, the ground only wide enough for the 17th and 13th to advance, the rest of the brigade following. To our astonishment they had batteries on each side of the hills which commanded the whole valley; consequently a dreadful crossfire was opened on us from both sides and in front but it was too late to do anything but advance, which we did in a style truly wonderful, every man feeling certain that we must be annihilated; still we continued on up to the very guns, charged them, took them, but there being no support we were obliged to retire almost cut up. Out of our regiment we assembled 10 men mounted and one or two officers. Our Colonel being sick and our Major gone home we were commanded by the senior Captain. Two captains were killed and one lieutenant. Poor Weston was killed and two other sergeant-majors taken prisoners. The others were either killed, taken prisoners or dismounted. Of course the remainder retired and here the firing was worse than ever for the infantry aimed at us as we passed. I escaped thank God without a scratch though my horse got shot through the head and in the hind quarters, and a lance was thrust through my shoe case. It was a most unwise and mad act. One thing, there is no blame attached to the Earl of Cardigan for he was ordered to do it and he did it most nobly. We rode up to the very mouth of the guns and since then the 17th and ourselves have scarcely been able to muster one squadron between us. The 4th Light Dragoons are nearly as bad.


www.dnw.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224  |  Page 225  |  Page 226  |  Page 227  |  Page 228  |  Page 229  |  Page 230  |  Page 231  |  Page 232  |  Page 233  |  Page 234  |  Page 235  |  Page 236  |  Page 237  |  Page 238  |  Page 239  |  Page 240  |  Page 241  |  Page 242  |  Page 243  |  Page 244  |  Page 245  |  Page 246  |  Page 247  |  Page 248  |  Page 249  |  Page 250  |  Page 251  |  Page 252  |  Page 253  |  Page 254  |  Page 255  |  Page 256  |  Page 257  |  Page 258  |  Page 259  |  Page 260  |  Page 261  |  Page 262  |  Page 263  |  Page 264  |  Page 265  |  Page 266  |  Page 267  |  Page 268  |  Page 269  |  Page 270  |  Page 271  |  Page 272  |  Page 273  |  Page 274  |  Page 275  |  Page 276  |  Page 277  |  Page 278  |  Page 279  |  Page 280  |  Page 281  |  Page 282  |  Page 283  |  Page 284  |  Page 285  |  Page 286  |  Page 287  |  Page 288  |  Page 289  |  Page 290  |  Page 291  |  Page 292  |  Page 293  |  Page 294  |  Page 295  |  Page 296  |  Page 297  |  Page 298  |  Page 299  |  Page 300  |  Page 301  |  Page 302  |  Page 303  |  Page 304  |  Page 305  |  Page 306  |  Page 307  |  Page 308  |  Page 309  |  Page 310  |  Page 311  |  Page 312  |  Page 313  |  Page 314  |  Page 315  |  Page 316  |  Page 317  |  Page 318  |  Page 319  |  Page 320  |  Page 321  |  Page 322  |  Page 323  |  Page 324  |  Page 325  |  Page 326  |  Page 327  |  Page 328  |  Page 329  |  Page 330  |  Page 331  |  Page 332  |  Page 333  |  Page 334  |  Page 335  |  Page 336  |  Page 337  |  Page 338  |  Page 339  |  Page 340  |  Page 341  |  Page 342  |  Page 343  |  Page 344  |  Page 345  |  Page 346  |  Page 347  |  Page 348  |  Page 349  |  Page 350  |  Page 351  |  Page 352  |  Page 353  |  Page 354  |  Page 355  |  Page 356  |  Page 357  |  Page 358  |  Page 359  |  Page 360  |  Page 361  |  Page 362  |  Page 363  |  Page 364  |  Page 365  |  Page 366  |  Page 367  |  Page 368  |  Page 369  |  Page 370  |  Page 371  |  Page 372  |  Page 373