[Sir Richard Airey: the man who issued the order for the Charge of the Light Brigade.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘Mrs. Gardiner’, describing the ‘escape by a miracle’ of ‘Gardiner’ after a dangerous fall from his horse.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB: ‘Following Raglan's instructions, he wrote out the order which led to the fateful charge of the light brigade on 25 October 1854, but unfortunately in the heat of battle kept no duplicate. Subsequently, he had to request a copy from Lieutenant-General Lord Lucan, the cavalry division's commander, to whom the order was addressed and who strongly resented implications that he was at fault. In writing and in person Airey attempted to placate Lucan, reputedly arguing that “it is nothing to Chillianwallah”’. At the time of writing Airey was Colonel of the 17th (Leicestershire) Foot. Hart’s Army List does not name any ‘Gardiner’ on his staff. 4pp, 12mo. On bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with minor damage at fore-edge of second leaf. Signed ‘Richard Airey’. Minuted on reverse of second leaf. He is ‘so anxious to hear how Gardiner is going on’ that he is sure she will pardon him for troubling her ‘with this line of enquiry’. He is ‘in quiet hopes, & belief that, he has escaped, from his most dangerous fall, with only a very severe Shake - requiring only time & rest to be quite right again -’. He was ‘close to him at the moment of the accident’, and was ‘never more alarmed - He appeared to escape by a miracle -’. Gardiner ‘showed the greatest courage - & selfpossession’. Had it not been for those round him, he would have ‘remounted, & resumed his duties’, ‘directly he came to himself’. ‘He never let go his horse, & it was with difficulty he at the last surrendered his bridle!’ He ends in the hope that he will be ‘relieved by one word regarding his state’.