James Yorke Scarlett
Encyclopedia
General
Sir James Yorke Scarlett, GCB
(1799–1871) was a British
general and hero of the Crimean War
.
, and educated at Eton
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, Scarlett entered the army as a cornet
in 1818 and in 1830 became a major in the 5th Dragoon Guards
. From 1837 until 1841 he was a Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Guildford
.
In 1840, he was appointed to command his regiment, a post he held for nearly fourteen years. In the Crimean War
, the Fifth Dragoon Guards formed part of the Heavy Cavalry Brigade (of which Scarlett was appointed Brigadier
) and was sent to the Black Sea
in 1854. There it suffered heavily from cholera
in the camps of Varna
.
on 25 October 1854, the Heavy Brigade overwhelmed the Russian cavalry they faced. Though his attack was foolhardy, had Scarlett been allowed to advance further, the otherwise disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade
might have been made a success.
Preceding this action, his brigade lay on the rolling country below the series of hills known as the Causeway Heights which the Russians has stormed that morning, and beyond which lay the "Valley of Death" down which Lord Cardigan would lead the Light Brigade in one of the great military blunders of the nineteenth century.
As the Heavy Brigade was crossing broken country (most sources point towards a vineyard
or chopped down orchard), a numerically superior Russian cavalry force appeared at the top of the heights. They poured over the skyline, down the slope towards Scarlett's brigade, beyond which lay Balaklava
, and the site of the action known as the Thin Red Line
of the 93rd Highlanders
, which had routed a previous Russian charge that morning.
Scarlett quickly and coolly assembled his men at the foot of the heights, organizing them into parade-perfect formation, and sounded the charge. This maneuver defied all military doctrine at the time, as the Russians were more numerous and, more importantly, the charge was made uphill against an oncoming force.
As astounded onlookers watched from the rear, Scarlett's red-clad Heavies, including members of the Inniskillings
and Scots Greys
(of Waterloo
fame), drove into the centre of the grey mass of Russians, causing the enemy formation to collapse completely. With their charge broken, the Russians were routed and the British forces could claim another victory on the day.
. After a brief period of leave in England, he returned to the Crimea with the local rank of Lieutenant-general to command the British cavalry. Following the Peace of Paris
, Scarlett commanded the cavalry at Aldershot
until 1860 and was Adjutant-General to the Forces
from 1860 to 1865. He was then made commander of the Aldershot Division
, a post he held until his retirement in 1870. He had been made a GCB
in 1869. In retirement Scarlett became involved in politics, standing for election to Parliament in Burnley
at the 1868 general election
, but was beaten by the Liberal candidate.
Scarlett died in 1871, aged 72. He is buried in the churchyard at Holme Chapel, Cliviger
, in Lancashire
. A memorial to Scarlett was installed in the Royal Garrison Church at Aldershot
. It includes a bronze bust of Scarlett flanked by two full-size bronze cavalry troopers of his former regiments, the 18th Hussars and 5th Dragoon Guards
, wearing VCs
and four-bar Crimean War medals
.
|-
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir James Yorke Scarlett, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1799–1871) was a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
general and hero of the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
.
Early life
The son of the 1st Baron AbingerJames Scarlett, 1st Baron Abinger
James Scarlett, 1st Baron Abinger was an English lawyer, politician and judge.-Background and education:...
, and educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, Scarlett entered the army as a cornet
Cornet (military rank)
Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer.- Traditional duties :The cornet carried the troop standard, also known as a "cornet"....
in 1818 and in 1830 became a major in the 5th Dragoon Guards
5th Dragoon Guards
The 5th Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in 1922....
. From 1837 until 1841 he was a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Guildford
Guildford (UK Parliament constituency)
Guildford is a county constituency in Surrey which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
.
In 1840, he was appointed to command his regiment, a post he held for nearly fourteen years. In the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, the Fifth Dragoon Guards formed part of the Heavy Cavalry Brigade (of which Scarlett was appointed Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
) and was sent to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
in 1854. There it suffered heavily from cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
in the camps of Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
.
Balaclava
During the Battle of BalaclavaBattle of Balaclava
The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Anglo-French-Turkish campaign to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia's principal naval base on the Black Sea...
on 25 October 1854, the Heavy Brigade overwhelmed the Russian cavalry they faced. Though his attack was foolhardy, had Scarlett been allowed to advance further, the otherwise disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
might have been made a success.
Preceding this action, his brigade lay on the rolling country below the series of hills known as the Causeway Heights which the Russians has stormed that morning, and beyond which lay the "Valley of Death" down which Lord Cardigan would lead the Light Brigade in one of the great military blunders of the nineteenth century.
As the Heavy Brigade was crossing broken country (most sources point towards a vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
or chopped down orchard), a numerically superior Russian cavalry force appeared at the top of the heights. They poured over the skyline, down the slope towards Scarlett's brigade, beyond which lay Balaklava
Balaklava
Balaklava is a former city on the Crimean peninsula and part of the city of Sevastopol which carries a special administrative status in Ukraine. It was a city in its own right until 1957 when it was formally incorporated into the municipal borders of Sevastopol by the Soviet government...
, and the site of the action known as the Thin Red Line
The Thin Red Line (1854 battle)
The Thin Red Line was a military action by the Sutherland Highlanders red-coated 93rd Regiment at the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854, during the Crimean War. In this incident the 93rd aided by a small force of Royal Marines and some Turkish infantrymen, led by Sir Colin Campbell, routed a...
of the 93rd Highlanders
93rd Regiment of Foot
The 93rd Regiment of Foot was a Line Infantry Regiment of the British Army . In 1881 during the Childers Reforms it was united with the 91st Regiment of Foot to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders .- The 93rd Regiment :The 93rd Regiment was raised three times before it became the...
, which had routed a previous Russian charge that morning.
Scarlett quickly and coolly assembled his men at the foot of the heights, organizing them into parade-perfect formation, and sounded the charge. This maneuver defied all military doctrine at the time, as the Russians were more numerous and, more importantly, the charge was made uphill against an oncoming force.
As astounded onlookers watched from the rear, Scarlett's red-clad Heavies, including members of the Inniskillings
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992, when it was amalgmated into the Royal Dragoon Guards.-The beginning:...
and Scots Greys
Scots Greys
The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
(of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
fame), drove into the centre of the grey mass of Russians, causing the enemy formation to collapse completely. With their charge broken, the Russians were routed and the British forces could claim another victory on the day.
Later life
For his services that day Scarlett was promoted Major-general and in 1855 was made KCBOrder of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. After a brief period of leave in England, he returned to the Crimea with the local rank of Lieutenant-general to command the British cavalry. Following the Peace of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1856)
The Treaty of Paris of 1856 settled the Crimean War between Russia and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the British Empire, Second French Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The treaty, signed on March 30, 1856 at the Congress of Paris, made the Black Sea neutral territory, closing it to all...
, Scarlett commanded the cavalry at Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
until 1860 and was Adjutant-General to the Forces
Adjutant-General to the Forces
The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General , is one of the most senior officers in the British Army. He is in charge of administration, personnel and organisational matters. The Adjutant-General usually holds the rank of General or Lieutenant-General...
from 1860 to 1865. He was then made commander of the Aldershot Division
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
, a post he held until his retirement in 1870. He had been made a GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1869. In retirement Scarlett became involved in politics, standing for election to Parliament in Burnley
Burnley (UK Parliament constituency)
Burnley is a borough constituency centred on the town of Burnley in Lancashire, which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
at the 1868 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
, but was beaten by the Liberal candidate.
Scarlett died in 1871, aged 72. He is buried in the churchyard at Holme Chapel, Cliviger
Cliviger
Cliviger is a civil parish within the Borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated to the southeast of Burnley, and northwest of Todmorden and has a population of 2,350...
, in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. A memorial to Scarlett was installed in the Royal Garrison Church at Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
. It includes a bronze bust of Scarlett flanked by two full-size bronze cavalry troopers of his former regiments, the 18th Hussars and 5th Dragoon Guards
5th Dragoon Guards
The 5th Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in 1922....
, wearing VCs
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
and four-bar Crimean War medals
Crimea Medal
The Crimea Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1854, for issue to officers and men of British units which fought in the Crimean War of 1854-56 against Russia....
.
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