William Morris (soldier)
Encyclopedia
William Morris was a British soldier who rode in the Charge of the Light Brigade
.
He was born at Fishleigh in the parish of Hatherleigh
in Devon, the eldest son of William Cholmeley Morris of Fishleigh and Inwardleigh. His mother was Jane, daughter of James Veale (previously Mallet). He was educated at home before matriculating
at St John's College, Cambridge
in 1839. His short, stocky build combined with his strength led him to be described as a "pocket Hercules
".
in the 16th Light Dragoons (Lancers). The regiment was stationed in India, and Morris sailed from Gravesend in July 1842, joining his regiment at Meerut in April 1843. Morris served with the regiment in the Gwalior Campaign
, seeing action at the Battle of Maharajpore on 29 December 1843 and being awarded the Gwalior Star
. On 14 May 1845 he was promoted to Lieutenant, without purchase. While serving with the 16th he was given the nickname "Slacks".
Morris commanded a troop of the 16th through the First Anglo-Sikh War
, serving at the Battle of Buddiwal on 11 January 1846, at the Battle of Aliwal
on 28 January, where he was wounded, and at the Battle of Sobraon
on 10 February. After the conclusion of the war he applied for leave, and returned to England in May 1846, going on half-pay
. During his time in India he became a "firm friend" of Louis Nolan, an officer with a keen interest in cavalry warfare but whose regiment, the 15th Hussars, was stationed at Bangalore
and had not participated in the recent conflict.
, passing out in 1851. He purchased his promotion to Captain on 25 April 1851, and in 1852 married Amelia, daughter of Major-General Thomas William Taylor CB, of Ogwell, a fellow-landowner in Devon and sometime Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Military College.
in 1854, Morris was appointed Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General
in the Cavalry Division of the Army of the East, leaving for Turkey in April. While at Varna
he contracted cholera, and did not participate in the initial invasion of the Crimea, only joining the army besieging Sebastopol in October, where the 17th Lancers were also present as part of the Light Cavalry Brigade. Their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel John Lawrenson, had been sent home sick, so when Major Augustus Saltren Willett died of cholera on 22 October, Morris, as senior Captain, was entitled to take command of the regiment. Despite being weakened by his illness and a "complete stranger" to the men of the 17th, he chose to exercise this right rather than remain on the staff. He was therefore in command of the regiment at the Battle of Balaclava
on 25 October 1854, still wearing his staff-officer's frock-coat and cap and riding his charger "Old Trumpeter".
During the battle, the Russian cavalry under Lieutenant-General Rijov, having failed to break through the Thin Red Line
to the British base at Balaclava, were repulsed by the uphill advance of the Heavy Cavalry Brigade under Brigadier-General Scarlett
, an event later known as the Charge of the Heavy Brigade. It was obvious to an experienced soldier like Morris that the Light Brigade should now attack the Russians in the flank, and he urged this course of action on the brigade commander, Lord Cardigan
. Though a Major-General, Cardigan had never seen action. He regarded Captain Morris's suggestion as presumption and refused, to Morris's evident frustration.
The enemy cavalry withdrew without further injury, and the Russians now began carrying off the guns they had earlier captured from their positions along the Causeway Heights, a ridge dividing the battlefield along a line from east to west. To prevent this, the British army commander, Lord Raglan
, sent an order to the Cavalry Division to "advance rapidly to the front" and "try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns". The officer sent to deliver the order was Morris's old friend Captain Nolan, who was serving as aide-de-camp
to Brigadier-General Airey
, and who had shared Morris's frustration at the failure of the Light Brigade to capitalise on the Heavy Brigade's success. On receipt of the order, the commander of the Cavalry Division, Lord Lucan, could not see the guns on the heights from his position on the plain; the only ones in sight were a Russian battery at the eastern end of the valley to the north of the heights. On Lucan's asking "What guns?", Nolan replied "There, my Lord, is your enemy; there are your guns!", and waved in a vaguely eastward direction. Lucan ordered the Light Brigade under Lord Cardigan to advance down the North Valley.
The 17th Lancers under Captain Morris were positioned in the centre of the front line of the Light Brigade, and Captain Nolan joined them there. Nolan gave Morris a letter for his mother, and Morris a letter for his wife to Nolan, to be delivered if the other was killed. As the Brigade began to advance, Nolan said "Now, Morris, for a bit of fun!" As Nolan spurred his horse forward, Morris called out "That won't do, Nolan. We've a long way to go and must be steady." Nolan was then hit by a Russian shell and his horse veered away across the Brigade to the rear. It has been suggested that Nolan, realising that the Brigade was going in the wrong direction, was trying to tell Lord Cardigan the correct objective, but Morris always believed the charge went in the direction Nolan had intended. As the Brigade came under increasing fire, the horses moved from a trot to a canter, and to avoid being overtaken Lord Cardigan, at the front, had to order Morris and the 17th, who were setting the pace, to keep steady. Morris led his regiment down the valley without being injured, and reaching the eastern end, charged past the guns and into the Russian cavalry stationed behind. He killed a Russian officer with his sabre, but the point became stuck in the corpse, leaving Morris vulnerable to attack. He received two sabre cuts to the head, which knocked him from his horse, and then was wounded again by a lance from the Cossacks that surrounded him, after which he surrendered his sword. In the confusion he managed to escape back down the valley, having a captured horse shot under him before continuing on foot, but lost consciousness not far from Nolan's body. He was discovered by Lord Raglan's aide-de-camp Captain Ewart, who called for help removing him. Sergeant Charles Wooden
of the 17th and Surgeon James Mouat
of the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons
saved Morris's life by attending to his wounds under Russian fire. For this action the Victoria Cross
was later awarded to Mouat and Wooden. Morris was among those listed as "severely wounded" in General Bucknall Estcourt's return and he was mentioned in despatches by Lord Lucan. After recovering from his injuries he was invalided home to England. For his "distinguished service" he was promoted to the brevet rank of Major on 12 December 1854.
In February 1855 Morris was appointed Deputy Adjutant General
at Horse Guards
. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 5 July 1855 and was also appointed to the fourth class of the Ottoman Order of the Medjidie and the fifth class (Chevalier) of the French Legion of Honour. On 2 November 1855 he was promoted to brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, and went out to Scutari Barracks to oversee remounts for the cavalry. In December 1855 he returned to the Crimea as Deputy Quartermaster-General of the Turkish army at Kerch
, with the local rank of Colonel, remaining there for the rest of the war. For this he was advanced to the third class of the Medjidie.
in Ireland, until the 17th Lancers were ordered to India in September 1857. Though holding brevet rank as a Lieutenant-Colonel, Morris still only held rank as a Captain in his regiment until he was promoted Major, without purchase, on 17 September 1857. He sailed with the 17th to Bombay and was stationed with them at Kirkee. In April 1858 he was appointed Assistant Adjutant-General in Bombay by the Commander-in-Chief Sir Henry Somerset
, and took up his post at Mahabaleshwar
. Three months later he died at Poona, "supposedly from the effects on the sun on the silver plate he had in his head as a result of his wounds sustained at Balaclava".
A memorial to him was set up at St Mary's Church in Poona and in 1860 public subscription funded an obelisk at Hatherleigh Moor in Devon.
A fictionalised version of Morris was played by Mark Burns
in the 1968 film The Charge of the Light Brigade
, with Vanessa Redgrave
as his wife (renamed Clarissa in the film) and David Hemmings
as his friend Nolan.
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...
.
He was born at Fishleigh in the parish of Hatherleigh
Hatherleigh
Hatherleigh is a small market town in west Devon, England.It hosts an arts festival in July, and a carnival in November featuring two flaming tar barrel runs. The Walruses meet on New Year's Day to jump into the River Lew to raise money for local good causes...
in Devon, the eldest son of William Cholmeley Morris of Fishleigh and Inwardleigh. His mother was Jane, daughter of James Veale (previously Mallet). He was educated at home before matriculating
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
in 1839. His short, stocky build combined with his strength led him to be described as a "pocket Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
".
Early service in India
On 18 June 1842 he was commissioned by purchase as a CornetCornet (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 the 16th Light Dragoons (Lancers). The regiment was stationed in India, and Morris sailed from Gravesend in July 1842, joining his regiment at Meerut in April 1843. Morris served with the regiment in the Gwalior Campaign
Gwalior Campaign
The Gwalior Campaign was fought between British and Marathan forces in Gwalior in India, December 1843.- Background :The Maratha Empire controlled much of central and northern India and had fallen to the British in 1818 giving the British control over almost all of the Indian subcontinent...
, seeing action at the Battle of Maharajpore on 29 December 1843 and being awarded the Gwalior Star
Gwalior Star
The Gwalior Star is a campaign award presented to the soldiers of the British Army, by the Honorable East India Company, who took part in the 1843 Gwalior Campaign.-History:...
. On 14 May 1845 he was promoted to Lieutenant, without purchase. While serving with the 16th he was given the nickname "Slacks".
Morris commanded a troop of the 16th through the First Anglo-Sikh War
First Anglo-Sikh War
The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company between 1845 and 1846. It resulted in partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom.-Background and causes of the war:...
, serving at the Battle of Buddiwal on 11 January 1846, at the Battle of Aliwal
Battle of Aliwal
The Battle of Aliwal was fought on 28 January 1846 between the British and the Sikhs. The British were led by Sir Harry Smith, while the Sikhs were led by Ranjodh Singh Majithia...
on 28 January, where he was wounded, and at the Battle of Sobraon
Battle of Sobraon
The Battle of Sobraon was fought on 10 February 1846, between the forces of the British East India Company and the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab...
on 10 February. After the conclusion of the war he applied for leave, and returned to England in May 1846, going on half-pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
. During his time in India he became a "firm friend" of Louis Nolan, an officer with a keen interest in cavalry warfare but whose regiment, the 15th Hussars, was stationed at Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
and had not participated in the recent conflict.
Service in Britain and marriage
On 19 February 1847 Morris exchanged from the 16th to the 17th Light Dragoons, another Lancer regiment, joining the regiment in Dublin. In 1849 he attended the Senior Department of the Royal Military CollegeStaff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
, passing out in 1851. He purchased his promotion to Captain on 25 April 1851, and in 1852 married Amelia, daughter of Major-General Thomas William Taylor CB, of Ogwell, a fellow-landowner in Devon and sometime Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Military College.
The Crimean War
On the outbreak of war with RussiaCrimean 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...
in 1854, Morris was appointed Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
in the Cavalry Division of the Army of the East, leaving for Turkey in April. While at 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...
he contracted cholera, and did not participate in the initial invasion of the Crimea, only joining the army besieging Sebastopol in October, where the 17th Lancers were also present as part of the Light Cavalry Brigade. Their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel John Lawrenson, had been sent home sick, so when Major Augustus Saltren Willett died of cholera on 22 October, Morris, as senior Captain, was entitled to take command of the regiment. Despite being weakened by his illness and a "complete stranger" to the men of the 17th, he chose to exercise this right rather than remain on the staff. He was therefore in command of the regiment at the Battle of Balaclava
Battle 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, still wearing his staff-officer's frock-coat and cap and riding his charger "Old Trumpeter".
During the battle, the Russian cavalry under Lieutenant-General Rijov, having failed to break through the Thin Red Line
The Thin Red Line (Battle of Balaclava)
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...
to the British base at Balaclava, were repulsed by the uphill advance of the Heavy Cavalry Brigade under Brigadier-General Scarlett
James Yorke Scarlett
General Sir James Yorke Scarlett, GCB was a British general and hero of the Crimean War.-Early life:The son of the 1st Baron Abinger, 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...
, an event later known as the Charge of the Heavy Brigade. It was obvious to an experienced soldier like Morris that the Light Brigade should now attack the Russians in the flank, and he urged this course of action on the brigade commander, Lord Cardigan
James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan
Lieutenant General James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, KCB , was an officer in the British Army who commanded the Light Brigade during the Crimean War...
. Though a Major-General, Cardigan had never seen action. He regarded Captain Morris's suggestion as presumption and refused, to Morris's evident frustration.
The enemy cavalry withdrew without further injury, and the Russians now began carrying off the guns they had earlier captured from their positions along the Causeway Heights, a ridge dividing the battlefield along a line from east to west. To prevent this, the British army commander, Lord Raglan
FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan
Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, GCB, PC , known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British soldier.-Early life:...
, sent an order to the Cavalry Division to "advance rapidly to the front" and "try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns". The officer sent to deliver the order was Morris's old friend Captain Nolan, who was serving as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Brigadier-General Airey
Richard Airey, 1st Baron Airey
General Richard Airey, 1st Baron Airey GCB , known as Sir Richard Airey between 1855 and 1876, was a British general.-Background:...
, and who had shared Morris's frustration at the failure of the Light Brigade to capitalise on the Heavy Brigade's success. On receipt of the order, the commander of the Cavalry Division, Lord Lucan, could not see the guns on the heights from his position on the plain; the only ones in sight were a Russian battery at the eastern end of the valley to the north of the heights. On Lucan's asking "What guns?", Nolan replied "There, my Lord, is your enemy; there are your guns!", and waved in a vaguely eastward direction. Lucan ordered the Light Brigade under Lord Cardigan to advance down the North Valley.
The 17th Lancers under Captain Morris were positioned in the centre of the front line of the Light Brigade, and Captain Nolan joined them there. Nolan gave Morris a letter for his mother, and Morris a letter for his wife to Nolan, to be delivered if the other was killed. As the Brigade began to advance, Nolan said "Now, Morris, for a bit of fun!" As Nolan spurred his horse forward, Morris called out "That won't do, Nolan. We've a long way to go and must be steady." Nolan was then hit by a Russian shell and his horse veered away across the Brigade to the rear. It has been suggested that Nolan, realising that the Brigade was going in the wrong direction, was trying to tell Lord Cardigan the correct objective, but Morris always believed the charge went in the direction Nolan had intended. As the Brigade came under increasing fire, the horses moved from a trot to a canter, and to avoid being overtaken Lord Cardigan, at the front, had to order Morris and the 17th, who were setting the pace, to keep steady. Morris led his regiment down the valley without being injured, and reaching the eastern end, charged past the guns and into the Russian cavalry stationed behind. He killed a Russian officer with his sabre, but the point became stuck in the corpse, leaving Morris vulnerable to attack. He received two sabre cuts to the head, which knocked him from his horse, and then was wounded again by a lance from the Cossacks that surrounded him, after which he surrendered his sword. In the confusion he managed to escape back down the valley, having a captured horse shot under him before continuing on foot, but lost consciousness not far from Nolan's body. He was discovered by Lord Raglan's aide-de-camp Captain Ewart, who called for help removing him. Sergeant Charles Wooden
Charles Wooden
Charles Wooden VC was a German recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.- Crimean War :...
of the 17th and Surgeon James Mouat
James Mouat
Surgeon General James Mouat VC KCB was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
of the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons
6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons
The 6th Dragoons was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1689. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 5th/6th Dragoons in 1922.The 'Skins' are one of the four ancestor regiments of the Royal Dragoon...
saved Morris's life by attending to his wounds under Russian fire. For this action the Victoria Cross
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....
was later awarded to Mouat and Wooden. Morris was among those listed as "severely wounded" in General Bucknall Estcourt's return and he was mentioned in despatches by Lord Lucan. After recovering from his injuries he was invalided home to England. For his "distinguished service" he was promoted to the brevet rank of Major on 12 December 1854.
In February 1855 Morris was appointed Deputy Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
at Horse Guards
Horse Guards (building)
Horse Guards is a large grade I listed building in the Palladian style between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade in London, England. It was built between 1751 and 1753 by John Vardy to a design by William Kent. The building was constructed on the site of the Guard House of the old Whitehall Palace,...
. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 5 July 1855 and was also appointed to the fourth class of the Ottoman Order of the Medjidie and the fifth class (Chevalier) of the French Legion of Honour. On 2 November 1855 he was promoted to brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, and went out to Scutari Barracks to oversee remounts for the cavalry. In December 1855 he returned to the Crimea as Deputy Quartermaster-General of the Turkish army at Kerch
Kerch
Kerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine. Kerch, founded 2600 years ago, is considered as one of the most ancient cities in Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
, with the local rank of Colonel, remaining there for the rest of the war. For this he was advanced to the third class of the Medjidie.
Later service and death
After his return to Britain Morris served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General at The CurraghCurragh Camp
The Curragh Camp is an army base and military college located in The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. It is the main training centre for the Irish Army.- Brief history of the Curragh's military heritage :...
in Ireland, until the 17th Lancers were ordered to India in September 1857. Though holding brevet rank as a Lieutenant-Colonel, Morris still only held rank as a Captain in his regiment until he was promoted Major, without purchase, on 17 September 1857. He sailed with the 17th to Bombay and was stationed with them at Kirkee. In April 1858 he was appointed Assistant Adjutant-General in Bombay by the Commander-in-Chief Sir Henry Somerset
Henry Somerset (British Army officer)
Lieutenant General Sir Henry Somerset KCB KH was a British Army officer, the eldest son of Lord Charles Somerset....
, and took up his post at Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar is a city and a municipal council in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a hill station located in the Western Ghats range. With one of the few evergreen forests of the world, it served as the summer capital of Bombay province during the British Raj.-Geography...
. Three months later he died at Poona, "supposedly from the effects on the sun on the silver plate he had in his head as a result of his wounds sustained at Balaclava".
A memorial to him was set up at St Mary's Church in Poona and in 1860 public subscription funded an obelisk at Hatherleigh Moor in Devon.
A fictionalised version of Morris was played by Mark Burns
Mark Burns
Mark Burns was an English film and television actor.Burns was born in Bromsgrove in the county of Worcestershire and educated at Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire...
in the 1968 film The Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968 film)
The Charge of the Light Brigade is a 1968 British war film made by Woodfall Film Productions and distributed by United Artists . It was directed by Tony Richardson and produced by Neil Hartley....
, with Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
as his wife (renamed Clarissa in the film) and David Hemmings
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
as his friend Nolan.