A Baton for Lord Raglan

Twice, Lord Raglan's little army had been caught on the hop. At Balaclava a massive Russian attack on the main British supply port had been repulsed leaving the cavalry decimated and suitable for little better than piquet duty. Again at Inkerman, Russian columns advancing out of the morning fog, had only narrowly been averted by the bravery of small groups of junior officers, NCOs and men who held on just long enough for individual Brigade Commanders to feed their Battalions piecemeal into the fray.

So when Lord Raglan's report to the War Office was read to the troops there was much dismay when it was found to contain only two mentions of officers below the rank of Brigadier-General, and other than the Guards, only five Battalions were named. Even quite senior officers received only brief mention by name in the report.

The report was accompanied by news of Lord Raglan's promotion to Field-Marshall. As Captain Clifford of the staff is reported to have said "The Queen ought to break it over his head".

Sources:Clifford, Henry-Letters and Sketches the Crimea (1956), repeated in
Hibbert, Christopher-The Destruction of Lord Raglan (1961)
Barthorp, Michael-Heroes of the Crimea (1991)