02-24-2013, 10:29 PM
Now... let's see what Churchill himself writes about this highly praised cavalry charge at Omdurman.. As always, the real, uncommented, primary source is most valuable and I am amazed that no one produced the actual complete text where many details are given that paint a picture MUCH DIFFERENT to that given by the texts given here :
-Page 188, Chapter : The Sensations of a Cavalry Charge
[i]"...
I noticed, 300 yards away on our flank and parallel to the line on which we were advancing, a long row of blue-black objects, two or three yards apart. I thought there were about a hundred and fifty. Then I became sure that these were men enemy men squatting on the ground. Almost at the same moment the trumpet sounded Trot/ and the whole long column of cavalry began to jingle and clatter across the front of these crouching figures. We were in the lull of the battle and there was perfect silence. Forthwith from every blue-black blob came a white puff of smoke, and a loud volley of musketry broke the odd stillness. Such a target at such a distance could scarcely be missed, and all along the column here and there horses bounded and a few men fell.
The intentions of our Colonel had no doubt been to move round the flank of the body of Dervishes he had now located, and who, concealed in a fold of the ground behind their riflemen, were invisible to us, and then to attack them from a more advantageous quarter 5 but once the fire was opened and losses began to grow, he must have judged it inexpedient to prolong his procession across the open plain. The trumpet sounded 'Right wheel into line/ and all the sixteen troops swung round towards the blue-black riflemen. Almost immediately the regiment broke into a gallop, and the 2ist Lancers were committed to their first charge in war! [i]
page 1 (for some reason I cannot post longer posts)
-Page 188, Chapter : The Sensations of a Cavalry Charge
[i]"...
I noticed, 300 yards away on our flank and parallel to the line on which we were advancing, a long row of blue-black objects, two or three yards apart. I thought there were about a hundred and fifty. Then I became sure that these were men enemy men squatting on the ground. Almost at the same moment the trumpet sounded Trot/ and the whole long column of cavalry began to jingle and clatter across the front of these crouching figures. We were in the lull of the battle and there was perfect silence. Forthwith from every blue-black blob came a white puff of smoke, and a loud volley of musketry broke the odd stillness. Such a target at such a distance could scarcely be missed, and all along the column here and there horses bounded and a few men fell.
The intentions of our Colonel had no doubt been to move round the flank of the body of Dervishes he had now located, and who, concealed in a fold of the ground behind their riflemen, were invisible to us, and then to attack them from a more advantageous quarter 5 but once the fire was opened and losses began to grow, he must have judged it inexpedient to prolong his procession across the open plain. The trumpet sounded 'Right wheel into line/ and all the sixteen troops swung round towards the blue-black riflemen. Almost immediately the regiment broke into a gallop, and the 2ist Lancers were committed to their first charge in war! [i]
page 1 (for some reason I cannot post longer posts)
