Crimean War Period Beckwith Cavalry Carbine Owned by Captain Forster 4th Dragoon Guards - Charge of the Heavy Brigade

For sale, a private purchase Crimean War period Brunswick type cavalry carbine by Beckwith of London belonging to Captain Francis Rowland Forster of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards surviving officer of The Charge of the Heavy Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava.

This superior quality carbine sports a 25” Damascus steel barrel with fixed sights terminating at a rare and early Brunswick first pattern type back action lock plate both of which are engraved to the famous gunsmith, “Beckwith, London”. Similar also to the Brunswick it has a brass butt plate, patch box and trigger guard and particular to cavalry use, it has a saddle bar and ring and a captive ramrod to assist with reloading whilst on horseback.

The rifle has decorative engraving to the majority of the fittings and is further engraved to, “Capt F. Rowland Forster to the inside of the patch box lid and it remains in superb condition throughout.

Captain Forster joined the 4th Dragoon Guards in February of 1840 as a Cornet, was promoted to Lieutenant in March of 1842 and made Captain in January of 1847, the rank which he held when his regiment were given orders to sail for The Crimea.

Following the British Army’s successful landing and the ensuing Battle of Alma in September of 1854, the British Army took the town of Balaclava as its supply base and headquarters. With the Russian defeat and their subsequent retreat back upon the coastal town of Sevastapol, plans were formulated to counter attack and repulse the British from their newly established base of operations. The Russian advance of 25,000 men under General Liprandi signalled the beginning of The Battle for Balaclava which took place shortly after on the 25th of October 1854.

The battle is perhaps the most famous of the numerous actions that took place in the two year campaign and is also known for the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade and The Thin Red Line but it was the Turks defending the outer defences of the town that took the initial brunt of the attack at dawn. Being outnumbered by ten to one, it wasn’t long before the Ottoman troops collapsed after some furious fighting and the Russians established themselves in three of the six redoubts that sat upon the ridge between the north and south valley above the town.

Following the initial success, the Russian heavy cavalry advanced to the right of the captured redoubts and a squadron was sent to charge the 93rd who were the only infantry regiment available to support the fleeing Turks. This charge was turned by the force of the 93rd’s volleys and led to the historic and enduring title of The Thin Red Line. The rest of the Russian Brigade were meanwhile unaware of the British Heavy Brigade positioned at the base of the ridge on the other side and were moving in support of the fleeing Ottoman troops by virtue of an order from Lord Raglan.

Lieutenant Colonel Scarlett began leading the squadron of heavies at the head of the 5th Dragoons followed by The Greys, The Inniskillings and The 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards bringing up the rear and it was in this order that the Brigade began the uphill charge against its opponents. The Russians were slow to respond and attempting to form a pincer movement to envelop the initial charge of The 5th Dragoons, The Greys & The Inniskillings they were met on their right flank by the 4th in support. This final movement was led by Colonel Edward Hodge, Forster’s commanding Officer and his diaries and a letter written by Forster himself some ten years later to Hodge, provide an on the spot account. Captain Forster was in command of the regiment’s first or right squadron during the action;

“When we moved down by the side of the vineyard to attack the Russians, we were in column of troops or squadrons left in front. At the bottom of the vineyard where we wheeled to the left, we were certainly in column of tro