General Pierre Bosquet and Staff, 1855

Photograph by Roger Fenton (1819-1869), Crimean War (1854-1856), 1855.

General Bosquet (1810-1861) joined the French Army in 1833 and served with distinction during the French North African campaigns of the 1830s and 40s. During the Crimean War his division led the French attack at the Battle of the Alma and it also played a vital role at Inkerman. However, it was during the assault on the Sevastopol defences that he gained his greatest triumph, personally leading his corps of two divisions in the attack on the Mamelon and Malakhov strong points, where he was seriously wounded. On hearing of the futile heroics of the Charge of the Light Brigade, he famously pronounced 'C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre: c'est de la folie' ('It is magnificent, but it's not war: it is madness').