The simple answer to this question is that nobody really knows for sure. There are a number of reasons for this, but the primary reason is that no one took a formal roll call by name just prior to the Charge. Therefore the reports of the number of chargers come from a variety of sources, none of which is unimpeachable, and most of which have failed to take a number of facts into account.
Let's look at some of these sources:
The article by William Howard Russell for THE TIMES listed 607 chargers. Russell was in the Crimea at the time; he had the opportunity to interview the participants immediately after the Charge. As a news correspondent, he would have sought to get his facts straight before submitting his story . . . so, let's say there were 607 Chargers!
Lord George Paget, who commanded the 4th Light Dragoons in the Charge, includes a table as Appendix No. 5 in the back of his book "The Light Cavalry Brigade in the Crimea" which lists the totals taken from the official regimental returns. Paget gives a figure of 673 men on parade that morning, and this is the figure that most historians work from. Most Light Brigade historians are aware that two Sardinian officers, Major Guiseppe Govone and Lieutenant Giuseppe Landrini, sent to the Crimea as observers, asked and were granted permission to ride in the Charge; Landrini was wounded (had his leg fractured by grapeshot) and was taken prisoner. So with the addition of the two Sardinian officers, we are up to 675 men. Most historians are also aware that Captain Louis Nolan, who brought the fateful order, would not have been on parade that morning with the cavalry because he was an ADC to Lord Raglan. The addition of Nolan brings us up to 676. Then we have the strange case of Private Vahey (aka Veigh, aka Fahey) who escaped from the guard tent on the morning of the Charge, dressed in his bloody butcher's smock. While Vahey was an inveterate storyteller, we have several eyewitness accounts, as well as his award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal to prove his presence . . . so now we are up to 677. . . But, if we are to believe the account of Troop Sergeant-Major George Loy Smith of the 11th Hussars, Cornet John Yates "remained behind when the brigade was ordered to attack" . . . so we go back down to 676. But then TSM Smith also said that Private Humphries was wounded in the Charge, but his name does not appear on the casualty lists, he was not awarded the Balaclava Clasp, no other Chargers mention him in their accounts, and at his funeral, a member of his regiment commented that he was an officer's servant and did not ride in the Charge. So, if on the basis of this you think Yates was a Charger, go back up to 677. The Regimental Returns, however, would also not have included Lord Cardigan, Colonel Mayow, or Captain Maxse . . . so we are up to 680.
Andrew Sewell, noted Light Brigade historian, notes that Paget's figures are problematic in another way . . . although there were 673 men on parade, there were only 643 horses. While it is possible that some garnered loose horses from the earlier Charge of the Heavy Brigade, is it possible they found 36 horses running about the battlefield? Similarly, Sewell notes that Colonel Whinyates, in "From Coruna to Sebastopol" (whose casualty report was more accurate that Paget's) only reported 651 on parade that morning.
Sewell also points out that neither Paget nor Whinyates mention if they included Lord Raglan's personal escort in the parade figures of that morning. If they were present on parade before reporting for escort duty, then we would have to subtract Captain Chetwode, Lieutenant McNaughten, and 30 men from our figures . . . which could give us anywhere from 611 to 647 using Paget's figures for horses and men, and adding those not on parade. Whinyates' parade count would render a figure of 609 . . . which is frighteningly close to Russell's initial figure of 607. It is not impossible that one or two men went on sick call after parade!
The Marquess of Anglesey, author of "A History of the British Cavalry" and a recognized expert in the field, refers to "the 661 believed to be present in the Charge" . George Loy Smith includes a table in the back of his book "A Victorian RSM" which indicates there were 676 in the Charge. Mark Adkin, author of "The Charge" estimates the number of Chargers at 668. Charger Albert Mitchell, in his "Recollections of One of the Light Brigade" advances the 607 figure, but is corrected by C.R.B. Barrett, in his "History of the XIII Hussars" who states "of course for 607 we must read 673", but then he inexplicably (and incorrectly) places the time of the Charge at 2 P.M., so do you really want to trust his accuracy? The Queens Royal Hussars website lists 607 sabres.
Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate of England, persisted in asking for confirmation of the facts before completing his epic poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and eventually referred to the "noble six hundred", which would suggest belief in one of the lower figures. The award of a Balaclava clasp is no guarantee that a man participated in the Charge, as one had only to be present on the field of battle that day to get the award, and men whose duties (such as Regimental surgeon) would have kept them from the battlefield, were still eligible for the award of the Clasp.
If you were to assemble all of obituaries and tombstone inscriptions attributing Charger status to the deceased, you would find that the number who charged numbered in the thousands!
How many rode in the Charge . . . probably no fewer than 607 nor more than 680. In light of all of the foregoing, I tend to side with the lower figure, but will freely admit, that is only my opinion, and nowhere near a conclusive fact.
© Lawrence W. Crider, 1 October,2006