Fitzroy James Henry Somerset was born on September 30, 1788 in Badminton, Gloucestershire, England. After entering the army, Raglan served as the Duke of Wellington's military secretary. In 1852 he became master general of the ordnance and was created Baron Raglan. After war was declared on Russia on March 27, 1854 he led the British army in the field in the Crimea, where his force landed on September 14^th. Raglan led the allies to victory on the Alma River, but his inexperience in the field, lack of resolve and tendency to placate his contemporaries ruined his effectiveness in the field.

The Allies forfeited their advantage, and delayed their attack on Sebastopol until October allowing the Russians to build up their defenses.

An ambiguous order in the Battle of Balaclava, led to the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade under the 7^th Earl of Cardigan. Raglan was blamed for the campaigns lack of progress and the suffering of his troops, who lacked adequate supplies and shelter during the winter of 1854-55. He died shortly after a disastrous Allied defeat in the following summer, June 18, 1855.

Raglan's name was applied to the raglan sleeves, which came into use about 1855.