Charge of the Light Brigade as Anti-War?

My first post arises from a thread on the foetry message board...

I always felt that Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade" was an anti-war poem. A friend argues the opposite, stating that the poem reflected the jingoistic nature and sentimentality of Victorian England. What do you think?

I wrote in the foetry thread:

Why some feel that the poem reflects the jingoism and "pro patria mori" of Victorian England, I don't understand. Given the social strictures of 19th century Britain, the criticism of the generals in the second verse ("Not tho' the soldier knew, Someone had blunder'd") was an indictment itself and makes it necessarily anti-war a la Hamuburger Hill in Full Metal Jacket -- both visions made a distinction between the folly of the commanders and the bravery of the doomed soldier (a theme often alluded to in all anti-war literature, movies, etc.)

Click here for the text. What do you think? Did they have anti-war sentiments during Victorian times, beyond the obvious? Were there any protests or organizations?

I've expanded on some of these ideas on my blog over at the small press exchange. Click here.