| Description | Glad to hear news from home. "We are doing nothing here out of the common. The cannonading at nights is fearful and every description of infernal machine hurled at us, but in spite of all our works proceed, but slowly as the ground is quite rocky which makes the trench work very hard for the working parties. I am quite ready some nights for a grand sortie on the Russian side and if well executed they will turn us out of our front lines with ease. They harrass us very little indeed except from their batteries. I am glad that people have not forgotten me, it is a consolation for doing one's work. I hope Lord Stanley has not imagined that I did anything for Johnny that anybody else would not have done. In my position I was unable to do much except to see that he was as comfortable as the Crimea would allow of. He had luckily some very good friends in authority who were able to get him away at once. I have no news to tell you. There is a report that some of the officers who have been here all the time are to be allowed leave in the winter. I hope this may be true indeed. Another Crimean winter would be too much. What fun it would be! However there is much to be gone through before that good time arrives." |