| Description | Acknowledges Papa's letter and hopes he has received his latest account of fighting - "in which I gave as good an account as I could of that affair but on these occasions the noise and confusion is so great that it is impossible to know more than what is passing immediately around you and sometimes not even that. The only officer I saw after starting on that expedition was poor little Fitz Clarence who was knocked over by grape shot close to me and had his right thigh amputated afterwards close up to the thigh - he is getting on famously. The pluck of these boys is something marvellous. They do not know what danger is at first. Old hands like myself for instance become like our old dog fox, very wary and cautious as far as practicable. My experience has taught me however that the first on these occasions generally come off best, as by the time a gun is trained upon the first lot, from always advancing, when it is final it goes over the heads of the leaders and falls amongst those in the rear. Nothing I am sure is so bad as standing still. Our men I am sorry to say are not what they were. The soldiers of Alma and Inkerman are underground and a new lot of boys, undisciplined and hardly able to hold a musket have taken their places. The trench work has not improved us for we are so accustomed now to run for cover that it is next to impossible to get the men to face the open at all, indeed it is hard to expect it from them. If you could form an idea of what it is like to face a battery of 68 pounders you would indeed wonder how it is ever done. But still it is done, and I do not believe fear is known at the time. Before starting is decidedly the worst moment. If ever a man says a prayer to his God, it is then. We are living here in the greatest possible luxury now. At Balaklava a new town has sprung up. Shops of all kinds with large signboards and steam engines working circular saws - trains running up and down, factories of all kinds make it like a small manufacturing town, with a wonderful trade for its size. Everything of course is very dear. Meat 2 shillings a pound and potatoes ranging from 10d. to 1 shilling a pound. As we have to buy meat from the French market every day and vegetables our dinners, tho' of the plainest description, cost as much as a grand one given in the Clarendon would. If we depended upon the Commissariat we should fare badly. Fresh meat is a rarity and vegetables are never served out. Good tea and good brandy are not to be had for money and I should prize some very much. Many ships go out and I daresay parcels would be safe in them ... I am sure horses must be dear now, so many are bought up for this war but it will be a blow to D and L not being able to ride. I often think I would sooner go at the Redan than get on Gold Digger's back. I have never seen a horse since I left England. We all ride these little ponies out here which are much the best sort of animal. The photograph man has disappeared so I cannot get any more likenesses done. Johnny Stanley has gone to England completely knocked up. One night did for him. I am very glad he was sent to England, he would certainly have died up here. We have most splendid weather with every day a sea breeze to take off the heat of the sun. The only drawback to the contrary are the flies which are a perfect torment and worse than any mosquitoes". Only 3 officers inc. himself in the Division and 100 men survive of the original forces which left England. New officers all boys. "The old hands will not come out so that I out here am doing their work and going through all this danger for them to get the promotion who are pitching their huts about the steps of the Bay. It is very disgusting and has been going on so long that I have made up my mind to take the earliest opportunity of getting away to the Depot on sick leave or something as I do not like getting shot at for nothing. I have a faint chance of being sent home to Malta to command one of the Depots. If Watson comes out it will give us a reserve Captain and I shall send in my claim immediately. I am second in command now. Turner who exchanged with Hoare in the winter commands, a very good fellow, but I would sooner command myself of course and I should be truly proud as I am truly proud of the old regiment and think it has distinguished itself out here second to none." |