| Description | "You may imagine how glad I was to hear of my promotion, without purchase not only for myself but for your sake as well, as I am well aware how very difficult it would have been for you to have purchased it for me and how much better the money would be employed than in wasting it on my unworthy self for the sake of a name which after all is about all that I gain as ever since September last I have been in charge of a company and drawing Captain's pay and allowances. They would not have given me my promotion without purchase if I had not seen the service that I have so that I have gained something by fighting at all events. We are going on here in a very curious sort of way, day and night being passed in the trenches. The siege is virtually at a standstill for the winter. The men cannot make out what is going on and reports keep flying about that the business is being patched up in some way and that the Emperor is inclined to give in slightly. God grant that this may be the case for I should, without intending to croak at all, be very sorry to see another Inkerman as I really do not think that the men have the physical power to withstand numbers as before. Their pluck is still the same, but the poor fellows are literally worn out with fatigue and hardships and are giving in very fast. Our numbers are reduced to a fearful extent and every day a gradual diminution. We muster ourselves scarcely 250 men and this is a large average compared with other regiments. The cold here is something frightful and I am obliged when out at night, which is 4 nights out of every week, to forbid any sleeping as death would be certain to follow. I have seen men from such fatigue fall fast asleep and awake perfectly stiff, frost bitten all over and are only reserved from death by being run up and down violently to get up the circulation. You can fancy how done we are after a twelve hour run all night and that for four nights out of the week to say nothing of the day work, which is nearly as bad. The snow is deep here now but is always thawing and freezing or raining, altogether a most atrocious climate for this sort of work. You can fancy how thankful I am that, through all this, I am allowed to keep such perfect health since my illness. I have never been so well, nothing appears to affect me, frost, snow or rain are all the same to me. I have not had a cold or a chillblain and when I see my fellow sufferers gradually dropping off unable to stand the fatigue I do thank God from the bottom of my heart for his wonderful mercies, granted to me every day and night. I assure you this kind of life makes a man think and shows him his utter littleness and helplessness without the assistance of a higher power." He is most grateful to receive warm clothing and waterproof boots - "I have often been through 24 hours and have had no chage or means of drying anything ... I hope you keep free from Rheumatism; if this winter does not give it me nothing will." |