| Description | Recounts the disaster of 18 June - "our first real reverse, and all were so certain of success! On Tuesday we had a flag of truce and we recovered Colonel Yea's body. He had a shot thro' the head and must have died instantaneously" Describes other officers wounded. Saw General Pennefather yesterday who said "I saw Yea at Alma under fire. He was as true as steel. We cannot afford to lose such a man and at such a time.".....praise from a General such as Pennefather is indeed worth having and I only wish Colonel Yea was alive to hear it!".... "We have a Captain just come to us from the 18th commanding the regiment. You will think I despair. I confess, for the sake of the old Corps, I do feel so. I shall not live long enough to see it once more what it was...... He (Rea) left me his will and a letter to his sister and to Lord Vivian to which I was to add according to his directions - In it he complained of the injustice of sending this regiment a 2nd time as "forlorn hope" |