Soldiers of the Regiment
Major James Paton
Letters from the Crimean War
Camp near Sevastopol. 22nd February, 1856. Charge 3d.
My dearest Ellen,
I scribbled you half a dozen lines about a fortnight ago in a great
hurry; of which I ought to have been ashamed, but I had no time for
more.
Your last letter & Hiawatha came last week. The Poem I don’t fancy much,
but then all folks are not alike which is not a bad thing or there would
be a great deal more misery in the world. Letters from Mother and Willie
came yesterday, they had a gale of wind at C. which uprooted many Trees
& made the poor old House shake to its foundations. Dear Mother had been
suffering from the effects of a fall, but as she said nothing about it
in her last I trust she is all right again.
There is nothing new here. Two Regts. of our Brigade 14th & 39th have
gone to Balaklava to assist in the fatigues there, we were apprehensive
that our turn wd. Come too which I am happy to say is not the case. The
18th, 50th and 4th, all Royal Regiments, form the 1st Brigade of the
Division under Col. Edwards, 18th. It is expected that General
Codrington will review the Army very shortly. Drills & Ball Firing are
all the Rage. There is a man of the 77th to be hung tomorrow for the
murder of a comrade. It will make the first instance of a man being
executed this Campaign, a thing unprecedented in the annals of Armies. A
1000 men from each Div. are to be on the Ground.
I went to the Theatre Royal 4th Div again last night, the House which is
a new one got up for the purpose was very crowded and the performance as
usual, good. Some other Divs. & Regts. Have also got up theatricals, but
none so good as these.
The chances of Peace seem to be flourishing – If it should turn up I
shall go in for a considerable quantum of leave, but that too will
depend where the Regt. goes to. Had I got leave of absence I should at
this moment have been on my way back to this. The Country is tolerably
dry now but the weather extremely variable, 4 days since the Thermometer
stood at .7. Now it is nearly as warm as a Summer day in England.
Cockburn was here today. I have not seen W. Elliot for long. As to Miss
Annie Cadell’s friend’s friend, I shant trouble him, what good could I
do the fellow? He wd. Think me a bore and I should most decidedly think
him one.
Trusting this will find all friends as well as it leaves me. Ever
dearest Ellen Your most affc. Brother
J.Paton
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