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5 Aug 55 Julius on board 'Aetna' Mother Portland Place, Worthing ______________________________________________________________________________________________
On board the steam troopship Aetna
Augst 5th 1855
Dear Mother
You will be surprised to hear that I am on my way to the Crimea.
We started on Augst. the 2nd, exactly a month after the Warspirit sailed from Liverpool. I got orders on the 1st at 4 in the afternoon & we started at 12 the next day. One of our Lieuts. was taken ill, so he could not go on, & as I was the next on the list, of course I was marked to go.
As I said before, we embarked on the 2nd, sailed about two hours afterwards, (six o’clock). We got to the Dardanelles last night & are now in the Sea of Marmara. If I can, I shall get this posted in Constantinople, but the Capt. says we shall not stop there.
½ past 3pm
We have just passed Constantinople. It is about the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Its beauty consists in having trees & green shrubs intermingled with its mosques & other buildings; we are just entering the Black Sea having quitted the Bosphorus about 10 minutes ago.
In Malta I learned that we had lost 2 more Lieuts; Clayton who died of his wounds & Ramsey (a great friend of the Praters*) from over fatigue; so that until we get there, there are only three serviceable Offrs. with the Regt – the Colnl., Qr. Master & Leeson who went out the other day. Our Regt. is the nearest to the walls of Sebastopol; that accounts for our having had so many killed.
We have drafts on board of the 7th, 19th, 23rd, 33rd, 34th, 71st, 88th, 90th, 97th & Rifle brigade, in all about 700 men & 30 Ofcrs., 8 of whom are ours. The 7th & 88th, having no Ofcrs. on board of their own, have them from other Regts for the time being, & as we have the strongest body we send two to the 7th, the senior & junior Subs, the latter of which I am, & one to the 88th.
We hope to reach Balaklava tomorrow at about 5 o’clock. There is an old friend of John’s on board who was with him at St Peters. I have not slept once in bed since I have been on board, as I hear that it is not very comfortable to sleep 3 in one cabin.
I should always recommend people to get their Crimean outfit at Malta, as most of the things that are required are about ½ the price that they are in England. For instance I got a pouch belt there for 16 shillings that costs 2 guineas in England.
The men on board have nothing here to sleep in or on, except one blanket which they strap on their backs when they march. The 7th draft are about the dirtiest set of men that I ever saw & the great bother is that we shall have to march up with them & deliver them over.
Tuesday Aug 7th 55
2 pm
I hope you received the Maltese Cross that I sent you, alright. I should have sent some of the lace that Malta is famed for, but I had not time: in fact I was ordered off with such short notice that I had not time for anything.
I suppose Peter is on his way home by this time. I should have liked to have met him out in the Crimea; very probably we have passed. It has been very rough all day but we expect to get in sight of land about 4 o’clock.
I had to leave my servant behind at Malta, as he was returned unfit for service. I have got another one – I cannot tell at present whether he is a good one or not. I have kept a journal as far as I have gone, beginning at Gibraltar.
Two of our fellows have had the fever on board, supposed to originate from the heat of the weather.
I hope you have quite recovered from yr. illness.
with love to all, I remain
Yr affect Son
Julius, Dyson, Laurie
Lieut. 34th Foot
[Inside the envelope]
I arrived at Balaclava on the 7th. Marched up yesterday. Have seen John twice – as well & fat as ever. Hear that Peter is at Balaclava but have not seen him. Very much obliged to my Father for commissioning John to get me a horse. Will write next mail & thank him. It is a capital one, grey colour.
I am very uncomfortable as I have not yet begun to get my tent unpacked.
J.D.L
* the Praters – Miss Prater was his Godmother
Julius was apparently given the middle name ‘Dyson’ after his Father’s solicitor, William Dyson, of Messrs Dyson and Blaine, 19, Chancery Lane. The same Mr Dyson also acted for Julius when changing his name by deed poll 30 years later, on 14th December 1869