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17 Aug 55 Julius Camp before Sebastopol Mother 1, Hyde Park Place ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, Augst. 17th 1855

Camp before Sebastopol

Dear Mother

I must not make the same excuse as John always did, that letters are always put off till the last moment here, which accounts for them always being so short.

There was a battle* fought between the French, Sardinians & Russians on Thursday morning. The Russians made a sortie with 70 thousand men but were repulsed. 4,000 were left on the field & a great number of prisoners taken.

We were turned out last night by the alarm sounding.

Peter comes to stay with me today till Monday. He is now with John. I have a Russian musket & bayonet that I am going to send home by him.

I thought you would like to have a few lines from me by this mail, although so few.

Yesterday a quantity of shells were exploded in the Malakoff* from one of our shells which burst there.

John went to see the field of battle yesterday.

With love to all from yr. affect. son

Julius Dyson Laurie

Lieut, 34th Regt

* battle – The battle of Tchernaya. Russian casualties 8,000, including 2,300 dead. French lost 1,800; the Sardinians 28. A turning point in the war, when the Russian army in the Crimea was virtually destroyed

* Malakoff – One of the two principal strongpoints in the Russian defences of Sebastopol, the other being the Redan