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27 Aug 55 Julius Camp before Sebastopol Mother 1, Hyde Park Place ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Camp Before Sebastopol
Monday, Augst. 27th 1855
Dear Mother
I was going to write to you by the last mail, but I was in the trenches.
Peter stopped with me three days a short time ago & departed carrying away a Russian musket which I sent to you. It was taken from the Russians, in their attack of the 16th. You will see that it has marks of the fight.
I was on the trenches on the evening of the 23rd from 5 o’clock till the morning of the 25th 10 o’clock which was about 15 hours over our proper time; on the evening of the 24th I got a knock with a piece of shell, but it is nothing but a slight scratch & bruise. I expect to be off the sick list tomorrow.
I hope it is only a silly joke about sending the mare out here. In the first place there would not be any food fit for her & in the second, nowhere to keep her, so she would be found dead in about 24 hours after she arrived.
They have been very much addicted lately to turning us out at ½ past 2 in the morning & keeping us there till daylight which is very disagreeable.
I have got my new servant as my other was a ruffian (not a Russian) & used to appropriate my handkerchiefs &c.
John has been over here twice lately.
Yesterday morning I was attracted to the entrance of my tent by a great cackling & after looking about for some time I discovered large quantities of wild geese up in the air almost out of sight, & one would not have thought to have seen wild geese in the Crimea.
The Light division (ours) had foot races, wrestling, hurdle races &c the other [day]. The pay sergeant of my company greatly distinguished himself.
Whose tale was that about Cattley of the 47th killing Russians & taking prisoners? I have enquired & nothing of the sort has happened. I am sorry to see that he had to resign his commission for being drunk on trenches (Dutch courage) but I expect the story about the Russians was an effusion of his own.
There is talk I believe about sending some of our subs. to do a duty with the 97th who only have one.
I buried a man the other day close by from [where] Fitzclarence of the 7th is buried; I was at Sandhurst with him.
I find messing very expensive here, or rather troublesome, as for every thing that is wanted, one has to send down to Balaklava. I wish you could send me out a box of chocolate, preserved milk & meats, sugar, a ham or so, & plum puddings. Also a thick pea jacket* & fur coat & white ground sheet.
Rand* never put any brushes or anything to clean a pony in the box, with the saddle etc & I had a great trouble about getting them, for all those things are so scarce here.
Ernest Lloyd has gone to Scutari.* I did not see him before he went but I was told that he was not very ill.
John’s Regt got a large draft out the other day.
The last time I was in the advanced trenches, my first acquaintance with them, which you may imagine is not favourite.
I have only had one letter since I have been out here & that was from my Father. I cannot at all imagine the reason why I have not heard from you. We are now expecting the mail.
with love to all
I remain, your affect. son
Julius Dyson Laurir
Lieut, 34th Regt.
* pea jacket – A sailor's heavy woollen double-breasted jacket
* Rand – A partner in the Oxford Street saddlery business from 1855
* Scutari – The old Barrack Hospital at Scutari, Florence Nightingale’s base during the Crimean War. It is still in existence, located on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, immediately opposite Istanbul