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9 Sep 55 Peter on board the 'Alipore' Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________

September 9th 1855

(Aboard) ‘Alipore’ Kamiesh

My dear Mother

Sebastopol is at last taken. This you have of course long since heard & perhaps too the particulars but nevertheless I will try & give you, as far as I know, a small account of the taking.

At 12 o’clock of the 8th, the French started from their trenches which were only about 60 yards from the Malakhof & surprised the Russians who were all asleep & of course took the place almost without resistance. As soon as this was taken we started for the Redan but by this time the Russians were prepared & we met a stout resistance which was however ineffectual. We took the place however but somehow got turned out again & whether we got in again I do not know.

The Malakhof however being the key to Sebastopol & being in the possession of the Allies, the Russians it appears thought good to evacuate the whole town during the night, setting fire to it & spiking all their guns.* In the morning we took possession & now all day the Allies have been pillaging. I went to the front with the Mate of the Alipore, partly to find out their fraternity, partly to see what was to be seen.

I found John all right but before that I met Howley who was crying & asked me if I had heard of my brother, which rather frightened me. He then told me Julius was wounded & I need scarcely say I hastened over to see him. It is a nasty wound but I am glad to say he is in capital spirits & bears it well, which is a great thing.

He was hit by a grape shot in the leg & will be confined to bed for a long time. I do not think however that he will come home – he may go to Scutari but I scarcely expect he will unless there is a move. To see him as he lies in bed you would scarcely think anything was the matter with him & I think that argues well. You must therefore not be frightened about him.

It was most amusing to see all the French men bringing up things from the town. They do not allow anyone to go there now. Up on the hills there is everything – Pianos, parasols, guns, muskets, swords, tea services – in fact everything you can think of from clothes to sweetmeats &c. &c. &c.

The English are not allowed to pillage & the French take away all serviceable arms. I bought a pair of splendid chairs with mosaic seats, a sponge about a foot each way in diameter, about half a dozen books &c. & when I got to the English camp they were taken away & burnt.

Coming back I bought a Russian musket which I left at John’s tent & tried very hard to get you a Russian Parasol, which however having no more money with us I was unable to do. John has all sorts of things which he will tell you of himself & which if we can get on board, I shall bring home, but I am afraid they will all be taken away.

Sebastopol is still in flames and every now & then there are loud explosions. Tonight we push on for the north side I believe and complete what was begun yesterday. The ships have not been engaged at all. John’s regiment changed their position I believe which is rather a grief after they having been building their huts for the winter.

I am very tired and my feet are a mass of blister but nevertheless I shall go up tomorrow & try and get some of the things aboard as such a thing will never again occur in my life. There is very little excitement. They all seem to have taken it as a matter of course – the French in particular.

Goodnight. I go up again tomorrow & will give you a listing of my doings.

September 11th /55

I went up to the front again yesterday with the Captain & we took provisions with us & started for Sebastopol itself. We got thro’ the French trenches, passed the Russian cemetery & got into the Russian batteries where, after walking about some time, we were captured as no one is allowed further than the trenches, or not so far, & carried off prisoners with a guard of six men which at different stations changed & the others returned.

After being ordered to about half a dozen wrong generals we at last, after about four miles, arrived at the right & owing to the grog which we had carried with us, managed to put our guard in good humour & instead of introducing us as supposed Russian spies (according to his orders) we were declared to be ‘Some of the Allies merely walking & picking up bullets &c. in the trenches’ & were immediately set at liberty.

We then proceeded to John’s place & found him but as it was very late, had not time to go to Julius, but John said he had seen him since I last saw him & he was in capital spirits – as the Doctors would say ‘progressing favourably’.

I bought a small Russian dog which I gave 10 francs for. I got it from a sailor who had just come out of the town. He will be a very pretty dog when he grows up but at present he is quite a puppy – black & white with something of a pointer face tho’ I do not think he will be half so big as that intellectual animal.

I have also got a quantity of charms – crucifixes, Madonnas &c – which the Russians wear round their necks. They are made of metal & are taken from the dead. I have one or two other little things of little value such as cartridges &c. and I have also a musket, bayonet & all correct which however I cannot get on board because the Gendarmes look out so sharp.

The Captain (Millman) bought an officer’s sword with silver knot but no sheath, & to hide it, he put it down one of the legs of his trousers, bound round with canvas. As we were coming along we jumped up into a cart and when he bent his leg to raise himself, the sword came thro’ the cloth & wounded a Frenchmen who was performing the same feat, who was very angry & who afterwards sat on the back rail of the cart, so that when the driver (or rather postilion)* started off at a gallop and brought the wheels into contact with a large stone. François was thrown with great violence backwards &, the horses not choosing to stop, was left lying rather damaged on the road – much to our amusement, more especially as he would smoke cigarettes, the ashes flying all about my pockets where the Russian cartridges were hid.

While I was with John the Mare arrived looking the same as ever. The man who brought her up was delighted with her, telling me (as if I had never seen her before) of all her good qualities, but he had not discovered her bad ones. She certainly looks the Queen of the place, but unfortunately here people pay no attention to outward appearances of any sort – all here is the real genuine substance.

I suppose in about a week we shall be able to get into Sebastopol but at present while fire lasts and there are daily numerous explosions, they will not allow anyone to enter and any attempt will meet with the same result as our adventure of yesterday.

I expect the Alipore will remain here about 3 weeks or a month longer and as she has been knocking on the rocks of Kamiesh for the last week during the winds & must be seriously injured, I hope & expect she will have to return home & if so, she will have immediately to go into dock for repairs – she may however be repaired at Malta.

Love to all &c. &c.

Your affect son

Peter Laurie

* spiking all their guns – The plugging of the vent to prevent use after capture. The bronze for the Victoria Cross still comes from a captured Chinese-made cannon used by the Russians at Sevastopol

* postilion – Rider of the leading near-side horse when two or more pull a carriage