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4 Mar 58 Julius Camp Dalkoosha Mother Hyde Park Place ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Camp Dalkoosha
Nr. Lucknow 4th March. /58
My dear Mother
There is no telling what a few days may bring forth, so altho’ I sent a letter off a few days ago, I will not let pass another opportunity of writing.
We have at last got a rest which we needed. We marched out of camp suddenly on the 1st, about 2 o’clock in the afternoon & arrived at the Commander in Chief’s Camp, which was just off the Cawnpore & Lucknow road, about 10 miles from the latter place, about 10 o’clock at night. We were told we were to march at 4 next morning. Of course we did not think of putting up a tent. We managed to get some hot water & made some tea which, with some bread, (considering we have no cooks or native servants) did very well instead of dinner.
We marched out at 4 next morning & found that we were the advance guard of the army of besiegers of Lucknow. We marched through Alambagh & shortly afterwards heard the ‘boomings’ of our Horse Artillery who advanced with the Cavalry & cleared the ground.
Sir Colin was in the front the whole time & when we came up ordered the two leading Companies to advance & clear the Garden which contained a very large number of the enemy. Two more Companies were then sent out in our front in skirmishing order* & we followed. Another two Companies were sent for, to guard against our right flank & as the latter of them is the one that I belong to – out we went.
We (our two Companies) however did not fire a shot all day. The others cleared the enemy out in grand style, hardly firing a shot, but the sepoys cannot stand Englishmen & retired in great haste leaving a number of their belts, containing ammunition. It was quite evident that we took them by surprize as there was a lot of flour & some cakes half made. In fact we spoiled some of their breakfasts.
Amongst other things was found a prayer book taken in our Camp at Cawnpore. It was one of those which Sir Thomas Brisbane* gave to each man in the Regt.
We commenced the play about 11 o’clock in the morning. The Companies were detached about 12½ & we got orders to rejoin the Regt. about 4 P.M. We got a few roundshot among us & over us while we were away, but the enemy knew the ground well & when we rejoined, the Regt. had taken up a position in the garden & as our friends on the opposite side knew exactly the range, let the roundshot fall right into us. The men were ordered to get into a large kind of dry tank & there we remained, with two Companies out in front & our own left, who kept up a warm fire on the enemy until about 7 P.M. when we were relieved by the 53rd & we sent behind a large house, the ‘Yellow House’ which is of notoriety as it was there that Sir Colin had some hard work on his last approach to this place.
There we remained all night. Those men who had servants got some dinner & my Captain took compassion on me. There we laid all night, ready for anything but we were not wanted. In the morning we got some shot & bullets but they did little harm. The bugler of my Company, a lad of about 10 or 11, got a slight wound & one or two of the men. We were relieved by the 42nd about 9 o’clock next morning when I assure you I fully appreciated a tent & last night a bed with two blankets as it is very cold at night, although hot by day.
Sir Colin did the ns very well. He put in orders that we were to start on the 3rd & instead came on the 2nd so no wonder they were taken in. I believe all our big guns are up now & all the troops – except Frank’s Column, so we only wait for that.
If the Russians had Lucknow, Sebastopol would be nothing to it. Even with these fellows we shall have some very tough work as they fight well at a distance. It is only close quarters that they cannot stand & fear. They have made Lucknow immensely strong & are building batteries inside one another so that if we take one, we only expose ourselves to the others.
This hard life seems to agree with me as well as everyone else. I believe I could stand any amount of knocking about. I suppose trenches will commence tomorrow & then in for it.
I hope you are all well. I confess I was rather startled by the first roundshot that whizzed past me. I am beginning to take them as I used to. I have not observed many of my friends the shells. I fancy they must be rather short of them. The roundshot however were very thick. Some came into the camp of the Comdr. in Chief & his protégés the Highlanders & two into our camp & wounded a man eating his breakfast.
The former have gone farther off but we remain. The 34th has the honor of being the first Regt. at the siege of Lucknow. I hope I shall be spared to return & tell you all about it. Whatever we may be in, I shall always do my duty without thinking of consequences & leave the rest to Providence.
With love to all
From yr. affect. Son
J D Laurie. –
* skirmishing order – detached from the main force to scout and harry
* Sir Thomas Brisbane – General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet, GCH, GCB, (1773 – 1860). A successful soldier (and Honorary Colonel of 34th Regiment from 1826) who went on to become Governor of New South Wales