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30 Oct 58 Julius Azimgurh Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Azimgurh
30th Oct. 58 –
My dear Mother
I have been such a bad correspondent of late that I must endeavour, now I have a chance, to make up for lost time.
The Plot is thickening out here. The Commander in Chief is going to pour large numbers of troops into Oude. There are to be about 15 Columns & are to enter in all directions. A Column is to be formed up near here at a place named ‘Juelbra’, consisting of HM 34th Regt.; 7th Punjaub Sikh Infantry; ⅔ of a Battery of Royal Artillery (containing 4 Horsed Guns) & a Regt. of Native Irregular Horse, which go by the name of the ‘Jat Horse’ all under command of Col. Kelly.
Our three companies will come in from Juanpore, & we shall have about 600 men in the field, to say nothing of 1 company at Deorre Ghat (where I was). We have had up 2 or 3 batches of Recruits lately & the poor fellows suffer dreadfully at first. They are quite Boys, but have the makings of good soldiers in them. I am Commanding at a different Bungalow to that in which I have always lived, as the Officer in charge has gone out with escort for Treasure.
The Battery that I told you about has arrived & are quartered here. A Party has gone out under Major Maxwell of Ours; 2 Cos of 34th; 100 Sikhs & 2 guns in advance of us, & I suppose in a week we shall follow. The 73rd are to relieve us here & there for the Cold weather Campaign.
It is as much as ever we can do to muster one Officer per Company. Worthington, our Senior Assist. Surgeon has gone home & Peel, the biggest man in the Regt. is to go, poor fellow. He is nothing like the man he was. He got fever first & is now as weak as a child. He was living at this Bungalow & the day before yesterday was to be taken into the Fort for change. He was trying to dress with aid of his Servant & happening to look down on the floor, what should he see but a large Cobra, erect for a spring at him. It was as much as ever he could do to get to the other side of the bed & his Servant went at it with his Rifle & Bayonet. But it was a fight, as the snake would not die – although he was run through several times – until his head was cut clean off.
I have not heard from you since I last wrote but, as I have not heard of a Mail being in, it was not probable that I should have done so. I hope Mary & Child are progressing favourably towards recovery. Does Aunt Helen take sufficient care of her young Nephew & give him sage advice & counsel? I hope my Father has forgotten his troublesome cough & has entirely got over it.
I wonder where you are & what you are doing. At any rate, I hope you have got better weather than we have. It is supposed to be the end of the wet season. It has rained incessantly for 3 days & seems much inclined to continue. However people say it is coming down now to make up for the very dry wet season we have had & that it will soon be over. It would be impossible to march now without having half the men in Hospital in no time.
Col. (or rather Brigadier (as is to be) Kelly is not much of a Commander; is too cautious & has no dash & very slow. I am afraid we shall not do much with the Ns as they will not stand & he is not the man to catch them running.
I will leave off for the present as Mail does not go before 5th & I may have something to tell you.
4th Oct
Not off yet, but expect to go in two days time. We have a very nice little Tour.
Greatest Secrecy prevails with regard to our movements. Letters addressed to HM 34th Bengal or elsewhere will always reach.
By the way, we have been admiring a splendid Comet night after night. I suppose you have also seen it in England.
I hope you are all in grand health. I will write whenever I can get a chance & I must now close my letter with best love to all of you.
From yr affect son
JD Laurie