'More have died with cold and hunger than fell at both battles'
BESIDES the captivating narrative provided by the special correspondent reporting back to the United Kingdom on conditions of the British Army during the Siege of Sebastopol the News Letter also in this week in 1855 published a selection of absorbing letters which had been sent home by soldiers.
One such soldier was John McDonald who wrote to a friend on January 10, 1855, from the "Camp before Sebastopol".
McDonald wrote: "I have the pleasure of writing you these few lines, hoping they will find you in the best of health, as this leaves me at present, thanks to God for His kindness to me, though my companions are falling by my side with the frost and snow.
"Some of our men are quite well in health in the morning, and at night they are dead with the frost – they are as stiff as a bar of iron. We don't feel it as much as the poor fellows who came out here lately, the most of them volunteers from the militia; your blood would tremble if you were to see them falling in dozens all hours of the day; we don't feel it so much as they do, being so long out here, though we have plenty to do; we are starving for the want of food; we feel very happy if we have a little bread; as for drink, we can't get any; we get two glasses of rum per day, but I fear we can't get any more in consequence of the bad weather."
McDonald continued: "My dear friend, I am sorry to inform you of the miserable state I am in. I have had a shirt on my back for two months, which causes me a great deal of vermin; as for stockings, I have none. My shoes are not of much use, and as for my clothing, it is shameful, though I am not so bad as other poor fellows.
"After the Battle of Inkermann I went among the dead and took two pair of shoes, three pair of stockings, and a pair of trousers. I don't know what we shall do if we do not get clothing from England. The Government of England is behaving very cruelly to the British army. More have died with cold and hunger than fell at both battles, and all through neglect."
Continuing his letter home McDonald remarked: "My dear friend, it is no use for a man to come out here if he is downhearted. I always keep up my spirits, though it's hard for me; there is no sign of taking Sebastopol as yet, but if the Lord spares us until the winter is over, we will have another slap at it.
"I fear we shall give up the trenches, and let the French take them; we are short of men; there were 500 left here yesterday, going to hospital. The French are well provided for; they get all the convenience they want in regard of food and clothing."
Concluding his letter McDonald wrote: "I fear you cannot read this. I lie on my wet clothes, and have no way of writing only by lying on my belly in the little hut, which we call a camp. I cannot get the pen to write, through the frost."
Signing off his letter he stated: "Give my love to all my friends who wish me well. No more at present. Good-bye; God bless you. I hope I shall see you once more with a few medals on my coat. I remain your faithful well-wisher."
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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