A Soldier's Experience; or, A Voice from the Ranks: Showing the Cost of War in Blood and Treasure. A Personal Narrative of the Crimean Campaign, from the Standpoint of the Ranks; the Indian Mutiny, and Some of its Atrocities; the Afghan Campaigns of 1863Gowing, T. (Timothy)
History
A Soldier's Experience; or, A Voice from the Ranks: Showing the Cost of War in Blood and Treasure. A Personal Narrative of the Crimean Campaign, from the Standpoint of the Ranks; the Indian Mutiny, and Some of its Atrocities; the Afghan Campaigns of 1863
Gowing, T. (Timothy)
Crimean War, 1853-1856 -- Personal narratives
Well, I've had a few hours' rest and I feel that I should
like to bring this letter to a close; and will, if I am
spared, give you a long account of that terrible fight that
laid Sebastopol at our feet, and I am proud to say that a
great number of Norfolk and Suffolk men have helped to plant
our glorious old flag on the blood-stained walls of that
far-famed town, Sebastopol. It was a Norfolk man that led us
to the finishing stroke (Windham), and right well he did
it--it was, 'Come on, boys, and I will show you the way!'
The fighting, dear Parents, in the interior of the Redan was
desperate; when I come to recall it, it seems almost too
much for me. I cannot express my gratitude to the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords, who shielded my life,--I hope for
some good purpose,--on those bloody parapets, when my poor
comrades fell like Autumn leaves all around, to rise no
more. It seemed utterly impossible that any could escape;
and we had a great number of very young men with us who had
come out with drafts to fill up the gaps. But they were too
young for the trying work, many of them had not seen
seventeen summers; plenty of them had not had two months'
service. We wanted 20,000 tried veterans; but through some
mismanagement they were kept back.
I will write again as soon as I get a little more
strength--so cheer up, dear parents. Tell Tom he had better
eat some more beef and dumplings before ever he thinks of
soldiering; one in a family is quite enough to be shot at,
at a time. Tell poor mother to cheer up, I will come home to
Norwich some day, and give her as warm a greeting as the
Frenchmen gave me at Malta. I must now conclude. Give my
kind regards to all inquiring friends, and believe me, dear
parents,
Your affectionate son,
T. GOWING,
Sergeant, Royal Fusiliers.
P.S.--What a lot of nonsense they put in the papers--it's
only filling up stuff, or, in plain language, boast. Men had
far better not write at all, if they cannot confine
themselves to the truth; for they only get laughed at, as
the papers are read in the camp. Please send Illustrated.
Yours, &c.,
T.G.
* * * * *
"Have I not heard great ordnance in the field,
And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?
Have I not in a pitched battle heard
Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets' clang?"
OLD ENGLAND.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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