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
conveyed to the police-station, covered with blood from my
own wound, as well as that of our adversaries. Next morning
I looked much like a man just coming out of a
slaughter-yard. I was taken before the magistrates just as I
was, not being allowed to wash. The court was well filled
with military officers. I had not the slightest knowledge
what the charge preferred against me was, being ignorant of
their language. The magistrate believed every word of the
witnesses against me, left his seat on the bench, came
forward to me, and was in the act of slapping my face (a
usual custom with their own prisoners), when I at once
placed myself in position to resist it (a fighting attitude,
English style). This took the old gentleman by surprise, and
set the whole court in roars of laughter, the military
officers in particular. He retired a few paces, cursing and
swearing at me, and again came forward to strike me. I again
placed myself in defence; the laughter was greater than
before. He never expected this from a prisoner. He had been
used to despotic authority with his own people. He
immediately sentenced me to seven days' imprisonment with
black bread and water, and 500 lashes at the expiration of
my imprisonment. I had done six days of it, when,
fortunately for me, a General Officer was sent from the
Emperor Nicholas to visit the prisoners, and to ascertain if
we were treated according to his instructions. I was brought
out of my cell to muster with the remainder, to show the
number the authorities were issuing pay for. There is no
trust to be placed in any Russian in authority; they rob
each other from the highest to the lowest. This state of
things is pretty well known, but through their despotic laws
cannot be stopped. (The Emperor Nicholas once said to an
English nobleman, he believed he was the only honest man in
Russia.) The General asked us several questions as to the
amount of pay we received, and if we received it regularly,
and how we were treated by the authorities. I took a pace to
my front and saluted him in English military style, which
took his fancy, as the salute of the Russian soldier is to
stand cap in hand when addressing an officer. I asked him if
he would allow me to have a word or two with him, which was
at once granted. I explained what had occurred, and how I
was treated by the very gentleman standing by his side, and
also the sentence he passed upon me, that I had one day more
to finish my confinement on black bread and water, when I
should receive the corporal punishment of 500 lashes. The
officer seemed delighted with my explanation, and the
straightforward manner in which I told him everything. He at
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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