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
The true Briton generally comes out in his proper colours when under
difficulty. During the Crimean campaign, a man joined us who had some
little experience in the prize ring. There was nothing particular to
note about him, further than that he was a fine specimen of humanity,
about five feet eleven inches, and forty-six in. round the chest; he was
strong as Hercules, and knew it. But he was as meek as a lamb unless
well roused, and it took not a little to accomplish that. Only once
during that trying campaign was he ever known to stand upon his dignity,
and that was with a big bully, whom he settled in less than five
minutes. Whilst the fighting lasted, our gallant allies, the French, got
on well with us. It was nothing strange to hear them applauding us with
_Bon Anglais, Bon Anglais_. They were loud in their expressions of
admiration at our conduct at Balaclava, and after Inkermann their
exultation was beyond all bounds. They looked at our men in wonderment;
they knew well we were but a handful against a host; and with thrilling
shouts of _Vive l'Empereur_ and _Bon Anglais_, they threw their arms
around many a grim face covered with powder, blood, and mud, and
impressed kiss after kiss in token of admiration. But what a lot of
faces some people carry under one hat; and we proved before we parted
with our excitable little neighbours that we could not stake horses well
together. After the fall of that far-famed town, Sebastopol, we had but
little to do but drink each other's health, which often ended in a row;
and it was nothing strange to see one of our men defending himself
against half-a-dozen half drunken Frenchmen, and proving the victor. If
they started to kick, some of our Lancashire lads would soon give them a
lesson in "pausing" and "purring." So things went on week after week.
A YORKSHIRE BITE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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