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
Some who read this may think that I am an old Guardsman--so I am; I had
the pleasure of guarding the honour of our beloved Isle, in the 7th
Royal Fusiliers. But, I wish to give honour where honour is due. The
7th, however, were not behind when hard fighting had to be done. One of
our Majors--a Norfolk hero--Sir Thomas Troubridge, although he had both
his feet shot away, would not give in, neither would he allow himself to
be carried off the field, but continued fighting to the end. When he was
lying apparently bleeding to death, with both his stumps resting upon a
gun-carriage, he called upon us to "shift those fellows with the
bayonet," animating us by voice and gesture. Although the poor man could
not lead us, he could cheer us on. And on we went with an irresistible
rush, and routed them then and there. On one occasion after he was
wounded, he called upon us not to forget our bayonets, adding, "They
don't like cold steel, men." Neither did I. It was here that I received
two bayonet wounds, one in each thigh, and would most likely have been
despatched, but that help was close at hand, and the fellows who wounded
me fell at once by the same description of weapon, but not to rise again
and write or talk about it. Revolvers and bayonets told heavily that
foggy morn, and when our men were short of ammunition, they pitched
stones at the enemy. My legs were quickly bandaged, and after giving the
enemy a few parting shots at close quarters, which must have told upon
their crowded ranks, I managed to hobble off the field, using my rifle
and another I picked up as crutches. We could spare none to look after
the wounded; it was every man for himself. After hobbling some distance
out of the range of fire, I lay down, for I could get no further without
a little rest. Our allies, the French, were then coming up to our
assistance in a right mood for fighting. The Zouaves passed me with a
ringing cheer of "Bon Anglais" and "Vive l'Empereur," repeated over and
over again. A mounted officer of rank, who was with them, stopped and
asked me a number of questions in good English. He turned and spoke to
his men, and they cheered me in a most lusty manner. The officer kindly
gave me a drink out of his flask, which revived me considerably, and
then, with a hearty shake of the hand, bade me good-bye, and passed on
into action, shouting out something about the enemy walking over his
body before he would surrender. Thus was Waterloo and Trafalgar avenged,
by the descendants of the vanquished advancing with rapid strides and a
light heart, but with a strong arm, to assist the sons of Albion in one
of the most unequal and bloody contests ever waged. Let us hope that the
blood then spilt may have cemented for ever the friendship between the
two nations who are so near neighbours. The French fought in a most
dashing manner, side by side with us, till the enemy were driven from
the field. The Russian officers fought with desperation, though their
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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