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
was well prepared; but, on the contrary, by men who were, so to speak,
half starved, clothed in rags, and exposed to all the inclemencies of a
rigorous climate, whilst they were attacked by hordes of men confident
of victory, whose feelings had been wrought to madness by stimulants and
priestcraft. At one time victory trembled in the balance; some of our
guns were in the hands of the enemy, and the gunners had been all shot
or cut down. But the boys of the Emerald Isle were close by. The 88th
Connaught Rangers and the 49th went at them; and re-captured the guns.
The advance of our Guards at the Sandbag, or 2-gun battery, was grand,
and surely it could be said of them, "Nothing could stop that
astonishing Infantry." No sudden burst of undisciplined valour, no
nervous enthusiasm weakened their order; their flashing eyes were bent
upon the dark masses in their front; their measured tread shook the
ground; their ringing cheer startled the infuriated columns of the
enemy, as their bayonets were brought down to the charge; and, led by a
grandson of a king--H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge--in they went, shoulder
to shoulder, and the enemy with all their boasted strength, were driven
down the hill.
The stubborn infantry still made good
Their dark, impenetrable hill;
Each stepping where his comrade stood,
The instant that he fell.
At the Alma and Balaclava, when the enemy had gained a temporary
success, they behaved in a most barbarous manner to our wounded;
sometimes their officers set them the example by plunging their swords
into the helpless. At Inkermann, they outstripped all their former deeds
of assassination. Mercy they did not seem to understand when once our
poor fellows were in their clutches. But yet our men, I am happy to
record, would not retaliate, except in so far as that, after the battle
was over, their wounded were left to lie, while ours were removed from
the field; but those who were alive next morning were then attended to,
and taken to our hospital tents. Such are the horrors of war. Our loss
had been heavy: there were killed 4 Generals, 50 Officers, 42 Sergeants;
total killed, wounded, and missing, 2700, exclusive of the French loss,
and that was heavy for the numbers engaged. The whole French army were
loud in their expressions of admiration of the British, their exultation
seemed to be beyond all bounds, for our deeds had put Alma and Balaclava
in the shade, and cast a fresh lustre upon our glorious old Standard.
They looked at us in wonderment, for they knew well the odds we had
fought against, hour after hour. And, I have not the slightest doubt,
some of their old officers thought of our forefathers who had so often
fought them, and never once met them but to give them a good sound
thrashing. As Napoleon said, we had often been beaten, but would not
give in; we would stick to them like a good bull-dog, and worry them
out. Reader, such was Inkermann.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account