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
I would here ask the reader to try and picture to himself a ship rolling
and tossing about at sea with such a freight. The sight was
heart-rending. Many of our poor fellows had had not the slightest thing
done for them since they were wounded on that bloody field. They had
fought and helped to uphold the honour of their country, and were now
left to die in agony, and--oh! horror of horrors!--their poor mangled
bodies were infested with vermin. I could give particulars that would
cause the blood of the reader to curdle in his veins and shock his
credulity, but I forbear. Enough has been said, surely, to afford a
sufficient condemnation of British management! Yet in spite of these
facts, which were too patent to be kept from them, thousands upon
thousands of the youth of the three kingdoms were burning to join their
countrymen at the seat of war. On behalf of the British army I demand
fair treatment for the men who are willing to risk their lives in the
service of their country. Horses and even dogs received far more
attention and better treatment during that trying campaign than the poor
sick and wounded men. I say that what is needed is some system of
organization that shall render impossible the repetition of such
inhumanities as disgraced the Crimean campaign. Let men of brains, and
with human hearts in their bosoms, be appointed to devise such a system,
and I am certain my fellow-countrymen will grudge no expense in making
it effective. Our doctors worked like horses, but they could not do
impossibilities; six times the number could not have done the work--but
the fault did not rest with them.
After being tossed about for some four or five days, we reached Scutari,
to find it so full of sick and wounded that we were not allowed to land,
and on we had to go to Malta. Describe the scene between decks I could
not. Men were on all sides shrieking with pain, some were lying in a
state of putrefaction, others in a morbid state, and some were being
carried up on deck, to be consigned, wrapped in a blanket, to a watery
grave.
At last we reached our desired haven, Malta, and were taken ashore as
quickly as possible. Many an eye was wet with tears; the good people did
all that lay in their power for us, and we could see pity beaming upon
every countenance. We found the Maltese a kind-hearted people. On to the
hospital we went, were at once put to bed, and attended to by kind
motherly hands, that did all that was possible to soothe us. Nothing
could exceed the kindness of all those who had anything to do with us.
In one month I was on my feet again, convalescent, and with plenty of
good nourishment I soon began to gather strength; and in the early part
of January, 1855, wanted to be off again, to have a little satisfaction,
but I had to remain another month. * * * * *
I wrote to my parents from Malta, under date as follows:--
December 21st, 1854.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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