Afghan Wars; Crimean War, 1853-1856; Egypt -- History -- British occupation, 1882-1936; India -- History -- Sepoy Rebellion, 1857-1858
'Although a course similar to that followed by the French has been from
time to time advocated, with regard to the remains of our officers and
men, it does not appear to Colonel Gordon and myself that any general
disinterment or removal is necessary or even desirable. Independently
of the difficulty, it might almost be called impossibility, after
the lapse of so many years, of collecting the remains or of in any
way identifying them, we believe that it would be repugnant to the
feelings of the Army and of the British public generally that any such
plan should be attempted. Our officers and men were buried by their
comrades on the ground where they fell; the whole scene is sacred and
historical; and the remains of the dead should not be disturbed. As
regards the cemeteries generally, our view is that those which contain
no monuments should be covered with mounds of earth and turf, and that
the ruined walls should be removed.' ... 'We are of opinion that the
larger cemeteries, which contain numerous mementoes and tombstones,
should be preserved, a substantial wall being built round them, and
that all monuments, tablets, and crosses should be repaired and
the inscriptions renewed. The three memorial obelisks at Inkerman,
Balaclava, and the Redan, should be protected by a good wall, with a
substantial railing....'
These extracts will probably suffice as a general view of the condition
of the British cemeteries in the Crimea at the time of our visit, and
of the proposals for their restoration, which were subsequently adopted
and carried out by the Government. The cost was estimated at 5,000_l._
Leaving Sebastopol in the 'Antelope,' we called at Yalta, and had an
interview with General Kotzebue, who was much interested in our work,
and anxious that the British memorials should be respected, at the
same time pointing out the difficulty of adequately guarding so large
a number. The late Empress of Russia was at the time residing at the
Palace of Livadia at Yalta, and sent us a kind message, regretting her
inability owing to illness to receive us, and wishing us _bon voyage_.
Having paid a short visit to Kertch and Yenikale, at the entrance
of the Sea of Azoff, we then returned to Constantinople, and were
immediately, for some inscrutable reason, placed in quarantine for a
week, although we were all perfectly well.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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