Description:

CRIMEAN WAR BRITISH SERGEANT'S LETTER
Ver fine content battle letter written by Sgt. A. Hughes, 71st Regiment, Highland Light Infantry, 8pp. 8vo., 'Camp Balaklava, Crimea', Mar. 13, 1855 to 'Respected friends'. The letter, cross-written but with a full transcription, reads in part: '...On the 19th Feby. we were just getting into bed a little after tattoo when an orderly road up from General Sir Colin Campbell with an order to get our day's provisions cooked and to be ready to start by 10 o'clock the same night only giving us about 2 hours to get our bit of salt pork ready...We knew nothing about where we were going. However, as we were stationed in Balaklava we got the word to march and had to climb a hill as steep as the side of a house. I slung my rifle across my back so as I might get a hold of the rocks for, mind you, it was as dark as pitch...we were to meet with the rest of the troops...close by the camp of the 79th Highlanders...A ration of rum was served out to each man and I assure you I never thought so much of a glass before in all my life. At 12 midnight the order was given to march we crossed the entrenched lines and was then on the enemy ground. It was now snowing and the frost had set in. Snow blowing in your face quite dry. The lapel of my coat which I had put up about my ears to keep them warm now stood up of its own accord with the frost, my great was a coat of ice...ice was hanging from my moustaches down over my mouth...We might have been surrounded by the Cossacks and been taken prisoners for at the time I could not touch my arms...Some of the officers were as bad off as the men...The morning began to dawn and we saw the rest of Sir Colin's army a long way to our right. We met in with them about 4 a.m. and halted, our commander's intention was to surprise and attack the Russians in rear of Sebastopol under the orders of General Leprandie. We marched up to their position on the banks of the Techernaya River but their harassed regiments fired on us and retired and as the day was so cold and stormy and the enemy not facing us up for we gave them a great chance. Ours did not exceed 14 thousand theirs about 45 thousand. Sir Colin road up to us and said hey boys I should liked to have a dash at these rascals but they would not come up to the scratch', So we got the order to march home across the battlefield of Balaklava 'Where armies strove, where squadrons charged, where earth with gore was dyed' and reach our tents about 11 am they were half filled with snow but we made the best of a bad job and set to work and cleared them out...I went and visited the ground where that celebrated battle was fought, a great many horses and even dead Russians were still lying on the ground. We likewise visited the trenches the ground all around Sebastopol covered with shot and shell, some, I may bay the most, of a very large size, you could load ships by the dozen with, them. A great many of the shells are not exploded and it is dangerous to go near them. A party of the Rifles I think were picking with their bayonets at the fuze of one when it exploded and killed the whole of them. We approached as near as possible till we were told by a Sergt. of an advanced post, if we did not want a Heddle Ball through our daylights not to go further. So we retraced our steps and this was on the Norznoff Roads and it lies in a valley. The bullets had rained down from either side on the road below, in such quantities that you would not have believed it unless you saw it with your own eyes. But this is another place they call the Valley of Death and it is now deserving of the name. I believe the shot and shell lay one on top of another pile on pile. I did not think Sebastopol could have held so many, they have been well prepared for this war. I was made a present of a Cossack's sword that was carried off the Field of Inkerman by a Colour Sergt. of the 57th. He fired 300 rounds of ammunition on that day and came out without a scratch while the Cr. Sergt. next to him had his head carried clean away by a round shot, his brains flying in his face...The colonel of the Regt. was killed. 2 Captains, 3 Lieuts, 4 Ensigns and out of 750 of the Regt that went into Battle (the others were in the trenches) only 48 came out to tell the tale. At one time that 750 men were opposed to 6000 Russians, Six thousand. I had a very fine view of the Inner Harbour shipping & with its grim fortress frowning in the distance bristling with cannon the town looks as though it had never been touched. They keep opening fire upon it- every day but nothing to speak of mostly from the French Batteries the English being not ready yet. I was up on escort duty with a ton of powder from Balaklava to our Light artillery at Inkermann. It was all put into an old Wind Mill. It was carried up by 200 Spanish mules...Saw some of our, artillery firing into the town and our noble ships of war laying outside the harbour...It is certainly a grand sight to see one hundred 40 thousand men under canvas. Lord Raglan says that we will open our fire upon the town in a few days, we will open upon it with four hundred pieces of cannon, mortars, rockets...our ships of war will attack them by sea to draw the fire of the land forces. It is intended to storm it for 3 days and 4 nights and then to carry it at the point of the bayonet. My Dear Old Friend there will be many a poor fellow never see the sun set that day. The Russians are well prepared and the two French Dukes are in the town to stimulate the men as they did at Inkermann. I have no doubt that it will fall this time. I do not know if our regiment will take a share in the affair as we are at Balaklava. You see we require to keep this position for the enemy have a large army in rear and if we were leaving our position here the Russians might seize on Balaklava then we would have to raise the siege and give up the affair. That is what they wanted to do at Balaklava when the cavalry charged them and they might have been in had it not been for the stand made by the 93rd Highlanders in line which will stand on record as being the first time ever our Infantry Regt. met the enemy cavalry in the manner they did. A Colour Sergeant of that Regt. told me the other day that when the Russian Horse came down on them; mind you three thousand strong, Sir Colin came up to them and says '93rd you must not move you must die there' and they would have done so to a man I have no doubt. But the Russians wheeled about when they came within 150 yards of the line and Balaklava was saved by that thin Red Line. The Queen is to give them a clasp for it though at first it was not to be granted...out of Ten Regts. of Heavy and Light Dragoons we cannot mount 200 (Two hundred). They have all nearly died during the Winter having no cover during the Winter and often without forage...Reinforcements are arriving daily, yesterday 150 Artillery came into harbour from Corfu and the 48th Regt. from the same place is expected daily...I see in the Times of 22nd ulto that Napoleon is coming out to take the command of the arty in person, that his presence amongst his army will cause the walls of Sebastopol shake itself we heard 3 days ago that Nicholas was dead we sent in a Flag of Truce to Prince Mensnikoff that the old boy was no more will be carried on or not by his successors I do not know...we have at least above 20 thousand men (effective). why we have nearly the number some people would make you believe, 12,000 in Balaklava alone...' Some grease staining not affecting legibility, and some slight soiling along a few folds, yet overall the condition of this historic letter is very good.

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March 27, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
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