Soldiers of the Regiment
Major James Paton
Letters from the Crimean War
From camp near Boulair, Gallipoli. 24th July 1854.
Charge 2/6
My dear Ellen,
As the mail closes tomorrow I shall pen you a few lines. Again many
thanks for your last and all the news; also for the letter you wrote on
the 12th May last, thank Fan for hers. I sent you a few lines on
Wednesday morning the 19th last which I hope you read. – The Cholera is
getting better in Gallipoli; at least there are not so many deaths; but
that is in some measure accounted for by the Town being nearly
depopulated, all the Greeks having gone. The whole Regt. is out here now
Except the men in Hospital not able to be moved; two pill-boxes, & Col.
Cobbe. I regret to have to write that Cholera has broken out in camp, we
have lost our Armourer Serjeant, a Corporal and 4 men, also the wife of
one of the men who died. Three of the men were Grenadiers and very fine
fellows, one was Col. Trevor’s Orderly in Edinboro. And must have been
well known in Princes St. at the Club. I have this moment returned from
burying a Corporal and a Private. I commanded the party, and as there is
no Clergyman here now, read the Church of England Burial Service over
them; it is very beautiful. One man died yesterday in three hours, that
is to say three hours and half before his death was as well as I am at
this moment; it is a very trying time for the medical men, we have three
out here – the worst thing is they have not cured anyone yet, all have
died. There are some dozen cases in hospital now. There is no wine or
vegetables allowed to be sold now & the men get a ration of rum twice a
day; we are to all appearances and human knowledge encamped on a very
healthy spot.
On the 14th last I got leave to go up to Constantinople with Roberts for
a fortnight, but on going to Gallipoli to my consternation found that
delightful place had been put in Quarantine the night before, so no
steamer wd. take us on board. Was not that a sell, I might have been up
there just now enjoying myself. Col. Williams and Trevor came back from
there yesterday – No news –
I had a most delightful Excursion to the other side of the Gulph of
Saros with Drake of the Engineers. He had to go over about some wood for
our huts. We were about 8 hours sailing over, & landed just at
nightfall. We walked to a village about three miles inland and put up at
the Chief man of village’s house, a Sapper who speaks the language had
been there for some time so we got on famously. We made a most excellent
supper off eggs, goats milk & bread and cucumber, the Gala or milk was
delicious. We lay down merely on a mat with our things on, but not to
sleep, as we were nearly devoured by gnats, fleas, bugs, & c & c. Next
day having procured horses (we brought saddles and bridles with us) we
started for a view of the country; our Village was Saslithere. We rode
about 8 miles to a place called Margaritza over the most beautiful
country I ever saw in my life. It is quite mountainous or rather hilly,
and more than half covered with Scotch fir, Oak, Plane trees, there is
hardly any of it cultivated, such a contrast to this side where there is
not a tree for miles – the villages are few and far between, the
inhabitants the most primitive lot I ever saw; at Margaritze we smoked
Nargillies, drank Coffee and Drake bought rather a good pony for £6 – We
sat in a sort of covered in place with a sort of raised bench all round,
only very broad, and on this a lot of the men of the place sat cross
legged, and very grave but evidently astonished, smoking. They were
highly delighted with my Pistol and Telescope; we lunched on eggs fried
in butter. There are no roads, mere tracks through the woods and one is
very apt to lose the way. The sure footed ponies of the country never
made a mistake though we went up, and down rocky precipices. Back at
night to Saslithere found a Sergt. & 14 Grenadiers come over to cut
wood; the people at this time live mainly on cucumbers and pumpkins, 6
or 8 of the former for a penny, & a very large – you see every little
child tucking away at one.
Next day Friday we took a long ride into the interior and got to the top
of a range of hills about 5 miles from the coast. From this there was a
magnificent view, as far as the eye could reach the country was covered
with wood, all hills and glens; about 4 miles down tother side we came
to a small village and put up at the chief man’s house; he is a young
fellow about 21. His sister, a very pretty girl, made us a famous
omelette; her two brothers came in while we were there all bloody, they
had been skinning a calf just killed by a wolf, of which there are lots,
also wild board and Bear too, but they are further up the country,
plenty of Deer Hares and Partridges so altogether there must be famous
shooting. At the village they had only seen one Englishman before, never
a Frenchman. On our way back we passed an old ruined Chapel of St.
Johns, with a spring of ice cold water -. At Supper that night we had
curds dressed in a way very like Devonshire junket. About 8 o’clock at
night we started to come back (I only had got leave for two nights, and
it was pretty late ere we landed here.
I have Aytoun’s Lays all right. They have been in great requisition
among the fellows. I took them out to Greenlaw and brought them on here.
You will be a large family party soon when Jessy [?] and the laddies
come out. I shall write her next. Hope Uncle Mark is better again,
remember me to him, also to Bela Lamb, Tom Hall, &c &c. The country is
uncommonly bare about here now as all the crops are carried in. We hear
at all hands that the 68th from Malta are going to relieve us, but I
question if they would land them when they hear of the cholera - . Was
Paddy sold at St.Boswells fair? It was on the 18th I think. I hope
Willie is the better of his sea bathing; can he swim? It is a great
luxury to us here [?]
Give my best love to Father, Mother and all the rest of you, and believe
me dear Ellen Your affect. brother
J. Paton
25th. No new cases of Cholera.
I see W. Scott Ancrum has gone home, his health being bad. A high wind
this morning & the air much cooler
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