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Captain James Paton, 4th King's Own, at Chatham, 1862
Accession Number: KO2590/394


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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