Camp before Sebastopol
11th February 1855

My dear sister
It is now near 3 months since i received your kind letter, I was very glad to hear of your welfare & shall always be most happy to hear that you health & strength will continue to improve so as to make you fit for so hardious an undertaking for I have no doubt that you find it a difficult undertaking more especially at first beginning, but you will soon be like us poor fellows, you will get naturized to your profession then difficulties are but trifles. I have not heard from home a long time.I sent a letter last mail,I should certainly like to hear occasionally, from some members of the family, by the last letter i received some 3 months ago I heard that father was laid up, no one as ever sent me word since to day whether he recovered or was in any way improving, which I should very much like to know, mother might be ill or anything else I never hear, in the helpless state we are in we often think of these things I know that mother has not always time or opportunity to write so I want you to impress upon some of the younger ones to try and write a letter when mother has no time, I read one from Charles some time since i answered it and told him all I had gone through and etc but he too has forgot his promise he wrote no more, the last letter I had from any of the family was from Bob he was then at Constantinople he was well and has since went home. As to my own part you might know by the newspapers the state we are in. So you might have judged from that, that time or opportunity is very precious with us but still i send many more letters then I receive I do hope I shall hear from some of you soon, (Elizabeth writes regular and often and I am proud to hear is still doing well, with our little one, they are gone to Leith were I hope she will be more at home she can at least make herself as comfortable as circumstances will admit in her own house, poor soul is in a great way for me to get back to her and our babe but God's will be done. If it pleases him that I should outlive this struggle & return home I shall be most happy but if it should please Almight God otherwise I hope I may be fit for my fate for theres many a brave Briton gone before me & I have no claims to be spared than they had.
As regards the whether we have had a week fine but the last two or three days has been wet & cold the mud is as usual near up to our knees, it is now raining heavy and a sharp wind which blowes the rain through the tent on to this letter and every now & again I expect to tent to be blown down however we must put us with it & content ourselves the best way we can for i dont expect good weather before the end of April, there is one thing thanks be to God we have now plenty of warm clothes the health of the Troops is about the same there is a great many sick, and many die'Diarhaou' is the chief complaint The Was goes on as xxx usual our New Batteries are near ready to open on the Town and we hope there soon will be a general canonade for about 24 hours & then take it by assault, I expect it ill be taken and the Allied Army ready for a spring campaign by the time the whether set in, Sebastopol must fall and that very soon the most part of the firing is kept up at night as the Russians keep constantly making Sorties but they are quickly repulsed, whe have had great reinforcements sent out but poor fellows the greater part of them can not stand the Country and the hardships of a campaign like this at this unreasonable time of year The French are very numerous now they are very enterprizing fellows, they have made there camps far more comfortable than our by undermining & making caurseways & roads & cooking Houses &etc. You will perhaps say why dont the English Soldiers, and I must answer that we not being near so numerous as the French, and having the same duty to perform in the Trenches & etc that our men has had no time to spare, our Commissariat being a dead failure, our Horses, Cavelry & Artillery, Mostly killed wither in action or fatigue as hunderds have droped down and died on the road, to Balaklava going for provisions, nothing was then left but a few mangey Horses so that our poor fellows had to march to Balaklava about 12 miles from our quarters, up to the Knees in mud (not regarding the kind of day it might be,) for to fetch there hald rations, you will now have some Idea how we have been getting thro the Winter but we still cheer up & hope for better times when we get the Winter over we shall have beaten Neckoles's best General I think we shall then soon finish the remainder of them hoping this will find you & all at hope well as thank God this leaves me improving.

I remain your ever Affectionate Brother

Thomas Mitchell
Before Sebastopol