Camp Before Sebastopol
22nd November 1854
Dear father and mother
I steal these few minutes to write to you having the materials, I know you will be angry for me not writing oftner but jsut picture to yourself me among the rest of the army in this time of the year up to our knees in mud outside our tents., Our tents are so thin that the rain comes through and wets our only blanket, still we have the hearts of britons so we hold up. Now the Russians take advantage of dull weather to make an attack on us. It must be because they are vexed, being exposed to bitter cols wet snowt weather somtimes, or perhaps they think we are not able to stand to arms ! there was a sortie from the garrisson that day after the battle of Balaklava the worst they ever made, they lost about 1000 men over it. But you must mind they have made several attempts at us from the garrisson that even I could not give the details of, they are very numerous and want to surprise our outlying pickets and working parties and to take to take our siege Batteries so that our people has to keep a very strong covering party and all the Army ready to turn out at a minutes notice.
We are situated thus - Sabastopol nearly strong as ever to our front, a large army in our rear off Balaklava, another army to our right supposed to have come from Odessa and the Principalities. we have fought conquered and gained a great victory over them, we was attacked on all points on the 5th November by 80,000 men that was the hottest battle we had yet, we had 3 general officers killed and above 2,000 killed and wounded, our division stood till they were cut to pieces, the Duke had his horse killed and led the Guards on foot. There is not one Battallion of Guards left from one casualty or another out of the three. Our Battery was first engaged about the centre at the battle of Inkerman on the 5th November, we soon expended our ammunition, the Russians opened fire and continued for 9 hours, the heaviest artillery fire ever known. My dear parents I can tell you twas awful, they swept the whole heights with heavy shot and shell and their masses of Infantry closing around us with their balls whisstling about our lugs, striking our guns and their shell bursts around my Gun but it is a mystery how we escaped, my No 2 was wounded at the commencement of the action and our pay sgt volunteered as a number at my Gun, me being short but the poor fellow lost his leg above the knee before the day over. We had to move to the rear for ammunition and then took position to the right as the masses of the neeny were gaining our heights, we just had time to fire a few rounds and our Infantry the Guards and 2nd Division (poor fellows had their tents shot to pieaces by the enemy shipping the same time) you could only see one here and two there untill I actually thought they were all gone, however we had to Limber up and move to the rear as their was not an Infantry man left to support us, our horses being done up with hardship and fatigue they could scarce get on through a bush the Russians got up to and in front of my Gun it being in the rear.
My Gunners having nothing to defend themselves with ran to the front of the Battery, I ran round and round my Gun extecting it would be taken calling on the drivers to try their best to get away, when we managed a trot and passed the foremost Russians again, if they had had the gumption to bayonett the horses the Guns was lost but they didnt, they kept firing away and thanks to providence never touched a man or horse till we came up to a french division of Infantry forming a strong line and more divisions of ours coming up in the rear then the tide turned again, in the meantime they had taken 3 Guns belonging to Capt Turners battery bayonetting the Gunners who stood to the last. They were soon retaken and our battery ordered up to the same position and opened fire again, the killed and wounded were lying about us in thousands, the enemy continued a tremendous fire from shipping in the harbour, heavy siege Guns and field piesces but was no go, the Anglo French boys stood their ground and then advanced on them and forced them to retire with the loss of about 15,000 killed and wounded and taken prisoner, you must mind all that 9 hours hard fighting we stood without a mouthfull of breahfast. I was near ready to faint from fatigue and exertion, many of our wheels and limber were smashed to pieces. we had 10 horses killed and 4 disabled, on the whole we were very lucky. One of our Batteries lost 40 horses, the battle closed at about 3 oclock PM having commenced before 6 AM. I received great praise from my Officers and Captain who said he would forward it to headqarters for standing to my Gun at such a time and being the only means of saving it.
I have took over the payment of the Company which will increase my pay to 6d per day but this is a difficult job, I dont know wether I will be able to do it, as we have had no settlement for several months and the Company books are away with our poor wounded Sergeant at Scutari, however I will try my best at it.
Having so much work to do you must excuse me my not writing for a while, give my kind love to Ann when you write to her. I have not seen Bob yet, but I write and recieve letterCamp Before Sebastopol
22nd November 1854
Dear father and mother
I steal these few minutes to write to you having the materials, I know you will be angry for me not writing oftner but jsut picture to yourself me among the rest of the army in this time of the year up to our knees in mud outside our tents., Our tents are so thin that the rain comes through and wets our only blanket, still we have the hearts of britons so we hold up. Now the Russians take advantage of dull weather to make an attack on us. It must be because they are vexed, being exposed to bitter cols wet snowt weather somtimes, or perhaps they think we are not able to stand to arms ! there was a sortie from the garrisson that day after the battle of Balaklava the worst they ever made, they lost about 1000 men over it. But you must mind they have made several attempts at us from the garrisson that even I could not give the details of, they are very numerous and want to surprise our outlying pickets and working parties and to take to take our siege Batteries so that our people has to keep a very strong covering party and all the Army ready to turn out at a minutes notice.
We are situated thus - Sabastopol nearly strong as ever to our front, a large army in our rear off Balaklava, another army to our right supposed to have come from Odessa and the Principalities. we have fought conquered and gained a great victory over them, we was attacked on all points on the 5th November by 80,000 men that was the hottest battle we had yet, we had 3 general officers killed and above 2,000 killed and wounded, our division stood till they were cut to pieces, the Duke had his horse killed and led the Guards on foot. There is not one Battallion of Guards left from one casualty or another out of the three. Our Battery was first engaged about the centre at the battle of Inkerman on the 5th November, we soon expended our ammunition, the Russians opened fire and continued for 9 hours, the heaviest artillery fire ever known. My dear parents I can tell you twas awful, they swept the whole heights with heavy shot and shell and their masses of Infantry closing around us with their balls whisstling about our lugs, striking our guns and their shell bursts around my Gun but it is a mystery how we escaped, my No 2 was wounded at the commencement of the action and our pay sgt volunteered as a number at my Gun, me being short but the poor fellow lost his leg above the knee before the day over. We had to move to the rear for ammunition and then took position to the right as the masses of the neeny were gaining our heights, we just had time to fire a few rounds and our Infantry the Guards and 2nd Division (poor fellows had their tents shot to pieaces by the enemy shipping the same time) you could only see one here and two there untill I actually thought they were all gone, however we had to Limber up and move to the rear as their was not an Infantry man left to support us, our horses being done up with hardship and fatigue they could scarce get on through a bush the Russians got up to and in front of my Gun it being in the rear.
My Gunners having nothing to defend themselves with ran to the front of the Battery, I ran round and round my Gun extecting it would be taken calling on the drivers to try their best to get away, when we managed a trot and passed the foremost Russians again, if they had had the gumption to bayonett the horses the Guns was lost but they didnt, they kept firing away and thanks to providence never touched a man or horse till we came up to a french division of Infantry forming a strong line and more divisions of ours coming up in the rear then the tide turned again, in the meantime they had taken 3 Guns belonging to Capt Turners battery bayonetting the Gunners who stood to the last. They were soon retaken and our battery ordered up to the same position and opened fire again, the killed and wounded were lying about us in thousands, the enemy continued a tremendous fire from shipping in the harbour, heavy siege Guns and field piesces but was no go, the Anglo French boys stood their ground and then advanced on them and forced them to retire with the loss of about 15,000 killed and wounded and taken prisoner, you must mind all that 9 hours hard fighting we stood without a mouthfull of breahfast. I was near ready to faint from fatigue and exertion, many of our wheels and limber were smashed to pieces. we had 10 horses killed and 4 disabled, on the whole we were very lucky. One of our Batteries lost 40 horses, the battle closed at about 3 oclock PM having commenced before 6 AM. I received great praise from my Officers and Captain who said he would forward it to headqarters for standing to my Gun at such a time and being the only means of saving it.
I have took over the payment of the Company which will increase my pay to 6d per day but this is a difficult job, I dont know wether I will be able to do it, as we have had no settlement for several months and the Company books are away with our poor wounded Sergeant at Scutari, however I will try my best at it.
Having so much work to do you must excuse me my not writing for a while, give my kind love to Ann when you write to her. I have not seen Bob yet, but I write and recieve letters from him, I have tried several times but could never catch him in the harbour.
We had an awfull gale last week, blew every tent down and left us in wet and snow perishing with cold and wet till night when it abated, there were 19 ships wrecked in and about the harbour but I believe Bobs ship was alright, thanks to providence sabastapol stands as ever. I dont know when it will be taken. We shall have to winter on these cold heights this winter until it falls which may be a long time yet. Flint has joined his Regiment again.
All right I now remain hoping this will find you all in good health.
Your affectionate Son
Corpl T.Mitchell
8 Battalion Royal Artillery
1st Division British Army
Camp before Sebastopol
Crimea