CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL
27th March 1855
My dear Sister,
I received your kind and welcome letter and was happy to hear you are doing so well. I also received one from our dear Mother and was also happy
to hear that all at home was in tolerable good health. I received it yesterday (my Birthday) also a stamford paper. I felt veru soory for Mother suffering so much with her eyes and also Father (being wounded in the leg) but I was happy to hear they were both better. Our poor but most respected home must now be very different to what it was when we were all little, the house being then full of us wild rascells kicking and taring about and making all kinds of noises and now only three left at home but thanks to be to Almighty God we all have turned out well after leaving our home. Bob I hear ois thought a great deal of on board his ship. Certailly there has been four out of the lot on foreign service but to all appearance I have been the worse off but I cannot complain for I have had everything it was possible to get for my comfort and although we have been in a terrible mess and suffered very much < I beleive it could not be helped, so we that are left have every reason to be thankfull to our maker for having brought us through this winter and if I am spared to see this War at an end, I think I shall be very well rewarded, for my name has already gone in for the Crimean Medal and clasp for each of the Battles of Inkerman, Balaklava and Alma, in all of which battles I was hotly engaged.
I am also recommended for another Medal and gratuity for distinguished conduct at the battle of Inkerman and to top up the whole I amy as well tell you that I shall be Sergeant very soon as our Sgt Major has received a commission and the Captain has in consequence recommended me for promotion but I shall have to wait for it till he arrives in England.
In regard to charles letter I think he speaks very childish about me not writing to him, I have now written him several letters and will always continue to write but he must know as well as every other Englishman that it has been impossible for us to write at times, often I have had to send in reports and after melting the ink at a small cooking fire then came into my tent half full of snow and commenced to try and write but the ink would be frozen on the pen before I could get it to the paper and at other times the wind blowing mud all over you or anything you had. However I hope that is all over now and corrospondence can be carried on more regular.
I was very glad to george has got a good situation, he has commenced young, the war is as usual but more activity on both sides, the french has had a great many men killed and wounded lately, our losses have not been so severe it happens in the Seige works the russians make sorties very frequently at nights but they have paid dear for it, for the ground in front of the trances has been litteraly covered with their slain and hostillities has ceased several times for them to bury their dead. As the weather is now very fine the ground hard and the days generally hot, we may soon expect operations in the field either to attack or be attacked by the Russian army in the foeld independent of the siege opperations we have already got 47 Horses from England etc but we want 100 more yet to complete the Battery but we could move away with the Guns as it is leaving the baggage behind - I am sorry to say that after all my enquiries after flint Polard & Clarke they are either dead or supposed to be, as maqny men die at Scutari that no account of their death reaches Head Quarters but I shall enquire further yet.
Having no more to add this time, I remain your ever Affectionate Brother
Tom Mitchell R.A
My Love to all at home, do you ever write to Elizabeth ?
Tom
(NOT AN ACCURATE TRANSCRIPTION)