SCUTARI CAMP
Constantinople 3rd JUNE 1854
Dear Father and Mother,

I take this oppertunity of writing to you these few lines to you to acquaint you as to my whereabouts, hoping at the same time to find you all in the enjoyment of good health as thank God this leaves me at the present.
We embarked at Woolwich on the 22nd march and after ten or eleven days beating in the channel we fairly struck out from Lands end, went throught the Bay of Biscay passed cape St Vincent & Trafalgar and after a hard tussel entered the Gut of Gibralter on good friday.
We rolled past the rock the gut is very narrow the Spanish coast looked very well but the Barbary Coast on the african side looked awfully dismal, Mountainoues and barren, it sprung up a fair wind as we entered the Mediteraneon which kept us for about 24 hours, passed malagar Mountains on the 15th. On the 16th becalmed on the coast of Barbary and very near drifted ashore, 19th passed the gulf of Lyons, 20th passed Island of Minorca, passed numerous other Islands and entered the harbour of malta on the night of the 25th, there were nine ships with Artillery on board entered the same day and a tremendous lot of french and Transports were ordered of immediately sailed next day after getting in a fresh crew as ours mutinied and went to jail, we passed a great many Grecian Isles called the Archapeligos and entered the dardenells on the 2nd May. Lay becalmed several days during that time went ashore toa village, the anciaent Troy and viewed the plains of troy. Sailed through the dardenells on Sunday the 7th, its about 50 miles through and about 14 strong forts, in the interval passed Galipoli were the French and Great part of the English army were encamped, went through the the sea of Mamora in the night and arrived off Constantinople on the morning of the 8th, lay at anchor in the Bosphorus until the 13th May when we disembarked and marched into Coolali barracks, an awful place, the inside of it like a ruined church, we had to lay on the floor with our blankets round us, in the morning we found ourselves worried with fleas, there were thousands of us, so if we were unhappy we were not alone. No chairs or tables here, no feather beds, soldiering well tell Father.
We marched out of that hole on the 17th May, 7 miles over an awful road and thanks be to God encamped at Sctari about a mile from the rest of the army, we belong the HRH Prince George Duke of Cambridge,s division or the Heavy brigade consisting of our Battery, three Battalions of Guards, two Highland Regiments the 93 and 79th and several others and 3 heavy Cavaly Regiments not yet arrived, the light division as embarked and gone to Varna, there to disembark and march to the seat of war and we expect and hope soon to follow as we have not a minute to ourselves with our Battery from 3 in the morning till 10 at night but the Duke of Cambridge never keeps us above 2 or three hours in the morning early the rest of the day is a Regimental duty, we might be very comfortable in camp but not on that score, our lodging is on the cold ground, now in earnest this is a fine country but badly cultivated owing to to the laziness of the Turks. Constantinople is a beautifull looking place outside but inside it is a dirty beastly narrow streeted hole, the woman all have their heads bagged, we were reviewed by the Sultan on the 31st, he was attended by numerous staff and nothing to look at, he wore a Turkish sculcap with atassle, a black silk cloak, rode a pony or Turkish horse with a spendid shabrag, he looked very [ale and care worn and looked quite abashed at our division the flower of the British Army. He has 365 wives, the common Turks have 3 or 4, they are a lazy dirty looking lot and wear loose dress with a scull cap or turban, it is tremendous hot hot here, we are smothered in our tents when inand scortched in the sun when out, which is nearly altogether, I have a new skin on my face since I came here, Jess Flint of the Guards and daffy Pollard of the 95th just arrived in my tent to see me, there is Duke Clarke and Tom Lanenton both of the 95th here.

I must now conclude with my Love to you all, remember me to all my Brothers and Sisters etc and all enquiring friends, I am or should be as happy as a bee only that I know the way I left my poor Wife, I long to hear from her to hear that she is over her troubles poor girl.

I remain your affectionate Son
Tom Mitchell Corp, R.A