Down Rabbit Holes and Up Family Trees

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The Drake Letters are transcriptions by Megan Stevens of the letters written by Assistant Commissary General William Henry Drake whilst en route to Crimea and from his posting at Balaklava as well as letters from his wife once she joined him. The letters are complemented by extracts from William Henry Drake’s Journal, newspaper articles and official documents. They therefore offer a unique insight into the prosecution of the war from the perspective of a service generally criticised for their failures during the war.

The Letters were originally published on the Crimean War Research Society website. This has, unfortunately, ceased operation so we have transferred The Letters to this site. Commentary and descriptions have not been changed so, in some instances, they still reflect the circumstances when they were published in 2015.

The letters, journal extracts and other documents are all extensively cross referenced to the people and places referred to in them. Abbreviations and acronyms, of which there are many, are explained in the section “Abbreviations and Acronyms”.

You can navigate backwards and forwards through the letters or can select specific documents from this contents page.

I welcome any feedback. Please provide any comments in the comments section at the bottom of each page.

INTRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS WILLIAM HENRY DRAKE TIMELINE WILLIAM HENRY DRAKE STATIONS THE DRAKE FAMILIES THE LETTERS

STRATHNAIRN COMMITTEE EXAMINATION OF W.H. DRAKE CONCLUSION BY MEGAN STEVENS ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS USED IN THE DRAKE CRIMEAN LETTERS

1. William Henry Drake (off Ireland) to Louisa Drake (Canada), 7 April 1854    2. Charlotte Augusta Drake (London) to Louisa Drake (en route to London), 29 – 31 May 1854    3. William Henry Drake (aboard Orinoco) to Louisa Drake (en route to London), 29 May – 1 June 1854    4. William Henry Drake (aboard Orinoco) to Louisa Drake (London), 4 – 7 June 1854    5. William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London), 30 June – 1 July 1854    6. William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London), 4 – 7 July 1854    7. William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London), 11 – 12 July 1854    8. William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London), 13 – 14 July 1854    9. William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London), 17 – 22 July 1854   10. William Henry Drake (Constantinople) to Louisa Drake (London), 28 – 29 July 1854   11. William Henry Drake (Varna) #1 to Louisa Drake (London), 4 August 1854   12. William Henry Drake (Varna) #2 to Louisa Drake (London), 10 – 14 August 1854   13. William Henry Drake (Varna) #3 to Louisa Drake (London), 19 August 1854   14. William Henry Drake (Varna) #4 to Louisa Drake (London), 24 August 1854   15. William Henry Drake (Varna) #6 to Louisa Drake (London), 2 September 1854   16. Commissariat Order D.O. 93, Varna 3 September 1854   17. William Henry Drake (aboard Hope) #7 to Louisa Drake (London), 6 – 13 September 1854   18. William Henry Drake (Crimea) #8 to Louisa Drake (London), 15 – 16 September 1854   19. William Henry Drake (aboard Hope) #9 to Louisa Drake (London), 20 – 21 September 1854   20. William Henry Drake (aboard Hope) #10 to Louisa Drake (London), 22 – 23 September 1854   21. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #12 – Louisa Drake (London), 27 – 28 September 1854   22. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #13 – Louisa Drake (London), 3 October 1854   23. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #14 – Louisa Drake (London), 8 October 1854   24. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #15 – Louisa Drake (London), 12 – 13 October 1854   25. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #16 – Louisa Drake (London), 17 – 18 October 1854   26. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #17 – Louisa Drake (London), 22 – 23 October 1854   27. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #18 – Louisa Drake (London), 27 – 28 October 1854   28. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #19 – Louisa Drake (London), 2 – 3 November 1854   29. The Standard (London), 26 December 1854   30. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #20 – Louisa Drake (London), 7 November 1854   31. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #21 – Louisa Drake (London), 13 November 1854   32. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #22 – Louisa Drake (London), 17 – 18 November 1854   33. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #24 – Louisa Drake (London), 22 – 23 November 1854   34. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #25 – Louisa Drake (London), 25 – 28 November 1854   35. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #26 – Louisa Drake (London), 2 – 3 December 1854   36. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #27 – Louisa Drake (London), 7 – 8 December 1854   37. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #28 – Louisa Drake (London), 13 December 1854   38. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #29 – Louisa Drake (London), 18 December 1854   39. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #30 – Louisa Drake (London), 22 – 23 December 1854   40. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #31 – Louisa Drake (London), 25 – 26 December 1854   41. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #32 – Louisa Drake (London), 29 – 30 December 1854   42. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #33 – Louisa Drake (London), 1 January 1855   43. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #34 – Louisa Drake (London), 2 January 1855   44. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #35 – Louisa Drake (London), 4 – 5 January 1855   45. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #36 – Louisa Drake (London), 8 January 1855   46. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #37 – Louisa Drake (London), 12 January 1855   47. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #38 – Louisa Drake (London), 14 January 1855   48. Dr. Richard Francis De Lisle (4th Regiment) – William Henry Drake (Balaklava), January 1855   49. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #39 – Louisa Drake (London), 18 January 1855   50. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #40 – Louisa Drake (London), 19 January 1855   51. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #41 – Louisa Drake (London), 22 January 1855   52. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #42 – Louisa Drake (London), 24 – 25 January 1855   53. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #43 – Louisa Drake (London), 29 January 1855   54. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #44 – Louisa Drake (London), 1 – 2 February 1855   55. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #45 – Louisa Drake (London), 5 February 1855   56. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #46 – Louisa Drake (London), 8 February 1855   57. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #47 – Louisa Drake (London), 12 February 1855   58. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #47/2 – Louisa Drake (London), 13 February 1855   59. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #48 – Louisa Drake (London), 16 February 1855   60. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #49 – Louisa Drake (London), 19 – 20 February 1855

61. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #50 – Louisa Drake (London), 23 February 1855   62. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #51 – Louisa Drake (London), 26 February 1855   63. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #52 – Louisa Drake (London), 2 – 3 March 1855   64. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #53 – Louisa Drake (London), 5 – 6 March 1855   65. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #54 – Louisa Drake (London), 9 – 10 March 1855   66. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #55 – Louisa Drake (London), 12 March 1855   67. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #56 – Louisa Drake (London), 16 March 1855   68. Department Order No. 124, Balaklava, 16 March 1855   69. Daily News (London), 3 April 1855   70. The Times (London), 10 April 1855: Lord Palmerston and the Commissariat Service   71. McNeill/Tulloch Commission: Examination of William Henry Drake, 30 March 1855   72. The Times (London), 7 June 1855: The Kertch Expedition   73. Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle, 9 June 1855: The Capture of Kertch   74. The Times (London), 16 June 1855: The Kertch Expedition   75. Department Memo (Balaklava), 20 June 1855   76. Department Order (Balaklava), #143, 26 July 1855   77. General Orders (Sebastopol) #6, 27 July 1855   78. General Orders (Sebastopol) #4, 4 August 1855   79. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) – Sir George Maclean (Balaklava), 23 September 1855   80. Sir George Maclean (Balaklava) – Maj. Gen. Henry Barnard (HQ), 25 September 1855   81. General James Simpson (Crimea) – Lord Panmure, Secretary for War, 2 October 1855   82. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #116 – John and Maria Drake (London), 10 November 1855   83. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #117 – John and Maria Drake (London), 13 November 1855   84. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) – John Drake (London), 24 November 1855   85. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 7 December 1855   86. Royal Cornwall Gazette, Falmouth Packet, and General Advertiser (Truro), 7 December 1855   87. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 17 December 1855   88. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 4 January 1856   89. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 18 January 1856   90. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 1 February 1856   91. The London Gazette, 5 February 1856   92. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 11 February 1856   93. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 18 February 1856   94. Trewman’s Exeter Flying Post or Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser, 21 February 1856   95. William Henry Drake (Balaklava) #142 – John and Maria Drake (London), 23 February 1856   96. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 29 February 1856   97. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 17 March 1856   98. General Orders (Sebastopol) #2, 19 March 1856   99. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 24 March 1856 100. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 7 April 1856 101. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 26 April 1856 102. General Orders, 27 April 1856 103. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 9 May 1856 104. Louisa Drake (Balaklava) – Maria Drake (London), 24 May 1856 105. William Henry Drake (Pera) #168 – John and Maria Drake (London), 23 June 1856 106. Louisa Drake (Pera) – Maria Drake (London), 26 June 1856 107. William Henry Drake (Pera) #172 – John and Maria Drake (London), 7 July 1856 108. William Henry Drake (London) – The Times (London), 26 February 1857

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©Megan Stevens 2024