The Drake Letters 044
YOU ARE HERE: Drake Letters ► 44. Drake to Louisa 4 January 1855
43. Drake to Louisa 2 January 1855 ◄ ● ► 45. Drake to Louisa 8 January 1855
William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 35 – Louisa Drake (London), 4 – 5 January 1855
| № 35 | 4 Jany. 1855 1 |
My dear Lu,
I got yours of the 16/17 yesterday at 4 oCk. On the 2nd I sent you a Short note, to say all’s well one day later & sent 1st of Navy Bill for £16.13.8. I now send you one for £94.18.9 I shall have some more to send as soon as I can get Bills for it I do not know exactly how I am off at home for Funds but I think I must be flourishing I don’t know what you have spent since you have been at home I dare say you have been very extravagant as usual!!
Last night we dined on board The Hope a party of 36. 15 or 16 Commrs. an excellent dinner and plenty of Champagne Claret &c. I was asked to act as Vice President & did so. D.C.G. Adams was our Senior there & sat on Capt. Bowens right. I got away quietly just before 12, quite Sober – Many complain of Headache today. I landed in a perfect Snow Storm & snow two inches deep on the ground – The Ships lie quite close to the Shore some 30 yards off & we have deep Water to within 6 feet of the Wharf. I saw Sir Colin Campbell 2 two or three days ago – he claimed acquaintance with me he said on account of his intimacy with John 3 who he said was a most excellent Officer “one of our best in India” He came to my House & we got on very well together his A.D.C. Shadwell 4 is just made a Brevet Major – Sir Colin was very facetious 5 he complimented me on my having worked hard & well here & said he had told my Chief 6 so who said “he knew it” as I fancy he does
2. I find by some accident I have begun on a half Sheet however the form is not of much consequence – We may now fairly consider our Winter as set in – Bitterly cold they have it in Camp while down here I do not think we shall feel it very cold
I have plenty of warm clothes, in fact my Kit was better adapted for Cold than for heat which was so far fortunate, By the bye You had better begin a list of Articles I shall want if I stay long in Turkey or Crimea first then 4 good warm night Shirts 2ndly. a Coat – if our New Uniform is out I will have that Coat as it is something of a Short frock Coat I want & I may as well get the correct thing – Blamey at Charing X 7 has my measure & would make it well enough so some day go & ask him about our new dress. We heard it is to be a Blue Tunic without Epaulets Several Regiments have the new Tunic in wear – I only want the Coat as I have breeks or rather I should say as you have been in Gurka land – “Pants.” – I don’t know what the distinction of the ranks may be but that perhaps Mr. B. may know I want it made of good Strong Cloth for every day hard work if it buttons the buttons & button holes to be extra strongly done – 5th. A Mail has just arrived They do not come here direct now they are taken to Kameish Bay, Cape Chersonese being only some 2 or 2½ miles from Lord Raglans – The bags are then taken to his Lordship & our bag is sent for from here – I have just sent for that now reported as arrived & this Evg. I shall despatch another mounted Storekeeper with this mail for England it leaves by Steamer tomorrow morning – I hope to get my letters before closing this just at all events to say I have them – This morning it was a very Sharp frost & upon yesterday’s Snow, it reminds me more of New Brunswick 8 than anything else but not nearly so cold I turned out in rough Canada pants tied with red tape about the ancles [sic] a pair of thick long stockings & over that long boots to my knees I never did so much to keep warm at St John but I was not so exposed there, but I have succeeded in keeping my toes dry & of course warm – got my Stove going & am as comfortable as could be expected – My great Standby is a dry good bed & dry clothes – The Bills I now send are – Paymaster of Sans Pariel 9 £94.18.9 & Paymaster of Wasp 10 £44.10.11 £139.9.8 – in all enough to buy you new bonnets & gowns & bread & Cheese
Our Mail Mr. F 11 has just [received] – Plenty of Timber & of the Houses have arrived but there is no possibility of getting them to the Front, a few planks are issued to those who can get them up & they are building Huts at about a mile & a half from this for Sick & Convalescents so far it will be a very good move, Much warm clothing has also arrived & been issued but the men will perish from Cold by hundreds & hundreds in the Trenches –
Cold as last night was the men prefer it to the Wet – Last night a very sad thing occurred. Two of the 97th Capt. Vicars 12 & Lt. Ramsbottom 13 came into camp wet from the Trenches made up their Charcoal fire, laid down & went to sleep – An Officer going in found Vicars nearly & Ramsbottom quite dead Suffocated by the fumes of the Charcoal this will quite damp the Old Regiment I knew the poor fellow of course but not intimately he was one of three Officers of the 4th 14 Cashiered some 3 years ago & after fighting as volunteers at the Cape 15 reinstated in different Regts.
The Mail not yet come to hand but I must close this for fear of not being in time – With best love to all & thousands of kisses believe me always
Your affectionate Hub
W. H. Drake
Footnotes
1. Private family manuscript (Judith Hall and Sally Mac, Auckland, New Zealand). ▲
2. Sir Colin Campbell, Lord Clyde, British Field-Marshal. ▲
3. Henry’s brother, John Minshall Drake, 10th Regiment of H.M. Indian Army. ▲
5. Facetious: Given to wit and good humour; merry; sportive; jocular; characterized by wit and pleasantry. [The household dictionary of the English language, (London, [before 1893]), p. 247.] ▲
7. Charing Cross Rd., London. ▲
8. New Brunswick, Canada. Henry and Louisa had been stationed at St. John, New Brunswick from 1850 to 1854 ▲
9. W. P. O’Brien, Paymaster Sanspareil, 1855. ▲
10. Wm. L. Wright, Paymaster Wasp, 1855. ▲
12. Captain Hedley Shafto Johnstone Vicars, 97th Regiment. ▲
13. Lieutenant Henry Batson Ramsbottom, 97th Regiment. ▲
14. 4th King’s Own Regiment of Foot. ▲
43. Drake to Louisa 2 January 1855 ◄ ● ► 45. Drake to Louisa 8 January 1855
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