The Drake Letters 058
YOU ARE HERE: Drake Letters ► 58. Drake to Louisa 13 February 1855
57. Drake to Louisa 12 February 1855 ◄ ● ► 59. Drake to Louisa 16 February 1855
William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 47/2 – Louisa Drake (London), 13 February 1855
| 47 2 |
Commissary Genls. Office 13th February 1855 1 |
My dear Lu,
I have just this minute received your Letter & my dear Mothers of the 28th January & as our Mail is just closing here I have not time to go to my own Office but am writing opposite Mr. Filder – having told him I was going to do so & not to attend to him for 10 minutes This Bag is a chance affair but I send [sic] my Letter to you yesterday by Lord Raglan’s Bag – Mr. Filder continues very civil to me or rather is more so since my Promotion – He has not any condescention [sic], as that I set aside from the first his manner is very disagreeable to most juniors & he requires one to take him up well at first I did so & we have always hit well together – Very heavy firing at 9 A.M. and still continues who from I don’t know but most probably fr. the Russians Their fire is however doing little or no damage – Our Army continues to improve in health & Spirits I think
The Weather continues mild but just now is rainy & very muddy – Balaklava in fact is Knee deep in some places & ancle [sic] deep in all – I do not want my India Rubber Boots I have got a pair of Jack boots like old Adam Jacks [sic] & some India Rubber Shoes which I wear over Wellingtons – Appearances are not Studied here I assure you no one looks like an Officer – You know them by their Cap or Spurs! Our railway is getting on rapidly it will be as far as the 1st Village Kuvaklava [sic] or Kadakoi about 2 miles It is a tram way merely & if they had spent some £10000 in making the road in the outset & which we asked to have done by the Qr. Master Genls. Dept. 2 The Sum to be spent on the Railway some £125.000 wd. not have been requisite –
Will the new Ministry 3 go for Peace or War – If the former I shall be one of their party in future – think what they would gain by my adherence
Good bye old dear God bless you all & believe me ever
Your Affectionate Hub
W. H. Drake
Footnotes
1. Private family manuscript (Judith Hall and Sally Mac, Auckland, New Zealand). ▲
2. Richard Airey was the Quarter Master General. ▲
3. Lord Derby was asked to form a new Government when Lord Aberdeen’s Government resigned following Roebuck, Radical member of Parliament’s, successful motion for an impartial inquiry into the conduct of the Crimean war. ▲
57. Drake to Louisa 12 February 1855 ◄ ● ► 59. Drake to Louisa 16 February 1855
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