The Drake Letters 064
YOU ARE HERE: Drake Letters ► 64. Drake to Louisa 5 March 1855
63. Drake to Louisa 2 March 1855 ◄ ● ► 65. Drake to Louisa 9 March 1855
William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 53 – Louisa Drake (London), 5 – 6 March 1855
| № 53 | Balaklava March 5th 1855. 1 |
My dear Lu,
Since my last as usual nothing of any consequence has occurred, this is truly as regards the Army a period of intense inaction The Men are much improved in health & Cleanliness of appearance which is no light matter – Dry fine & warm weather ever since my last has done much to bring this about – The French have opened a very heavy fire from batteries of 8 Inch Mortars on the town [Sevastopol]. All Sunday the firing was very heavy on both Sides French & Russian I have not heard of any damage done – Our Batteries are in rapid progress I hear at all events when they do begin they will be very heavy 68 pounders & 10 & 13 Inch mortars
On Sunday 2 Lunday [sic] & I took a long walk some dozen miles We did it constitutionally to get down our fat, during the past two months I have been getting quite corpulent – I walked some 8 miles on both Friday & Saturday so that I hope soon to be Slim & genteel again. I really wanted exercise & so determined to take it – I believe old Mr. F 3 begrudges every moment one is not polishing De Lisle 4 abhorrence a three legged Stool, 5 the fact is he is so dilatory & indecisive himself he cannot understand anyone else doing their work at once – The most deplorable of the indecisions as leading to immense outlay of money & waste of time is as regards Shipping – On Monday a Steamer is Sent express & conveys an order & on Tuesday another express Steamer is Sent to countermand the orders Sent by the first this occurs very frequently I have known it twice in one WEEK!! A Commissioner is coming out to make enquiry into Commissariat matters. Sir John Maclean 6 I believe from the E.I. Co. Service I think he has been as a Commissioner in China or Ceylon I am glad of it as I do not as regards my work fear any investigation & with the management none but the C.G. 7 & perhaps Adams in Some things have anything to do – We shall see perhaps his coming may shelve the Sexagenarians that will give me a lift up the list if nothing else not that it will do me much or any good but it can do no harm – 10 P.M. Your Letter of the 18 February & Times just came in many thanks. I don’t know why old Daveney 8 should have Scurvy except it may be brought out by excess 9 of Rum, I don’t expect to get it as I seldom eat Salt Meat except my Ham or bacon breakfast & I don’t drink rum & seldom in fact any Spirit – I have Wine Beer, Pickles, Jams & all of which are antiScurvyites besides I keep up the potash in my System by eating plenty of bread & Vegetables which I get from each of our Ships as they arrive Cabbage Soup is my principal dish & the best my man Friday makes, All else, Beef Mutton Fowls Ducks have one taste – which I don’t admire So I live on the Soups & get fat, I often dine on board Ship too & get very good dinners, I hope you will manage to come out now for The Climate is very fine which people ar [sic] just beginning to discover & a great change has taken place in all things for the better – I see it is Sir J. McNiell not Sir J Maclean coming out Mr. F 10 won’t like it – Love to all fr. Your affectionate Hub
W. H. Drake
[Written across the page.] March 6 – All well, not much news – English opened a Small Battery yesterday 6 Guns of 68 lb did little harm Russians opened 20 on the battery but could not Silence it – Yesterday I sent up patent Fuel to Seige Train to heat red hot Shot to fire at Russian Men of War in the Harbor – last week the Enemy Sunk a Line of Battle Ship, a two decker and two frigates right across the Entrance in behind those already Sunk – The Officers got up races yesterday & had good fun I of course had not time to go
W. H. D.
Footnotes
1. Private family manuscript (Judith Hall and Sally Mac, Auckland, New Zealand). ▲
2. Henry’s Journal entry for Sunday 4 March 1855 reads: “Fine. Met Sir C. Campbell by appointment at 8 a.m. to go round the Stores & Wharves to arrange about the sentries. Tartars all run away. I reported verbally to Mr. Filder. Took a long walk & dined with D.ACy. Sutherland in camp. Very heavy firing by French.” ▲
4. Surgeon Richard Francis Valpy De Lisle. ▲
5. Three legged stool: I presume the Commissariat officers sat on these when performing their duties. ▲
6. I could not find mention of a Sir John Maclean in The East-India Register and Army List, for 1855, by F. Clark, (London: Wm. H. Allen, 1855) (Google Books). It seems Henry was confused as to the exact name of who was going to be involved in the inquiry, as it was Sir John McNeill, a surgeon with the East India Company’s Bombay establishment, who was doing so, together with Colonel Alexander Murray Tulloch. ▲
8. Lieutenant Colonel Burton Daveney, 1st (The Royal) Regiment of Foot. In a previous letter, William Henry Drake (Balaklava) №15 to Louisa Drake (London) (12 October 1854), Henry writes of Lt. Col. Daveney, Commander of the Royals. I presume that this is the same Daveney. ▲
9. Henry contradicts himself here. In his previous letter, William Henry Drake (Balaklava) №52 to Louisa Drake (London) (2 March 1855), he speculated whether sailors contracted scurvy less frequently than soldiers, even though they eat less fresh meat, because they got too much rum. ▲
63. Drake to Louisa 2 March 1855 ◄ ● ► 65. Drake to Louisa 9 March 1855
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