Crimean War Diary Part Two

This week I am publishing seven daily blog posts dedicated to John Harris – Crimean War Veteran, who is buried in Radnor Street Cemetery.

Embarkation of the Sick at Balaklava

Continuing …

Extracts from the diary of Crimean War Veteran – John Harris.

Fire!

The recorder, in his account of the voyage out to the Crimea, has a startling incident to note under date August 11, 1855. It is as follows:-

Sea very high, wind the same. Ship caught fire below, fire bell rang, boats were lowered, men looked wild and pale. Water in being poured in by tons, and about 2,000 blankets wetted and thrown on the fire. The men begin to look for a watery grave – there is no ship in sight, no land. The fire is gaining upon us.

Then after a break he goes on:-

We got the fire under by night. The damage done is considerable.

In The Trenches

And now we come to the campaign proper. The men reached the scene of action on August 31, for the record in the diary is as follows:-

August 31 – Arrived at Balaclava harbour, and for the first time heard the guns from Sebastopol. One man fell overboard and was drowned. Disembarked. On shore many curious sights, Jews, Turks, Greeks, Armenians, Tartars, Maltese, Spaniards, French. All ordered to march to the right attack, distance about nine miles. Dreadful sights on the way. Men exhausted, and worn out by fatigue. Pitch our tens. All hands for the trenches at 10 o’clock that night. Only had my clothes off once since I left England – that is 37 days. I laid down and went to sleep. Sun next day very warm, and I fell sick; two days without eating or drinking. Several men taken with the cramp and two died from the cholera. The firing is very heavy on our right. Several wounded brought up from the trenches. A powder magazine exploded in the French works.

Sept. 1. – Went into the trenches last night. Lost two men of our company. Firing was very heavy, and shot and shell thrown into the town in a great quantity. The town on fire in several parts, but extinguished towards morning.

Sept. 2 – Firing continues very heavy. A Russian man-of-war on fire. She went down at day break this morning.

Sept. 3 -Paraded for the trenches at 9 p.m. Lost two men and one sergeant in the advance trench on the right attack.

Sept. 4 – Firing continues to be very rapid. It must be impossible for them to withstand our fire which is from right to left.

Sept. 5. – Rapid firing night and day. Several explosions in Sebastopol, but cannot hear much for the thundering of our guns.

Sept. 6 – Paraded for the trenches at 9 a.m. Tremendous firing from our right and left. The Russians feebly reply to our fire.

Sept. 7. – The firing from our right is dreadful, also from the mortar battery in the quarries. The whole heavens illuminated by our fire.

Sept. 8. – Firing heavy. The very heavens and earth seem coming together. Explosions seen in Sebastopol; they reply to our fire but feebly; our loss was rather heavy yesterday.

Sept. 9. – Paraded last night at 10 p.m. for the trenches. Lost four men going in the advance trench, eight men wounded during the night, one corporal, one bombardier, and five gunners killed in our company. At 12-30 last night the Russians could not reply to our fire, when Capt. Vernon ordered us to cease firing as Sebastopol was in flames and the enemy retreating. We went on the parapet of the Battery, and saw our men going in over the Redan works. All firing ceased for a time, when a most dreadful explosion was heard. It was St. Nicholas which had been blown into the air by the Russians as they retreated. Just before daylight a shell was thrown from the staff fort on the north side into our battery, and exploding, killed four men, one lieutenant, one bombardier. Three men, one sergeant, wounded. A piece of the shell struck me on the right leg, below the knee, cutting my thigh. I was taken away to the front to have my wound dressed, and sent into camp to rest as the hospitals were full.

Sept. 10. – I attended hospital at 9 a.m. and had to wait there some time to have my wound dressed. I saw nearly a wagon load of arms and legs which had been taken off that morning by the doctors. The groans of the dying were dreadful, and I was very glad to get away from the place. Towards the afternoon I went down into Sebastopol by the Redan. The sight of the Redan ditch was awful to relate, for it was filled with our poor English dead bodies. I went further down into the town and met with several dreadful sights. Russian, men, women, children, horses, dogs, cats, cattle, were all lying in the streets in all directions, dead and dying. Hundreds of Russian soldiers were lying dead in all parts of the town. God forbid that I should witness such a dreadful view again.

Sept. 11. – My wound is better to-day. I rambled into Sebastopol, and brought out a cat and dog. The town is still burning in parts, and forts and magazines are occasionally being blown up. At night the burning town illuminates the heavens. The French and English fired rockets to two Russian steamers that have run ashore. They burnt with great fury all day. The Russians hoisted a flag to come over and bury their dead. They buried hundreds, and thousands were thrown into the water. Many corpses were floating in the harbour for weeks after.

Sept. 12. – Heavy firing from the north side of the town. The Russians do not appear satisfied at our being in the town.

Sept. 13. – Wrote a letter to England. Cholera has made its appearance in our camp.

Continued tomorrow …

Crimean War Diary Part Three