Great Britain. Army. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

Twelve years in the army

I do not wish to enter into the genealogy of my family, notwithstanding I was asked to do so by some friends on several occasions when talking over the past few years of my life in the army. This I find to be rather a delicate subject, and one that I am not prepared for. It wo...

Chapters

1. CHAPTER I.

I do not wish to enter into the genealogy of my family, notwithstanding I was asked to do so by some friends on several occasions when talking over the past few years of my life...

2. CHAPTER II.

I have thought several times during my career as a soldier of bringing before a generous and loyal people the little incidents that took place during my life in the army; and I...

3. CHAPTER III.

At last, on the 4th of August, we got orders to sail for the Crimea. A few days previously we were received by the Commander-in-chief, Lord Raglan, and he appeared to be very mu...

4. CHAPTER IV.

On the night of the 19th, we were told that on the morrow we were to fight a severe engagement. We were aware that the Russians were strongly entrenched upon the Alma, and that...

5. CHAPTER V.

From our encamping ground we could see the doomed city that cost so many thousand lives before it fell. The first thing to be done then was to find some place of rendezvous for...

6. CHAPTER VI.

The cold winter began now to set in, and houseless and homeless was the position of the British. Our clothing was getting thread-bare, our firewood all cut up and consumed, and...

7. CHAPTER VII.

The dawn of the 4th September arrived, and brought along with it the echo of a thousand cannon. Never, during my career as a soldier, have I witnessed anything like the opening...

8. CHAPTER VIII.

On arriving at Portsmouth, the 79th was ordered to proceed by rail to Aldershott, now a very extensive military station. As regiment after regiment arrived at this place from th...

9. CHAPTER IX.

We took the field again in the latter end of 1857, and marched down to Allahabad, and opened the campaign under favourable circumstances. The sepoys fled at our approach; fort a...

10. CHAPTER X.

8th: Sunday; slight wind; ship going at the rate of four knots per hour; Divine service at ten o’clock A.M.; sail in sight, but took no notice of her.