Chapter I: Preface

In laying the history of my life and travels before the public, I deem it right to state that I am past the middle age; this I feel compelled to mention, because it is my opinion that no man should write a history of himself until he has set foot upon the border land where the past and the future begin to blend. When the past has receded so far that he can behold it as in a picture, and his share in it as the history of a soldier who has fought for his Queen and country, and had many narrow escapes of death. But, thank God, I have been spared thus far to confess my faults, and my good deeds look miserably poor in my own eyes; indeed, I would no more claim a reward for them than expect a captain's commission.

The countries and incidents described in this work will be found I trust, interesting to all classes of persons. The history of a soldier's life and travels is always an entertaining and instructive one. Many books on the lives of officers have been written by learned men containing much information, and highly useful to the scholar, but they do not interest the mass of common readers. Others, again, pass so rapidly from place to place, and are so general in their description, the reader gets but very imperfect ideas from reading them. These extremes the writer has endeavoured to avoid. It has been my object to select the most important events of my life, and to describe them in a plain and familiar style. I have not indulged in learned dissertations, my common, old-fashioned Irish school education being too limited to give that classical finish to the work which a learned writer would have done. Indeed, it has not been my intention to write a book for the learned or critical, but to give to the public a volume written in a homely style, by a non-commissioned officer, to instruct and interest the family and the common reader, as well as my comrades. If, while dilating on the exploits of my comrades in arms, I have omitted to pay proper respect to gallant foes, it is because I know that history will supply the deficiency. Time will gild with glory a Trojan defence, fitly closed by a successful retreat across a burning bridge, under a heavy fire. But come along, dear reader, and try whether in my first chapter I cannot be a boy again, in such a way that my reader will gladly linger a little in the meadows of childhood, ere we pass to riper years and stirring battle-fields.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. PAGE Education—My Schoolmaster—School House—My Father, Mother, Sisters—Our House 17

CHAPTER II.

River Shannon—Derry Carne—Our Farm—My Sisters Get Married— Cave—Still House—Still and Worm—Process—Interior—Revenue Police—Irish Wake—Funeral 24

CHAPTER III.

Advanced School—State of the Country—Emigration—Cause of Poverty—Irish Landlords—Potato Crop—Dishonest Agents— Election—Politics—My Sister Emigrates—I Enlist 29

CHAPTER IV.

Swearing In—March to Dublin—Beggars' Bush Barrack—Rations— The City—Embarkation—The Ship—The Voyage—Liverpool—Train to London—Billets—Canterbury—Join the 17th Regiment 34

CHAPTER V.

Medical Examination—Receive My Kit—Drill, Manual and Platoon Exercise—Dismissed Drill—Visit the City—Description—Route— The March 43

CHAPTER VI.

Arrival at Dover—First Guard—The Dead House—Ghost—The Heights—Shaft—Fortifications—Marching Out—Chartist Riots— Train to London—Departure—Osborne House—Main Dock—Route to Chatham—Siege—Sham Fight 50

CHAPTER VII.

Route to Canterbury—The March—Arrival—Chatham—Dock-yard— Furlough to London—That Great City—Join my Company—Sheerness— The Dock-yard—Get Married—Route to Weedon—Route to Ireland 59

CHAPTER VIII.

Liverpool—Embark for Dublin—The Voyage—Arrival—March—The Train—The March to Castlebar—Arrival—Election—Route to Galway 70

CHAPTER IX.

The March—Galway—Captain Bourchier—Detachment—Regatta—Row with the Police—Route to Galway—Major Bourchier exchanges— Captain Croker—Claddagh—Attend a Camp Meeting—The City of Galway—Theatre—Route to Dublin 82

CHAPTER X.

The March—Rail to Dublin—Arrival—Garrison Duty—Castle Guard— The Old Man's Hospital—Divine Service—Tent-Pitching—Death of the "Iron Duke"—The Funeral—The Queen Visits Dublin— Buildings and Institutions—The Route 93

CHAPTER XI.

Arrival at Templemore—The Route to Cork—Embarkation for Gibraltar—Queenstown—The Voyage—Storm at Sea—Gibraltar 106

CHAPTER XII.

The Landing—Barrack—Garrison Duty—Old North Front—Smuggling— Market—Queen's Birth-Day—The Dinner—Speeches—The Route—The March—Embarkation for the Crimea—The Parting—The Voyage— Arrival at Malta 121

CHAPTER XIII.

Maltese—Departure—A Captain Commits Suicide—The Funeral— Small-Pox—Return—Resumed the Voyage—Grecian Arches— Dardanelles—Gallipoli—Turkish Sentries—Constantinople— Turkish Ladies—The Bosphorus—Voyage across the Euxine—Arrival 134

CHAPTER XIV.

Disembarkation—First Bivouac—The March—Arrival—Sebastopol— The Trenches—First Man Wounded—Return to Camp—An Alarm— Lord Raglan—Sortie—Foraging—The Old Bridge—Col. Cole—The Siege 149

CHAPTER XV.

March to Balaklava—Return—Men go Bare-footed—Snow five feet deep—Long Boats—Hard Frost—Cavalry Division—Burial Ground— Solitary Procession—Men Frozen—I build a Hut—Green Coffee— Wintry Appearance—Dead Horses—63rd Regiment—Carrying Provisions—French Sick 161

CHAPTER XVI.

Trenches—Canal of Mud—Russian New Year—Heavy Fire—On Sentry— The Sortie—Old Brown Bess—Sortie—Arrival in Camp—New Style of Candle—Flint and Steel—Making Coffee—Heavy Snow—No Fire—Warm Clothing—Shot and Shell 171

CHAPTER XVII.

The Railway—Lord Raglan—Cossacks—The Navvies—Russian Deserters—The Railway 182