Service
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Medora" on the 27th of April 1854.
A Letter from the Crimea: Robert Nichol to his father, James, living in Newcastle, published in the Newcastle Courant, 5 Jan 1855. Notice e.g. the brevity of his account of the Charge.
(Click on image to enlarge)
The following is an extract of a letter received by Mr James Nichol, residing in Pitt-street, in this town [Newcastle], from his son, a trumpeter in the 8th Hussars, at present in the Crimea:
Balaklava, Dec. 11, 1854.
Dear Father,
We started for the Crimea on the 1st of September, in the Himalaya, and were sixteen days on the water looking for a landing place. We landed all safe, and that day we went fifteen miles out and came back at night. We stopped on the beach for two days, and then marched for Sebastopol.
On the first evening, the 19th, we met the enemy, and had a bit of a set-to. The next day, the 20th, we marched for Alma, and at this time we had no provisions for two days, except a bit of biscuit and a drop of rum.
We went on about six miles, when we came to the heights of Alma. We met the enemy and took the hills in three hours and twenty minutes. We stopped there two days. The army then marched again, but my troop had to stop behind to see the wounded aboard of ship. Then we marched off at night and came within sight of some lights, which we thought were the enemy, so we stopped all night by ourselves, but the next day we went on again and joined our regiment.
We went on pretty quiet to Balaklava, while they commenced work at Sebastopol. We remained quiet until the 25th October, when we had to charge some guns; we had to go through a triangular fire, and there was infantry on the right — that was how there were so many lost. When we got to the guns the Russian lancers were charging us in the rear. We came left about wheel, and charged them, and very soon mowed our way through them. I came out safe, but a ball had gone through the end of my cloak.
Tell L. that I saw ________ sabred with a lance when we were retiring.
The enemy remained quiet until the 5th of November, when they made another bolt, but they were forced to retire with great loss. They have not made another attack. We have been two months battering Sebastopol. I do not know what to say about it. Please God I live to return, I will be able to tell you a great many things. We had no tents for one month. I will not say any more about the war. We have nothing with us except what we have on our backs. We are in tents yet, and it is quite cold. Send me a newspaper as often as you can.
By the time you get this letter I hope we shall be in Sebastopol. We are lying alongside of the 13th Light Dragoons, and have only sixty horses left of the regiment. Send me some stamps in your next letter and some paper, as they are not easy to get here.
Your affectionate son,
ROBERT NICHOL, 8th Hussars.
[Source: Newcastle Courant, 6 Jan 1855. Checked by PB against the original, 19 March 2015.]