Service
At Scutari General Hospital from the 14th of September, sent from Scutari to rejoin the regiment on the 20th of October 1854. [PB: And arrived, according to his letter (below), on the 24th October, just in time for the Balaclava Charge, on the following day!].
A letter home, written shortly after the Charge, was printed in The Morning Post under a month later (21st November 1854). Although it is only shown as from "CR", 17th Light Dragoons, this must be 1062 Charles Randall. As such, it lends support to his claim that he rode in the Charge. [RM]
(Click on image to enlarge)
LETTERS FROM THE CRIMEA.
The following is from a letter received by the mother of a private in the 17th Lancers, who was engage in the Light Cavalry charge on the 25th October:
"My dear Mother,
I now take the opportunity of writing these few lines to you, hoping they will find you quite well, as I am happy to say it leaves me at present. I have a little news to tell you in this letter, although it is not very good. I left the Hospital at Scutari on the 20th of October, and joined the regiment on the 24th. When I got there they told me the major had died a week ago of the cholera.
The day after I joined the regiment we had an engagement with the Russians, which lasted for a few hours, and then the Light Brigade charged down a valley, between the fire of the Russians. Captain Nolan, of the 15th Hussars, led us, and he got shot himself, and nearly the whole Light Brigade was cut up. We had two officers killed, four wounded, and one taken prisoner; 22 men killed, 69 wounded, and seven taken prisoners.
In fact, the whole regiment is nearly cut up, for when we came out of the field we could only mount 42 men. But, thank God, I came out safe myself. Joe I _______ sends his best respects to all, and he is quite well.
[PB: Possibly 935 Joseph Ireland, the only person in the 17th Lancers with the right forename and surname initial. But it is not obvious how Charles Randall's mother would have known Joseph Ireland.]
The whole of the Light are cut up the same as our own. They are still at Sebastopol, and they expect to take it in a few days. When that is taken there is a great talk of our coming home this winter; in fact, I think they will be obliged to send us home, for we are not much use now.
Balaclava, Nov 1 [1854]
C_____ R_____"
He returned to Scutari on the 13th of December 1854.
Promoted to Corporal on his return to the regiment on the 1st of April 1855, but he remained on the pay-roll of the Scutari Depot until the 10th of May.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 7th of January 1856 for "being drunk on the streets" and reduced to Private He was also awarded 42 days' imprisonment, with hard labour, but this was remitted.
Tried by Court-martial at Scutari on the 19th of March 1856 for "Disgraceful conduct" and awarded 3 and a half calendar months' imprisonment, with hard labour.
[PB: Jan, 2014: What did he do that was regarded as "disgraceful"?]