THIS IS THE ACCOUNT of JOSEPH HICKS (when he enlisted for a soldier and fought through the Crimean war - 67th {The South Hampshire} Regt of Foot).
In the year 1851, a young man living in a small village in one of the South Western Counties of England became enamoured of a soldiers life, induced by a young man who had returned to his native village on furlough for a month. He had risen to the rank of Sergeant. He looked so well and seemed to have plenty of money at his command. This young man determined to enlist in the same Regiment and all the persuasions of his widowed Mother, his Minister or any other friends could not turn him from his purpose, so on the 30th December of that year he left his home early and walked to Winchester 20 miles distant, took the train from thence to Southampton. He had an Uncle and Aunt and sister in Southampton who used all the evenings they could to dissuade him from the step he was taking, but to no purpose. He met a soldier that evening down near the docks and at 6 o'clock he had taken the Queen's shilling and entered on a soldiers life.
Next morning, the last day of the year, he went by steamer to the Isle of Wight where the Depot of the 67th Regiment was stationed, was sworn in at Newport. The following day, New Years day the Depot was under orders to move to Dover and the 2nd Jan he was en route for that place and underwent six months hard drilling and training for a soldier. He often wished for his liberty and to be back with his widowed Mother, but he had chosen his lot and now must abide the consequences.
The Regiment of the 67th was at Antigua, West Indies and this young man wanted to go as there was draft of men going to replace those who had died, but the Commanding Officer of the Depot refused to allow him to go to such an unhealthy climate, saying he was too young. He had then been enlisted about 1 year and 6 months.
The Depot stayed at Dover two years and then removed to Canterbury. Shortly after arriving there, rumours arose that England was going to war with Russia and one of the Regiments selected for that service, the 19th of Foot, not being up to its proper strength, the 67th Depot was opened for volunteers to make up the deficiency. This young man, smarting under his late disappointment on not being allowed to go to the West Indies and having a very strong desire to go to foreign lands, not being particular where. He was one of the first to put down his name for the 19th Regiment and in a few days, was off to join the new Regiment at the Tower of London and one of his first duties was to be placed on guard over the Queen's Crown and Jewels.
In about a month after, the order came from Horse Guards to proceed to Woolwich and embark on a steamer and proceed at once to Scutari in Turkey.
After being there a week or so arising early one morning he heard a report of a pistol or gun and only a tent or two away when to his horror he saw a Sergeant of the 88th Regiment had been shot dead by a Turk. Of course the man was surrounded in an instant and confined and handed over to the Turkish authorities, was tried and sentenced to be burnt in the marketplace of Constantinople just across the Bosporos. The only crime the Sergeant had committed was getting a little too much wine (which could be got at 5d per quart) and seeing a young woman at the window of a house and went to the door and when the door was opened he attempted to kiss her. The door being shut in his face he returned to this camp. A man followed him to his tent and on his arising in the morning he was standing outside the tent when the man saw him and instantly shot him dead.
The army having been now divided into divisions, were ordered to remove to Varna on the shores of the Black sea, embarking in several ships. The Light Division, composed of 7 Regiments, landed at Varna and proceeded inland some distance to Aladin and camped there under the command of General Sir George Brown. Sickness soon breaking out caught the troops. Hurried orders was issued to proceed farther inland, when a days march brought them to Dedna, where they encamped again. A lovely place, with beautiful lakes and rivers, but very hot weather. When the whole of the men Officers were attacked by Turkeys terrible scourge, which is brought on by the dirty filthy habits of the people. Vermin was everywhere to be found and against which there was no remedy. They stuck to the whole army more or less during the whole campaign. The cholera began to make its appearance and having retired for the night one night, apparently all in good health, except those in hospital, at 2 in the morning an alarm was sounded all through the camp, strike tents, which was done in the darkness and a quarter of an hour every tent was down and packed on the baggage mules and the whole was marched further inland to Cape Manastra to higher ground, but 200 corpses was left on the field, having died of cholera in these few hours.
That young soldier was one selected to stay behind to bury those comrades who had so lately been in good health. This young man had just before passed through some painful experience. His friend having just died from the same cause. A coffin had been made by this young soldier for his comrade with green withins woven into basket work and he had been buried by the side of a river under a willow tree. As his comrade could neither read nor write, his comrade used to be his correspondent to his relatives and friends at Pembrokeshire in Wales. He at once wrote to them telling them of his sad loss and theirs. That letter was printed in the paper and a reply sent back with a copy of the paper and received by the young soldier on the 19th September, the day preceding the Battle of the Alma which provided the means two days after for him to send to his own Mother the news of his safety through that terrible battle. That letter was cut out and carefully preserved and that young man has today a copy of that letter (reads letter).
In the new encampment, better health took possession of the men. The dreaded cholera disappeared and only dysentery remained, which carried off a good few. The Army was sick of Turkey when all at once orders came to proceed by forced march to Varna and to again embark on the vessels and cross the Black Sea to Eupatoria. Many a poor fellow on that forced march, laid down exhausted by dysentery and other illnesses and died there horribly.
After a few days, Eupatoria was reached and early in the morning the ships began to disgorge their living freight, landing them in surf boats in a hard, pouring rain. Before leaving the ships, each man was served out with a wooden bottle holding two quarts of water and biscuits for 3 days, because they were just landing in the enemy country and no one knew where the next water was to come from. They had no tents, only a blanket, raining pouring all day and all night. Soft ground and after lying down all night and rising in the morning, the ground had become indented and a pool of water remained. Marching onward was the order of every day and camping without any tents at night.
2 or 3 days after landing, they camped for the night near a splendid gentlemans house and grounds, which had of course been deserted. The inhabitants had fled. Being short of wood to make fires, the house of beautiful mahogany furniture was wrecked and made into firewood. Looking glasses all smashed and sad havoc made among the fowls and ducks and geese of which there was a large quantity. Fruit in abundance which was a Godsend to the men. Near at hand every place was searched and a large door locked was forced open where in a cellar 6 or 7 feet deep was ranged a number of large wine casks but no ladder to reach them. Two of the men jumped in but found that the corks had been removed and all the wine had run out. The ground being a light loam, the wine had soaked in and the two men who jumped in had sank into the mud up to their armpits.
Next day they arrived at the top of a range of hills and the advanced guard had a slight skirmish with the outpost of the enemy, who soon retired, no one being killed. The camp was pitched for the night and on the opposite range the casual fires of the enemy could be seen in the darkness. The sentries was doubled. Nothing occurred during the night.
In the morning the Army descended into the valley all suffering from thirst as the water brought from the vessel had run out and orders was not to touch any water found in any wells found for fear of the water being poisoned. There was several wells found in the valley and after a consultation of doctors and the water being tested was pronounced to be pure. Everybody was allowed to drink to their hearts content. Never did water seem sweeter in the world.
The men being formed up the Colonels of Regiments inspected the men and said let every man do his duty for we shall have hot work before night and so it proved. The hills was then reached and as Regiment after Regiment went over the top of the hills a long, undulating plain stretched out before the view reaching down to the river Alma and as the swords and bayonets of the Army was glittering in the sun, the scene was truly magnificent and across the hills to the long range of hills which was literally covered with the enemy. The sight enough to appal the stoutest heart. Presently as the Army advanced, it was evident the enemy meant business for the hills began to show columns of smoke rising and the bulldogs of war began to belch forth the messengers of death long before the Army was within reach of their deadly power for occasional cannon shot rolled past the front ranks almost spent and so harmless. They soon got thicker and came faster. Then came the whiz of rifle bullet as it went past with a ping and here and there a soldier fell. The order was sounded for the Light Division to advance at the double and the enemy in the rifle pits fled. The army then came up and under shelter of some high banks, rested for 20 minutes. Then came the order on the bugle forward double and the work of death began in real earnest. A short distance across fields of grape vines, on the leaves of which the shot fell like hailstones. In a few minutes the river was reached and every soldier was in the water up to his waist and his rifle in one hand, the other hand to hold his ammunition out of the water. Many men was killed crossing the river and sank, to rise no more. Then began the arduous task of climbing the heights in face of one of the most deadly fires of shot and shell it is possible to conceive. The young soldier was mercifully preserved. His comrade on each side of him, being killed and the two or three soldiers who filled the gap shared the same fate, yet he escaped. Soon the top of the heights was reached and the enemy stood in line with bayonets fixed. Under cover of their firing the bugles sounded charge then at the double the two Armies met in one solid clash of steel and hundreds of men with bayonets driven through the body, for it was a deadly struggle, either kill or be killed. Our hero killed his man, a great, tall Russian 6 feet high. The survivors of that terrible charge, with thousands coming up behind, soon scaled the ramparts and in a few minutes every gun was spiked and silenced. A panic seized the enemy, who then fled pell mell and hundreds were shot down as they ran away. The Cavalry and Field Artillery had been delayed at the river all day as the bridges had been destroyed and they had to throw trees across and make a temporary bridge before they could cross the river. They now came up and the enemy was literally mowed down by grape shot and musketry until the dead lay 20 thick, one on top of each other in places.
Thus ended the battle of the Alma after three hours and 20 minutes of hard fighting, in which time about 7 thousand corpses lay dead on that field of blood.
The Regiments was then called together and the roll was called. Then came the most heartrendering of all occurred as one and another was not there to answer their name and the exclamation arose to the mouths of the survivors "Poor fellow, poor fellow".
The 19th Regiment, of which our young soldier was one was found to have lost 258 men per Hors de Combat. The army was then dismissed to get some provisions which was sadly needed. There was espied at a short distance off a tremendous large and high wooden tower which the Czar had erected and on which was congregated a large number of the elete of Sebastopol to see his splendid army drive the Allied Armies back into the sea, but now sadly were they disappointed and had barely time to escape with their lives. There being no wood at hand to make fires, the work of demolishing this high structure commenced and was down level with ground much quicker than it was put up. Plenty of wood now, fires was soon lighted and refreshing coffee and biscuits was the order of the day.
Then came a walk over the field and the sight that presented itself was scene never to be forgotten by those who saw it and must be seen to be realised. Poor men with heads shot off, legs and arms also and many literally cut in two. Pools of blood lying in every low place.
Next morning among the dead sat our young soldier and with the stamped envelope and paper received from his comrade's friend from Wales, he penned a letter to his widowed Mother to tell her how mercifully God had preserved his life without a scratch.
After 3 days when all the dead had been gathered together in large heaps and large holes had been dug, they were cast into them, English, French, Turks, Sardinians and Russians one top of each other, there to remain till that great day when the Angel shall sound the dead to rise and come to Judgment.
The Armies then proceeded from thence to Balaclava which was soon reached when the large fortress looming in the distance on top of a high hill and bristling with cannon. The Armies stretched out in a circle reaching right round and advancing towards it. The Russian garrison, seeing the inevitable which must follow, gave in at once by hoisting the white flag at the flagstaff and surrendering at once. No shot fired.
Then all hands were encamped at Balaclava and had rest and peace for about a fortnight. A lovely place, plenty of fruit, peaches, apricots, apples, filberts, honey in abundance and more than 100 acres of beautiful grapes just ripe which all hands were allowed to gather and eat. Glorious days these.
Orders then came to proceed and camp in front of Sebastopol. This was Saturday. Sunday morning, when preparing for Church service, a shell came whistling from Sebastopol, right into the camp, then another and another. Instead of Church Service, it was strike tents and remove further back out of reach of these disturbers of our peace. Then commenced the real work of the campaign. Double sentries, sharp shooters and work in the trenches left any of the men very little time for anything else. The 10 best shots of each Regiment was selected to form the sharpshooter and was stationed midway between the camp and Sebastopol. They had to proceed to their post just as day was breaking and retire to camp just as dusk was coming. Our young soldier, being the second best shot in the Regiment, was one of those selected for that duty. The men had nothing to shelter them only a few stones gathered and a heap about a yard high and had to lie all day behind there and watch the Russian gunners at the guns at Sebastopol and pick them off. They too had sharp shooters stationed on the walls and one day our hero thought he would test them so, putting his cap on his ramrod, he hoisted it above the heap of stones and in a forage 2 3 bullets had passed theough the minute cap. The cannon shot and shell was constantly passing to and fro over head and frequently bursting in the air. One morning, just at daylight, while proceeding to the post of duty, it was found the enemy had come in the night and taken possession of the sharp shooters' position, but was at once driven out and as they retired, our men had a nice bit of sport shooting these Russians like rabbits as they were running away, about two-thirds of them was killed. They did not molest the British again in that place.
On the morning of the 5th November, just at peep of day, a terrible cannonading and roll of musketry firing was heard away down by the River Trechenaya about 2 or 3 miles distance. Our hero that night had been on double sentry and soon after was relieved and returned to camp when it was learn't a terrific battle was raging at Inkerman. He, with every man that was available, was marched off to assist their comrades at that battle, arriving about half an hour before it finished. God's providence was over him and again he came off scatheless.
Shortly ??, being in the trenches one night our young soldier was wounded by a piece of a shell in the right foot and went into hospital tent. Scarlet fever setting in he was delirious 14 days and had to be strapped down in delirium, breaking the straps, he got out and wandered away nearly naked and found in a tent belonging to the 88th Regiment, when men were all out that night. He was rolled up in blankets. Recovering from the fever he was invalided back to Sentarr Hospital, and a Board of Doctors ordered him home and sent to Brompton Hospital. The foot getting well in a month, he had to join the Depot of his Regiment at Walmer, Deal. A months furlough was granted and once more he went home to his native village and saw his widowed Mother.
Shortly after returning from furlough to his Depot, orders came down from Horse guards to send all the officers, 1 Non-Commissioned Officer and 3 private soldiers to London as Her Majesty the Queen was going to distribute the first batch of Crimean Medals to her soldiers. Our hero was one of the men selected to receive that honour, 12 men having returned wounded. After the ceremony was over, the recipients was marched to the beautiful grounds of Her Majesty's residence, Buckingham Palace where they dined with Her Gracious Majesty in the large hall. The Queen being supplied with a small quantity of food from each table. This was a grand never to be forgotten day in the history of our hero, but his troubles was not yet over as the terrible havoc made in the ranks of the Regiment necessitated drafts of men to fill up the ranks and our hero had to go back to the Crimea in one of these drafts, after only three months stay in England.
After leaving the Hospital convalescent, and left the shores of old England the second time with a heavy heart, knowing the terrible hardships he would have to endure, on reaching his destination (and having had quite enough of Foreign Countries).
However arriving at Malta and the war not raging quite so fiercely and expecting soon to cease that draft was detained at Malta several months and only arrived some 2 or 3 months before peace was proclaimed.
(In the meantime, a railway had been made connecting the camp with Balaclava) then commenced the arduous task of gathering the spent shot that had been fired at Sebastopol and which lay around and inside the town. Thousands thick these had to gathered up each soldier to carry so many each day 2 journeys and deposit them at the head of the railway to be sent home again.
It was while engaged in this work our hero got his leg hurt, a large shot rolling down from a large heap and striking the leg. He was removed into Hospital and while laying there the same day a young man was brought in also belonging to the Artillery. Our hero thought he knew his features and asked him if his name was Smith from his own native village. He said Yes that was his own cousin and, until then, he did not know he was in the Army. He only lived six months after getting to his home, the climate had done its deadly work on his poor body and he died on arriving in England.
Our hero was conveyed to Fort Pitt Hospital, and lay there 20 weeks when he was summoned to appear before a Board of Doctors who pronounced him as unfit for further service and he was discharged with a noble pension of sixpence per day for one year, and hundreds of others was served the same way, when England's time of trial had passed over.
To give some idea of the enormous difficulties to overcome before Sebastopol was taken, it was found on measurement that the Allied armies had constructed 700 miles of trenches in front of that stronghold and not a home, Church, or any building with a roof on it and hundreds of them level with the ground, knocked all to pieces by the shot and shell fired against it for nearly two years.
So ended our hero's life in the British Army, enlisting 30th December 1851 and discharged 4th December 1856, 26 days short of 5 years.![[Joseph Hicks]](photo/Josephhicks.gif)
He has lived up to till the present time and a short time ago, applied for a Pension for the remainder of his days. He having attained the age of 60 years, but, because he had the misfortune to get wounded and discharged before he had served 10 years, he was refused any further assistance as not having fulfilled that condition.
Our hero wishes to reaffirm thanks to his Heavenly Father for his merciful preservation during all these years and now hoping I have interested you in this lecture I stand before you as the ... I have been ?? who .....