as this mail goes tomorrow and you have never answered any of my letters, I have written to you since January, I have resolved to write to you every "mail" until I hear from you saying you have got some of my letters, as I think I have got all yours, and have replied to them by return of post. However if you have not got all of my letters by the time you get this one, I hope you represent it in some of the public newspapers. There has been very hard firing from the Batteries for two days past on account of the Russians having constructed a new work to the right of the "Malakof Tower". The French attacked two new Russian Batteries on the extreme right last night, at the same time they attacked the new work to the right of the "Malakof Tower". I don't know what like the siege of "Badajoz" or even the battle of "Waterloo" was, at the same time I dont think the cannonade could have been half so terrific, as it was for about four hours last night. There was one glare of light and one continued roar of cannon for about two miles all along our right attack, the French opened fire from all their batteries on the right pitching shot and shell right and left into the Russian works, we doing the same from our twenty one gun battery and the Russians replying from their batteries and their shipping. We were out nearly all last night, but did not share in the attack, although we were shelled right and left. I have not yet heard the particulars of the fight, however before I finish this letter I will hear and let you know all about it. I am happy to say the state of the Regiment is very much improved. We turned 270 men out last night, all fighting men and able to lick any 1000 Russians in the "Crimea". 270 is a small number considering we were 800 strong about four months ago, where the remaining 530 have gone, ask Lord Raglan.

I have not heard how many the French lost in the last affair. There was some skirmishing last (16th) the French drove the Russians out of the pits they constructed for sharp shooters to the right of our advanced parallel. In the attack the night before last, a man came into our works from the Russians and gave himself up. He turns out to be a Scotchman called "Andrews". He was the servant to a Mr. Thompson on the banks of the "Alma". After the battle of the Alma, he was carried prisoner into Sebastopol and has been there ever since. General Brown gave him a good supper and made half drunk, the night he came over. He says there are only 14,000 men in Sebastopol and that they are badly fed and dread the assault, he also states that the French rockets have done an enormity of harm to the town. There is no more news that I know of but I will write to you in two or three days again, hoping you may get this one,

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Ever yours most affectionately