COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 177 



saw anything like it. They seemed perfectly irre- 

 sistible, and our fellows were quite demoralised. 

 The fatal mistake we made in the morning was to 

 receive the charge of your Heavy Brigade standing 

 instead of meeting it with a counter shock. We had 

 so many more men than you that had we continued 

 our charge downhill instead of calling a halt just at the 

 critical moment, we should have carried everything be- 

 fore us. The charge of your Heavy Brigade was mag- 

 nificent, but they had to thank our bad management 

 for the victory. We liked your fellows. When our 

 men took prisoners they used to give them our vodka. 

 Awful stuff it was ! More like spirits of wine than 

 anything else. Your fellows used to offer us their rum 

 in exchange, but we did not care for it ; it was too soft 

 and mild. The Russian soldier must have his vodka' ' 



"BALAKLAVA, znd January, 1855. 



" DEAR JACK, 



" I cannot tell you how we all devoured 

 your letter with all the hunting details, just what 

 interests most out here. I am very sorry to find, 

 though, that you have never got a long letter full of 

 all details. I wrote to you about the 7th November, 

 I think, as I knew you would, of course, be as anxious 

 as any one to hear about our sad losses, and above 

 all about poor dear old Goad. Oh, Jack ! I can- 

 not tell you how we do miss him, or what a blow it 

 is to us all. And I know it will be the same with all 

 old 1 3th, and, indeed, all who knew him. 



"As you must ere this have got my first letter, 



VOL. I. 12 



