The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-04 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 4, 1855.

FROM 0111 OF TI) CONNAUGHT RANOZBA.

Camp berate Sebastopol, Dec. 3, 1854.
My dear Mother,—l received your kind letter, which
gave me great pleasure. I was delighted to find that you
and my sister, and all friends, were well. In the letter
before this, I lint you a pound ; I thought I would be able
to send more, but could not get it. We were served out
with a new kit, which came to V. 155., and which we ought
to get fur nothing—but aster the war is over we will be
credited with the money again. Before we got the clothes
we were in a mat ragged state. lam now three months
without taking off my clothes, except to brush them ; ana
eight month, without sleeping in any bei, other than the
cold vase. We had good times until we came to Rusioia,
bat now we are nicely situated, lying these two months in
front of Sebutopol, firing day and night ever since at it,
and ell to no purpose, although the English papers said
it would be taken in tea days by siege. Now the siege is
going on these 43 days, and no sign of its being taken, and
will, except at the point of the bayonet—less which,
no doubt, we will suffer a great loes—it is expected some
thousands. There is double the army in Sebastopol that we
have here, and one of the beet fortifications in the world,
except Gibraltar. There is a Russian army in rear of as to
the amount of 80,000. I fought at Alma with my regi-
ment, and, thank God, got safe. We lost 17, between
killed and wounded. In the skirmish at Gletigannous
' Farm, we lost none. At the capture of Balaklava, we had
one man wounded. In the battle of Balaklava, last none ;
but in the battle of Inkermann, we lost 184 out of five
companies. I cannot describe the great numbers other re-
' giments have lost. Some regiments are losiog from sto 12
daily with sickness, but we have last none, thank God. The
Light Division, to which I belong, is the leading division
of tie British army—the first every place—even at Alma,
we were the first that crobed the river, and beat beck
the Russians, with the assistance of the heavy division, for
which we got little credit. Our regiment captured Bala-
kiss., and no other. Even at lakermana—the last battle—
our regiment, when run short of ammunition, charged a
nine-gun battery (belonging to the Russians) with flied
bayonets, what a loot regiment was , I believe,
known to do before. After taking it, the Russians took it
spin, and we re-took it from them. The artillery ceptein
cried out to his men, " Come, my boys, man your guns that
the Connaught Rangers are after taking for you.' If an
English regiment did that, all sorts of news would be in the
papers about ; but you know we are an Irish and a catbo•
to ri gimlet ; but thank God our forefathers, in former days,
gained credit for us, and now we have done the same, fur
we call 'tintless God's and the Blessed Virgin's own regi-
ment,
and I am sure we are so, for it shows that she is
praying to her loving Son for us. I hope, my desr mother,
you are also praying for me, as all the mothers in Ireland
are doing for their sons. We have the priest attached to
us since we landed in Turkey; be calls our regiment his
own regiment. Our rations are very scanty; we got only
halt a-pound of biscuit every day; some days half a-pound
of pork, and other days a quarter-pound of meat; and some
days none at all. It did not stop raining this month We
have one night and two days out of five in our tents; bat
every night and day we are in front of Sebastopol, with no
covering from the rain and snow but one blanket. It is
very cold. I hope in God, if He spares my life, I will be
able to send you some money. If not, you can get it your-
self—that is, if lam killed. I but my comrade the other
day ;he had his leg shot off. He was from the West, andl
brother-in-Saw to
I remain, my dear mother, your loving are,
THOMAS) SCULLY,
88th, or Connaught Mangers.
To Mn. Scully, widow, Bowling-green,
Galway, Ireland.

MODEL OF KENILWORTH CASTLE AT THE