Litchfield enquirer., 1855-01-18
WAR AS TT Is.

childhood with restless desire for the army,
and dazzled with the glitter of a regiment of
dragons then in the sigabcfliood, enlisted
in 1914 against the ea<neSt kmonstrances OF
his father. an old w Ioo bldier. In 1915
he went with his regilm0Gt to India; and
since his return to England, he has publish
ed his short but bitter experience and obser-
! yatlons in volume entitled Fsur Years
| Sercice in India, byo Private Soldier:
Sickness AND MoaTALITY.-Ne buried
our dead at night, and such graveyard
never lessed. Tie cath being SO full of
water it filled the graves Immediately; so
that we had to pile the earth and stones up
on the coffin to sink it. This was sufficient
to give one the horrors. 1t is large grave
yard, and very full now. At last l was
obliged to go to the hospital with the bowel
ness of the ground, and eating too much
fruit Great numbers began to, dievery sud-
denly from cholera. The regiment not bea
ing used to the like of this, the whole began
to look melancholy, and fear was seen on
every face, as much as to say, 1t will be
my turn next Some gave themselves up
to utter despair and died. was very low
in spirits myself once, and the more SO be-
cause | had never been confined to sick
bed in my life. 1t was dreadful to see fine,
stout, healthy young fellows we'll and dead
in few hours all, even before they had
time to call on their Cad The good min
lister was very attentive to the sick, and the
Baptist missionary too; they would bring
good books, and distribute among the suf-
terers. Not day passed but we had some
one to put into his last resting place. Oh,
how often did wish myself in my native
country again, or that | had died when young
accused myself of being an ungratefnl
wretch, who deserved no better than what he
now suffered, for not obeying his old par
ents. now felt completely lost, and did
not care what became of me.
EFFEcTs OF HEAT AND THIRsT.-When
the day approached, the heat would be SO
excessive that no ono dare venture out for
fear of being struck by the sun. We had
several killed by it, and in the barracks we
were SO hot that it was complete torture to
be there. The sweat would come through
everything we had upon us; in fact, we
could have nothing on but thin pair of
drawers, with no shirt; and the millions of
flies that would be continually tormenting
us would be sufficient to drive them mad.
When getting our victuats, our plates were
black all over " it'll the flies. We were obli-
ged to eat with one hand and buffet them
with the other have often heard our men
curse their God and they would get as
much money as they could, and then go
and get so drunk they could not speak,
They would often say that was the only
way they could have any peace ; but could
not see any pleasure in such way. have
seen men die in this state, and others drown
themselves, or shoot themselves, whilst a
number lose their senses, and die raving
mad. ......
At about one o'clock the words quick
march, were given, and the band struck up
The girl / left behind me- The morning
was very fine, and the moon shone bright I;
but the air was very sultry, and the sand
rose in cloud as we marched; somuch so
that we could scarcely get our breath The
band stopped playing, for the sand rose in
such clouds that we could not see the next
man to US at times. About three O'Clock
the men began to fall out by sections, from
want of water, the heat being nearly unbear-
able, and their tongues hanging on. TO a
/ frightful size. and their mouths beingparch-
ed up. Ali the cry was for water At length
we came to well, and all order in the ranks
was at an end. What few beasthes (water-
carriers) we had were soon surrounded, and
nearly worried the men were like madmen
pushing one over another. The stronges,
got the most, the weakly men praying in a
most piiful manner, and offering all the
money they possessed for drink. .t-
| We lay at this station till the middle OF
July, and had buried great may Of our
comrades; scarcely day passed but we
put some poor man into the grave; and we
looked more like moving ghosts than men
abou, to face foe. Men were fairly dri-
yen to distraction through torture. We
were the most troubled with the 'pricklv
heat This is owing to the warmth Of the
weat.:er and the blood. The body breaks
out all over with snail red .pimples, ith
water in them; and they itch unbearably--
or rather, they are more like pias and nec-
dies pricking Us all over. So.ae have the:
bodies covered all over, SO that il would be
Impossible TO lay sixpence On place free
from p.nplss. Then The Gies AMI musqni-
toes arc Ia rniny millions, AMI insects by
night in many thousands; altogether, we
never had any comfort. Many men betook
! themselves TO the canteen, and then drank
uatil they could not stand Some Of then,
would take as rnuc., as quart Of grog in a
night. and would be carried iusensible. eth
er to the guard room or to their barracks,
and be found dead on their beds the nexi
morning, suff3cated in liquor, or removed If
a Il, of apopiexy, brought on by the drink
and heat of the weather. Some lay upon
! their cots cursing and swearing, wishing
that the ship had sunk that brought them &c
India, or that they were dead when at las:
they would be driven to despair, and either
blow out their brains, or jump into we'll
thus putting an end to their life.
Some twenty years ago barn in the vi.
ciniiy Of Worcester was struck by light
ming and burned TO the ground, when fop
well strapped and dickied. with his cap or
the side Of his head, met the celebrated
Or. G----i,, and acccsted him in this
wise:
Can you-ah. tell me, doct:h how faf
they have succeeded in extinguishing thu
confederation Of the-ah, unfortunate yeo