[Edward Mason Wrench] Manuscript describing events in 1855-6, during his service in the Crimean War with the 34th Regiment of Foot. With duplicated (hectograph) letter by him and handbill advertisement for talk by him, both on the Siege of Sebastopol

Wrench was the son of a clergyman, and well connected, being presented to the Prince of Wales and staying at Chatsworth in his old age. His obituary in the British Medical Journal (27 April 1812), describes how he went out to the Crimea in 1854. 'He had been gazetted Assistant Surgeon to the 34th Regiment in November, and joined it on its arrival in the Crimea. He served during the terrible winter of that year, and was present at the capture of the quarries, the successful assault on the Redan of June 18th, and the final capture of Sebastopol on September 8th, 1855. He was mentioned in despatches, and received the Crimean medal and clasp for Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.' Wrench's own account of his experiences in the Crimea (Item One below) – entirely unpublished – is a personal one, vividly-written and full of detail. It does not appear to be present in the collection of his family papers at Nottingham University Library. ONE: Manuscript consisting of 'Events in 1855' (4pp) and '1856 (12pp), making a total of 16pp., 8vo, on twelve leaves, attached with a stud. In good condition, on aged and dogeared paper. The first page of the 1855 manuscript is headed '12 [sic] Pages in this Year', but comprises four numbered pages. The beginning of account sets the scene and gives an indication of the level of detail: 'The 1st Janry found me doing duty with the 28th Foot or Slashers in the 3rd. Divt of the army before Sebastopol having landed at Balaclava from the Ship "Queen of the South" on the 20th. Nov. 1854. On the 6th July I was ordered to do duty with the 50th. Foot but as I did not wish to move (the weather being very bad and my tent being as comfortable, or rather as little uncomfortable as it could be made) except to join my own Regt. the 34th. to which I had been gazetted on the 1st. of December 1854. I applied to be sent to it and was ordered to join which I did on 9th of Janry.' The account is made up from diary entries, and is none the less vivid and interesting for that: 'On the following morning a wounded Russian named Alexo was brought into our Hospital and we amputated his leg he did really well and was eventually exchanged at Odessa. Poor Jordan's death threw a great damp on the Regiment as he was the first Officer we had had killed. On the 9th. of April being Easter Monday the 2nd. Bombardment took place. It was a fearfully wet windy day so that no one was able to go out to see what damage was done. On the 10th. I was on trenches and the noise was terrific, but nothing to what I have since heard. I had a very narrow escape from a round shot which hopped over the parapet close to where I was.' In June, 'after 68 hours bombardment an assault was made on the Quarries by ourselves [...] I did not go down till about 8 with Robinson Scott & Peel and 100 men. We were marching about the Trenches half the night and were finally sent to the middle ravine just below Mamelon. The scene there was most horrible the ground being strewn with dead & wounded. English French & Russians. One poor Russian boy was dragged up by two Zouaves but fainted just opposite to where we were lying. I got a light and found he was shot through the belly and that nothing could be done for him. I gave him some water and he lie [sic] by me some time but died before morning. I got an amulet off his neck & his cap pouch which I sent home'. The 1856 account begins in dramatic style: 'The first entry in this Diary relates to the explosion which took place within the British Lines during the Siege of Sebastopol. | Feb 3rd. I was not many hundred yards from this explosion when it took place & will here relate now (Janry 1900) my recollection of it. It took place in Novr. or Decr. 1855. I had just come in from a ride & had given my horse to my Batman when I noticed a vast cloud of smoke shoot up from the Right Siege train an open air arsenal about 500 yds from my house - a tremendous noise of explosion followed & knowing that there would be a rain of missiles from above to fall immediately I jumped under my doorway - hoping the strong lintel would protect me [...] a shower of fragments fell around me rattling on my iron roof - and wounding many men in the Regiment - 70 men were killed by the explosion some over half a mile off. The artillery horses were passing in front of my door to water & stampeded hurting several men in their rush. Both my horse and my dog bolted. I got the horse back in a few hours - but my dog taken [sic] a few weeks before out of Sebastopol returned to her old home and was found there weeks afterwards (I brought her to England) My house that I had just finished building myself did not sustain much damage. [...]' The account continues, packed with incident. At one point he writes: 'I had written the above in 1859 and continue it forty one years after November 4 1900. The events & fights of May 1856 being written so legibly in my brain that I can read much of what we did & said. Alas all the actors except myself are passed away. My notice has been called to the excursion by reading an Illustrated article in a magazine named "Travel" in which Dr. Hy. Lansell has been describing a tour taken last year over the same ground - so little altered from what I saw in 1856 that his description would do for mine'. The diary concludes in fine style. On 2 May 1856 he goes to Yalta, where he finds 'the daughters of the English Clerk of the Works of Prince W's Palace were keeping the Hotel, a very rough primitive structure low stone built rooms with a long rough wooden verandah overlooking the lovely Bay - We enjoyed an excellent dinner of Turbot & Oyster Sauce, & a bottle of excellent local wine like Hock - as we returned we went over the Emperor's Villa Orianda [...] One day when I remember seeing for the first time a Persian (horizontal) Water Wheel in a very pretty village embosomed in Walnut Trees where also I bought an embroidered linen neck scarf which I still possess - On another occasion I accompanied Best & Chapman to the Alma & where I picked up the Russian Cannon Ball now on top of the Study Clock - I tried hard to get someone to accompany me to Bagshi Serai & Chuphut Kale but I had to go alone - I wonder now how I dare. For it was in the heart of the Enemies Country. I remember the Priest spit when I went near them in the Church in the Rock and I rode home at night through the Russian Camp on the river Balbec. I certainly felt no fear, but that was the Ignorance of youth'. A final note, more than half a page long, records a meeting at Chatsworth in 1902 with Grand Duke Michael and his wife the Countess Torby. TWO: Duplicated letter by Wrench, a hectograph in purple ink, intended for circulation among his 'dear children'. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. Signed 'E. M. Wrench'. At the beginning is a half-page drawing by Wrench, captioned 'Russian Soldier - | In the Valley of the Shadow of Death. | near Sebastopol - 1855 | (on Black Sea in the distance)'. He describes a lecture he gave at Bakewell the previous Monday on the Siege of Sebastopol, beginning 'I began by describing the terrible state of the hospital at Balaclava in November 1854. I had a ward full of wounded from Inkerman, with bad cases of fever & cholera - All the windows had been blown out by the great storm of November the 14th. The sick had no beds, and often nothing to eat until 3 or 4 oclock in the afternoon. The harbour of Balaclava was crowded with steamers, while the coast near was strewn with the wrecks of the 21 ships that had gone down in the storm. [...]' The letter continues with much valuable detail, and a drawing of a 'Section of "sunk" tent with fire place' on the third page. In the final paragraph he reports that 'Lord Edward Cavendish M.P. took the chair at my lecture. The room was quite full and some of the audience had come 8 or 10 miles to hear me.' THREE: Printed handbill advertisement, with duplicated illustration (another purple hectograph) by Wrench on reverse (joke featuring two soldiers and a horse and cart). 1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The printed advertisement is crisply printed, and the date ('14th') is added in red ink. It reads: 'A Lecture | will be delivered in | the School, | Baslow, | On Friday, January [14th.] 1881, | At 7.30 p.m. | By | E. M. Wrench, F.R.G.S., | entitled | Personal recollections of the Siege of | Sebastopol. | Illustrated by Drawings &c. | Admission One Penny. | No Change given at the Door.'