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money but of this I know nothing for
certain. All the Soldiers & Sailors who
were onboard the Flotilla in these actions
have received a silver medal which is
hung to their button hole.
Prince Nassan besides the order of St George
2d Class has received from the Empress an
an estate of 3500 peasants in White Russia
P. Jones & he are now & seem likely to remain
henceforward the greatest most inveterate enemies possible indeed
the poor American seems to have nowhere a friend
in private society he is much of a gentleman
more of a french petit maitre than of an English sailor.
Were I not an Englishman I should see nothing in the
man to dislike. The Russians would not perhaps
have little to say against him were it not that he
gives nobody anything to eat. Stinginess is here a greater
vice than perhaps the greatest vice a man can be guilty
of. With respect to his not fighting or rather his not
leading up his squadron he can scarcely be blamed for
as the navigation of the Liman is difficult for vessels
of great draught of water it may be as well that
he did not expose them) It was to that same difficulty
of navigation for great Ships that we owed our success.
had not the Turkish great ships got ashore it is
scarcely possible but they must have destroyed us.
At present the situation of the Turkish fleet
blocking up the Dnieper prevents P. Jones squadron
joining the Sevastopole fleet. when they are joined
they will be inferior to the Turks as the flotilla cannot
go to sea at least greatest part cannot. Orders however
will be to engage if possible and the superiority in
the Black sea will then be decided.
If Ochakoff be soon taken we shall begin to hope for
peace. fighting for once in a way was well enough
but it is an abominable trade to follow: besides
for my part as I shall get nothing more by war I have
every reason to wish for peace. I should then most
certainly come for a month or two at least to England
In case of peace I should be much tempted to seek to
change my regiment for one of Cavaldry in Serbia.
it would be more profitable more amusing and more
healthy for I fear the prince will want to keep me always
in the neighbourhood of Cherson.
Notwithstanding the great want of them several regiments
are without Surgeons. Medical assistance of all kinds
is as bad as conceivable. Scarcely any man recovers
from the dysentery, three fourths of a regiment were
carried off by it in about 9 months last year, and there
is scarcely a day I dont lose a man by this disorder now
in my regiment.
If 2 or 3 young men of abilities
were to come here they could not fail of doing well.
I for my part would assure a salary of 300 rubles and my
table to a Surgeon who had knowledge & practice enough
in medicine for the disorders here and though while
I have my regiment I should not leave him much time for
private practice yet herafter I might be able to put
him in a way of making a fortune. You may
conceive that dilligence would be more requisite than
extraordinary abilities. As it is I am obliged to
be Physician myself to my regiment as I have before
been to several of my friends with good success.
you know I suppose is dead. he had just
been made 1st Physician to the Army the Patent for
which did not come from Petersburg till after
his death, had it come before it would no doubt have
saved his life for he died more of disappointment than
of anything else. Kossakoff was killed by falling
down a precipice near Ochakoff as he was working at the
batteries: To me it was no great loss for he was become
my enemy: but it was a most unlucky death for a
man to meet with in the sight of the enemy. His Character
was so much changed within these 2 years that I have
scarcely found a single person who regretted him.
A lucky cannon ball took the thigh of your friend
the Governor of this province, He was riding a horseback
with P.P. within gunshot of the town where certainly
he had no business: from nothing he had amassed an
estate of 3 or 4,000 peasants and 2,00,000 rubles in money
he lived but a day or two after his wound, and his death as
you may imagine caused more joy than sorrow.
It so happens that 3 or 4 others who have lost their
lives here by accidents than by the enemy's shot
were such as by no means wished me well and
my friends are hitherto as well as myself
safe and in good health. For my part I am
just now as well as ever I was & have been
so all the Summer notwithstanding I was
4 months onboard a bit of a vessel where I was
obliged to sleep even upon deck for want of room
below.
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Identifier: | JB/540/489/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 540.
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