Service
[PB: Laurence Crider summarises (In Search of..., p.485):
At Hampton Court 1st & 2 Mstrs [54-1-5]. At Sea, Constant., & Devna 1 to 3rd Mstrs respectively [54-2-5]. At Baidar 1st Mstr [55-3-5]. W/ Svc Trps entire period [54-1 to 56-1]....(new entry) N.B. believed to be "Magrath" listed on Cpt Morris' squad list; Regt. No.920 listed by Morris was wrong (see Hinton, Cpl Edward who had that Regt. No)...[RS [Robin Smith]]."
{PB, July 2018: Captain Morris's squad list? I know there's one from April 1851, but is there one from the Crimea?]
In a "Scrapbook" formerly belonging to 1177 James W. Wightman, 17th Lancers, was found the following, written by Wightman himself:
"An incident that happened on the march of the English Army from Upitoria [sic] to the Alma...
After our day's march on September 16th 1854, Lord Cardigan posted personally a number of my Regiment, the 17th Lancers, on Vedette about five or six o'clock in the evening.
We had not long been posted when it became very dark and foggy — hour after hour passed away and still no relief came.
My companion, Martin Mcgrath, better known as "925' and myself remained wet to the skin with the heavy fog and bitterly cold it was too. As soon as the day broke the sun came out and we were soon covered in steam from our wet clothes.
"Jim," said M'Grath to me, "Let us have a trot. It will warm us," and away we rode in single file round the top of the hill.
Presently McGrath said, "Take your feet out of the stirrups, it will circulate the blood. We were carrying this on for about eight or ten minutes when we saw, evidently greatly excited, two horsemen galloping towards us.
They were Lord Cardigan and Colonel Mayo — and a proper dressing-down we both received and promised to be instantly relieved and have our blood circulated with the cat.
"Look you fools, what you have done. Were you not aware," said Lord Cardigan, "that you were signalling that the enemy were approaching at a trot.
You have turned out the best part of the British Army." — and away they galloped.
I am glad to say we heard no more about it, and it taught us both a lesson we never forgot..."
[RM (1.2.2013): An article in the Patriotic Fund Journal, 24th February 1855, has just come to light that presents overwhelming evidence that Martin McGrath was indeed a Charger (for family memories of this, see Further information, below).
Written in the form of a "letter home", he writes in detail of the events of the day, and the fate of "Dick Dullard", presumably 916, Richard Dollard, 17th Lancers, also born in Kilkenny.]
Private "Magrath's" [sic] letter home from the Crimea, published in the Patriotic Fund Journal, 24th February 1855.
(Click on image to enlarge)
LETTERS FROM THE CRIMEA
From Private Magrath, 17th Lancers
Our next day's march was to Balaklava, and there we remained about twenty days, and on the 25th of October about 80,000 of the enemy made their appearance, and the Turks that had charge of the batteries, on the Russians advancing, fired four shots then ran away.
They left twenty-one guns of ours in the entrenchments that we threw up and gave them charge of — a very bad day it was for us that we did so, as the enemy took them and fired our own guns on us. We had to retire, as the fire was coming so heavy, so that we got of their range with very little loss; only two men and three horses killed.
When the news went up to Lord Raglan, to [?] the siege batteries at Sebastopol, he sent an order down by Captain Nolan (one of the bravest officers we had out here) to charge with the light cavalry.
Lord Lucan said, "What am I to charge?"
"There," said he "is the enemy, and there are the guns, and it is our duty to take them."
And then our deadly work commenced.
Poor Dick Dullard was next to me in the ranks. Lord Lucan gave orders to charge the guns in front of us; we thought that was all there were, but when we got within shot of them they opened fire from about fifty guns, thirteen of which were in front, and the remainder on the hills at each side, so that they had fine play at us.
They completely blew men and horses to pieces before we knew where we were, but about fifty of us got up to their guns, and we cut the gunners all away.
Then we were attacked by some of the cavalry, five of whom bore down on Dick Dullard and me.
We killed four of them, and as Dick had his lance in the fifth, there came a shot from a twelve-pounder which swept the poor fellow's head off, so I had to make the best of my way out of that; and the next shot that was fired out of the same gun, as near as I can judge, blew away the hind quarters of my mare. Thus I was in a nice fix. I did not know which way to go, or the moment I would be blown to pieces; but, fortunately I got a Russian's horse, mounted him, and joined about twenty of ours and the 13th Light Dragoons.
There was a line of their cavalry in front of us, so we had to cut our way through them; in doing so we lost about eight men more, and then the brutes opened fire on us again and picked down a few more.
The horse that I had was struck by a ball about the eyes, and it only left a small piece of his skull and ears; the lower part of the head was completely taken away; so I was left to my legs again, and made the best of my way off the field with shot and shell whistling about me, and just as I got out, a shell burst on my right and a splinter struck me on the heel. I was obliged to lie down, and crawl on my hands and knees out of the way. That and a lance wound were all I got, and I thought myself very lucky.
Out of our regiment there were only thirty-five that came back safe. I never went near the doctor, and was all right in a week, ready for the next fight.
That was Inkerman; and a very hard hard battle Inkerman was. The few of us (17th Lancers) that were left had three men and an officer killed there.
We are still rattling away at Sebastopol, but it is the strongest place in the world. You would be surprised to see the fortifications of that town. But we shall soon have it now, and we must have rather a hard battle for it before we can get in; and that we are well satisfied with.
We are getting used to fighting now, and do not much care what we are led at. You little know the hardships that we go through here; if you did you would often say, "God help the poor fellows." But never mind; it is a poor heart that never rejoices, and with the help of God I shall see Kilkenny once more; and if God spare me I shall wear a couple of medals on my breast.
Patriotic Fund Journal, Saturday 24th February 1855.
Invalided to England on the 16th of April 1855.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
The muster rolls for the July-September 1858 period show him as "On Field Service" from September.
In action against the rebels at Zeerapore on the 29th of February 1859 and at Baroda on the 1st of January 1859.
On passage to England from India on the 26th of January 1863.
On the Depot roll at Maidstone from the 1st of April 1863.
