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[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
ATTLEFIELD
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
ATTLEFIELD
LETTER, CHINA AND EGYPT, 1854-1888
By Sir FREDERICK CHARLES ARTHUR STEPHENSON, G.C.B.
LATE SCOTS GUARDS, COLONEL OF THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS AND CONSTABLE OF THE TOWER OP LONDON
together with a short memoir of himself of his brother, sir william henry stephenson, k.c.b.
and of their father, sir benjamin charles stephenson, g.c.h.
collected and arranged by Mrs. frank POWNALL
with an introduction to the egyptian letters by FIELD-MARSHAL LORD GRENFELL, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.
WITH PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
All rights reserved
GEORGE AND VERA
INTRODUCTION
The idea of printing these slight memoirs of my grandfather, my father, and my uncle was originally conceived only for the purpose of preserving the memory of three interesting people for the younger members of their family, to whom otherwise they would be but names. But on reading Sir Frederick Stephenson's letters, these proved to be so attractive that they were added to the scheme, and form the real interest of this volume now offered to the public; the memoirs only lead up to them and fill up the gaps.
Unluckily, only two of Sir Benjamin Stephenson's letters have been preserved, and their existence was unknown to the family until the publication of the Life of Sir Herbert Taylor. They are now, through the courteous consideration of the author of that book (Mr. Ernest Taylor), in the possession of the family, who are very glad to have these specimens of Sir Benjamin's handwriting and composition, though the letters themselves are of no general interest apart from the narrative in which they are incorporated.
Sir William Stephenson's letters are also very few in number and only of private interest. He was so seldom separated from his family that there was indeed little occasion for correspondence. He wrote frequently to his mother, but few of these letters have been preserved, and those he wrote to his brother to the viii INTRODUCTION
Crimea and China, which appear to have been of great interest, must also have been destroyed.
Sir Frederick's letters to his own family were, however, carefully copied into books. There are a good many of the originals as well, but it is particularly unfortunate that the letter written to his brother after the battle of the Alma, apparently from the battlefield, and to which he refers in another letter, was not copied with the rest and is not forthcoming.
The letters are almost all copied in the same hand, that of his eldest sister, Henrietta Maria Stephenson. One letter is in the handwriting of his mother, and two are in that of another sister. For the most part they have been carefully copied, with very occasional omissions, which have now been supplied in brackets. The names both of places and people are variously spelt, so it has been thought best to take a uniform and modern spelling — the picturesque Bala-Klava (" the place of fish") giving way to the conventional Balaclava, as it is written in later letters.
Amongst those written from Egypt I have permission to insert some very interesting letters to Lady Elizabeth Romilly.
The letters extend from 1854 to 1888, covering the most important years of a long life. They open with the first call to active service, and close with the ending of the last military appointment in a foreign countr3^
In all these letters, whether wTitten from the Crimea, China, or Egypt, the same spirit is predominant. Devotion to duty, self-effacement, and a keen appreciation of the good qualities in others, with an intense interest in his surroundings, both as regards places and people, are always apparent; while the frequent and warm references to home and its delights,
INTRODUCTION ix and the expressions of affection towards the various members of his family, show how strong a hold the domestic side of life had on him.
It has often been a matter of surprise that, having this keen appreciation of home life, he should never have married. There are two letters from the Crimea written to two of his sisters which probably give the clue to this.
No man could have been more fitted for a happy married life, and she would have been a fortunate w^oman who had consented to share it with him; but his profession came first, and he always said that young soldiers should not marry. His reasons for coming to this conclusion were no doubt deduced from the circumstances alluded to in the letters.