Twelve years in the army
- Free to read
- 2 hours to read
- 11 chapters
"Twelve years in the army" by John G. Gollan is a military memoir written in the mid-19th century. It recounts a Scottish Highlander’s service with the 79th Cameron Highlanders across the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion, blending frontline action, camp hardships, and plainspoken reflections. The focus is on battles such as Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and the siege of Sebastopol, followed by operations around Cawnpore and Lucknow, and ends with his return voyage. The voice is direct and patriotic, often advocating for recognition of the rank-and-file soldier. The opening of the memoir traces the author’s humble Inverness upbringing, youthful fascination with soldiering, and eventual enlistment in the 79th at Edinburgh. It swiftly moves into the Crimean campaign: embarkation via Varna, cholera losses, the landing in the Crimea, the assault at Alma, the “thin red line” at Balaclava, the brutal hand-to-hand fighting at Inkerman, a desperate winter with daring forays for firewood, and the final bombardment culminating in the fall of Sebastopol. After a triumphant but sobering return and royal review, the narrative turns to India in 1857: arrival at Calcutta, a hard march via Benares and Allahabad, a skirmish en route, the grim scenes at Cawnpore, and the assault on Lucknow (including a night barricade at the iron bridge and fierce street fighting, followed by plunder). It then condenses pursuit and battles across Rohilkhand around Bareilly, punitive actions against mutineers, garrison life at Meanee-Meer, Ferozepore, and Nowshera, observations on local customs, and his decision to leave the army; the excerpt closes with the start of his homeward sea diary—routine, calms, a few deaths, and a pointed complaint about how time-expired soldiers are treated compared to invalids.
- Great Britain. Army. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders