Soyer's Culinary Campaign: Being Historical Reminiscences of the Late War.: With The Plain Art of Cookery for Military and Civil Institutions

“Don’t mention it--it’s true enough. I have been thinking seriously about it; indeed, I feel quite nervous. What fools we were! and what luck to have escaped!” “I never heard of such a senseless trick in all my life,” said I. “Hardly any one would believe it.” “The danger and imprudence of the act would never have struck me, had I not witnessed this day’s accident. Let us change the conversation.” After all, I must say it was very imprudent to leave them about in that manner. The soldiers were rightly enough ordered not to pick them up with the cannon-balls; but a hole should have been dug, and each shell buried separately: then no danger could possibly have occurred. This plan I had _en passant_ suggested to some of the authorities. The next day another accident happened with a shell. A fatigue party were engaged picking up round shot, and one of the men had a shell upon his shoulder. His comrade perceiving it, said, “You have a live shell upon your shoulder, and we are not allowed to pick them up.” The man that was carrying it threw it down. It fell upon a stone, and immediately burst, wounding three or four of the party, as well as a poor rifleman who was sitting upon a rock at some distance eating his dinner. He was struck on the head by a splinter, which cut away part of his skull, exposing the brain. He was trepanned the next day; and although he at first did very well, he died a few days afterwards. Such accidents were of almost daily occurrence. On reaching home I found a note from Major Dallas, General Garrett’s aide-de-camp, apprising me that the lunch would take place in two days. This delay gave us plenty of time to distinguish ourselves in the culinary department. Colonel Halliwell, our excellent neighbour, had left for good, as he was appointed to do duty at Balaklava. He was replaced by Captain Brooks, his secretary, who was superseded by Colonel Hugh Smith, and the latter by Major Willis. This department