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

which I had intended for him, though I ran after him with it in my hand, his Highness started without partaking of it. Not till five o’clock in the evening did the duke return, his horse wounded, and a bullet having passed through his coat-sleeve without injuring him. Major Clifton had been wounded in the cheek during the battle, and came back to quarters during the day to have his wound dressed by Dr. Gibson. On returning once more to the field of battle, he had his horse shot under him. When he again returned he was seen carrying the saddle of his defunct animal on his back. At the return of the staff in the evening, the outside of the duke’s head-quarters had the appearance of a field hospital, M. Comte having taken on himself to supply refreshment to all the wounded who were brought to his nursing care. I have heard that no less than six or seven hundred had been supplied with succour in the course of two or three days by his Highness’s faithful _chef de cuisine_. On the 11th of the same month, and while the duke was staying on board the _Resolution_, in the harbour of Balaklava, our heroic _chef de cuisine_ was ordered to remain in possession of the commandant’s house in Balaklava, awaiting the return of his royal master, and also having under his charge no less than fifteen female prisoners of war, whom he was charged by the authorities to watch over with the aid of sentries, as it was thought that these female Amazons might fire Balaklava. Amongst them was the Governor’s wife and children. All the men being ordered out of the establishment, the Governor’s lady, with a smile on her lips, in very good French, inquired of M. Comte if two gentlemen present would be allowed to remain, which favour, after serious consideration on the part of the new Governor _pro tem._, was granted, these gentlemen being of the advanced ages respectively of three and five years. “Never did I feel a greater relief,” said M. Comte, “than