Reference
X919/4
Title
Letter from Edmund Cornwall Legh to ‘Poppett’.
[‘Poppett’ is his sister Frances Hodgson, married to Bielby Portress Hodgson,
Vicar of Hartburn, Northumberland. Julia Legh is the wife of Edmund Cornwall Legh.]
Pages 1, 6, 7 and 8 [pages 2,3,4,5 are missing]
Date free text
18th October 1858
Production date
From: 1858 To: 1858
Scope and Content
Lucknow, 18th October 1858
Many thanks for the kind and affectionate letters, which you have written to me and for the great care which you and Bielby have taken of my pet girl. I am delighted to hear such good accounts of her health and looks, she must be pretty, from all accounts, and dear Bielby appears to devote much of his time to play with and please her. It is very good natured of him to do so, and I thank him from my heart.
How I should like to see the pet, and you all once again! But this pleasure is denied me, for the present, and we can only converse on paper. A poor substitute for actual presence, however, we must abide by the will of Him, in whom we live, and move, and have our being, and be content to proceed on the course on which we are appointed to.
I enclose an order…which will go towards defraying the expenses of my [pages 2 – 5 missing]
….will be forgiven if they lay down their arms, but this they will not believe, as it is against their own rule to be merciful – and they will not believe in our assurances, or even Proclamations.
We hear one is to come out shortly, but with what truth I know not. Ld Canning has been at Allahbad for some time with Lord Clyde, concocting something, which I suppose will be shortly brought to light, and I hope it may have a contrary effect to the last, which served to alienate all ands in [illegible] whilst the document of Lord Ellenborough completed the mischief, by proving to the natives that a Governor General was not infallible and therefore causing them to look with distrust and suspicion on any future paper – which might or may be made public. The character of the native is so fraught with falsehood and dissimulation the he does not understand what truth is, and as he himself believes nobody, so he expects never to be believed. A charming character certainly, but not an overdrawn picture.
If Julia has arrived , when this reaches you, please tell her I am all right and that my two last letters were sent off on the 4th and 13th of October numbered 23 and 24 respectively. Her last to me is dated 23rd August.
Now, a little about, small I. My days are spent much the same as usual. Reading, writing, a Regimental Duty pass them pleasantly enough and they certainly fly rapidly by. The weather is getting much more cool, and the early mornings are positively cold, but the sun is still very hot. Fancy thinking the weather at 74 cold! Which is the case here, and will prove how thoroughly ‘heated through’ the six months of Indian Summer must make one and I can perfectly understand old Indians never being warm in England – in fact I feel as if I had been for a long time close to the heat of a kitchen fire, and never likely to be cooled again. I have these flocks of little chickens, 14, 7 & 8, wall of which came to life three days before their time which afford me a little recreation, but a cat has made sad havoc amongst my pigeons, having carried off 11 out of 18. The natives killed a large cobra snake in my cellar, the other day, which might have given me my [illegible].
I like the command of the Regiment but still can scarcely realise the fact of so many being under my control, so many to give orders to, so many ready to risk their lives at my beck and word. I pray to be guided right – I exercise my power with a proper and moderate, though firm, spirit. It requires much tact, and judgement, besides experience, which alone can come by time.
Love to all your circle, ever your fond brother, Edmund.
Level of description
item