THE THREE SERJEANTS, OR Phases of the Soldier's Life; BEING RECOLLECTIONS OF MILITARY SERVICE IN GERMANY, WITH DETAILS OF THE BATTLES OF QUATRE BRAS, WATERLOO, ALMA, INKERMAN, BALAKLAVA, AND SEBASTopol. BY THOMAS MORRIS, EX-SERJT. 73RD HIGHLANDERS.- (Medal," WATERLOO"). WILLIAM MORRIS, AND WILLIAM MORRIS, JUN., COLOUR-SERJT. 63RD REG. (Medal, "CRIMEA" with Four Clasps - French Gold War Medal). LONDON: PRINTED BY J. WERTHEIMER AND CO., CIRCUS-PLACE, FINSBURY-CIRCUS. BOD DOMI MINA PREFACE. Ir may, perhaps, be deemed necessary that I should give some reason for writing of events so long gone by, and on which so much has already been said by persons more competent to the task than myself. The only excuse I can offer is, that at the close of the war, in 1815, I felt rather proud of having shared in the danger and honour of some of the important achievements of our countrymen, whose bravery and devotion was the means of giving a long peace to Europe; and taking credit to myself for the possession of a large share of patriotism and enthusiasm, which qualities may be considered as necessary ingredients in the character of a soldier; and leaving the service with no other reward than a medal. I anxiously sought among the many publications, treating of the war, for some record of the services of my own battalion; in this, however, I was unfortunately disappointed, for, with one exception, our services seemed to have been unnoticed and unacknowledged; and it occurred to me that I might myself string together a narrative to supply the omission. But, in the attempt to do so, a most serious, and apparently insurmountable difficulty presented itself, namely, the want of ability. True I had, as I thought, abundance of materials in my mind, and a retentive memory to make them available, but felt myself utterly incompetent for the task; for, having |