MY GREAT FIELD DAY.
Invitations--Colonel Seymour’s kindness--He is wounded--Visit to
the disabled officer--Desertions--Tents pitched at last--A gay
scene--Bill of fare--My reception commences--The new
stoves--Process of tasting--The fair sex--Arrival of the Allied
generals and their staff--A luncheon _al fresco_--General Barnard’s
_bon-mot_--Inspection of the stoves--Influx of visitors--Letters
from the Allied commanders--Interview with Sir Edmund
Lyons--Meeting of generals--Plans discussed--Various
messes--Colonel Handcock and his lady--A sad change--An
experiment--Colonel Daniell’s letter--A regimental kitchen.
My gallant master of the ceremonies, Colonel Seymour, had kindly taken
the most important part of my duty off my hands, by inviting all the
heads of the military and medical authorities, with a great number of
whom, in consequence of my short stay in the Crimea, I was not yet, or,
at least, only partially acquainted. I had now removed to the _Edward_,
and also left her, but still kept, if not a _pied à terre_ (as we say in
French), at least a _pied sur mer_, for myself and people, in case I
should require to go to Balaklava and stay there for the night.
This was on the 26th of August, 1855--the 27th was to be the opening
day. All my people had left for the camp, with arms and baggage. I was
certain of success and without the slightest anxiety. On arriving at my
field of operations, I learnt, to my deep sorrow, that my right hand,
Colonel Seymour, had, during the night, been dangerously wounded in the
trenches. I immediately went to his quarters to ascertain the nature of
his wound. His servant told me, that for the present no one could tell;
he had been struck by the splinter of a shell at the back of the neck,
and lost a great deal of blood. The doctor then came out and informed me
that the wound was not so bad as had been at first anticipated. His
servant announced me, and although very weak, the colonel begged I would
enter his tent. He was lying upon the ground upon a blanket, covered
with another, and his military cloak over that. His head was bandaged
with a turban of white linen stained with blood. His first words were,
“Monsieur Soyer, you see what has happened at last. I much regret it, as
I shall not be able to perform my promise to you respecting your
opening.”
“Never mind, colonel; don’t let us talk about that subject now, but
about yourself.”
“Well,” he replied, “the doctor has just been, and says that the wound
is not mortal, nor even so dangerous as he at first anticipated.”
“Colonel, you want repose, so I will retire.”
“There is no occasion for that, Monsieur Soyer; I feel strong again.
When I was struck, I did not feel the wound, and fell immediately,
remaining for some time insensible, the wound, as the doctor says,
having acted upon the brain.”
“Don’t exert yourself, my dear colonel, by talking. Thank God it is no
worse. I will go and send you some lemonade. I have asked the doctor
what was best for you, and am happy to say I have some ice.”
“Many thanks for your kind attention, Monsieur Soyer.”
I then retired. Upon reaching my kitchen, I found that no one had yet
arrived. The four carpenters had left me in the lurch, having run away
in the night, and abandoned their work, after stealing all they could
from the tents. Mr. Doyne, the chief of the Army Works Corps, kindly
supplied me with workmen, and offered to lend me, for a few days, as
many tents as I required. As the weather was then intensely hot, I
accepted his offer, and requested the loan of a large marquee, under
which a couple of hundred people could stand. Captain Gordon lent me two
smaller ones, and by the evening they were pitched, and my provisions
had all arrived, and my people were at their posts. I much regretted
that many persons of distinction were not invited, in consequence of the
unfortunate accident to Colonel Seymour, which happened before he had
sent out all the invitations. At all events, the day, though fixed at
hazard, turned out extremely well adapted for the reception of a large
party.
Early in the morning the camp seemed full of life and gaiety. Mounted
officers in full uniform might be seen rushing about in all directions;
bands were playing, regiments filing past, and everything bearing the
appearance of a great festival. I set cheerfully to work, and, in spite
of difficulties which can only be understood by those who have been in
the Crimea, I succeeded in getting all in tolerably good order for my
great martial banquet _al fresco_. I made several messes with the
soldiers’ rations, and at the same expense, though I had introduced
sauce and ingredients which could easily be added to the army stores
without increasing the cost, thus making a nice variation in the meals,
so important to the health of a large body of men like the army or navy,
to the latter of which it is as easily applicable as the former.
The bill of fare consisted of plain boiled salt beef; ditto, with
dumplings; plain boiled salt pork; ditto, with peas-pudding; stewed salt
pork and beef, with rice; French pot-au-feu; stewed fresh beef, with
potatoes; mutton, ditto, with haricot beans; ox-cheek and ox-feet soups;
Scotch mutton-broth; common curry, made with fresh and salt beef. (See
receipts in Addenda.)
By three o’clock my guests began to arrive. The stoves were in the open
air, placed in a semicircle, and, though in a state of ebullition, no
one could perceive that any cooking was going on, except on raising the
lids. A material point I had in view was that no fire should be seen
when used in the trenches. A common table, made of a few boards, and
garnished with soldiers’ tin plates, iron forks and spoons, composed my
open-air dining-room.
About four o’clock my reception commenced. Lord Rokeby, accompanied by
several French officers in full dress, was the first to honour me with
a visit. This gave me an opportunity of fully explaining to him and his
friends the plan and construction of the apparatus, as well as its
simplicity, cleanliness, and great economy in the consumption of fuel.
At the same time, I showed with what ease and certainty the men could
regulate the heat and prepare the new receipts--which will be found at
the end of this work.
I must also observe, for the information of those who only saw them upon
that occasion, that the stoves, having been made for the General
Hospital, were too large and heavy for campaigning. That I might lose no
time in making my trial before the authorities, I used them upon that
occasion, as the process was the same as regards cooking in those as in
the smaller ones. The sole difference was in the size, as it was
understood that two would cook for a company of one hundred and twenty
men, and might be carried by one mule while on march, with sufficient
dry wood inside for the next day’s cooking. This was of the utmost
importance, in order to ensure the regularity of the soldier’s meal,
which ought always to be ready at the minute fixed by the rules of the
service.
Thus I had surmounted every difficulty by the invention of this
apparatus. In addition to its simplicity and economy, it had the merit
of making cooks of soldiers, of which they had previously neither the
inclination nor the chance. Smaller stoves on the same principle were
also to be provided for picket and outpost duty, as first suggested to
me by Lord Raglan. After giving the foregoing information to my
illustrious visitors, we passed to the grand process of tasting the
various messes. They all gave perfect satisfaction.
By this time several hundred visitors had made their appearance, and gay
and animated was the scene. All present were in the same costume as that
in which they appeared at the grand chivalric ceremony which had taken
place at head-quarters--the installation of the Order of the Bath. I was
also highly favoured, I may say, by the presence of a charming group of
the fair sex, about ten in number, escorted by their cavaliers. After
taking some refreshment under the monster tent, they came to add their
charms to the martial banquet, and taste with gusto the rough food of
the brave. I had nothing out of doors to offer their delicate palates
but the soldiers’ rations, transmogrified in various ways. My task now
became extremely difficult. The crowd was so great, that my batteries
were quite taken by storm (_de cuisine_, of course). Refreshments of all
kinds were distributed pretty freely throughout the day. The band in
attendance was ordered to play, and struck up “Partant pour la Syrie.”
All were immediately on the _qui vive_, when Captain Colville galloped
up to me, and said--
“General Simpson has sent me to inform you that General Pelissier and
himself will be here in a few minutes.”
A gorgeous cavalcade was soon seen in the distance. It consisted of the
Allied Generals and Staff, and a numerous suite. General Pelissier
alighted from his carriage, and joined General Simpson. I went and met
the distinguished visitors, who had come from head-quarters after the
ceremony of the distribution of the Order of the Bath by Lord Stratford
de Redcliffe.
Upon the arrival of the generals, the band continued playing “Partant
pour la Syrie.” The cannon of Sebastopol appeared to redouble its
roar--so much so, that General Pelissier, with a smile, called General
Simpson’s attention to the fact: added to which, the hundreds of
uniforms, cocked hats and feathers--French, English, and Sardinian--gave
full effect to the lively scene.
In course of conversation, General Simpson said, “Monsieur Soyer,--Lord
Stratford de Redcliffe, in reply to your letter, sends his compliments,
and regrets he shall not be able to attend your opening, as he must be
on board the _Caradoc_, now lying in Kamiesch Bay, by five o’clock, on
his way to Constantinople.”
I thanked General Simpson for his kindness in troubling himself about
the message, and the review of my culinary camp, which upon this
occasion was rather extensive, commenced. It comprised four bell-tents,
one marquee, and a large square tent, capable of holding more than two
hundred persons. A luncheon _al fresco_ was served in the camp, and four
of my cooks attended upon the guests. The tops of the tents were
surmounted with flags and garlands of evergreens composed of
vine-leaves; the same were also attached to the posts which supported
the rope forming the limits of the enclosure, giving to the whole a
martial and lively appearance. The weather was so fine that every one
preferred remaining in the open air.
Generals Pelissier and Simpson proceeded to taste the various articles
of food. The pot-au-feu, or beef-soup, was prepared partly from
ox-heads, which were usually buried, instead of being used as food for
the soldiers, no doubt in consequence of the difficulty of cleaning
them.
General Pelissier tasted several samples of the pot-au-feu, and,
addressing General Barnard, declared that he felt as interested in this
unexpected exhibition as in the ceremony of the morning. The witty
General Barnard replied, “Your excellency must agree with me that this
day has been remarkably well spent: we devoted the morning to the
_cordon rouge_, and the afternoon to the _cordon bleu_.” General
Pelissier much enjoyed the _bon-mot_, and repeated it to the officers of
his Staff, thus creating great hilarity amongst them.
I requested many of my visitors to taste the different preparations,
and, much to my satisfaction, I believe almost all of them did so, and
expressed their approbation of them. After pointing out the merits of
the stoves to the Commanders-in-chief, I conducted them to the spot
where the Scotch Division formerly cooked their rations in the old tin
camp-kettles. On our way, I observed to General Pelissier that I had
visited the French camp-kitchens, and found their marmites superior to
the English. The soup made by the French soldiers, I said, was very
good. At this the General seemed much pleased.
The space required for three or four regiments extended about three
hundred and fifty feet in length. A rough wall of loose stones had been
erected by the men to form a screen, which when the regiment moved was,
of course, left behind. The furnaces were also constructed of loose
stones, held together by iron hoops; upon these the tin cans were placed
and the rations cooked. By this plan an immense quantity of wood was
inevitably wasted, and the fires were sometimes extinguished by the
heavy rains. My stoves completely obviated all those previously
insurmountable difficulties.
Having listened to this explanation, the Commanders-in-chief admitted
the beneficial results and advantages of the stoves. However, General
Simpson observed, that I, of course, applied the contrast to my
advantage; but also said, it was nothing but fair, and I was perfectly
justified in so doing. In the first place, my stoves occupied but little
room, and cooked much better than those formerly in use. The Generals
were so much pleased with them, that before leaving the camp they wrote
the annexed letters in my album. The same evening I received one from
the War-office, relative to my success in the hospitals at Scutari,
which I also append.
The Allied Generals remained with me above an hour. This gave me an
excellent opportunity of conversing with General Pelissier, who minutely
described camp life in Algeria, after which the General and Staff
retired. As it was then nearly seven o’clock, a great number of officers
followed. No less than eight hundred or a thousand persons of
distinction visited the kitchens during the day: many were not invited,
in consequence of the unfortunate accident to Colonel Seymour. About
nine all was over, and the band played “God save the Queen.”
Nothing could have succeeded better than this opening, a drawing of
which appeared in the _Illustrated News_ of September 22nd, 1855.
_General Pelissier’s Letter._
J’ai eu le plaisir, le vingt-sept Août, 1855, de visiter
l’établissement culinaire de Monsieur Soyer, et j’ai été bien
satisfait de ce que j’y ai vu; j’ai été frappé surtout de
l’économie de temps et de chauffage apporté dans l’alimentation des
troupes. Les chaudières paraissent bien entendues; j’ai tout goûté,
et à tout, je le reconnais, j’ai trouvé un goût excellent et
très-appétissant.
GENERAL A. PELISSIER.
[Illustration: OPENING OF SOYER’S FIELD KITCHEN BEFORE SEBASTOPOL.]
_General Simpson’s Letter._
CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, _31st August, 1855_.
I had much pleasure in visiting Monsieur Soyer’s field-kitchen last
Monday, the 27th instant. I there saw several excellent soups made
from ration meat, compressed vegetables, and other things within
reach of the soldier’s means, and cooked with very little fuel. I
consider Monsieur Soyer is taking great pains in devoting his time
and great talents to the good of our military service, especially
in the field, and I wish him every possible success and honourable
reward.
JAMES SIMPSON,
_General Commanding_.
WAR-OFFICE, _6th August, 1855_.
SIR,--I am directed to acknowledge the receipt, on the 2nd ultimo,
of your report upon the culinary department of the hospitals in the
East; and, in returning the thanks of the Secretary-at-War, to
acquaint you, that he recognises, with the greatest satisfaction,
the exertions you have made and are still making for the benefit of
the army in the field, and also of the sick and wounded in the
several hospitals.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
FRED. J. PRESCOTT.
M. Soyer, Scutari.
About the 5th of September, I was at head-quarters, when who should walk
in but Sir Edmund Lyons! I had not had the pleasure of seeing him
before, and I took this opportunity of introducing myself, and informing
the Commander of the British Fleet in the Black Sea, that I was very
anxious to pay my respectful compliments to him.
Upon this, Sir Edmund Lyons, with the kindest feeling, at once offered
me his hand, saying, “Monsieur Soyer, I assure you I am delighted to
make your acquaintance. You are doing much good for our brave soldiers;
but you must not forget our worthy sailors. Come and see us on board the
_Albert_; you will be well received and quite welcome. I have heard much
about your field-kitchens, and it was only the other day I was reading a
very important complimentary letter which General Pelissier had written
in their favour.”
“He did me that honour, admiral, and he seemed highly gratified.”
“I can assure you he was, Monsieur Soyer, for I heard him say so.”
A few days after the grand opening ceremony, a meeting took place, by
order of the Minister-at-War and General Simpson, to consider the
possibility of supplying a pint of hot soup to the men in the trenches
during the winter. The meeting was held at Lord Rokeby’s head-quarters,
on the 3rd or 4th of September. I was ordered to be present. On my way
there I had the pleasure of meeting General Barnard, who in his humorous
manner addressed me thus:--
“Hallo, General Soyer! I’m not so much behind as I thought; for you are
only just going to the general meeting, or the meeting of generals.”
“You are right, general,” I replied. “Thank you for the noble title you
have bestowed upon me, and at the seat of war too.”
“The fact is, I understood the meeting was to be held at head-quarters,
and went half-way there, when I met some officers who told me it was to
be at Lord Rokeby’s. But they cannot proceed without you, general. Never
mind, Soyer, we are only a few minutes behind time.”
When we arrived, the Board was sitting. Sir Colin Campbell had sent a
message, stating that some important duties would prevent his
attendance. The proceedings then commenced, and the order was read by
General Bentinck; which, as far as I can recollect, was worded thus:--
Lord Panmure, the Minister-at-War, anxious for the comfort of the
troops in the Crimea, is desirous that, if possible, every man in
the trenches should be supplied with a basin of hot soup during the
winter nights; the allowance of rum to be, in consequence, either
diminished or entirely withheld. His lordship believing Monsieur
Soyer to be still in the Crimea, requests the Board to inquire of
him if such would be practicable.
I at once replied that it could be done, and without difficulty, for any
number of men, by the application of my field-stoves. This answer met
with the general approbation of the assembled Board. I next remarked
that the stoves might be placed in the trenches, even in front of the
enemy, as not a spark of fire could be seen either by day or night while
they were in use. This point having been satisfactorily settled, the
question of taking away or reducing the quantity of rum was seriously
debated. General Eyre was of opinion that the men would not like to part
with any portion of their rum. Generals Bentinck, Rokeby, &c., were in
favour of giving the soup as an addition, and allowing the rum to be
issued as usual. It struck me that by giving only half a gill of rum the
other half would almost entirely cover the expense of the soup, if
economically managed. I also proposed another plan, which was to give
less rum and less than a pint of soup, which was discussed.
When the inquiry was over, I said--“Gentlemen, I shall feel obliged if
you will favour me with a visit to my field kitchen. I have made several
experiments in diets for you to taste, and if you approve of them, have
no doubt, when you know the cost, you will be able to settle the
question of supplying soup in the trenches with more certainty.”
All present agreed, excepting General Eyre, who was of opinion that what
he as a soldier had for so many years found answer for the men, would
answer now; nor did he see why the soldiers should live better than
himself. “I should be very happy,” said he, “to improve the daily food
of the troops, but do not like anything to be overdone. I like judicious
discipline in all things.”
Though I must frankly admit I was anything but enchanted with the
general’s way of thinking at first, I could not but admire the latter
part of his argument, which was as sincere as it was severe.
Several debates took place upon the subject, and, after a little
persuasion, I induced them all to come, and taste the samples I had
prepared for their inspection. I proudly led my very select cavalcade
towards my batteries, which upon that occasion were in charge of the
troops. I had only given the written receipts for them to act upon, and
charged a sergeant to watch over them, and see that the proportions in
the receipts were properly attended to. An infallible plan of ensuring
success at all times is to appoint a man of superior grade as
overlooker. One to each regiment would be sufficient.
Upon our arrival we found everything in perfect order: the stoves were
clean, the contents properly cooked, and the consumption of fuel four
hundred per cent. less than in the usual way. Only five different messes
were prepared upon this occasion--viz., ox-head soup, stewed fresh beef,
Scotch hodge-podge of mutton, salt pork and beef with dumplings.
Everything was done to perfection. After carefully explaining the
process to Generals Eyre and Bentinck, who were not present on the great
opening day, we sat down to test the quality of the articles. A
sumptuous lunch was displayed from the soldiers’ rations--always
excepting the ox heads, which I had obtained from the butcher, as usual,
on the eve of their funeral. With these I made an excellent _pot au
feu_, enough for fifty men. Lord Rokeby was so highly delighted with it,
that he recommended it to all, and requested me to give this receipt, as
well as that for stewed beef, to his cook--for which see Addenda.
A goblet of Marsala wine, with a lump of ice, terminated this martial
collation under a burning sun, and amid the everlasting roar of the
bombardment of the besieged city. The guests retired, quite satisfied.
Even General Eyre, though still adhering to his opinion that it was too
good for soldiers, and would make them lazy, said, “Soldiers do not
require such good messes as those while campaigning.” At which remark
the gentlemen present could not refrain from laughing.
“Well, general,” said I, “your plan has been tried, and, as you
perceive, has not answered. I was therefore obliged to introduce a
simpler style, by which soldiers might cook with pleasure and less
difficulty, and, having once learnt, always will cook properly, and with
less trouble. You must also observe, general, that it is with the same
rations as before. And is it not better to make a few good cooks out of
an army than to have an army of bad cooks?”
By this time the general was on his charger. He said, “We are both
right. For my part, I mean what I say: you will improve the cook, but
spoil the soldier.”
I then thanked them for their gracious condescension, and they started
for their several divisions, promising to let me know their final
decision.
Amongst the military authorities who visited me that day were General
Scarlett and Staff, Colonel St. George, Colonel Handcock and lady, a
very charming person, and extremely merry. She observed, when I
presented her with some champagne and ice in a large tin goblet, as she
sat upon her horse, “Upon my word, Monsieur Soyer, champagne is better
in tin cups in the Crimea than in crystal goblets in England.”
“I am glad you like it, madam. Shall I offer you another?”
“No, I thank you.”
“Madam would like to taste some of the men’s rations,” said Colonel
Handcock.
“Would you, madam?”
“Many thanks, Monsieur Soyer. I think not, after the champagne.”
After paying a visit to my abode, my guests departed.
A few days afterwards, I heard that that poor creature was plunged in
the deepest sorrow. Upon making a chance visit, I could not believe her
to be the same person; the bloom of life appeared to have suddenly
deserted her laughing cheeks, which wore a cadaverous hue. Such was the
effect sorrow soon produced on the appearance of one usually so animated
and full of mirth. (See page 368.)
As I noticed that the men daily threw the fat away from their salt beef
and pork, the last of which is of first-rate quality, I proposed to
Colonel Daniell, of the Coldstream Guards, to make his men cook for his
regiment, which was agreed upon. He always took great interest in the
welfare of his soldiers and in my culinary proceedings, and I had the
honour of being acquainted with him for some years as a subscriber to
benevolent institutions, and in particular to soup-kitchens for the
poor. The next day the rations were brought in; the salt beef and pork
were cooked, and a few dumplings added, as an innovation. The wood was
weighed, and twenty-seven pounds were sufficient to cook the rations for
the whole regiment. The meat was done to perfection, and without
trouble. I begged that the sixteen cooks daily employed for the regiment
might be present. Two would have done, or even one, as the water and
provisions were brought by a fatigue party, therefore fifteen men might
have been spared; and only forty-seven pounds of wood were used, instead
of one thousand seven hundred and sixty. When the meat was cooked, we
skimmed off forty-two pounds of fat as white as snow, and not black, as
was the case when cooked in the small canteen-pans with little water.
This spoilt the fat, which might be used in lieu of butter on bread or
biscuit. To do this properly, soak the biscuits in water for about ten
minutes; take them out, let them dry a little; put some fat in the pan;
when hot, fry them as you would a piece of bacon: a few minutes will do
them. When crisp, season with salt and pepper, if handy. They make an
excellent article of food.
For this saving and improvement, Colonel Daniell, whom I will back for
discipline and straightforwardness of opinion against any one in the
army, gave me the following letter:--
COLDSTREAM GUARDS’ CAMP, BEFORE SEBASTOPOL,
_Sept., 1855_.
I have this day attended Monsieur Soyer’s course of instruction to
the cooks of my battalion, and have tasted the messes cooked and
served to the men, consisting of salt pork and beef. The mode in
which the salt is extracted and the meat rendered comparatively
tender by the apparatus used, the facility with which the grease is
taken off and rendered serviceable for other purposes, is
admirable; and I consider the arrangements relative to the small
consumption of wood, and the simplicity with which the cooking is
conducted, will, if adopted, tend much to the health, comfort, and
well-being of the soldier.
The present size of the “chaudrières” being objectionable, I am
glad to hear from Monsieur Soyer that he is about to procure some
of a less size. The fuel consumed to-day for cooking the messes of
eight companies was hardly more than on ordinary occasions is
consumed by one company; and from four hundred and twenty rations
of salt pork and beef, forty-eight pounds of excellent lard was
procured, which usually is wasted. These facts alone render
Monsieur Soyer’s plan at once economical and desirable, and I have
great pleasure in testifying my appreciation of the manner with
which he conveys instruction to the men, in saying how highly I
approve of his recipes and arrangements for carrying out his scheme
of camp cookery.
(Signed) H. J. DANIELL,
_Col. and Capt. in Command, First Battalion
Coldstream Guards_.
The regiments being at that time greatly reduced, were only 428 strong,
therefore the weight of meat, at one pound per man, was 428 pounds, from
which 42 pounds of excellent fat were obtained, much preferable for
cooking purposes to the rancid butter sold in the canteens at a very
high price. As I was anxious to form a perfect regimental kitchen, I
proposed to Colonel Daniell to fit up one for his regiment. His men were
already well acquainted with the use of the field stoves; and it would
serve as a model for all. Colonel Daniell agreed, and in less than an
hour the stoves were removed to the camp, where they remained by
sanction of the General-in-Chief till the end of the war.
At this time I went to head-quarters, and urged the necessity of
telegraphing an order for four hundred small field-stoves, which order
had been agreed upon in case my plan succeeded and was adopted by the
authorities. I also had several interviews with General Airey, upon the
subject. This number was sufficient for the supply of the whole of the
army then in the Crimea. As there was so much business at head-quarters
in consequence of the anticipated attack upon Sebastopol, the order was
postponed for a few days.