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Read Twelve years in the army : $b or, The incidents of a soldier's life in English, with Spanish beside it
"Twelve years in the army" by John G. Gollan is a military memoir written in the mid-19th century. It recounts a Scottish Highlander’s service with the 79th Cameron Highlanders across the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion, blending frontline action, camp hardships, and plainspoken reflections. The focus is on battles such as Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and the siege of Sebastopol, followed by operations around Cawnpore and Lucknow, and ends with his return voyage. The voice is direct and patriotic, often advocating for recognition of the rank-and-file soldier. The opening of the memoir traces the author’s humble Inverness upbringing, youthful fascination with soldiering, and eventual enlistment in the 79th at Edinburgh. It swiftly moves into the Crimean campaign: embarkation via Varna, cholera losses, the landing in the Crimea, the assault at Alma, the “thin red line” at Balaclava, the brutal hand-to-hand fighting at Inkerman, a desperate winter with daring forays for firewood, and the final bombardment culminating in the fall of Sebastopol. After a triumphant but sobering return and royal review, the narrative turns to India in 1857: arrival at Calcutta, a hard march via Benares and Allahabad, a skirmish en route, the grim scenes at Cawnpore, and the assault on Lucknow (including a night barricade at the iron bridge and fierce street fighting, followed by plunder). It then condenses pursuit and battles across Rohilkhand around Bareilly, punitive actions against mutineers, garrison life at Meanee-Meer, Ferozepore, and Nowshera, observations on local customs, and his decision to leave the army; the excerpt closes with the start of his homeward sea diary—routine, calms, a few deaths, and a pointed complaint about how time-expired soldiers are treated compared to invalids.
Summary generated automatically by Project Gutenberg.
- Read time
- 114 min
- Words
- 25,125
- Chapters
- 17
- Paragraphs
- 311
- Price
- Free
- Great Britain. Army. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
We felt much fatigued after our day’s work, and we felt hungry and thirsty.
Nos sentíamos muy fatigados después de la jornada de trabajo, y teníamos hambre y sed.
We found the Russians’ cooking utensils, and some firewood which they had left, very useful to us.
Encontramos los utensilios de cocina de los rusos, y algo de leña que habían dejado, lo cual nos fue muy útil.
We lighted great fires, and very soon satisfied our appetites, and quenched our thirst at the little river, which, a short time before, was coloured by the blood of the slain.
Encendimos grandes hogueras y, muy pronto, saciamos nuestro apetito y aplacamos nuestra sed en el pequeño río, que, poco antes, estaba teñido de sangre de los caídos.
Darkness came on; the weary were left alone to sleep, and the wounded to die.
Cayó la oscuridad; los cansados quedaron solos para dormir, y los heridos para morir.
There we lay, side by side with the dead and dying!
¡Allí yacíamos, lado a lado con los muertos y los moribundos!
The following day we had to remain and bury our dead; and I can assure my readers that I felt more upon this occasion than on the day of battle.
Al día siguiente tuvimos que quedarnos y enterrar a nuestros muertos; y puedo asegurar a mis lectores que en esta ocasión sentí más que el día de la batalla.
The mind was calm and reflective now, when I looked upon the faces of those whom I knew so well when living--some of them the companions of my early days,
La mente estaba tranquila y reflexiva ahora, cuando contemplaba los rostros de aquellos a quienes conocía tan bien cuando estaban vivos, algunos de ellos compañeros de mis primeros días,
and who only yesterday were alive and in the vigour of health; but ah!
y que solo ayer estaban vivos y en la plenitud de la salud; pero, ay,
now I looked upon nothing but a piece of clay.
ahora no veía más que un trozo de arcilla.
Hundreds of my countrymen lay there weltering in their gore.
Cientos de mis compatriotas yacían allí revolcándose en su propia sangre.
I was on the working party, and counted one hundred bodies put into one grave; officers and privates there lay together; no coffin to enclose them, nor shroud to wind them into; they were buried in their regimentals.
Yo formaba parte del grupo de trabajo, y conté un centenar de cuerpos depositados en una sola fosa; oficiales y soldados rasos yacían juntos; sin ataúd que los encerrara, ni sudario que los envolviera; fueron enterrados con sus uniformes de regimiento.
We had also to bury the Russians.
También tuvimos que enterrar a los rusos.
After consigning all to their graves, we were ready to march at a moment’s notice.
Tras haber confiado a sus tumbas a todos, estábamos listos para marchar a la menor señal.
We bivouacked that night on the battle-field, and the next day, at an early hour, we marched on towards Sebastopol.
Acampamos esa noche en el campo de batalla, y al día siguiente, a primera hora, marchamos hacia Sebastopol.
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Book details
- Original language
- English
- Translation
- Spanish, machine translation
- Source text
- Project Gutenberg #78032
- Licence
- Public domain in the United States
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