About this lot

Description

A Crimean War medal group of three, and hand written diary,

to Captain (later Major) Michael Stocks, Royal Dragoons, with clasps for Sebastopol, Inkermann and Balaklava; Turkish Crimea medal (named); and Order of the Medjidie badge named to reverse 'Major Stocks Royal Dragoons 1858'; with miniature medals, and a portrait miniature (probably an overpainted photograph) of Stocks wearing the medals, within a rosecut diamond frame with gilt back, dated 1861 to reverse, in original box. Together with his Crimea War diary, 1854-55, oblong 12mo, written in ink, bound in morocco leather, detailing the voyage from Liverpool, travel and everyday military life with events and actions, a second smaller size volume bound in from May 23rd 1855, to October 19th 1855, ending 'and so closes the diary of Michael Stocks..., Captain Royal Dragoons'. Also a Russian pressed metal medallion with old note 'This medal was taken from the body of a dead Russian on the field of Inkerman the day after the Battle, by Major Stocks, Royal Dragoons, Crimea 1854' in leather box

Provenance:
Wood Hall, Hilgay, Norfolk

The diary includes a description of events on the day of the 'Charge of the Light Brigade' on October 25th 1854. "..Thank God I am here to write this, we all as usual turned out half an hour before day break, and when it got light the guns on the advanced field works thrown up by the turks began to fire, an aide de camp came gallloping in to us to say we were to advance, as the enemy were approaching in large numbers, so on we went near the field works, the enemy still continued to move on & the round shot came into us (spent balls) but still with sufficient force to do damage, one ball came rolling down the hill straight where I stood, I saw it was coming right to me, so put the spurs into my horse and only just in time, for it went close behind me and broke the legs of two horses, the next took a long hop and hit a man on the head and he never moved more... The enemy had advanced.. took one of the hills from the turks... after a time up comes their cavalry part of which made a dash where the 93rd flanked by turks were waiting to receive them, and as soon as they saw them coming away went the turks leaving the 93rd to stand the brunt of it... and sent the Huzzars to the right, at the same time another body of cavalry came at us, the Greys - 6th were ordered to meet them... however they soon sent them off with a flea in their ear & our horse artillery opening on them quickened their pace, we then advanced to the top of the hill and saw their army in the valley ... it was near 12 o clock and all remained at status quo for a couple of hours, when an order from Lord Raglan was brought to Lucan to attack the enemy which he did by sending the light cavalry into the greatest trap that ever was made, we and the Greys advanced first and then somebody said let the light cavalry go on, and on they went ... to take some guns in front, we followed at a trot, they went at a gallop and we saw nothing more of them until we saw them coming back by ones and twos some mounted but mostly dis-mounted, such a smash never was seen , they were murdered it seems they got & took - killed the gunners at the guns but could not keep them, the infantry played on them and when they looked round they found their way stopped by cossacks, then they cut their way through and about 40 came back in a body, the French Cavalry came down at this time and cleared the opposite hills of the guns but for us now we got about three parts of the way and the shot & shells & bullets came down on us like hail, every second I expected to get one, when luckily Scarlett gave the word Halt. "

Back to lot listings