Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three original Crimea War letters from Captain J. P. Gore, 1st Regiment of Foot, who was wounded in the trenches before Sebastopol in July 1855:

The first dated ‘On board H.M. Steamship of War “Sidon”, 20th April 1855, Balaklava Harbour’, ink, three sides on a single sheet of folded pale blue paper, the fourth side used as an address panel to ‘Mrs. Gore, Goremount, Glenary, County Antrim, Ireland’, with three prepaid 1d. stamps, cancelled by a London Inland Branch, and flanking British Army Post Office stamp in black, the author commenting upon his voyage and opening views of Sebastopol:

‘Long before we sighted the Crimea the cannonade was perfectly audible and of course caused great excitement; at last we could see smoke from the guns on the horizon and at length the far famed Sebastopol with its enormous batteries and could trace the whole length of the entrenchments by the volumes of smoke from the cannon ... ’

The second dated ‘Camp before Sebastopol, 10th September 1855’, ink, three sides on a single sheet of folded pale blue paper, the fourth side used as an address panel to ‘Mrs. Gore, Goremount, Glenary, County Antrim, Ireland’, with three prepaid 1d. stamps, cancelled by a London Inland Branch, and flanking British Army Post Office stamps in blue, a London transit stamp and Dublin and Lurgan stamps, and traces of red seal, the author commenting upon the fall of Sebastopol and his lucky escapes:

‘I have much reason to be thankful to Providence for having escaped without a scratch. Out of our nine Officers of our Battery that went into action four were wounded more or less severely, one dangerously, having lost his leg high up the thigh. I certainly never was in so heavy a fire before in my life, the cannon shot, shell, grape, etc., were flying about among us as thick as hail and making a gap in the ranks; I had two very narrow escapes that I know of, a grape shot struck me on the cloak which fortunately I had rolled tight and slung over my left shoulder ... the shot bounded off giving me, of course, a pretty smart shock from the force of it [and] has damaged my watch for it stopped short and the covers won’t stay shut any more; a cannon shot also plunged into the ground certainly no more than three inches from my leg and almost knocked me over ... ’

The third dated ‘Encampment - Sebastopol, 20th September 1855’, ink, three sides on a single sheet of folded pale blue paper, the fourth with further text flanking the address panel to ‘Mrs. Gore, Goremount, Glenary, County Antrim, Ireland’, with three prepaid 1d. stamps, cancelled by a London Inland Branch, and flanking British Army Post Office stamps in black, and transit stamps for Dublin and Lurgan, the author commenting upon his appearance - ‘[I’m] the colour of new mahogany from exposure to the sun’ - and describing some ‘trophies’ taken from the ruins of Sebastopol:

‘They consist of a Russian Grenadier’s musquet complete with bayonet, etc., a Russian sword, and a Russian drum inside which I packed a Russian helmet which being too high to go inside the drum I had to screw off the brass ornament from the top of the helmet and push it inside ... also inside the drum are some odds and ends and a specimen of Russian bread ... ’

some tears resulting from opening and seals, otherwise generally in good condition £250-300

John Pollock Gore was appointed an Ensign in the 1st regiment of Foot in February 1836 and served in the 2nd Battalion in Canada during the rebellion of 1837-38, including the storming and capture of St. Charles and St. Eustache, the ulterior operations on the Richelieu and adjacent country. Advanced to Lieutenant in December 1839, he was with the right wing on board the transport Premier when it was wrecked in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in November 1843. Having then been advanced to captain, he landed with his battalion in the Crimea in April 1855 and was present at the siege and fall of Sebastopol, being wounded in the trenches on 6 July (Medal & clasp). He was placed on the Retired List as a Major.