| Title: | T Hay, Rawalpindi, India to Mary Smyth, Co Tyrone |
|---|---|
| ID | 1374 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hay, Thomas/58 |
| Year | 1897 |
| Sender | Hay, Thomas |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | soldier |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | India |
| Destination | Castledamph, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smyth, Mary |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge. |
| Doc. No. | 412004 |
| Date | 09/11/1897 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 31:12:2004. |
| Word Count | 601 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Front of envelope [Envelope Torn] M. Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co Tyrone Ireland Handwritten [--?] [squadron?] [---?] RawulPindia [Rawalpindi?] India Officer Commanding 11th Hussars Back of envelope POSTMARK [-----?] [Postmark] NEWTOWNSTEWART [----?] [Handwritten] Arrived Nov 29th 1897 9/11/97 Rawul Pindi [Rawalpindi?] India My Dear Cousin Just a few lines to you and my Aunt Uncle and all the rest of my friends and to tell you I received your last letter at Canterbury alright. Dear Cousin I hope My Aunt Uncle and William enjoyed themselves well at the seaside and hope it as [has?] done them some good. Dear Cousin I will first of all start of the voyage out to here we had a splendid trip out only we had two funerals on board with [fever?] and we had the best of weather and when we landed at Bombay we had to travel all night to reach Deolalia [Deolali?] and then we began to see the effects of the famine out here it is some (sic) something awful to see people going about we could almost see through them as the saying is we were in Deolalis [Deolali?] 4 Days which is a rest camp and when we were walking out we were passing over the dead and starving bodies of these poor creatures a [and?] those who were alive would follow us a [as?] far a [as?] they could if they thought we would throw them something well we go on a bit about the cattle a full grown bullock would not weigh 4 cwts and the sheep between 18 to 24 pounds in weight there is no grass hardly anywhere I never seen such things in my life bet [but?] up here where we are stationed it is a good cultivated place. Dear cousin this station we are in now is what they call the whiteman's grave full of fever and all kinds of sickness I think I may say I have seen over forty men buried since I came here we have buried seventeen of our own men and two that came out with me but I have felt nothing of it so far thank the Lord Dear Cousin I like India alright so far as I have no [not?] done much yet. Dear Cousin the war is still on here yet the cavalry cannot do much with the enemy only foot soldiers the Gordon Highlanders have done a lot good work up the hill and have lost a lot of men all the wounded comes down to here to hospital and I have seen a few badly wounded we are only two stations away from the fighting and the people that are here belong the the [sic] same tribe that are causing the disturbance they are a [few?] mad lot of people we are not allowed down the bazaar by ourselves Dear Cousin I wont say anymore this time I am just going to write to Cousin James give my best love to all tell Tilda I have not forgot the Photo I will send it as soon as I can tell Tilly at W. [William?] Balentines I send here [her?] my best love and Uncles James and all the little ones and Aunt and John and Uncle Charles and Bella McFarland and hope the Baby is keeping well and my two girls at Reids. Dear Cousin I will draw to a close hoping these few [sic] will find you and all my Relations all well and hearty as I remain quite well and hearty thank God I remain your loving Cousin T. [Thomas?] Hay to his Dear Loving Cousin Bell Smyth Good Bye [Goodbye?] All I will send some India silk before Christmas for you all Tell Tilly to write I promised to write to her [Note Enclosed] Address Trooper T. Hay No 4102 C. Squadron 11th P A 6th Hussars Rawal Pindi [Rawalpindi?] India The Squadron I belong too [to?] is up at the front Transcribed by Alan Houston |
