The Letters of Queen Victoria
Chapter 259 : _Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._ HULL, _13th October 1854._ MY DEAREST UN

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

HULL, _13th October 1854._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Already far away from my loved beautiful Highlands and Mountains, I find a few minutes to write and thank you for your kind letter of the 2nd, with such lively and glowing descriptions of such glorious and beautiful scenery, which I hope and trust to see _some day_. Still, with all its beauties, I would not exchange it for our northern beauties, which really they are--for a _lovelier_ country with a _more beautiful_ combination of wood and mountain, and river, and cultivation with the greatest wildness, at the same time close at hand, cannot, I am sure, be seen; Stockmar is in the greatest admiration of it. We left it yesterday morning, slept at Holyrood last night, and came here this evening; the good people of this large port, having since two years entreated us to come here. We shall reach Windsor to-morrow.

We are, and indeed the whole country is, _entirely_ engrossed with one idea, one _anxious_ thought--the _Crimea_. We have received all the _most_ interesting and _gratifying_ details of the _splendid_ and decisive victory of the Alma; alas! it was a b.l.o.o.d.y one. Our loss was a heavy one--many have fallen and many are wounded, but my n.o.ble Troops behaved with a _courage_ and _desperation_ which was beautiful to behold. The Russians expected their position would hold out three weeks; their loss was immense--the whole garrison of Sebastopol was out. Since that, the Army has performed a wonderful march to Balaklava, and the bombardment of Sebastopol has begun. Lord Raglan's behaviour was worthy of the old Duke's--such coolness in the midst of the hottest fire. We have had all the details from young Burghersh[56]

(a remarkably nice young man), one of Lord Raglan's Aides-de-camp whom he sent home with the Despatches, who was in the midst of it all. I feel so _proud_ of my dear n.o.ble Troops, who, they say, bear their privations, and the sad disease which still haunts them, with such courage and good humour.

George did enormously well, and was not touched. Now with Albert's love, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 56: Francis, Lord Burghersh, afterwards twelfth Earl of Westmorland (1825-1891).]

[Pageheading: FRANCE AND AUSTRIA]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Clarendon._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _5th November 1854._

The Queen has received Lord Clarendon's letter referring to the new Draft of a Treaty with Austria proposed by the French Government, and has since attentively perused the Treaty itself.[57] Vague and inconclusive as it is as to _co-operation_ (which is the main object of our desire), it is a step in advance, and has the advantage of a.s.suring Austria of our alliance should the war between her and Russia break out. The Queen regrets to find a Clause omitted which stood in the former French project (rejected by us about three weeks ago), stipulating that Austria was to prevent the re-entry of Russia into the Princ.i.p.alities. Although she would of her own accord have to do this, a treaty obligation towards the _belligerents_ to that effect would have made a considerable inroad into her position as a _neutral_ power, and secured a co-operation in the war--_ad hoc_ at least.

Austria ought to be told, in the Queen's opinion, that this project of treaty contains almost nothing; and that her signing it _at once_ would give a moral pledge of her sincerity towards the Western Powers, who have to pay with the lives of their best troops every day that Austria hesitates to do what in the end she must find it in her own interest to do.

As to M. Olozaga's proposal,[58] the Queen thinks it ought to be treated like all the former ones, viz. met with the remark that we cannot discuss eventualities implying the dethronement of a Sovereign with whom we are on a footing of amity.

[Footnote 57: Lord Clarendon wrote that he and Lord John Russell approved of the treaty, but that Lord Aberdeen thought that Austria would not accept it; while Lord Palmerston felt confident that Austria, even if her co-operation were not now secured, would at least not lend her support to the King of Prussia's scheme.

At this date only partial and misleading accounts had arrived of the battle of Balaklava, and it was believed that four English (not Turkish) redoubts had been taken; and, while the disastrous charge of the Light Brigade had been announced, the success of the heavy cavalry was not yet known. Anxiety began accordingly to be felt at home as to the adequacy of the allied forces to encounter the Russian army, augmented as it now was by the troops which had recently evacuated the Princ.i.p.alities. Accordingly fresh efforts were being made to engage Austria in effectual alliance with the Western Powers.]

[Footnote 58: The doc.u.ment containing this proposal does not seem to have been preserved among the papers. It was not impossibly a scheme for betrothing King Pedro to the infant Princess of the Asturias, thereby uniting the two Crowns, and bringing about the dethronement of Queen Isabella.]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Clarendon._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _9th November 1854._

The Queen returns the letters from Lord Cowley and Count Walewski.[59]

No consideration on earth ought to stand in the way of our sending what s.h.i.+ps we can lay hold of to transport French reinforcements to the Crimea, as the safety of our Army and the honour of the Country are at stake. The Queen is ready to give her own yacht for a transport which could carry 1,000 men. Every account received convinces the Queen more and more that numbers alone can ensure success in this instance, and that without them we are running _serious_ risks.

[Footnote 59: The Count wrote that France was ready to send 20,000 men to the Crimea, if England could furnish transports.

Lord Clarendon added: "We have not a single available steamer, as all must be left in the Baltic until the ice sets in, and the stores, ammunition, and clothing for the Army are going out in sailing vessels."]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _14th November 1854._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I am quite shocked to find that I missed writing my letter to-day--but really _la tete me tourne_. I am so bewildered and excited, and my mind so entirely taken up by the news from the Crimea, that I really forget, and what is worse, I get so confused about everything that I am a very unfit correspondent. My whole soul and heart are in the Crimea. The conduct of our _dear n.o.ble_ Troops is _beyond praise_; it is quite heroic, and really I feel a pride to have _such Troops_, which is only equalled by my grief for their sufferings. We now know that there has been a pitched battle on the 6th, in which we have been victorious over much greater numbers, but with great loss on both sides--the greatest on the Russian. But we know _nothing_ more, and now we must live in a suspense which is indeed dreadful. Then to think of the numbers of families who are living in _such_ anxiety! It is terrible to think of all the wretched wives and mothers who are awaiting the fate of those nearest and dearest to them! In short, it is a time which requires courage and patience to bear as one ought.

Many thanks, dearest Uncle, for your kind letter of the 11th, which I received on Sat.u.r.day. The Brabants will soon leave you; I shall write to Leo to-morrow or next day, _quand je pourrais un peu ra.s.sembler mes idees_. I must now conclude, dearest Uncle. With Albert's affectionate love, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: INKERMAN]

_Queen Victoria to Lord Raglan._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _18th November 1854._

The Queen has received with pride and joy the telegraphic news of the glorious, but alas! b.l.o.o.d.y victory of the 5th.[60] These feelings of pride and satisfaction are, however, painfully alloyed by the grievous news of the loss of so many Generals, and in particular Sir George Cathcart--who was so distinguished and excellent an officer.[61]

We are most thankful that Lord Raglan's valuable life has been spared; and the Queen trusts that he will not expose himself more than is absolutely necessary.

The Queen cannot sufficiently express her high sense of the great services he has rendered and is rendering to her and the country, by the very able manner in which he has led the bravest troops that ever fought, and which it is a pride to her to be able to call her own. To mark the Queen's feelings of approbation she wishes to confer on Lord Raglan the Baton of Field-Marshal. It affords her the sincerest gratification to confer it on one who has so n.o.bly earned the highest rank in the Army, which he so long served in under the immortal hero, who she laments could not witness the success of a friend he so greatly esteemed.

Both the Prince and Queen are anxious to express to Lord Raglan their unbounded admiration of the heroic conduct of the Army, and their sincere sympathy in their sufferings and privations so n.o.bly borne.

The Queen thanks Lord Raglan for his kind letter of the 28th ultimo.

[Footnote 60: The English loss at the battle of Inkerman was over 2,500 killed and wounded; the French lost 1,800. The loss of the enemy was doubtful, but the Russian estimate (much smaller than our own) was about 12,000 killed, wounded, and prisoners. The Grand Dukes Nicholas and Michael both fought in the battle.]

[Footnote 61: Besides Sir George Cathcart, Brigadier-Generals Strangways and Goldie were killed. Sir George Brown was shot through the arm, Major-Generals Bentinck and Codrington, and Brigadier-General Adams were all severely wounded, but not so seriously. Sir de Lacy Evans a few days earlier, being then in shattered health, had had a fall from his horse, and was absent from the battle.]

[Pageheading: LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S PROPOSAL]

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria._

LONDON, _23rd November 1854._

Lord Aberdeen presents his most humble duty to your Majesty. He regrets, at a moment of such public interest and importance, to trouble your Majesty with domestic difficulties; but he thinks it his duty to lay before your Majesty the enclosed correspondence without delay.[62] Lord Aberdeen has for some time past expected a proposition of this kind, and it is impossible not to see that it may be attended with very serious consequences. At first Lord Aberdeen was in doubt whether the proposition was made by Lord J. Russell in concert with Lord Palmerston; but this appears not to be the case. Much will therefore depend on the decision of Lord Palmerston. Should he join with Lord John, matters will probably be pushed to extremity; but should he decline, Lord Aberdeen does not think that Lord John will venture to act alone.

[Footnote 62: Lord John Russell urged, in this correspondence, that Lord Palmerston should supersede the Duke of Newcastle at the War Office.]