s
of yesterday's fatigue. For weeks past I had been offering bets to
every one that I would not only be the first woman to enter
Sebastopol from the English lines, but that I would be the first to
carry refreshments into the fallen city. And now the time I had longed
for had come. I borrowed some mules from the Land Transport
Corps--mine were knocked up by yesterday's work--and loading them with
good things, started off with my partner and some other friends early
on that memorable Sunday morning for Cathcart's Hill.

When I found that strict orders had been given to admit no one inside
Sebastopol, I became quite excited; and making my way to General
Garrett's quarters, I made such an earnest representation of what I
considered my right that I soon obtained a pass, of which the
following is a copy:--

"Pass Mrs. Seacole and her attendants, with refreshments
for officers and soldiers in the Redan and in
Sebastopol.

"Garrett, M.G.

"Cathcart's Hill, Sept. 9, 1855."

So many attached themselves to my staff, becoming for the nonce my
attendants, that I had some difficulty at starting; but at last I
passed all the sentries safely, much to the annoyance of many
officers, who were trying every conceivable scheme to evade them, and
entered the city. I can give you no very clear description of its
condition on that Sunday morning, a year and a half ago. Many parts of
it were still blazing furiously--explosions were taking place in all
directions--every step had a score of dangers; and yet curiosity and
excitement carried us on and on. I was often stopped to give
refreshments to officers and men, who had been fasting for hours.
Some, on the other hand, had found their way to Russian cellars; and
one body of men were most ingloriously drunk, and playing the wildest
pranks. They were dancing, yelling, and singing--some of them with
Russian women's dresses fastened round their waists, and old bonnets
stuck upon their heads.

I was offered many trophies. All plunder was stopped by the sentries,
and confiscated, so that the soldiers could afford to be liberal. By one
I was offered a great velvet sofa; another pressed a huge arm-chair,
which had graced some Sebastopol study, upon me; while a third begged my
acceptance of a portion of a grand piano. What I did carry away was very
unimportant: a gaily-decorated altar-candle, studded with gold and
silver stars, which the present Commander-in-Chief