This material graciously had been shared with the Victorian Web by the Green Howards. Thanks are due to the Green Howards Regimental Museum, Richmond, North Yorkshire and to Mr. Kenneth Usherwood, the living relative of Charles Usherwood. Added by Marjie Bloy, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, National University of Singapore.
2 May l856 In General orders of this day the following Corps were nominated to proceed as under
3rd, - 46th & 68 to Corfu
2nd Battalion Foot, 14th, 21st, 28th, 31st, 47th, 48th, 57th & 71st to Malta
13th, 30th, 55th, 89th & 92nd to Gibraltar.
4 June 1856 Today is very fine and the sun hot.
5 June 1856 Day fine but weather exceedingly hot, the Regiment preparing for embarkation.
6 June 1856 Another hot day. On board the Aberdeen embarked 1 Field Officer, 7 Subs & 8 Privates of the 19th Foot for England.
By a return called for shewing the number of Officers and men who served interruptedly in the Crimea from the landing of the Corps to 5 June 1856 the following were the numbers of the 19th Foot out of a strength of 26 Officers, 49 Sergts, 43 Corporals, 15 Drs and 763 Privates who landed with the Regiment. on l4 Sep 1854, 3 Officers (Major Bright, Major Chippendale & Pay M Palmer) and l74 men.
Today Viscount Gough GCB invested English & French officers with the insignia of the order of the Bath at the headquarters of the British Army. The troops paraded in review order at 10 am commanded by Lord Paulet.
7 June 1856 Today is fine but excessively hot.
8 June 1856 Similar day as yesterday. The Connaught Rangers (88th) marched from camp to Balaklava and embarked for England being the 1st Regiment of the Light Division who went home or at least who started, they having to return till next day, the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade taking their place on board the King Philip.
9 June 1856 Yesterday later in the day the wind became troublesome carrying along with it clouds of dust.
11 June 1856 The headquarters of the 19th Foot and with it Nos 1,2 & 5 companies marched from camp Sebastopol under the Commanding Officer Lt Col I L Rooke CB and embarked on board the steamer Imperatriz on board of which were the 7th Fusiliers. Sailed out of the harbour of Balaklava in the afternoon for England. The party of the 19th Foot consisting of 12 Officers, 19 Sergts, 7 Drs and 249 Privates. The day was fine but toward evening had rain.
12 June 1856 At 4 o'clock am, observed land on the leeside. At 3 in the afternoon entered the Bosphorous and at 7 pm arrived opposite Constantinople where the vessel stayed for about º of an hour and proceeded onward.
13 June 1856 At 8 am passed Gallipoli - wind favourable and fine day.
14 June 1856 At about 10 am passed the island of Cerego where we experienced a sudden squall off land, tho' the sea was calm. At noon passed the King Philip on board of which were the Rifle Brigade 2nd Battalion with wind against us.
15 June 1856 Sunday, tho' the wind was against us we steamed along very well, the weather being fine but exceedingly hot.
16 June 1856 At dawn the vessel entered the grand harbour of Malta where she took on coals and water, and provisions, after which on attempting to steam out again was delayed owing to the fin of the screw getting entangled with the chain of a buoy until 6 pm.
17 June 1856 Land visible on the left being the Island of Goza. Tho' the day appeared with a beautiful morning yet at 8 am it succumbed to a heavy and dense fog for the space of about 2 hours when it cleared off and the sun shone out beautifully again. In the evening at a distance could be distinctly seen the coast of Africa and when darkness came on the wind began to blow boisterously and continued doing so the whole night carrying along with it heavy black clouds occasionally observing the brilliancy of the moon's beams on the face of the disturbed waves.
18 June 1856 Wind blowing toward the coast of Africa tho' not so strongly as last night. Sailed along the coast during the entire day and in the afternoon passed the Brig Viking then at near 9 pm Cape Beagut. During the evening the sky was exceedingly clear from clouds and the moon shone beautifully on the calm sea.
19 June 1856 Africa still visible and at noon were only 360 miles from Gibraltar - day being hot.
20 June 1856 No land in sight this morning but about 2 pm the coast of Africa appeared in the distance — at noon being only 183 miles from Gibraltar.
21 June 1856 At 10 am Gibraltar was for the first time visible and at 12 noon entered the bay where the vessel anchored off the new mole to take in coal and water. In the bay were the following vessels
The Clyde with Artillery. The Murisnes with the 66th Foot, the Jura coming in from Balaklava and which sailed from thence before the Imperatriz.
22 June 1856 Weighed anchor at 8 am and steamed for the straits in passing through which the wind blew very strongly. On both sides the straits land was distinctly seen being Spain & Morocco.
23 June 1856 Fine day and the sea calm tho' the wind is against the vessel. Passed off Lisbon about 2 pm the breeze being strong against us. Here we passed the Murisnes No 16 Transport with 66 Foot on board and which steamed out of the bay of Gibraltar 6 hours before the Imperatriz. At 7 pm passed the Burling Islands.
24 June 1856 Calm sea and fine day, land still visible on our right.
25 June 1856 Wednesday. During the whole of last night the wind blew strongly against the steamer which caused her to roll and pitch heavily. This morning however the day is fine and the sea tho' heavy is not quite so bad as last evening.
26 June 1856 Last night we had rain. This morning the air is thick and gusty and sky cloudy, the mist continuing till 11 am when it cleared off and the remainder of the day became fine; during the night tho' the sea was calm the ship rolled very much. No land in sight today.
27 June 1856 Sea exceedingly calm and morning fine. At 11 o'clock am the English shores became observable through the haze off land, and at 7 pm after passing through the Needles came to anchor at Spithead.
28 June 1856 This morning Saturday, the Imperatriz entered Portsmouth harbour, and we landed at the Dockyard, from whence both the 7th Fusiliers and 19th Foot proceeded the same day by rail to the camp at Aldershot.
Thus ends my first services abroad as a soldier being 2 years and 2 months
C Usherwood
late 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade 19th Foot
and of 1st Battalion 8th the King's Regiment.
Last modified 24 May 2002