'18th Royal Irish Regt. Camp Sebastopol. May 1856'

Photograph by James Robertson (1813-1888), 1856.

During the Crimean War (1854-1856) the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot took part in the assault on Sevastopol of 18 June, and was said to have run amok upon first breaking into the town. Lieutenant-Colonel Clement Alexander Edwards (1812-1882), pictured sitting towards the right with his cap on his knee, felt that discipline needed to be improved upon him taking command of the Regiment in March 1855:

'I am much afraid that it will be a long time before I can see the results of my endeavours for the improvement of the Regiment: the malady was too deep & of too long a standing to hope for any great sign of amendment, or any substantial change for the better, till the whole system is restored.'