A letter signed and in his hand, from John Rist, a captain in the 12th Regiment of Foot, Arcot, East Indies, to his friend in Chelmsford England, J. Roberts. Having joined the army with his brother and left England against the advice of his friends, Rist describes his voyage to India, the distress of the ship after being damaged in a storm, and the efforts made to keep the ship afloat until it reached Ceylon where repairs were made. The regiment landed at Madras on 3 October 1798 and stayed there one week. Rist describes Madras, its architecture, and living conditions. After a week, the regiment moved to the fort at Arnee; again Rist describes living conditions at the fort for the regiment and for the natives. He calls upon Roberts to support his application to his father for an increase in allowance for both himself and his brother so they could purchase lieutenancies. He then relates his response upon hearing of Nelson’s victory over Bonaparte at the Battle of the Nile. In a postscript he relates the news that the regiment moved to Arcot and speculates correctly that their target is Seringapatam.
- Author: Rist, John, Captain.
- Title: Letter : East Indies, Reverend J. Roberts, 1798 December-1799 January 2.
LWL Mss File 107
Acquire January 2013