Major-General Garrett approves highly of the cooking-stoves introduced by Monsieur Soyer, which have been made trial of by all the regiments of the Fourth Division, and have given great satisfaction to the men, and have been approved by commanding officers.
In a standing camp, or in quarters, they are admirable; they can be put up in an instant anywhere, either in or out of doors, and they never smoke. If attention is paid to the proportions of meat, water, and the necessary ingredients, when cooking commences, the most careless soldier can scarcely fail in making a good mess. There is also a great saving of fuel; and as only a certain amount of fire can be kept going, a steady and even process of cooking is insured, by which, without any great skill on the part of the soldier, a good dinner is in due course produced.
A. Garrett, Major-General,
Commanding Fourth Division.
Light Division Camp, Crimea, 14th June, 1856.
My dear Sir,—It gives me great pleasure to send you my opinion of your camp-stove—the 90th Light Infantry under my command having had one on trial for some weeks, during which time I watched it very closely. If generally used in the army, I consider it will be as great a boon to soldiers as it must be a saving to the public. Its portability for camp purposes, where one mule can carry two stoves to cook everything for one hundred men, and without the necessity for a cook-house, is an important consideration; but the more so when its portability does not affect its qualities for general purposes in barracks, &c. The smallest quantity of fuel is required to light it and to keep it sufficiently hot, and the degree of heat being so well and simply regulated, waste of fuel becomes impossible, and the cooking much improved over ordinary coppers in the usual barrack cook-houses. With the addition of your very simple receipts, it appears to me that there is everything we can require, not only to make the most of a soldier’s rations, but to render them both wholesome and palatable.
You were good enough to superintend personally at my cook-houses—until that time, the soldiers threw away, or used for other purposes than intended, the fat of the pork ration; with your plain instructions, they afterwards spread it on their bread as butter, and no wonder they were exceedingly fond of it, for it was pure and sweet, and far superior to the rank bad butter they purchased in the canteens, &c., in the Crimea. It will not be wasted again. I am happy to have this opportunity to acknowledge a great service rendered, and I wish that your camp-stoves may meet with the success they deserve, that they may be generally used in the army, not only in camp, but in quarters, hospitals, &c.
I am, dear Sir, very faithfully yours,
Robert Campbell, Colonel,
Commanding 90th Light Infantry.
Monsieur Alexis Soyer,
&c. &c.
Camp, Sebastopol, 14th June, 1856.
My dear Sir,—I have just received your letter.