A dear friend of Captain Vicars wrote of his death as follows:—
To Lady Macgregor.
Camp before Sebastopol,
23rd March, 1855.
My dearest Mother,
This is a dark and sorrowful day with me; my heart is wrung, my eyes red and hot with crying, I feel gloomy and sorrowful altogether. My very dear friend, Vicars, was killed last night; the Russians made a sortie, and while gallantly leading on a handful of our men, to charge them out of our works, he was mortally wounded by a ball striking him in the right breast; he died soon after, and is now enjoying a glorious rest in the presence of his Saviour. I do not pity him, what more could we wish for him? He was fully prepared for the most sudden death, and he died bravely, fighting and doing his duty, but my heart bleeds for the loss of my dearest friend and for the sake of his poor mother and family. Such a death became such a life and such a soldier; the most gallant, the most cheerful, the happiest, the most universally respected Officer, and the most consistent Christian soldier, has been taken from us by that ball, and I know not how to live without him; he was my truest friend, my most cheerful companion, and my friendly adviser on all occasions, but as his Sergeant remarked, bitterly, this morning, “He was too good to live.” Noble fellow; he rushed in front of his men and his powerful arm made more than one Russian fall before that cruel bullet brought him down; it must have been fired close to him, for his coat was singed; I never knew how much I loved him until he was nearly dying of the charcoal. When I heard at daylight this morning that Vicars had been brought home dead, you may imagine my excessive grief; I loved that man as dearly as a brother. Oh, his poor mother and sisters that he loved so dearly! But she is a Christian, and has lived to see her once wild and reckless son come to the fold of Jesus, and prove his sincerity by a long and unswerving and consistent course; I also cut a lock of his fine curly hair this morning, as I know his mother would like to get it. How he fearlessly visited and spoke to the men, in the worst times of the cholera, but, as he told me, he got his reward, for the soldiers’ dying lips besought blessings on his head. Oh! how happy he is now; such a death, and such glory now; even in death his habitual happy smile did not forsake him; the Lord knew when and how to take him. Everyone liked and respected Vicars, even those who did not agree with his strict religion. How sadly we shall miss him in all our little meetings. O God, help me to bear this sad affliction! Our men got great praise for the fight last night, but who would not go anywhere with such a leader? Farewell Vicars, my loved companion. I knew when he went into action he would show that a Christian soldier was a brave as well as a happy man; I do not know exactly how it all was, I only vouch for the above facts, and the terrible reality of poor Vicars’ noble frame lying in the Hospital tent, where I saw it. God bless you, dearest Mother, and may He sanctify this severe trial to my soul.
Your own
DOUGLAS.
In six months, Douglas Macgregor and Hedley Vicars had met again—they were not long divided. On the fatal 8th September, Macgregor twice fought his way into the Redan, the second time to come out no more. He was found far in advance, on that blood-stained ground, lying beside a cannon, in the sleep of death.
I knew Captain Vicars, and was near him the night that he fell, and can say truly that the 97th and detachments of other Regiments, the 7th Royal Fusiliers, 23rd Royal Welsh, 33rd, 34th, 2nd Rifles, 19th, 77th, 88th, 90th, and all Regiments of the Light Division, took a terrible revenge for the life of this noble Christian, for he was loved by all who knew him. I have referred at length to this event in an earlier chapter of this little book. I hope to meet Captain Vicars again some day, in that bright land above, where many who fought desperately in that campaign will be found clad in robes prepared for all them that are faithful to the end.
The following will, perhaps, be interesting:—