John Daniels and Robert Evans

Photograph of John Daniels of the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot and Robert Evans of the 13th Light Dragoons, both veterans of the Crimean War. John Daniels is sitting to the left and Robert Evans to the right. Both are wearing civilian clothes and are holding a wooden crutch in their right hand. There is a brick wall behind them. This photograph, printed by Jabez Hughes in 1883, is a carbon print pasted over the original photograph.

Both men lost their left leg in the Crimean War, Daniels at the Battle of Alma and Evans during the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaklava. They were among the wounded soldiers that Queen Victoria met at the military hospital at Chatham shortly after the war. The Birmingham Daily Post of 2 January 1856 reported that 'Her Majesty evinced great sympathy for the youth and his photographic likeness was taken by her special command'. Following her visits to the hospital she commissioned a series of photographs of the veterans. This photograph was reproduced as an engraving in the Illustrated London News, 21 July 1855.

Evans' discharge papers described his injuries thus: 'Found unfit for further service - Disabled from the service having suffered amputation of the left lower extremity from a severe contusion of both lower extremeties by a horse which was killed under him having fallen on him. The right leg has quite recovered an the left has free use of it.'