Letter from Isabella Innes to Anne Baillie on subject of world events, page 2

The Baillies of Dunain were an Inverness family who lived in and around the area from the mid-15th century onwards. Although their estate was small in comparison with many of the principal Highland families, they occupied a niche in the upper levels of Highland society.<br /> <br /> A substantial collection of the family's papers is held by The Highland Council Archive Service. The papers cover the period c.1760-1860.<br /> <br /> This document is dated 4 February 1855. It is a letter from Isabella Innes of Inverleith, Edinburgh to her aunt, Anne Baillie. As well as discussing family matters, Isabella talks of important world events. Her daughter, Kate, had recently travelled to Scutari in the Crimea to 'assist Miss Nightingale attending the wounded'. Florence Nightingale left for the Crimea on 21 October 1854. She took 38 nurses with her, one of which presumably must have been Mrs Innes's daughter, Kate. <br /> <br /> On arrival at the barrack hospital at Scutari, the nurses were faced with the massive task of trying to improve the unsanitary conditions. Only 1 in 6 men died from war wounds - the majority were dying from infections such as typhus, cholera and dysentery. During her 20-month stay at Scutari, Florence Nightingale and her nurses were responsible for reducing the mortality rate from over 40% to just 2%.<br /> <br /> Isabella also mentions the death of the Russian Czar, Nicholas I. It had been Nicholas's troops who had initially invaded the Turkish Balkans, leading the Crimean War of 1854-56 <br /> <br /> <br /> For further information about this item and the collection to which it belongs, please <a href="mailto: archives@highlifehighland.com">email</a> the Highland Archive Service