MEDAL S

THE BRITISH AR

AND HOW WERE WON.

BY THOMAS CARTER,Author of “Curiosi ties of War, and M ilitary Studies.

What is a ribbon worth to a soldier !E verything ! G lory is price less !

Sm E . B . Lm ox, B lunt .

I N D I A, C H I N A,E T C.

D E D ICA T E D B Y PE R M IS S ION TO

GENER AL LOR D CLYD E, G.C. B .

LONDON

GROOM BR ID GE AND SONS , 5 , PATE RNOSTE R -R OW .

M D CCC LX I .

GENERAL LORD CLYDE,

E T C” E T C” E T C”

THE ACCOM PANYING PAGE S ,

FORM ING TH E THI R D AND CONCLUD ING SE CT I ON OF

THE M EDAL S OF THE BRITISH AR M Y ,

AB E , WI TH PE R M I S S ION ,

M OST R ES PECT FUL LY D E D I CAT E D ,

B Y H I S VERY OB E D I E NT FA I THFUL S ERVANT ,

T H OM A S CAR T E R .

C ON T E N T S .

INDIA, CH INA , E TC.

The Indian War M edal authorized

M ysore War and S iege of S eringapatamThe S eringapatam M edal

S torm of A l l ighur

Battle of D elh iBattle of Assye

S iege of Asseer Ghur, and Battle of Lasmu rcc

Battle of Argaum .

S iege and S torm of GawilgharDefence of D elhiBattle of B eig

Capture of B eig“Tar m Nepaul

Battle of Kirkee, and Battle and Capture of PoonaBattle of S eetabuldee, and B attle and Capture of Nagpoor

B attle of M aheidpore

Defence of Corygaum,and War in A ra

S iege and S torm of B hurtpore

Description of the Indian War M edalFirst Afl

‘

ghan CampaignCapture of Ghuznee

M edal for GhuzneeFirst Chinese War, and M edalSequel to the Afl

'

ghan CampaignDefence of Jel lalahad

The Jel lalabad M edalsS econd Afi

‘

ghan CampaignAdvance on CaboolD efence of CandaharB attle of Goninc, and Re-capture of Ghuznee

M edals for the S econd Afl'ghan CampaignCampaign in S cindo

viii CONT E N'rs.

Battles of Meeanee and Hyderabad

M edal for these victories

Battles of M aharajpore and Punniar

Bronze S tar for these battlesThe S utlej CampaignB attle of M oodkee

B attle of Ferozeshah

Battle of A liwalBattle of Sobraon

The Punjab Campaign,—S icge of M ool tan

Action at Ramnuggur

B attle of Chil ianwalaBattle of GoojeratThe S utlej and Punjab MedalsS econd B urmese War

T he Persian CampaignM edal for B urmese and Persian CampaignsThe Indian M utiny M edalS iege and Capture of D elhi

D efence of LucknowRelief of LucknowCapture of LucknowCampaign in Central IndiaTermination of the M utinyVictoria Cross R ecipients for Indian S ervicesS econd Chinese War

Capture of CantonCapture of the T akn Forts

Occupation of PekinM edal for Second Chinese War

P L A T E S .

The Indian M utiny M edalT he S eringapatam M edal .

The Indian War M edal , and the Ghuznee M edal

T he Ghuznee M edal,1839

T he First Jel lalabad M edalThe Ghuznee and Cabu l M edal

,1842

The S econd Jel lalabad M edal, and the M aharajpoor S taI

T he S utlej and Punjab M edalsM edals for S econd Burmese and Chinese Wars

PAGE 0

Frontisp zece.

M E D AL S

THE BR IT I SH ARMY.

IND IA,CH INA,

E TC.

T HE INDIAN WAR MEDAL .

1799— 1826 .

T H E Medal for the Peninsul ar War was shortly afterwardsfollowed by a companion one for the several campaigns in

India. On the 2 1st . of March,185 1, a General Order was

issued, announcing that The Queen had been pleased to signifyher assent to a measure that had been proposed by the Courtof Directors of the East India Company, of granting a medalto the surviving oflicers and soldiers of the Crown, who wereengaged in the fol low ing services in India — Storm of A l lighur,

September 4th . 1803 ; Battle of Delhi, September 1 1th . , 1803 ;

Battle of A ssye, September 23rd.,1 803 ; Siege of Asseer Ghur,

October 2 l st. , 1803 Battle of L aswarree, November 1st. , 1803Battle of A rgaum, November 29th . , 1 803 Siege and Storm of

Gawilghnr, December 15th . , 1803 ; Defence of Delhi,October

,

1804 ; Battle of D eig, November 1sth . , 1804 ; Capture of B eig,December 23rd .

, 1804 ; War in Nepaul in 18 16 ; Battle of

Kirkee, and Battle and Capture of Poona, November, 1 817 ;Battle of Seetabuldee, and Battle and Capture of Nagpoor,November and December, 1 817 Battle of M aheidpore, December

B

2 n nm ns or T H E E E IT I sH ARM Y .

2 l st. , 18 17 ; Defence of Corygaum,January l st. , 1818 ; War

in Ava, 1824 to 1826 ; and Siege and Storm of Bhurtpore,

January ,1826 .

The mode of application was similar to that specified in the

General Order granting the War Medal; (see page 14 of theSecond Section of this work ;) but the concluding paragraph

announced that,“It having, moreover, been represented to H er

Majesty, that the officers and soldiers of the Crown, who were

engaged in the Mysore war, and at the Siege of Seringapatam

have already received medals from the East India Company

for those services, H er M ajesty has further been graciouslypleased to permit the same to be worn by them with their

uniforms.

”

Following the order of date, the first service is

TH E MYSORE WAR AND SIEGE OF SER INGAPATAM .

Fannm nr To M AY, 1 799 .

ALTHOUGH the reduction of the power and resources of

T ippoo Saib, effected by the treaty of Seringapatam, whichterminated the campaign of 1792, had weakened his influence,yet it had not extinguished the evils consequent on his in

tense hatred of the British . The Sul tan had entered intoa negotiation w ith the Governor of the Isle of France, in 1 798,and sent an embassy to Zemaun Shah, Sovereign of Cabool ,for the purpose of inducing him to attack the possessions of

the Company . Having also derived encouragement from thesuccesses of the French arms in Egypt, from which countrythe Directory intended to act against the British dominionsin India, T ippoo commenced augmenting his military force,and his hostile designs became every day more apparent. TheGovernor General the Earl of Mornington (afterwards Marquisof Wellesley) perceiving a rupture inevitable, resolved to anticipate the attack, and ordered the army to take the field

,and

march into the heart of T ippoo’

s territory.

M ajor General George (afterwards Lord ) Harris, who was

serving w ith the local rank of Lieutenant-General , in conformityto these orders, advanced w ith the army under his commandon the 1 1th . of February, 1 799, and entered the Mysore terri

sme lt or SE R INGAPATAM . 8

tory on the 5th . of M arch . On the 27th . the troops arrivedat M allavel ly, and on approaching the ground of encampment

the forces of T ippoo were seen drawn up on a height a few

miles off. The enemy attacked the advanced pickets, and a

general action ensued, in which the 33rd. regiment highly dis

tinguished itself. A body of two thousand men moved forward

in the best order towards the regiment, which, firmly standingits ground, cool ly reserved its fire until within a distance of

about sixty yards, and then led by its Lieutenant-Colonel , the

Honourable Arthur Wellesley, in person, boldly advanced, and

charging w ith the bayonet, compelled the approaching column

to give way . This movement being seconded by Major-General

Floyd, who made a rapid charge with the cavalry, completedthe disorder, and the enemy retreated before the whole of the

British line, which immediately moved forward .

While this attack was being made by the left wing, under

Lieutenant Colonel the Honourable Arthur Wel lesley, w ith the

Nizam’s contingent, the 3ard , and Major-General Floyd

’

s

cavalry, Lieutenant-General Harris with the troops, which

formed the right wing, had been also engaged )“

In this affair T ippoo sustained a loss of nearly two thousand,including some of his most valuable officers; whilst the Britishcasual ties amounted to only sixty-six men .

As the 12th . Foot moved forward , a large body of M ysorean cavalryformed in the shape of a wedge, hav ing an e lephant with a howdah on

h is back in front, appeared advancing to charge the regiment, and the

B ritish line halted to receive the attack . Immed iately afterwards two othervery large bod ies of the enemy were d iscovered in two topes or woods.preparing to support the first charge . Lieutenant-General H arris, seeingthe danger wh ich menaced the regiment, placed himself In its rear, tl

'e

quently repeating the words,‘S teady, Twe ltth ! ’ ‘S teady, old Twelfth l ’ and

when the wedge approached w ith in a hundred yards of the line, the M ysoreans d ischarged the ir carbines and pistols, b ut w ithout doing execution.

T he 12 th . remained steady, with their muskets at the recover, unti l theenemy arrived w ithin about thirty yards, when a wel l-directed vol ley, followed by a. rapid fi le firing, carried destruction into the enemy’s ranks ;a rampart of ki l led and wounded men and horses lying along the front

of the regiment. T he rear of the wedge was embarrassed by the k i lledand wounded in front, and could not continue the charge. T he elephantwas severely wounded, his conductor killed , and the chiefs on h is back hadfal len, when, turning round, he d irected al l h is fury upon the M soranus,

overturning everything in his retrograde movement, and roduc ng greathavoc w ith a prod igious chain, wh ich b e swayed . A few ysorean horsemen broke through the regiment, b ut they were instantly shot in its rear,

and the British arti llery arriving, and Opening its fire, the enemy’s cavalry

fe l l back : at the same time the line advanced , and decided the fate of

the day at that part of the fie ld ; a d istant cannonade, however, ind icatedthat the battle was raging elsewhere.

4 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T ISH AR M Y .

On the follow ing morning the array advanced, and arrivedbefore Seringapatam on the 5th . of April

, when preparationsfor the siege were at once commenced.

An attack was made on an entrenchment of the enemy aboutsix o’clock in the evening of the 2oth . of April, in which theflank companies of the 12 th . and the 73rd . regiments wereemployed . This was fully successful , and al though the

enemy had two hundred and fifty men killed and wounded,and the entrenchment was occupied by about eighteen hundredof T ippoo

’

s infantry, the British had but one man wounded .

The siege was prosecuted w ith vigour, and a breach beingreported practicable on the 3rd. of M ay, the assault was orderedt ) take place in the heat of the fol lowing day , as the besiegedwould then be the least prepared to oppose the attack . On

this service were employed the ten flank companies of the

European corps necessarily left to guard the camp and out

posts, followed by the l 2 th ., 33rd . , 73rd .

,and 74th . regiments,

three corps of grenadier Sepoys, two hundred of the Nizam’

s

troops, a hundred of the artillery, and the corps of pioneers,the whole under the orders of M ajor-General (afterwards S ir

David) Baird . The assau l t took place about half-past one

o’clock in the afternoon of the 4th . of M ay, and in a shortspace of time the British colours waved over the fortress.

“

T he Major-General had divided his force for the purpose of

clearing the ramparts to the right and left ; one division was

commanded by Colonel Sherbrooke,and the other by Lieutenant

Colonel Dunlop ; the latter was wounded, but both corps,although strongly opposed, were completely successful . Thespirited attack, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell , of the

74th . Highlanders,w as particularly mentioned in general

orders, in which all the officers and men w ere thanked

for this memorable achievement. The body of T ippoo Sul tan

was found among heaps of slain,and was afterwards interred

in the magnificent mausoleum which he had erected over the

E ight stand of colours were captured by the 12th . Foot. A forlornhope of each attack consisted of a sergeant and twelve E uropeans, fol lowedby two subaltern’

s parties ; that of the right column, under LieutenantH ill , of the 74th. , and that of the left column, commanded by LieutenantLawrence, of the 77 th . , the father of sons subsequently memorab le in

i ndiau annals, and especial ly during the recent mutiny .

8 18 6 3 or S E B I NGAPA'

I‘AH . 5

tomb of his father, the once powerful Hyder A li, a portionof the victorious troops attending the ceremony .

In this manner terminated the siege of Seringapatam, and

the fal l of the capital placed the kingdom of M ysore at thedisposal of the British government, and destroyed a power inIndia which had proved itself a formidable enemy .

During the siege the Anglo-Indian troops sustained the following casualties — Europeans, twenty -two ofi cers kil led, and

forty-five wounded ; non-commissioned officers and men, one

hundred and eighty one killed,and one hundred and twenty

two wounded ; native sol iders, one hundred and nineteen killed,and four hundred and tw enty wounded : twenty -five of theabove oflicers were kil led and wounded in the assaul t.The following regiments received the R oyal permission to

bear on their standards, colours, and appointments, the word“Snm oamrm ,

”in commemoration of their gallantry in the

storming and capture of that city and fortress on the 4th . of

M ay, 1 799 ; namely, the i 9th . and 22nd. (late LightDragoons, (both since disbanded ;) the 12th .

, 33rd . 73rd .,

74th . , 75th . , 77th . regiments, and the Scots Brigade, afterwardsthe 94th . regiment .°

This was the old 94th , and not the present regiment, wh ich was onlyordered to be raised in December, 1823 . T he former was known for years,as the Scots B rigade before receiv ing its numerica l title on the 25th . ofDecember, 1802 . This corps had been formed in 1668, for serv ice in H olland against the o pression of S pain. Be ing a British corps, it was demanded from the nited Prov inces by King James on the rebel l ion of

the D uke of M onmouth, in 1685, after the suppression of which it returnedto Ho lland . I t again embarked for E ngland w ith the Prince of Orange, atthe revolution of 1688, and remained there until the Protestant cause hadbeen established , when it re-embarked for Flanders in 1691, and served in

the campaigns of King W il l iam 111. I t remained in the service of H ol landuntil 1793 , unti l it was decided by King George I i I . , upon the applicationof the British officers remaining in it, to require the corps to return to

Great Britain . I t was taken on the British estab lishment on the 5th . ofJu ly, 1793 . It then consisted of three battal ions ; in 1795 it was reducedto two battal ions, and embarked for G ibraltar. In 1796 it was formed intoone battalion , and embarked for the Cape of Good H ope ; it proceeded in1798 to the E ast Ind ies, from whence it re turned to E ngland in 1808. It

embarked for Cadiz and Lisbon, and served in the Peninsu lar War fromJanuary, 1810, to July, 1814. It was disbanded at Belfast on the 24ih . of

D ecember, 1818 .

6 M E D ALS OR T H E B R I T I SH ARM Y.

THE SERINGAPATAM MEDAL,’ 1 799 .

T an medal was distributed to Officers and soldiers— Europeanand Native— on one side of it is represented the storming of

the breach Of Seringapatam, from an actual draw ing on thespot, w ith the meridian sun, denoting the time of the storm,

and the fol lowing inscription in Persian underneath — “The

Port Of Seringapatam, the gift of God, the 4th . M ay,

On the reverse side is the BR I T I SH LI ON subduing the T I GE R ,the emblem of the late T ippoo Sul tan

’s Government, with the

period when it was effected, and the fol lowing words in Arabicon the banner — “A ssnn OTT A-UL GH AULI R ,

”signifying the

For the specimen of the ribbon of the Seringapatam medal I have toacknow ledge my obl igations to A lbert Woods, E sq ., Lancaster H erald , andInspector of R egimental Colours, who has furnished me w ith much valuableinformation on th is and other points. From a letter addressed to h im bythe gal lant General S ir James L . Caldwe l l, now in his 9l st . year,in reply to a query on this subject, the fol low ing interesting particu larshave been afforded — When the medal was issued no ribbon accompanied it,b ut the recipients were given to understand that it was to be of a deepyel low colour, and about an inch in w idth . This colour was adopted in

reference to the tiger, selected by the S ultan T ippoo as his favourite insigais, the golden throne found in the palace being constructed on the

back of that animal, and his chosen S epoys being clothed in tiger jackets.

T he head Of th is animal of the throne is now at W indsor Castle, hav ingbeen Obtained by the M arqu is Of We l lesley from the prize agents, togetherw ith the ideal and fictitious bird termed the “H uma,

”supposed to ensure

perpetual royalty to the person over whose head it is suspended, and beingregarded as a b ird of M ahomedan Parad ise : it is shewn to strangers under

the misnomer of the S eringapatam Peacock . T he above information was

accompanied by a piece of the ribbon, the colour of wh ich resemb les thel ight far of the tiger. I t may be added that the name T ippoo signifiesTiger, and that the tiger-stripe was adopted in the uniform of the S u ltan’

s

infantry . In the Unit ed Serv ice M useum, amongst other oriental curiosities, are two of T ippoo

’

s pistols, having a tiger’s head at the end, and

a lso the dress he were when k il led . T he famous organ of T ippoo repre

senting a tiger tearing a prostrate British sold ier is in the E ast Ind ianM useum, together w ith h is suit of chain armour. When the hand le of

the organ is turned sounds are emitted similar to the shrieks of a humanbeing and the grow l of the animal .A medal was also granted by the Ind ian Government for the M ysore

campaign Of 1791- 1792, but its issue appears to have been limited to the

Company’

s troops, the above being the first medal authorized to be worn

by the Sovereign. M r. H udson, whose kindness 1 have already acknow

ledged, has a specimen in his valuable col lection, and there 18 also one

at the Uni ted S erv ice M useum. It is Of silver, and on the obverse is

represented an E nglish sold ier hold ing the British standard half unfurled,w ith a d istant v iew of the fortifications of S eringapatam. On the reverse

is a Persian inscription, of wh ich the fol low ing is a translation — “S truckin the years 1791 ( correspond ing w ith the M ahomedan era

“A memento of the self-sacrificing devotion of the servants of the BritishGovernment in M ysore.

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8 M E D ALS or T H E E R I T I sH AR M Y.

“We therefore intreat your Lordship to transmit these cir

cumstances to H is Royal Highness the Prince R egent, and tosolicit his gracious permission

,that the medals granted by the

East India Company, upon the occasion Of the capture of

S eringapatam by storm on the 4th . of M ay, 1 799, and theother splendid successes of the British Army in Mysore in thatyear, may be worn by the Officers, who have received them,

in such manner, and at such times as to H is Highness mayappear proper .

We have, etc . ,“CH AR L E S GRANT .

“Tncm s READ .

”

This request was complied with in a letter, dated Whitehall ,29th . August, 1 815, of which the accompanying is an extract .

“Gentlemen,

H is R oyal Highness has been pleased

to grant his gra cious permission that such oflicers may weartheir medals in any part Of H is Majesty’s dominions.

“I have, etc .,

“To the Chairman and (Signed) BUCKINGH AM S H I B E .

Deputy Chairman .

”

STORM OF ALLIGHUR .

4TH . SEPT EM B E R,1803 .

T an service occurred during the Mahratta war . Theempire of the M ahrattas, of which Sevajee was the founder,had become a confederacy of five Chieftains, the Peishwah,Scindiah, Holker, the Rajah of Berar, and the Guiccwar ;

each of whom,al though acknow ledging a kind of fealty to the

descendant of Sevajcc, was independent of the other . ThePeishwah, who was regarded as the nominal head of the con

federation, was considered only as an instrument in the handsof the strongest. Dowlat R ao Scindiah, who ruled over M al

we and Candeish, had acquired an absolute control in the

councils of Bajee R ao, the Peishwah, and was regarded withgreat jealousy by his rival , Holker . Both these chieftainshad armies officered by Europeans, principally Frenchmen .

s'

roan or an tenna . 9

H olkar suddenly crossed the Nerbudda, marched on Poonah,and hav ing defeated the united troops of Scindiah and the

Peishwah, the latter placed himself under the protection of theBritish, and after h is restoration, in M ay , 1803 , it was nacertained that Scindiah was in negociation with H olkar and theBerar Rajah, with a view to subvert the British al l iance withthe Peishwah . After the evasions and procrastinations inseparable from oriental diplomacy, hostil ities commenced, MajorGeneral the Honourable Arthur Wel lesley being appointed tothe chief command of the British and al lied troops in theterritories of the Peishwah, of the Nizam, and of any

Mahratta state ; subject alone to the orders of General Stuartand General Lake, the Commander-in-Chief in India.

General Lake was instructed to conquer the whole Of Scindiah

’s territority between the Jumna and the Ganges, to seize

upon Delhi and Agra, and to destroy the army commandedby General Perron, a French Officer . On the 7th . of August,1803 , the tr00ps advanced from Cawnpore, and entered theMahratta territory on the morning Of the 29th . of that month .

Perron occupied a strong position, w ith about fifteen thousandmen, in the vicinity of Coel . General Lake resolved to turnhis left flank, against which be advanced, but the enemyretired after firing a few rounds, without venturing a regularengagement ; the rapidity Of his flight rendering the sev eralattempts made to charge him quite ineffectual . After this affair,Perron took up a position between the town of Coel and thefortress Of Allighur, and every effort to induce the governor

to surrender prov ing unsuccessful , the necessary arangements

were made for the assaul t Of the fort.Al lighur was a place of considerable strength, the countrybeing level led around and open to its fire in every direction .

It was provided with a broad ditch and a fine glacis, and

had only one entrance, which was very intricate, and overa narrow causeway. On the 4th . of September, 9. stormingparty, consisting Of four companies of the 76th .

, w ith twobattalions and four companies of native infantry, was placedunder the orders of the Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Monson .

At hal f-past four O’clock in the morning it had advancedwithin a few hundred yards of the place before being dis

10 M E D ALS or T H E RR Ir IsH ARM Y.

covered ; when, a tremendous fire being opened, the colonel

rushed forward w ith the flank companies of the regiment,in

the hope of being able to enter the main gateway with a

fugitive guard which had been stationed in a breastwork outside the place . I n this he was disappointed, and, as the enemy

’s

cross fire was very severe, M ajor Macleod, and two grenadiersof the regiment, endeavoured to scal e the wal l , but encounteredsuch a powerful phalanx of pikemen that they were compelledto fall back . A gun was with some difficulty placed Oppositeto the gate, which, after a few discharges

, was blown Open .

During these operations the party for twenty minutes was exposed to a raking fire of grape, wal l-pieces, and matchlocks.

Colonel M anson was severely wounded by a pike dischargedfrom a gun, and the adjutant and four Officers of grenadierswere killed.

After clearing the first gate, a long and intri cate passageconducted the tr00ps, in the midst of a heavy cross fire,

through a second and third gateway, which were easilyforced, to a fourth, that led immediately into the body of

the place . With great difficul ty the gun was brought up,

but the gate could not be blown Open . At last the grena

diers, w ith Major Macleod at their head, succeeded in pushing

through the wicket, and mounted the ramparts, after which

but l ittle opposition was Offered by the Mahrattas, who for

the space of an hour had made a most v igorous defence . Theylost about two thousand men, while the casual ties of the

assailants were l ikewise severe . Of the 76th ., Captain

Cameron, Lieutenants Fleming, Brown, Campbell , and St.

Aubyn, w ith fifteen rank and file were kil led ; LieutenantColonel Monson, Major Macleod, Lieutenant Sinclair, Ensign

Fraser, and three sergeants, one drummer, and fifty-eight

rank and file were wounded .

A s A l lighur was the chief residence and principal depOt of

General Perron, a large quantity Of ordnance and mili tary

stores were captured, and several carriages were found laden

w ith treasure, which the victors divided amongst themselves

on the spot. A few days after the fall Of this fortress,General Perron w ithdrew from the Mahratta service ; his

popularity amongst the natives had excited the jeal ousy of

B ATT L E or D E LHI . 1 1

Scindiah, whose conduct would have palliated a severe re

taliation ; but the high-minded Frenchman, disdaining an

unworthy action, resigned the command under circumstancesmost honourable to his personal character.

The 76th . may feel proud of the praise which was bestowed

upon the regiment and its ofi cers by the Governor General

for their

BATTLE OF DELHI .

1 I T H . S EPT E I IRER , 1803 .

ALTHOUGH General Perron had been permitted to enter theB ritish territories, the troops which he had commanded still

remained under other officers. Having left a sufficient forceat A l lighur, the British proceeded towards Delhi on the 7th .

Of September . After a fatiguing march of eighteen miles,and when, on the l 1th . of that month, they had arrived

wi thin two leagues of the city, information was received thatM . Louis B ourquein , another French Ofi ccr in command of

Scindiah’

s army, had cro ssed the Jumna w ith a numerous force,in order to attack General Lake . This intel l igence was quicklyconfirmed by an attack upon the outlying pickets which hadjust been posted.

The British commander immediately proceeded w ith the

whole of his cavalry to reconnoitre the enemy, and foundthem drawn up in order of battle on a rising ground, theirflanks mating on a morass, while the front was defended by

a line of entrenchments and a formidable artillery . As it

was considered impossible to make any impression upon so

excel lent a position by a direct attack, stratagem was em

ployed to induce them to quit it. The cavalry, which had

proceeded considerably in advance, were directed to fal l backbefore the Mahrattas, and afterwards to form behind the right

“I th ink that General Lake ’

s capture of A l l ighur is one of the mostextraord inary feats that I have heard Of in th is country. I never attackeda fort that I d id not attempt the same th ing, namely, to blow open the

gates ; but I never succeeded . I have always taken them by escalade,wh ich appears to have been impossible in this instance .

”— T he Wellington

D ispa tches.

T h is practice of blow ing open the gates has since, on more than one

occasion, been successful ly practised in Ind ia.

12 nxnst s or T H E narrrsn m a r .

wing of the infantry . Th is manaauvre was completely suc

cessful ; the caval ry retired, while the infantry were quicklyformed, and advanced in l ine, under a tremendous cannonadeof round, grape, and chain shot. Nothing could exceed the

steadiness of the troops; no man took his musket from his

shoulder until arrived w ithin a proper distance of the enemy.

A vol ley was fired, and General Lake, placing himself at thehead of the 76th .

, the whole line rushed forward to the chargew ith an impetuosity which it was impossible to withstand .

Thrown into confusion, the Mahrattas fled in the utmost consternation, while the cavalry, dashing forward, completed the

work which their irresistible companions had so well commenced .

By this splendid victory sixty-eight pieces of cannon, twotumbrils laden with treasure, and thirty-seven with ammu

nition, fell into the hands of the conquerors. The loss of

the enemy was estimated at three thousand men out of

thirteen thousand infantry, (nearly all regul ar troops,) and

six thousand cavalry, which had been brought into the field .

Of the British, who had four thousand engaged, four hundred

and eighty-five were kil led , wounded, and missing . The

76th ., the only King’s regiment at All ighur, Delhi, or at the

subsequent battle at L aswarree, had two sergeants and thirty

one rank and file killed ; Lieutenant Alexander Macdonald,one sergeant, and ninety -six rank and fil e were wounded .

Delhi was entered without opposition, and the venerable

and blind emperor, Shah Aulum, the nominal sovereign of

Hindostan, who had been for years in the hands of the

M ahrattas, was restored to his throne .

In testimony of the gal lantry of the troops under General

Lake, the Governor-General in council ordered honorary colours,w ith a suitable device, commemorative of the reduction of

A ll ighur and the battle of Delhi, to be presented to al l .

Those granted“ to the 27th . Dragoons (since disbanded) and

the 76th . regiment, were to be used by these corps while

T he 19th . D ragoons, ( since d isbanded,) the 74th . and 78th . regiments,had honorary colours for A ssye conferred by the Governor-General ofInd ia. In consequence, however, of the inconvenience occas ioned bytak ing a th ird ofiicer from h is duty to carry it, the 7 i th . received the

orders of the Commander-in-Ch ief on the 3 1st. of A ugust, to

d iscontinue the use of the th ird colour in the field , and to carry i t onlyat reviews, inspections, and on gala days.

u r n: or t est s. 13

they continued in India, or until H is Majesty’

s pleasure

should be signified .

BATTLE OF A S SYE .

231m. S errsn sn, 1803 .

Tms was the battle which gained a name for the illustrious

Duke of Wel lington, and it is commemorated on the colours

of the 74th . and 781h . regiments. On the fi l st. of September,Major-General the H onourabl e Arthur Wellesley had a con

ference w ith Colonel Stevenson, and a plan was concerted to

attack the enemy’s army w ith the divisions under their

command on the 24th . This intention was not carried out,

as circumstances occurred which determined the former to

attack without waiting for the junction of the tr00ps.

On the 23rd . of September, while on the march, it was

discovered that the enemy was much nearer than was imag

ined ; whereupon M ajor-General Wellesley immediately determined to move in advance to reconnoitre them, and if

convenient bring them to action . He ordered the cavalry to

mount, and went on w ith them for this purpose ; the infantry,except the rear battal ion, ( 1st . of the 2nd. Native Infantry,)received directions to follow by the right . The second of

the 12th . to join the left brigade to equalize the two ; the

first of the second to cover the baggage on the ground markedfor the camp, and to be joined by the rear-guard on its

arrival , and the four brass l ight twelve-pounders of the parkto be sent to the heads of the line .These dispositions did not occasion ten minutes halt to thecolumn of infantry, but the cavalry moving in front w iththe Major-General , came first in sight of the enemy’s position,from a rising ground to the left of the road, and withincannon-shot of the right of their encampment, which lay alongone of the banks of the R iver Kaitaa, a stream of no magnitude,but with steep sides and a very deep channel

, so as not

to be passable except in particular places, mostly near vil

lages. Along their rear ran a similar stream, (the JoceeNul l ah,) which fell into the Kaitna hal f a mile beyond their

M E D ALS OF TH E B R I T I SH ARM Y .

left. Scindiah’s irregular cavah'

y formed their right, and theBerar troops their left. These were composed of seventeenbattal ions, amounting to about ten thousand five hundredmen, formed i nto three brigades, each of which had a corpsof cavalry of a better kind than the rest, and a body of

skill ed marksmen ; and the artillery amounted to about one

hundred and two pieces, or perhaps a few more .

The infantry were dressed, armed,and accoutred like the

Sepoys ; they were remarkably fine bodies of men,and in a

high state of discipl ine . Although the English officers hadleft them,

there was a number of French and other Europeanoflicers both w ith the infantry and artil lery. The guns wereserved by Golundaze, exactly l ike those of the Bengal service

,

which had been some time before disbanded, and were

probably the same men . It was soon, however, found thatthey were extremely well trained, and that their fire was

both as quick and as well -directed as could be producedby the Company’s artill erymen . What the total number of theenemy was cannot be ascertained, or even guessed at with any

degree of accuracy, but it is certainly cal culated v ery low

at thirty thousand men, including the light troops who were

out on a plundering excursion, (and were those which hadmarched in the mom ing,) but they returned towards the closeof the action .

In the field were the two R ajshe, attended by their principal ministers; and, it being the day of the Dusserah Feast,the Hindoos, of which their force was chiefly composed, had

rel igions prejudices to make them fight w ith spirit, and to

hope for victory.

The force of Major General Wellesley’

s army in action was

nearly four thousand seven hundred men, of whom about

one thousand five hundred were Europeans, including artill ery

with twenty-six field-pieces, of which only four twelve and

eight six-pounders were fired during the action ; the remainder

being the guns of the cavalry and of the second line,could

not be used .

On the M ajor-General’s approaching the enemy for the

purpose of reconnoitring, they commenced a cannonade, the

first gun of which was fired at twenty minutes past one,

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16 iw u rr or m nnrrrsH u rn .

company to protect and assist the guns during the advance ; thiswas immediately afterwards countermanded, but the order didnot reach the 78th .

, consequently the 8th . battalion company,commanded by Lieutenant Cameron, remained attached to them.

M ajor General the Honourable Arthur Well esley then namedthe picket as the battalion of direction

,and ordered that the

line should advance as quickly as possible, consistent w ithorder, and charge with the bayonet, withou t firing a shot.At fifteen minutes before three the word was given for the

line to advance, and was received by Europeans and nativesw ith a cheer . Almost immediately

,however, it was dis

covered that the battal ion of direction was not moving forwardas intended, and the first line received the word to halt. Thiswas a critical moment ; the troops had reached the ridge of

a l ittle swel l in the ground that had somewhat shelteredthem

,particularly on the left, and the enemy, supposing

them staggered by the fire,

redoubled their efforts, firing

a number of chain shot with great effect. Dreading theconsequences of this check to the ardour of the tr00ps, theMajor-General rode up to one of the native corps of the

first line, and, taking off his hat, cheered them on in theirown language, repeating the words “to march .

” Again the

soldiers received the order with loud cheers, and the three

left battalions of the first line, fol lowed by the first battal ionof the 4th . , advanced in quick time, and w ith the greatestcoolness, order, and determination upon their opponents.

On coming w ithin about one hundred and fifty yards, the

78th . withdrew its advanced centre sergeant, and the men

w ere cautioned to be ready to charge . Soon after the battalion

opposed to them fired a volley, and about the same time

some Europeans were observed to mount their horses and

ride off. The 78th . instantly ported arms, cheered, and t e

doubled its pace, when the enemy’s infantry, deserted bytheir ofi cers, broke and ran . The 78th . pushed on and fired,the front rank to the charge, overtaking and bayonetting a

few individuals. B ut Scindiah’

s gunners held firm by their

guns; many were bayonetted in the acts of loading, priming,or pointing, and none quitted them until the bayonet was

at the breast.

B A TT LE or ASSYR . 17

Almost at the same instant the first battalion of the l 6th .

closed with the enemy, and in the most gall ant style . Thesmoke and the dust (which, aided by a brisk wind, in the

faces of the British was very great, ) prevented them seeing any

further to the right .

The 78th . now halted for an instant to complete the fil esand restore exact order, and then moved forward on theenemy’s second l ine, making a complete wheel to the right,whose pivot was the right of the army

,near the vil lage of

Assye .

In consequence of the pickets having failed to advancethe 74th . pushed up, in doing which they were very muchcut down by grape, and at length charged by cavalry headedby S cindiah in person . They suffered severely, (as did thepickets and the second battal ion of the 12th . Native Infantry,)and the remains were saved by the memorable charge of thecavalry, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Maxwell . This part

of the British l ine, however, though it broke the enemy’

s firstl ine

,did not gain much ground ; and the foe still continued

in possession of several guns about the village of A ssye,

from which they flanked the British line when arrived oppositetheir second .

Several of the enemy also coming up from the beds of the

river and other ways, attacked and killed a large proportion

of the artillerymen,amongst whom were four officers. They

also regained possession of many of the guns of their firstline

, which had been taken and passed,

and from themopened a fire of grape on the British rear . The guns, w iththe escort of the 78th . Highlanders

,before mentioned, escaped

and joined the regiment when halted opposite the enemy’ssecond line.The British infantry was now in one line

,the 78th .

regiment still on the left of the whole, and as it had thelongest sweep to make in the wheel , it came up last. Whenthe dust cleared a body of the enemy’s best cavalry was

seen in front of the left flank, purposing to turn it, on

which the left w ing of the 78th . regiment was thrown backat a smal l angle, and preparations were made for openingthe two guns, which at that moment came up .

0

18 M E D ALS or a narrrsH ARM Y.

It is impossible to praise too highly the behaviour of the

infantry at this critical moment . Deprived of the assistanceof their artillery, the enemy

’

s second l ine being untouchedand perfectly fresh in their front

,firing steadily upon them,

flanked by round shot from the right,grape phut ing on the

rear, and cavalry threatening the left . Not a word was heardor a shot fired, al l waiting the orders of the general withthe composure of a field day, amidst a scene of slaughterscarcely to be equalled . This

,however, was not of long da

ration . The British cavalry came up and drove off the bodythat threatened the left, who did not wait to be charged,when M ajor-General Wel lesley ordered the principal part of

the line to attack the front, while the 78th . and 7th . NativeCavalry moved to the rear, and charged the guns which werefiring from thence . T he enemy’s second line immediatelyretired ; one brigade in perfect order

, so much so that it re

pulsed a gallant charge of the 19th . Dragoons, at the head of

which Colonel Maxwel l was kil led .

After being obliged to change front two or three timesunder the fire of grape, the 78th . succeeded in clearing theguns in the rear . The enemy’s light troops

,that had been

out, now came on the ground, and w ere ordered to be at

tacked by the Mysore -Horse, which they did not wait for,

and the firing entirely ceased . About half-past four o’clockthe enemy had set fire to al l their tumbrils, which blew up

in succession, many of them some time later ; and the corps

which had retired in such good order appear soon to have

lost it,for they threw their guns into the river, four of which

were afterwards found, exclusive of ninety-eight left on the

field of battle .Thus terminated the battle of Assye, or Assaye, the firstvictory gained by the Iron Duke in which he commanded in

chief, and one of the most decisive as well as the most desperate

at this period ever fought in India. The British loss was

very great ; of Europeans, killed and wounded, including

artillery and officers, there were upwards of six hundred, and

the natives were estimated at about nine hundred . Assur e

is borne on the colours of the 74th . and 78th . regiments the

T he 19th . Light D ragoons, who had their commanding officer, Lieu

nu rse or ASSYR . 19

former had one hundred and twenty-four killed and two

hundred and seventy wounded, and the latter had twenty-ninekill ed and seventy-six wounded . On the clasp of the medalit is spelt Asaya.

S cindiah’s first minister, who was considered the principal

instigator of the war, and his principal French emeer, ColonelDorson, were kil led, with about one thousand two hundredmen, and three thousand wounded ; such at least was understood afterwards to be their calculation, but as their armywas so much dispersed it must have been an approximation .

Their troops retired about ten miles along the Jooee, unpursuedby the victors, and hal ted there about two hours, when theymoved again towards Adjante, proceeding down that ghant intoCandeish, at which time, from the reports of the people of

the place, they had no guns, nor any body of men thatlooked like a regular battal ion .

At sunset the British collected about the village of Assye,

and lay on their arms al l night, except the cavalry, which,after resting some hours, were sent back to assist in escortingthe baggage ; and about ten in the morning of the 24th .

the troops were encamped on the left bank of the Kaitna,on the ground the column had moved over previous tocrossing the ford into the field of battle . That evening at

sunset the cavalry and one battalion of Native Infantry of

Colonel Stevenson’

s division arrived, and the next morning

(25th . ) the remainder of his force, which a day or two after

wards were ordered to follow the enemy into Candeish, and

to possess themselves of the city of Berhampore and the hill

fort of Asseer Ghur .

tenant-Colone l M axwel l, killed, and the 74th . and 78th . regiments received

honorary colours as stated in note at page 12 . In the latter part of theaction M ajor-General the H onourable Arthur Wel lesley had a horse ki lledunder h im close to the 78th . Nearly all the mounted ofl

‘lcers lost horses,

some having two and even three kil led . No part of the M ysore or

M ahratta al lies were engaged ; their infantry was left w ith the baggage,and the cavalry not being in uniform it was apprehended that mistakesmight have arisen had they been brought into action.

20 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH Arm r .

SIEGE OF A S SE E R GHUR .

2 18T . OCTOB E R,1 803 .

COLONE L ST EVE NSON obtained possession of the city of B er

hampore w ithout opposition on the 15th . of October, 1 803 , andtwo days afterwards marched to A sseer Ghur

,a strong fort in

that vicinity. Having carried the pettah on the 18th . ,he

opened a battery against the fort on the 2oth . ; about an

hour afterwards a white flag was hoisted, which was the signal

that had been agreed upon in case the terms of surrender,offered two days previously, should be accepted ; hostages weresent down, and it was arranged that this important fortressshould be delivered over on the fol lowing morning . This wasthe last of the possessions of Dow lat R ao S cindiah in theDeccan, and the operations Of the troops were subsequentlydirected towards those of the Rajah of Berar . T he casual ties

were trifling, and were confined to the native troops.

BATTLE OF LA SWARRE E .

l sr . NovE M B En,1803 .

ON the 27th . of October, the British advanced against a

div ision of the enemy, formed of two battalions which had

escaped from the wreck at Delhi,and fifteen, which had been

detached from the main army of S cindiah to support GeneralPerron in the early part of the campaign . These troopsamounting to nine thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry,and provided w ith a train of seventy-two pieces of cannon,had been directed to recover possession of Delhi . After greatexertions the British cavalry came up with them about seven

o’clock in the morning of the 1st. of November ; they werediscovered in an excellent position ; their right resting on a

rivulet, their left on the vil lage of L aswarree, or L eswarree,

and their whole front amply furnished wi th a powerful artillery .

Being anxious to prevent their escape, General Lake immedi

ately attacked them with the cavalry alone . The first brigade,

B A T T L E or LABWA R R B E . 2 1

under Colonel Thomas Pakenham Vandelenr,”

Of the 8th .

Dragoons, who fell mortally wounded, charged their lines, anddashed into the village ; but finding that their attacks on themasses of infantry could make no sensible impression

,the

cavalry were w ithdrawn out Of the range of the destructivefire of artil lery which it encountered, in order to wait thearrival Of the infantry and artillery . About eleven o

’clockin the forenoon, the Anglo-Indian infantry arrived

, but after

so long a march, it was absolutely necessary to allow the

men to refresh themselves, and during this interval S cindiah ’

s

forces offered to surrender their guns if certain terms were

conceded .

After a fruitless negotiation, the infantry, which had beenformed into two columns, were ordered to advance to the attack .

T he first Of these headed by the 76th . regiment, under MajorMacleod, was to turn the enemy

’

s right, which since the morn

ing had been thrown back from the rivulet, and to attack the

v il lage of M ohaulpoor, situated between his two lines; whilethe second and a brigade of cavalry were to support them in

the execution of this movement . When the enemy perceivedthe direction of this attack he formed his right en p otent

-e,

and Opened a terrific fire upon the advancing columns. Havingencountered several impediments, the rear divisions were so

retarded in their march,that a considerable interval was oc

casioned between them and the 76th .,which had arrived wi thin

a hundred yards of the foe . In this situation the regiment

was exposed to such a dreadful fire, and was losing so manymen, that the Commander-in-Chief placing himself at its head,led it forward to the attack, supported by only one battal ionand six companies of Sepoys, namely, the second battal ion of

the 12th and six companies of the second battalion of the

l 6th . Bengal Native Infantry .

“A s soon as this handful of heroes, wrote General Lake,were arriv ed within reach of the enemy

’

s canister shot, a

most tremendous fire was opened upon them.

” Their loss was

Colonel Thomas Pakenham Vandeleur rode a celebrated race-horse,of a jet-black colour. Long after the melancholy fate Of h is rider, thishorse kept h is place w ith the regiment, and afterwards became the

.pro

perty of Comet Burrowes, who took great care of h im unti l the regimentleft Ind ia, when he was shot, that he might not fal l into unworthy hands.

22 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y.

so severe, that the enemy’

s cavalry advanced to the charge,

but were gallantly repulsed by this steady and invincible band .

Rallying, however, at a short distance, they assumed so

menacing a posture, that the General directed an attack bythe British cavalry . This was executed with admirable intre

pidity, while the infantry fel l upon the Mahratta l ine, which,after a vigorous resistance, at length gave way . By fouro’clock in the afternoon the work of destruction had ceased .

The British loss amounted to one hundred and seventy-twokill ed

,and six hundred and fifty

-two wounded, while that ofthe enemy was most severe ; his numerous French-offlceredbattalions of infantry— the boasted “Deccan Invincibles”— wereannihilated ; his caval ry dispersed ; and the baggage and camp

equipage, elephants, camels, and bullocks, w ith forty-four

stand of colours, seventy two guns, sixty-four tumbrils of

ammunition, three laden with treasure, and two thousandprisoners, remained in the hands of the victors; five thousandstand of arms were collected on the field .

By this victory, which was mainly gained by the gall antry

of the 76th ., that regiment acquired great honour, and its

“heroicbravery” was borne testimony to in the oflicial despatches.

During this campaign the regiment acquired a gurrah, or

Indian gong of great value, which was afterwards carried

about by the corps; being usual ly planted opposite the guard

room, and a sergeant regularly striking the hours on it.

This decisive action terminated the campaign Of 1803 and

the war with S cindiah, a treaty of peace highly advantageousto the East India Company being concluded on the 3oth . of

December .

H I NDOOS T AN inscribed around the elephant on the colours Of

the 76th ., keeps in remembrance the services of the regiment

in the East at this period . L E BWAB B E E was, however, antho

rized for the gnidons and appointments of the 8th . Hussars,which is the only corps that bears the word . General Lak egained a peerage, being created Baron Lake of Delhi, L eswarree,and Aston Clinton. Several Indian titles were also conferredupon him,

which being translated from the Persian, signifiedSav iour of the State, the hero of the land, the lord of the

age, and the victorious in war.

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24 M E D ALS or T H E B B I T I sH ARM Y.

who carried them on these memorable occasions were at Assye,Sergeant L eavock , paymaster’s clerk

, afterwards quarter-master,and Sergeant John Mc Kenzis

,senior sergeant, and immediately

afterwards quartermaster-sergeant. At Argaum Sergeants L eavock and Grant ; the latter was regimental clerk

, and was sub

sequently promoted to a commission in the 78th . Highlanders.

The regiments Of the crown engaged w ere the 19th . LightDragoons, and the 74th .

, 78th .

, and 94th . regiments. The

European loss was fifteen killed, and one hundred and forty

five wounded ; the native troops had thirty-one kil led and one

hundred and forty-eight w ounded.

SIEGE AND STORM OF GAWI LGHUR .

15TH . DE CEM B E R , 1803 .

An na the victory of Argaum. M ajor-General the Honour

able Arthur Well esley, resolved to loss no time in commencing

the siege of Gawilghur, a strong fort situated on a range of

mountains between the. sources of the rivers Poorna and T ap

tee ; he accordingly marched on, and arrived with bothdivisions at E llichpoor on the 5th . of December

, whence, after

establ ishing an hospital for the men wounded at A rgaum,

both divisions advanced upon Gawilghur, on the 7th of that

month . The heavy ordnance and stores were dragged by hand

over mountains and through ravines, for nearly the wholedistance, by roads which the troops had to make for them

selves. The batteries were opened against the place on themorning of the 1 3 th .

, and the breach of the outer fort being

reported practicable on the foll owing night,the storm took

place on the 15th . of December. All the troops advanced

about ten in the morning, and an entrance was effected

w ithout difficulty . The wall in the inner fort, in which no

breach had been made, had then to be carried ; when Captain Campbel l with the light infantry of the old 94th . escaladed the wall ; opened the gates for the stormers, and the

fort was shortly in their possession . This service was effected

w ith slight loss, but vast numbers of the enemy were killed,especial ly at the different gates. The garrison was numerous,

nE rE NcB OE D E LHI . 25

comprising a great portion of the infantry which had es

caped after the battle of A rgaum, and were al l armed w iththe Company’s new muskets and bayonets.

The 74th . and 78th . had only two men wounded duringthe siege ; the 94th . had three men kil led, and two sergeants

and fifty-one men wounded . The total loss of Europeans

was limited to five killed and fifty-nine wounded ; the Na

tive troops had eight kil led and fifty-one wounded.

This led to a treaty w ith the Rajah of Berar on the 17th .

of December, and on the 3oth . of the same month, peacewas signed w ith S cindiah .

DEFENCE OF DELHI .

OCTOB E R , 1804.

THI S defence Of Delhi by Native troops, under Britishsuperintendence

,presents a striking contrast to that made

by them during the recent Indian Mutiny, against their former instructors in the art of war, and deservedly met w ith

As General Lord Lake advanced upon Muttra, Holkersecretly despatched his infantry and artill ery for the purposeof surprising Delhi, leaving his cavalry to engage the atten

tion of the British Commander . From‘

its great extent and

unprotected stats, B olkar expected an easy conquest : his troops

arrived before the city on the morning of the 8th of Octo

ber . Colonel Ochterlony, the resident, at once made themost judicious preparations for its defence ; his garrison

amounted to nearly two thousand two hundred men, and

consisted entirely of Nativs troops. Lieutenant Colonel Burn,as senior officer, commanded, and the resident’8 time was

fully taken up in preserving peace within the city, withthe M ahomedan population Of Delhi . Lieutenant R ose, withtwo hundred of the 14th . native infantry, one hundred and

fifty irregulars, and a reserve of fifty men and a six-poun

der, mads a sortie during the evening of the l oth . and

succeeded in storming the enemy’s battery, of which he

gained possession, and having spiked the guns, withdrew ,

26 M E D ALS or T H E B B I T I S H A R M Y.

w ith trifling loss. At daybreak on the 14th . of October,under cover of a heavy cannonade

,the enemy assaulted the

Lahore gate , but w ere repulsed,leaving the ladders behind,

which were drawn up over the walls by the Sepoys. Afterthis defeat H olkar

’

s troops became dispirited,and before thefollowing morning, his whole force had retired from the

place . This successful defence by so small a force, was

highly applauded, and it is a circumstance worthy of record,

that as the men could not be frequently relieved, the resi

dent caused provisions and sweetmeats, of which the nativesare speciall y partial, to be distributed to them.

BATTLE OF D E IG .

13TH . NOVE M B E R , 1804 .

T H E British army which had marched from Muttra on the

12 th . of October, arrived at Delhi on the 18th .

, and en

camped under its wal ls. On the 5th . of November the mainbody of the infantry, of which the 76th . was the only King’sregiment, w ith some corps of native cavalry

,and the park

of artillery, proceeded under the command of M ajor GeneralFrazer towards B eig, on the right bank of the Jumna, where

the enemy’s infantry and guns were assembled, Al thoughnumerical ly the fee was superior, it was determined to attackhim, and about daybreak on the 13th . of November, the

action commenced. M ajor General Frazer received a danger

ous wound from a cannon shot, which carried away his

right foot and part of the leg, and resul ted in his deatheleven days after; whereupon the Honourable Colonel Monsonassumed the command . According to the most reliable statements the opposing force consisted of twenty -four battalions,from five to seven hundred men each, a numerous body of

cavalry, and one hundred and sixty guns. In this battle the

76th . acquired additional renown ; its“undaunted bravery and

steadiness” being specially adverted to in the despatches.

About two thousand of the enemy were killed and drownedin attempting to escape . Eighty seven pieces of cannon werecaptured, including some which Colonel M onson had pre

CAPTURE OF D E IG .

v iously lost . Sixty-four Europeans were kil led, and two

hundred and four wounded . The native troops had eightyfour kil led, and three hundred and fourteen wounded .

CAPTURE OF DEIG.

D ECE H B EB , 1804 .

WHEN the troops of Holker fled before the British in the

action of the 13th . of November, the guns of the garrisonof D eig, which belonged to the Rajah of B hurtpore, wereopened upon the pursuers, and the fugitives were sheltered

w ithin the fort. Accordingly an order was issued for theannexation of all his strongholds and territories, to the dominions of the Company ; and the army encamped within ten

mil es of the strong fortress of D eig, on the 3rd . of Decemher. The siege commenced on the 14th . of that month. A

fortification had been erected by the foe on an eminence

named Shah Bourj , or King’s redoubt, which commanded thetown and forts; and the besieged had also entrenched themselves in its front, throwing up batteries in the best situations.

The possession of this eminence being deemed essential , at

half-past eleven o’clock in the night of the 23rd . Of Decemher, the flank companies of H is Majesty’s 22nd. and 76th .

Foot, and those of the 1st. European regiment, and the firstbattalion of the 8th . Native Infantry, were ordered to stormit. In one hour the gallantry of this heroic party had sur

mounted every obstacle, and completely succeeded in theenterprise . The two other columns were equally fortunate,notwithstanding that the enemy

’

s gunners offered a strenuous

resistance ; fighting desperately with their tulwas or swords,and being mostly bayoneted at their posts. About hal f-pasttwelve the moon arose, and enabled the assailants to secure

the guns they had SO nobly captured . An attempt was now

organized for the assaul t Of the citadel, but during the night

of the 24th . it was evacuated ; and on Christmas morningthe British flag was hoisted on the fortress. Considering thenature of the operations the loss was smal l ; consisting of

Europeans, twenty-eight killed, and seventv-sight wounded ;

28 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH A R M Y .

and of natives one hundred and one killed, and one hundred

and S ix w ounded . One hundred guns, sixteen of whichw ere brass, became the trophies of the victors. The flankcompanies of the 22nd .

,and 76th . Foot, represented the

King’s troops on this service .

WAR IN NE PAUL , 1816 .

I N consequence of the Rajah of Nepaul having refused to

ratify the treaty which had been signed by his ambassadors,an army was collected under the command Of M ajor-GeneralS ir David Ochterlony, with a view to coerce thisrefractory ruler. There were three King’s regiments with thisforce : the 24th . belonged to the first brigade

, the 66th . tothe second brigade, and the 87th . Royal Irish Fusiliers tothe third brigade . T he first brigade, commanded by Colonel

Kelly, of the 24th ., was to penetrate by H urryhurpore ; the

second brigade, under Lieutenant-Colonel Nicol, of the 66th . ,

was to enter the hills at R amnuggur, and by a circuitousrouts join S ir David Ochterlony before M uckwanpore . The

third brigade, ,under Lieutenant Colonel Miller, of the 87th .

remained w ith the fourth brigade, (native troops,) under

S ir David Ochterlony , who marched through the forest at thefoot of the Nepaul Hills on the 9th . of February.

The troops, in marching towards their respective points forpenetrating the forest opposite to the entrances of the passesthey were ordered to force, had to proceed with extremecaution, and coul d move on but Slowly, from the impediments,both natural and artificial . Objects of the strangest naturecontinual ly attracted attention . Magnificent trees, covered

w ith fruit, of various unknown species ; birds of rich plumage

but most discordant notes; bands of monkeys,chattering as

the troops marched under the huge trees, in which thesedenizens of the forest had remained undistu rbed for ages,excited the surprise of the soldiers. Great difficu lty was also

experienced in carrying the guns through the forest, which

was accomplished by the personal exertions of each individual .On the 27th . of February, the advance guard arrived at

M uckwanpore, and on the fol lowing day the brigade was or

B ATT LE or KI R KE E . 29

dered to take possession of the heights of S israpore ; an action

ensued, which commenced about noon, and terminated at S ix

o’clock, leaving the British in possession of the heights for

a considerable distance from S ierapore, and of one field-piece .For this affair, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Mil ler, of the

first battalion of the 87th . ,and Lieutenant Fenton, who had

performed very arduous duties, having been placed in charge

of the advanced guard, composed of the light company of

his regiment and those of the native infantry, with two guns,received the public thanks of the authorities in India. The

87th . had ten men kil led and above thirty wounded, severalof whom died. The enemy’s loss

.

was very considerable .Colonel Kel ly, with the first brigade, encountered the R ajah

’

s

troops on the heights of H urryhurpore, on the l et. of March,in which action the 24th . had four privates kill ed, three Offi

cers, one sergeant, and twenty-two privates wounded.

Convinced of the inutil ity of further opposition, the Rajahsued for peace, and a treaty was eventually concluded on the4th . of March, which terminated the war in Nepaul .

BATT LE OF KIRKE E , AND BATTLE AND

CAPTURE OF POONA .

NOVE M B ER,1817 .

ON the 2nd. of November accounts were received of the

Peishwah’s renewed treachery, when the division under Brigadier-General Lionel Smith, C.B .

, was instantly put in motion,and on arrival at Ahmednuggur on the 8th . , it was ascertainedthat the gal lantry of the troops at Poona under LieutenantColonel Burr, Of the 7th . Bombay infantry, had successfullyresisted the Peishwah’s attempt to annihilate them

,in their

position at Kirkee, on the 5th . of November . After someslight skirmishing on the road, the force under BrigadierGeneral Smith, (of which the King

’

s 65th . regiment formeda portion,) joined the Poona brigade at their position on the

13 th . of November, when immediate preparations were madefor attacking the enemy’s camp, which was on the opposite

30 M E D ALS or TH E B R I T I SH AR M Y.

side of the M oottah Moola . The force moved down beforedaybreak on the 14th . of November

, but finding the rivertoo deep to cross, it again encamped . T he ford having beenmore particularly ascertained under some skirmishing and triflingloss, the left wing under the command of Lieutenant-ColonelMi lnes, of the 6sth .

, crossed on the evening of the l 6th . ,in

face of the enemy, whose artillery and matchlocks occasionedconsiderable loss during the passage and advance to a positionon the right of the Peishwah’s camp . The casual ities amountedto fifteen kil led and seventy -six wounded ; the foe leavingabout five hundred on the field.

During the night the Peishwah abandoned his capital , and

moved to the southward . The inhabitants made their sub

mission,and about noon on the 1 7th . Of November

,the British

flag was hoisted on his palace, under a royal sal ute .

The 65th . regiment, for the above and subsequent services,has received authority to bear on its colours and appointmentsthe figure of the Royal Tiger, with the word India -above,and Arabia beneath .

BATTLE OF SE E TABULD E E , AND BATTLE AND

CAPTURE OF NAGPOOR .

NOVEM B E R AND DECE M B ER , 18 1 7 .

W I THOUT any previous declaration of hostil ities, or the

slightest act of aggression on the part of the Indian gov

ernment, the Rajah of Berar attacked the troops at Nagpoor ;

consisting of two w eak battal ions of the Madras NativeInfantry, and three troops of cavalry

,in the evening of

the 26th . November ; and after an action which lasted eighteenhours was repulsed . Lieutenant-Colonel Scott at the requisition of the Resident had taken post on the hill of S eetabul dee,overlooking the city of Nagpoor, when the attack took place,in which the three troops of the 6th . regiment of nativecavalry, and the l st. battalions of the 2oth . and 24th . M a

dras Native Infantry, were highly distinguished .

Re inforcements immediately marched on to the seat of war,of which eight companies of the 2nd . battal ion of the l st .

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32 M E D ALS or TH E B R I T I SH ARM Y.

BATTLE OF M AH E ID PORE .

DECEM B E R , 18 17 .

WHI LE the eighth battalion companies of the R oyals hadbeen engaged at Nagpoor, the two flank companies

,commanded

by Captain Hulme, had shared in the movements of the firstdivision of the army of the Deccan . On the 8th . of Decemberthe troops arrived near M aheidpore, where the army of M ulhar

Rao H olkar, one of the coal esced Mahratta powers against theBritish interests in India, was assembled. After various fruitlessnegotiations the Anglo-Indian troops advanced against theenemy on the morning of the 2 1st. of December, and as theywere crossing the ford of the S oopra river they were exposedto a powerful and concentrated cannonade . About half a

mil e beyond the river stood the troops of H olkar, and afterpassing the stream Brigadier-General S ir John M alcolmproceeded w ith two brigades Of infantry to attack theirleft, and a ruined vil lage situated on an eminence near the

centre . They were completely routed, and in the generalorders of Lieu tenant-General S ir Thomas Hislop, Bart. , Commander-in-Chief of the army of the Deccan,

dated 22nd. Of

December, the charge Of the squadron of the 22nd. LightDragoons

,under Captain Vernon, and the intrepid courage and

animated zeal of the flank companies of the R oyal s underCaptain Hulme, were specially commended. The Royals hadLieutenant Donald M ‘L eod, one sergeant and seven rank and

file killed ; Lieutenants John M ‘Gregor and Charles Campbell, four sergeants, one drummer, and twenty-seven men

wounded .

In commemoration of the conduct of the flank companies

the word “M AH E I DROR E was au thorized to be inscribed on

the regimental colours of the Royals.

WAR I N AN . 33

DEFENCE OF CORYGAUM .

1 313. JANUARY, 1818 .

THI S eminent service was confined to the Company’s troops.

The Peishwah having advanced towards Poonah , Colonel Burr,commanding in that city, requested a reinforcement from S eroor ;accordingly Captain Staunton, of the second battal ion l st. regi

ment of Bombay Native Infantry, was despatched with thatcorps, barely six hundred strong

,a few Madras artillery

, w ithtwo Six-pounders

,and about three hundred auxiliary horse .

The Peishwah’s army, estimated at twenty thousand horse and

about eight thousand infantry, was encamped on the rightbank of the B semah , above the village of Corygaum. CaptainStaunton, upon coming in Sight of this overwhelming force, onthe 1st. of January, immediately moved upon Corygaum,

and

had scarcely succeeded in reaching the v il lage, when he was

attacked by three divisions of infantry , supported by immensebodies of horse, and two pieces of artillery . The enemy oh

tained immediate possession of the strongest posts of the village ;and the remaining position was most obstinately contested fromnoon until nine at night, after a fatiguing march of twentyeight mil es. Ultimately the enemy was forced to abandon thevi llage

, after sustaining great loss. During the night of the2nd.

, the detachment returned unmolested to S eroor, which

was reached at nine o’clock on the following morning, withouthaving partaken of any refreshment since the evening of the

3 1st. of December. Nearly al l the wounded were brought in ,

and both the guns, and the colours of the regiment were

WAR IN AVA .

1824 To 1826 .

T H E repeated acts of aggression Of the Burmese governors

T he fol lowing officers were engaged in th is brill iant affair — .Madrae

A rtillery .— Lielrtenant Chisholm, ki l led ; Assistant-S urgeon Wylie. 2na.

B a ttalion l st. R egiment B ombay Native I nfantry —Captain S taunton ; L ieutenant and Adjutant Pattinson, d ied of wounds ; Lieutenant Conne l lan,wounded ; Lieutenant Jones, l oth . regiment, doing duty w ith the 2nd . bat

tal ion l st. regiment ; Assistant-S urgeon Wingate, kil led . A uxiliary H orse.

L ieutsnant Swanston, M adras E stablishment, wounded .

D

34 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH ARM Y.

in the country adjacent to the British terri tory, at lengthrendered it necessary to demand an explanation from theCourt of A va. This terminated by a mutual declaration of

war, and troops were assembled to penetrate the Burmeseempire . H is Majesty

’

s 13th . and 3 8th . regiments, and two

companies of artillery, and the 4oth . Native Infantry, amounting

to two thousand one hundred and seventy-five men, proceededfrom Bengal , while H is Majesty’s 41st . and 89th . Foot

,the

M adras European regiment, and the 9th . , 12th ., 28th .

,and

3oth . Madras Native Infantry, and artillery embarked fromMadras,— making in al l eleven thousand four hundred and

seventy -fiv e men . The troops from Bengal embarked in Apriland M ay, T o occupy Rangoon and the country at

the mouth of the Irrawaddy was the first object . BrigadierGeneral S ir Archibald Campbell w ith his troops took possession

of Rangoon on the 12th . of M ay, without the loss of a man ;

and Cheduba, on the A rracan coast, was also captured by

storm on the 1 7th . of M ay, by a detachment under BrigadierGeneral M e Creagh, of the 13th . Light Infantry, three companiesof the regiment being employed on this service .Meanwhile the Burmese army continued in great force inthe vicinity of Rangoon, under the fortifications of wood calledstockades, and of the dense jungle which covered the country.

In carrying the Stockades w ithout ladders on the 28th . of M ay ,

portions of the 13th . and 38th . regiments were special ly noticed .

On the l oth . of June Kemmendine was assau l ted ; when

about two miles from the town, the head of the column

was stopped by a strong S tockade, full of men, againstwhich the artillery opened fire, and in hal f an hour a breachwas made . The 41st . and part of the Madras European regi

ment, stormed the works in front ; and the detachments of the13th . and 38th . assau lted the rear face, which w as ten feeth igh . The soldiers being encouraged and animated by theSpirited conduct of Major (afterwards S ir Robert) Sale, who was

the first on the top, cl imbed the works, one helping another

Add itional troops proceeded from M adras in the autumn, and beforethe close of the year H is M ajesty’

s 47 th . , w ith the govemor-gcneral’

s

body-guard , had joined the expedition, wh ich then amounted to aboutth irteen thousand men.

WAR IN AVA .

up, and entering simul taneously w ith the party by the breach,they bayoneted every man that Opposed them.

This point being gained, the column advanced about a

mil e, and at four o’clock in the afternoon took up a position

against the principal stockade . Batteries were erected during

the night, and the artil lery Opened a heavy fire at daylight,when the Burmese forsook their works and fled.

An attack was made upon the British pickets on the l st.

of July, which was repulsed . The Burmese position in the

rear of the great pagoda was assaulted on the 5th . of July,and a general attack was made on the 8th . of that month ,one column advancing by land

,under Brigadier -General

M ‘B ean, whil e the other column proceeded by water. Major

Wahab, with the Native Infantry, landed and immediatelyattacked the breach ; Lieutenant Colonel Henry Godwin, of the

4 l st.,entered the work higher up by escalade ; Major Sale en

countered the B urmess commander-ia-chief in the works, and

Slew him in single combat, taking from him a valuable goldhil ted sword and scabbard . Eight hundred of the enemy werekilled on this occasion, and thirty-eight pieces of ar till ery,forty swivels, and three hundred muskets were captured .

The terror of these attacks caused the Burmese troops toremove to a greater distance ; and the difi cul t character of

the country, rainy weather, inundations, and the necessity forprocuring a large supply of provisions before the army ad

vanced, detained the British some time in the neighbourhoodof R angoon . An expedition was sent on the 1 1th . of October against Martaban on the Salucu river, under the commandof Lieutenant Colonel Godwin, of H is M ajesty’s 4 l st. regiment, and the place was captured on the 3oth . of that month .

Meanwhil e the Burmese recovered from the consternationinto which they had been thrown, and a veteran chief

,

named Maha B andoola, being appointed their commander, heapproached the British position on the 1st. of December, withupwards Of fifty thousand foot, a body of Cassay horse, and

three hundred pieces of artillery, and commenced formingentrenchments. Major Sale advanced against the left of the

Burmese l ine with two hundred of the 1 3th . Light Infantry,

under Major D ennis, and two hundred and fifty of the 1 8th .

36 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH ARMY .

Native Infantry, under Captain R OS S, and stormed the en

trenchments in sight Of the whole army. The soldiers of the

1 3th . led the charge with great intrepidi ty they burstthrough the entrenchments, and overcame all opposition ; thisexample was followed by the native infantry, when the B urmese fled, and the British troops returned to their posts ladenwith trophies.

This victory was fol lowed by another over the left wingof the Burmese army, on the 5th . of December . The firstadvantage was foll owed up, the enemy was overthrown, and

of the three hundred pieces of ordnance which they had in

position, two hundred and forty were brought into the Britishcamp .

‘

On the 7th . of December the trenches were assaul ted infour columns of attack, under the superintendencs of Lieutenant-Colonel Miles, the second in command, and led byLieutenant-Colonels Mal let, (both of the Barlby,Brodie, and Captain Wilson, Of the 38th . regiment. :A t a

quarter before twelve every gun that would bear upon the

breaches opened fire. M ajor Sale at the same time made a

diversion on the enemy’s left and rear. At noon the can

nonade ceased, and the columns moved forward to theirpoints of attack, when the total defeat Of B andeolah

’

s armyensued, his loss being estimated at five thousand men .

In an attack on the enemy’s corps of observation, on the

Dalla side of the river, on the 9th . of December,the 89th .

regiment highly distinguished itself.

Ral lying his broken legions, the Burmese commander called

reinforcements to his aid, and took up another position,which he fortified with great labour and art . These formi

dable works were attacked on the 15th . of December, when

two hundred of the 13th .,under M ajor Sale, with three

“All th eir artil lery, stores, and reserve depots, which had cost themso much labour to get up, w ith a great quantity of smal l arms, giltchattahs, standards, and other troph ies fel l into our hands. Never was

v ictory more complete or decided, and never was the triumph of dis

cipl ine and valour, over the d isjointed efforts of irregular courage andinfinitely superior numbers, more conspicuous. M ajors D ennis and

Thornh ill , of the 13th . Light Infantry, and M ajor Gore, of tire 89th . ,

were d istinguished by the stead iness w ith which they led their men.

”

B rigadier General S ir A . Campbell’

s despatch.

WAR IN AN . 37

hundred of the 18th . and 34th . Madras Native Infantry,formed the right column of attack under Brigadier General

(afterwards S ir Willoughby) Cotton ; this made a detourround the enemy’s left to gain the rear of his position at

Kokien, which was to be attacked in front by another column.

S ir Archibald marched with the left column , which consistedof five hundred Europeans, from the 3 8th .

,4 1st. , 89th . , and

Madras European Regiment, w ith portions of native infantry,to attack the foe in front. Of this column two divisions

were formed, the command of one being given to Lieu tenantColonel Miles, of the 89th .

,and the other to M ajor Evans,

of the 28th . Madras Native Infantry. On arriving in frontof the position it presented a very formidable appearance ;but when the signal was given, the soldiers rushed forward,and in less than fifteen minutes they were in ful l possessionof these stupendous works. M ajor Sal e received a severe

wound in the head, and was succeeded by M ajor D ennis,

who al though wounded in the hand, continued at the head of

the 13th . regiment until the action -was over . The Burmese

after a short resistance, fled in a panic, leaving their camp

standing, and abandoning all their baggage, together with a

great portion Of their arms and ammuni tion .

The British casual ties amounted to three lieutenants, one

jemadar, two sergeants, and twelve rank and fil e kill ed ; twomajors, three captains, six l ieutenants, two ensigns, one snbadar,

one jemadar, five sergeants, one drummer, and ninety-one rankand file wounded .

These successes, connected with those of the royal navy,had produced important resul ts; the maritime provinces of

Mergui , Tavoy, Yeb, and Martaban,had been captured

,and

seven hundred pieces of artillery had been taken from the

Burmese. Lieutenant Colonel Elrington, with a smal l detachment, consisting of a portion of the 47th . with some seamenand marines, carried by storm the factory and stockades of

Syriam on the 1 1th . and 12th . of January, 1825 . T o wrestaddi tional territory from the court of Ava, Major Sale proceededagainst the city of Bassein, in the south-west part of the ancient kingdom of Pegu, which constituted part of the Burmeseempire. The troops

, after a tedious passage, arrived in the

38 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH AR MY .

evening of the 24th . of February,Off Pagoda Point, Great Ne

grais. On the 26th . the expedition entered the river, and the

13th ., 3 8th . , and 12 th . Native Infantry landed and captured

a stockade . The force afterwards re embarked, and proceeded

to the next stockade, which the B urrness abandoned as the

soldiers went on shore to storm the works; so great was

their consternation, that the city of Bassein was set on fire

and abandoned, the enemy retiring on D onabew .

Brigadier-General Cotton, in the interim, with a detached

force, of which the 47th . and 89th . regiments formed

a part, had attacked the pagoda stockade in advance of

D onabew ,on the 7th . of March . The troops were formed in

two columns, under Lieu tenant Colonel O’ Donaghue, 47th .,

and Major Basden, 89th . regiment. Al l were exposed to a

heavy fire, which was kept up to the last, with greater spirit

and perseverance than was usual . The operations against the

second defence, di stant about five hundred yards from the pa

goda stockade, w ere not successful, and the force was re-em

barked on the 18th ., after the enemy

’

s cannon had been spikedand his arms destroyed .

Meanwhile, a force Of eleven thousand men, under B rigadier-General Morrison

,of the 44th . , of which that regiment

and the 54th . formed a portion, had been assembled at Chit

tagong towards the end of September of the preceding year,moved forward early in January, in order to penetrate through

A tracan and across the moun tains into Ava, where it was

to effect a junction w ith the army at Rangoon . The firstattack at A rracan, on the 29th . of March, failed, owingprincipally to a dense fog, which prevented the great strengthOf the position from being discovered . On the night of the3 l st, Bri gadier R ichards proceeded by a circuitous route, and

gained the summit of the range unperceived ; and on themorning of the 1st. Of April the Burmese w ere attacked inflank, while the front was assail ed by the main body. In a

Short time the heights were abandoned, and Arracan was

gained .

D onabew was taken possession of by S ir Archibald Campbel lon the 2nd . of April ; Maha B andoolah having been kil led bya rocket, the other chiefs could not prevail on the garrison

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40 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH ARM Y.

the formidable position occupied by the enemy’s centredivision on the Napades Hills. Arriving in the vicinity,the British artillery commenced a sharp cannonade ; Brigadier

General E lrington’

s troops drove the enemy from the jungle,and six companies of the 87th . Royal Irish Fusil iers carriedthe posts at the bottom of the ridge ; the Burmese were

driven from the val ley to their principal works on the hil ls,which appeared very formidable ; as the heights could only be

ascended by a narrow road, commanded by artillery, and de

fended by stockades crowded with men armed with muskets.

When the artill ery had made an impression on the w orks,the 1sth . and 38th . regiments, the latter leading, rushed intothem, overthrew all Opposition with the bayonet, and forced the

B urmese from hil l to hil l , over precipices that could only be

ascended by a narrow stair, until the whole of the positionnearly three miles in length, was captured . Scarcely a shot

was fired in return to the enemy’s continued vol leys, and the

six companies of the 87th . advancing through the jungle tothe right, drove everything before them on that side .

On the,

5th . of December the enemy’s right wing was

driven from its post. The division employed under BrigadierGeneral Cotton consisted of two hnndrsd and fifty of the

Royal Regiment, two hundred and sev enty of the 41st. , two

hundred and sixty of the 89th ., the light company of the

2 8th . Madras Native Infantry, and one hundred pioneers.The immense army of A va was thus forced from its positions,and the Burmese legions sought safety in flight. After this

success the army continued to advance ; the Burmese evacuated

M eeaday, and took post at M el loon, at the same time they

renewed their ofi'

ers for terminating the war ; but this ap

peared to be with the view of gaining time to re-organizetheir forces for a more determined resistance .

T he conditions of peace not being ratified by the stipulatedtime, hostilities were resumed on the 19th . of January, 1826,on which day the 13 th . and 38th . regiments embarked in

boats under Lieutenant Colonel Sale, to assaul t the main face

of the enemy’s fortifications at M elloon. At the same time

B rigadier-General Cotton, w ith the flank companies of the

4 7th . and 87th . regiments, and the 89th .

, under Lieutenant

war In an . 41

Colonel Hunter Blair, the 41st. regiment and the 18th . Madras

Native Infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel Henry Godwin,commanding the first brigade of Madras troops, and the 28th .

Madras Native Infantry, with the flank companies of the 43rd.

Madras Native Infantry, under L ieutenant-Colonel Barlby,were to cross above M el loon, and, after carrying some out

works, were to attack the northern face of the principal

work . The whole of the boats quitted the shore together ;but the current and breeze carried the 13th . and 38th . totheir point of attack before the other divisions coul d reach theopposite bank of the river

, and Lieutenant-Colonel Sal e waswounded in his boat ; but the two regiments landed, formedunder the command of Major Frith, of the s8th .

, (who was

w ounded in the assaul t, ) and rushed forward w ith such ia

trepidi ty that they speedily became masters of these formidableworks. When Brigadier-General Cotton saw that they werecarried, he ordered the brigade under Lieutenant Colonel Blair,of the 87th . , to cut in upon the enemy

’

s line of retreat,which was performed w ith much efl

'

ect.

On the 28th . of January, the 87th . , w ith the flank com

panies of the 28th . Native Infantry, and detachments of the

Governor General ’s body guard and artill ery, under BrigadierHunter Blair, were sent from Tongwyn , to attack the positionof Moulmein, eleven miles distant. The position, being a

great annoyance to the surrounding country, was destroyed,and the troops returned to camp the same evening.

The army advanced upon the Burmese capital, and the

legions of Ava resolved once more to try the fortune of war .

They met the British in the open fields near Pagahm M ew ,

where an action took place on the 9th . of February. The

1 3th . Light Infantry led the right attack, supported by the38th . and 89th . regiments. That on the left was supportedby the 4 l st. Part of the Burmese troops, broke by the

38th .,retired into a well -constructed field-work, but were so

closely pursued that they had not time to form for its defencehere from three to four hundred of them perished either bythe bayonet or plunging into the river to escape . The resul twas another defeat to the enemy.

After this victory the army continued its advance upon

42 menu s or run B R IT I SH annr .

Ummcrapoora, the capital, situated upon the shores of a

beautiful lake ; and when w ithin four days’ march of thatcity the king of Ava sent the ratified treaty, paying theexpenses of the war, and rel inquishing a considerable portionof territory. I n one of the conferences the negotiators hadobjected to the payment of money, and stated, that by usinggreat economy, they might furnish a mill ion baskets of ricew ithin a year, but they did not grow rupees; and if theBritish had any objection to the rice, there was abundanceof fine trees in the forests, which they might cut down and

take away in lieu of the money .

On the conclusion of this campaign, the foll owing statementappeared in general orders —

“While the Governor General inCouncil enumerates, with sentiments of unfeigned admiration,the 1sth .

, 38th . , 4 l st. , 89th . , 47th . , l st. , (or Royals,) 87th .,

and 45th . regiments, the Honorable Company’s M adras Euro

pean regiment, and the Bengal and Madras European artil lery,as the European troops who have had the honour of establ ishingthe renown of the British arms in a new and distant region,H is Lordship in Council feels that higher and more justly

merited praise cannot be bestowed on those brave troopsthan that, amidst the barbarous hosts whom they have fought

and conquered, they have eminently displayed the v irtues,and sustained the character, of the British

In the same general orders it was announced that “M edals also,hearing a suitable dev ice. are to be d istributed to the native troops wh ichat any period during the war, w ere employed under the command of

M ajor-General S ir Arch ibald Campbell , including the ofllcers and men of

the gunboats serv ing in the Irrawaddy .

” Th is medal, also designed byW il liam Wyon, E sq , contained on the obverse a quaint device—theAsiatic elephant crouch ing to the British Lion. It was not conferred on

the regiments of the Crown, and therefore does not come w ith in the

scope of th is work . When the medal for serv ices in India from 1803 to

1826 was authorized, a bar inscribed AVA was granted .

T he l st . , 13th . , 88th . , 4l st. , 44th . , 4oth . , 47 th . , o4th . , s7th , and 89th .

King’s regiments were permitted to bear the word AVA on their colours,

in commemoration of their gal lantry during this service.

SIEGE AND STORM OF BHURTPORE .

JANUARY, 1826 .

B ammo Smen had become attached to the British govern

ment, w ith which he formed an alliance offensive and defensive,and procured a guarantee for the succession of his youthful

son, Bhulwunt Singh, to the throne ; but among many of

the rajah’s subjects a strong feeling of hostil ity to the Britishexisted, particularly in the army, and his nephew , D oorjun

Sal , headed a party opposed to the all iance . After the rajah’sdecease his nephew gained possession of the capital , and as

sumed the sovereign power . S ir David Ochterlony assembled

a force (of which the 59th . formed part) and marched on

B hurtpore ; but the government hav ing disapproved of the

measures taken, the troops returned to Cawnpore . S ir Davidin consequence resigned, and died at Meerut in July, 1825,his decease being, it is considered, hastened by this event.

It was, however, afterwards determined to carry into effectthe engagements entered into with the late rajah, by placinghis son on the throne . An army was assembled under GeneralLord Combermere, the Commander-in -Chief in India, and thesiege of the capital, the fortified city of Bhurtpore, was determined upon . Great confidence was placed by the nativesin the strength of this place, the fort being upwards of five

miles in circumference, and having, in 1805, withstood fourattacks of Lord Lake’s army

, wherein were five king’s regi

ments, which had been repu lsed w ith great loss.

On the l oth . and 1 1th . of December, 1825 , the Britishappeared before this celebrated city and fortress. The armyamounted to twenty-five thousand three hundred men

, of

which H is Majesty’s 1 1 th . and l 6th . Light Dragoons, and the14th . and 59th . regiments formed part, the remainder beingmade up of Native corps. The gan i son was nearly equalin numbers to the besieging force . The Bhurtporees had

cut a sluice into the embankment of a lake near the

town, to fill the ditch round the works with water, butthey were speedily driven from the spot ; the sluice was

44 u nm ns or run R R r'rrsx AR M Y .

stopped, and the embankment was turned into a militarypost, whi ch was entrusted to a company of the i 4th . Footand some sepoys. About eighteen inches of water only hadflowed into the ditch, and this sudden seizure of the em

bankment facilitated the progress of the siege by keepingthe ditch nearly empty , and thus prevented the enemy fromfil ling it w ith water, as was done in Lord Lake’s time . Theseveral corps took up their ground, and the investment became complete, orange and date trees from the groves beingconverted into fascines and gabions.

At an early hour on the morning of the 24th . of December,the fires of two batteries were opened on the town ; additional

works were constructed, the batteries became more numerous,

and the siege was prosecuted with vigour . It was, however,found extremely difi cult to effect practicable breaches in the

pecul iarly-constructed wal ls of B hurtpore, as they were inmany places thickly studded with large trees of a very toughdescription of timber, which offered a remarkable resistanceto shot. T he process of mining was adopted ; several eXplo

sions took place, and the resul t soon rendered it evidentthat the horrors of an assaul t were drawing near . Greatbravery and perseverance were ev inced by the garrison ; theyexposed themsel ves resolutely to the fire of besiegers, and

bui l t up in the night the works which were knocked downduring the day, labouring under a ceaseless fire, and evincinga firm determination to persevere in the defence .Considerable progress having been made towards efl

'

ecting

practicable breaches, it was determined to attempt the storming

of the place on the morning of the 18th . of January, 1826,the explosion of the mine under the north east angle beingthe signal for the assaul t. The i 4th . and 59th . regimentsheaded the two attacks, and they were directed to wheel as

soon as they had entered the breaches, one to the right andthe other to the left, and, continuing their career round the

ramparts, to drive the enemy before them till they met.Some delay occurred in the mine

, and the soldiers stood

seven hours anxiously waiting for the moment to commence

the assaul t, during which time the thunder of the artil lery

was tremendous. The mine having exploded in an unexpected

srRe R or RnUR 'rronn. 45

directi on, several men of the 14th . ,at the head of the column

of attack, were kil led, and Brigadier-General John M ‘Combe,

(of that regiment,) and other oflicers received severe contusions.

A s soon as the tremendous crash was over the troopsrushed through the cloud of smoke and dust, and commencedascending the breach, and, the summit, after some Opposition,was gained . Here a short pause ensued from the native corpsappointed to support not being near, when the enemy openeda heavy fire from the buildings near the breach, and spranga mine, which kill ed several of the soldiers. The Bhurtpore

artillerymen fought with great desperation, and the defenders

of the walls exhibited much bravery ; but in two hours the

whole rampart surrounding the town, together w ith thecommand of the gates, w ere in possession of the British .

The citadel surrendered about four o’clock, and the 14th .

(at the head of which the Commander-in-Chief entered it,)was placed there in garrison, as a compl iment to the gal

lantry of the corps.

General Viscount Combermere , G.O.B . in his despatchstated,

“I must particularly remark the behaviour of H is

Majesty’s 14th . regiment, commanded by Major Everard, and

the 59th . ,commanded by Major Ful ler ; these corps, having

led the columns of assault, by their steadiness and determinationdecided the events of the day .

”H is lordship also specially

adverted to the services rendered by Brigadier, new General

S ir James Wall ace S leigh, commanding the cavalry ;the general good and active conduct of the cavalry , and the

spirited manner in which they had volunteered their services

when it was anticipated (before the arri val of the l st.

European regiment) to employ them in the storm were also

mentioned .

”

Considering the service on which the troops had been em

ployed the casual ties were comparatively few ; of Europeans

In consequence of the scarcity of European infantry with the infantry ,it was deemed necessary to cal l for volunteers from the cavalry, eachKing’

s regiment to furnish three officers and eighty rank and file. Th isnumber was at once obtained . T he oflicers

'

names were Captain B rowne,Lieutenant W indus, and Cornet Pearson, of the 1 1th . D ragoons andCaptain Lnard, and Lieutenants M e Conchy and Walker, of the l 6th .

Lancers. Viscount Combermere had formerly served in the latter regiment.

46 M E D ALS or run B R I T I SH ARM Y .

and natives killed there were one hundred and three, and

wounded four hundred and sixty-six . The enemy’

s loss was

estimated at seven thousand .

Thus was accompl ished the capture of this city, regardedthroughout the East as impregnable, the natives being ac

customed to remark that India was not subdued becauseBhurtpore had not fallen . The usurper D oorjnu Sal was

captured while attempting to escape, and the young Rajahwas placed on the throne . The 14th . had Brigadier-GeneralEdwards and Captain Armstrong kill ed, and the 59th . lost

Captain Pitman, and had Major Ful ler and other oflicers

wounded .

The state of the Burmese war at this period rendered it of

the highest importance that B hurtpore should be captured, as

a failure in that object would have paralyzed British domination in the E astfi’

B B UB T POB E was authorised by the Sovereign to be borne on

the standards and colours of the 1 1th . and l 6th . LightDragoons, and the 14th . and 59th . regiments.

Lord Combermere, whose earl iest services had been con

nected with the siege of Seringapatam,in 1 799, and who

had commanded the British cavalry during the Peninsularwar, under Wellington, was made a Viscount for this capture .

THE INDIAN WAR ME DAL, 1799-1826 .

a s medal , the design of which is extremely chaste and

beautiful , has on the obverse the Queen’

s head, w ith the

inscription VI CTOR I A RE GI NA , similar to the Crimean and othermedals . The artist, the late Will iam Wyon

, E sq .

,1 R .A .,

From the 24ih . of D ecember, 1825, to the 18th . of January, 1826, theexpend iture of shot and shel ls during the twenty-six days was as fol lowsS hot shel ls shrapnel ls grape 693, case 404, carcasses

4 ; in al l

1 l have to express my great obligations to his son, Leonard C. Wyon,E sq . , who was appointed modeller and engraver to H er M aj esty

’s M int

in 1852, the title of ch ief engraver hav ing been d iscontinued . Th isgentleman has most k ind ly furnished me w ith descriptions of the severalmedals, and is the designer of those struck for the second Burmese war,the Baltic and Kaflir campaigns, and the Ind ian mutiny . When it is

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I ND I AN WAR M E D AL . 47

was the chief engraver to the R oyal Mint from the latterportion of George the Fourth’s reign until his decease in185 l , and is considered the most accomplished medal list of

modern times. He has represented the figure of Victory, on

the reverse , as seated, considering that quiet posture themost fitting to commemorate serv ices long past, the medalnot being engraved until 1850. In her left hand is a laurelwreath, and in her right an ol ive branch . A lotus-flower,"I

emblematic of India, is at her side, a trophy of Orientalarms and a palm-tree forming the back-ground . It is superscribed To TH E AR MY or IND I A ; in the exergue 1 799 -1826 .

The ribbon is pale blue . The various services specified at

page 1 , are commemorated by clasps. On those belonging tothe medal from which the engraving has been made are the

words A Lu onUR, BATT LE or D am, and CAPTUR E or Dare ; the

medal granted to the Duke of Wellington contained bars forA ssYR, A B GAUM ,

and GAW I LGHUR .

considered that there is a great restriction to the same class of designs,such as figures of Victory or B ritannia, the merit of such meda ls as the

above, and those for the Kafl‘ir campaigns and Ind ian mutiny, can be

better appreciated . T he Crimean M edal is by Benjamin Wyon, E sq . ; andthat for Waterloo is by Thomas Wyon, E sq . , Jun. , who was ch ief engraverto the mint at the time of the great re-coinage in 1816. H e was a youngman of great promise, but d ied at the early age of twenty-five . BenjaminWyon, h is brother, was an eminent medal list, and succeeded h is father,M r. Thomas Wyon, as ch ief engraver of H is M ajesty’s seals in 1830.

H e d ied in 1858 . T he Peninsu lar War M edal and others engraved in

th is work for Ind ian services, are by M r. W il liam Wyon, w ith the exceptionof that for the first capture of Ghuznee in 1839, and that for Jel lalabad,of the mural crown pattern.

Prior to the Indian mutiny the lotus-dower was circulated amongstthe native regiments of Bengal as a symbol of conspiracy. A ccord ing to

the interpretation of the H indoo priests, the lotus rising from the water

is typical of the world issuing from the ocean of time. T he goddess

A steria ( or Justice) is depicted in Egyptian M ythology as rising themth is flower ; and in representations of the Judgment of the D ead , the lotusof know ledge, or tree of life, the great serpent, the vase of nectar, and the

table of ambrosia, emb lems of Parad ise, are introduced before Osiris, who,clad in the wh ite habiliments of the grave, w ith a red gird le, sits upona throne of black and wh ite spots, emb lematic of good and ev i l . T he

figures of Buddha at the Ind ian M useum, now in Wh itehal l Yard, have a

lotus-flower in the left hand . It is cul tivated by the Buddh ist priestsand placed in vases in the ir temples, and the veneration of the Chineseextends also to th is sacred flower. In the new Ind ian Order, recentlyinsti tuted, the lotus is prominently introduced .

menu s or T H E B R IT I SH ARMY.

FIRST AFFGHAN CAM PAIGN .

1839 .

SHAH SooJ AH -oon-M oonx had been driven from the throneof Af ghanistan, and his kingdom divided among severalchiefs. A Persian army besieged Herat, on the Afl

'

ghan

frontier, and the court of Persia claimed an extensive portionof territory, which, lying between India and Persia, appearedto menace the safety of the British dominions in the EastIndies. These circumstances, and the unprovoked attack madeon a British ally, R unjeet Singh, by Dost M ahomed Khan,occasioned a tripartite treaty to be concluded between theBritish, R nngeet Singh, and Shah Soojah, for the purposeof effecting the restoration of the dethroned monarch, and a

British force designated the “AR M Y or m e INDUs,”was as

sembled to effect this object. I n addition to the native corps,

it comprised the 4th . and i 6th . Dragoons, (the cavalrybeing commanded by the late Lieutenant-General S ir Joseph

Thackw ell , then Major-General ,) and the 2nd. , 13th .,

and 1 7th . regiments of the regu lar army. The Bengal column

was placed under M ajor-General S ir Willoughby Cotton,and the Bombay one under M ajor-General Willshire . GeneralS ir Henry Fane was to have commanded the whole, but on

information being received in October, 1838, that the siege of

Herat had been raised by the Persian monarch, who had

marched therefrom towards his capital , the force was reduced,and the second Bengal division was left at Ferozepore . Lieutenant-General S ir John (afterwards Lord) Keane, was conse

quently appointed to the command .

The plan of operations was thus arranged z— Major-General

S ir Will oughby Cotton was to march near Scinde,throu g h

the Bolan Pass to Candahar, and proceed thence to Ghuznee

and Cabool . The B ombay division of the army commenced

its march from the mouth of the Indus, through the countryoccupied by the Ameers of Scinde, who, refusing permission

for the troops to pass through their territory, a passage had tobe efl

'

ected by force . Hyderabad, the capital , was captured ;

rrnsr AFFGH AN CAM PA I GN . 49

Kurrachee was occupied ; and the Ameers were brought tosubmission early in February, 1839 . T he army then continuedits march, passed the Indus on a bridge of boats near thefortress of B ukkur, (which had been delivered up as a placeof arms during the war in Atfghanistan,) and entered uponre gions never before traversed by British troops, but whichare interesting from their association with the operations and

reverses of Al exander the Great .Advancing from Shikarpore the troops arrived in the middle

of M arch, at Dadut , situated a few miles from the BolanPass, through which they marched between mountains coveredw ith snow . In these w ild regions bands of B eloochees lurkedto avail themselves of every opportunity to follow their predatory habits

, and they murdered several camp followers, and

plundered some baggage . Issuing from this gloomy defile of

more than fifty miles in length,the army entered the Dush

i-be-doulut, or the unhappy desert,and hal ted a short time

at Quettah, situated in the centre of the val ley of Shawl, of

which it is the capital . Supplies of prov isions could not be

procured in these sterile regions ; the issue of grain for thehorses ceased

,the soldiers were placed upon half rations,

the native followers upon quarter, and several men, who

were searching for forage at a distance from the camp, weresacrificed by the natives, who availed themselves of everyOpportunity of destroying small parties .

All these hardships were borne with fortitude, and in theearly part of April the army commenced its march through thevale of Shawl ; it descended the picturesque height of Kotulinto the valley of Koochl ak ; forded rivers; traversed a difficultcountry spangled w ith flowers of every hue, some of which rc

minded the soldiers Of their own distant home ; and passedthe height of Kozak, where the men had to drag the artil leryover the precipice with ropes. Surmounting every obstacle

with patient perseverance, the troops continued to press for

ward ; the rulers of Affghanistan, struck with dismay, fled

from the capital , leaving the country to the Sovereign whomthe British were advancing to restore . A s the army pro

ceeded on its way , various classes of individuals tendered theirsubmission, and on the 2 7th . of April it arrived at Candahar,

50 M E D ALS or TH E B R I T I SH ARMY.

the capital of western Afl'

ghanistan, where provisions and t e

pose were obtained . The tents were pitched in the grassymeadows, among enclosures covered with crops of grain. The

watery exhalations from the low grounds however proved injurions to the health of the men, and the great heat expe

rienced in the tents, with a saline impregnation in the water,augmented the number of the sick .

CAPTURE OF GHUZNE E .

23 RD . JULY,1839 .

BR E AKI NG up from Candahar on the 27th . of June, to reducethe remainder of the Shah’s dominions to obedience

,the army

advanced along a valley of dismal sterility to the Turnukriver ; then proceeding up the right bank, traversed the countryof the Western Ghilzees, and arrived on the 2 l st. of Julybefore Ghuznee, a strong fortress garrisoned by three thousandAfl

'

ghans, under Prince Mahomed Hyder Khan,who were well

provided with stores, and had determined on a desperate defence, having blocked up every gate with masonry excepting one .

Not having a battering train of sufficient power to proceedby the regul ar method of breaching the walls, LieutenantGeneral S ir John Keane resol ved to storm the place w ithoutdelay, and a reconnoisance was made on the 2 l st. of July

,

when it was determined to blow open the gate, and accordinglyduring the night of the 22nd . of July a quantity of gunpowderwas secretly brought to the one not blocked up with masonry,which was to be destroyed by an explosion before daylight on

the following morning .

T o the 13th . Foot was assigned the duty of covering the

operations, in blowing open the gate, and they paraded at

two o’clock, e .m. Three hundred pounds of gunpowder (intwelve sand-bags) were used for this purpose . The regimentproceeded in advance of the storming party to the causeway

of the gate under cover of the darkness of the night, and

the fire of the batteries of the assailants, six men of theleading company being told off to assist in carrying thepowder-bags. On reaching the causeway, the 13 th . extended

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M E D ALS OF T H E B R I T I SH ARM Y.

capital of Eastern Afl'

ghanistan, in the direction of which citythe British forces immediately advanced .

Dost Mahomed Khan, the ruler of the country, assembled a

formidable host in position near Ughundee ; but ascertainingthat his soldiers had resolved to abandon him,

he fled with abody of select cavalry, leaving his artill ery in position ; and

the British army advancing to the capital, replaced ShahS oojah -ool -M oolk, on the 7th . of August

, in the possession of

the palace of his forefathers, from which he had been an exile

many years. The conquest of a kingdom was thus achievedw ith trifling loss, and the troops pitched their tents in a richvalley near Cabool .An order of merit was institu ted by the Shah

,cal led the

Order of the D ooranée Empire, the decorations of which w ereconferred on the general and field officers. The follow ingregiments Of the Queen’

s army received authority to bear thew ords A rrsH ANIsTAN and GH UZNE E for the foregoing services °

— 4th . and l 6th . Light Dragoons, and the 2md. , 3rd ., and 1 7th .

Foot.T H E GHUZN E E ME D AL .

A medal was presented by the restored monarch to the officers

and soldiers present at the storming of Ghuznee, which TheQueen authorized them to receive and wear. This permission

was thus announced to the army in India

24th . June, 1841 .

The Commander-in-Chief has the gratification to publish the

follow ing letter, addressed to Lord Hill by the Marquis of

Normanby, Secretary of State for the Home Department,whereby ‘H er Majesty has been graciously pleased to permitthe ofl

‘icers and soldiers engaged in the assaul t and capture ofthe fortress of Ghuznee, on the 2 l st. and 2 3rd. of July

,1839 ,

to accept and wear the medal conferred upon them by Shah

S oojah ool M oolk, in approbation of their services on that

occasion .

’

Whitehall, 22nd. M arch, 1841 .

The Shah S oojah -ool-M oolk , King of

Afl‘

ghanistan, having conferred a medal upon the officers and

soldiers engaged in the assaul t and capture of the fortress of

My Lord,

E I RsT CH INE sE WAR . 53

Ghuznee, on the 2 1st. and 23rd . of July, 1839, in approbation

of their services on that occasion, I have the honour to ac

quaint your Lorship, that H er Majesty has been graciouslypleased to permit these officers and soldiers to accept and wearthe medal in question .

I have, etc. ,The Right Honourable NOR M ANRY .

Lord Hill, G .O.B .

The medal is of silver, and has on one side a representationof the fortress

, with the word s m in a scroll beneath,

(vide page 47 on the other side, w ithin a wreath of laurel,

is a mural crown, with the date 23rd . July above, and theyear 1839 below , as shewn in the accompanying engraving.

The ribbon is crimson and green .

FIR ST CHINESE WAR .

1840— 1842 .

I N consequence of the Chinese government having commencedsummary measures without suflicient previous notice, the Britishsuperintendents of trade applied to the Governor General of

India for a number of ships of war and armed vessels for theprotection of life and property. Although the introduction of

opium into China was prohibited, the local authorities did notenforce the law . Ul timately Captain Elliot and the merchants

54 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH A RM Y.

at Canton were confined to the factories as prisoners, and in

June the Chinese High Commissioner and other ofi cers pro

ceeded to Chunhow ,near the Bocca Tigris, and commenced

destroying vast quantities of the prohibited drug, besides offeringinsul t to Captain Elliot, R .N .

, the Queen’

s representative .

Hostil ities became unavoidable, and the 18 th ., 26th . , and 49th .

regiments, a native corps of Bengal volunteers, and detachmentsof artill ery and sappers from the presidency of Madras

, were

embarked under Brigadier-General George B urrcl l , of the RoyalIrish . It became important to gain possession Of a portionof the Chinese territory as a p oint d

’appm

'

for subsequentoperations; and the governor of Chusan

,an island lying off

the coast, was summoned to surrender in the beginning of

July . H e, however, made dispositions to defend the place,

and on the morning of the 5 th . of July the shore, landingplace, wharf, and adjoining hil l were crowded with Chinesetroops. T he British shipping silenced the war-junks and

batteries ; and the right w ing of the 1 8th . regiment, com

manded by Major H enry William Adams, w ith the RoyalMarines of the fleet, forming the advance, landed . They werefollowed by other corps

,and the British troops, commanded

by Brigadier-General George B urrcll , Lieutenant-Colonel of

the 1 8th ., took up a position in front of the fortified city

of Ting-hae-hien, whence a sharp fire was sustained for sometime ; but before the following day the Chinese soldiers fled

in a panic, and the city was taken possession of, but the

climate proved injurious to the health of the troops.

This success was followed by negotiations ; the tardy councilsof the Chinese being expedited by the activ ity of the Britishnaval force, and in the early part of 1841 they agreed to giveup the island of Hong-Kong

, pay an indemnity of S ix million

dollars, and open a direct intercourse for trading upon an equal

footing . Accordingly the island was occupied ; but the

authorities appeared to have had no intention of fulfilling theother stipulations of the treaty . Hostilities were in couse

quence resumed, and the force embarked in February withthe expedition up the Canton river . In less than an hour

the fleet silenced the batteries of Wantong, and a body of

troops, consisting of detachments of the 26th . and 49th . regi

FIR ST CH INE SE WAR . 55

ments, Royal M arines, and the 3 7th . Madras Native Infantry,and B engal volunteers, commanded by Major Pratt, of the 26th .

,

landing, the island was captured w ithout the loss of a man,

thirteen hundred Chinese soldiers surrendering prisoners of war .

Continuing the voyage, the fleet arrived at the bar, destroying

the war-junks, the works being stormed and captured by the

marines and seamen . As the expedition pursued its way up the

river, the Chinese abandoned several batteries and armed rafts,and sol icited terms of peace ; but procrastination seemed to betheir only object, and the British fleet advanced. The forts

in front of Canton soon fell under the fire of the artill ery,the Chinese flotilla was destroyed, and peace was again

requested. Whil e negotiations were pending, bodies of T ar

tar troops were arriving at Canton, which shewed the objectof the enemy ; and on the 24th . of M ay the troops landed,and on the following day they advanced against the fortifiedheights on the north of the city, when dispositions were made

for the attack . About half-past nine o’clock the advance was

sounded, and by a Spirited effort the heights were carried — the

18th . and 49th . being emulous which should first reach their

appointed goals,— and the British colours waved triumphantlyon the captured forts.

A fortified Chinese camp had been established on the highground on the north east of Canton, and from this bodiesof the enemy advanced against the British troops. The1 8th . ,

49th ., and a company of marines, met and repul sed the

principal attack,and, fol lowing the fugitives along a causeway,

stormed and captured the entrenched camp in gallant style .It was afterwards burnt, and the magazines destroyed .

On the following morning (26th . of M ay) a flag of trucewas seen on the walls, and hostil ities were suspended ; butdelay still appearing to be the object of the Chinese, preparations were made to attack the city by storm,

when six

millions of dol lars were agreed to be paid for the redemptionof Canton, and opening the port for trade .Disregarding the stipulations of treaties

, the Emperor of Chinaissued a mandate for the extermination of the British who

dared thus to insul t his coasts and capture his towns, offering,at the same time, immense rewards for the heads of the

56 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y.

commanders, and even a large sum for that of a privatesoldier . H is decrees were responded to by depriving him of

a further extent of territory ; and on the 22nd . of August anexpedition proceeded against the island and city of Amoy,situated in a fine gulf in the province of Fokein, the great teadistrict of China . On the 25th . of August the fleet arrivedbefore Amoy, which was defended by five hundred pieces of

cannon and a numerous force ; but nothing could w ithstand thecombined efforts of the British naval and land forces. On thefollowing day the works were bombarded for two hours, and a

landing was effected about three O’clock, when the Chinese

and Tartar soldiers fled in dismay, after firing a few shots.

The smal l island of Koolangsoo was captured on the precedingday .

On the 5th . of September the expedition sailed for the re

capture of Chusan, which island had been given up in conse

quence of the stipulations of the first treaty. The place was

found more strongly fortified than before, and a resolute but

unavailing stand was made by the Chinese . A landing in twocolumns was effected on the l st. of October ; the first, aboutfifteen hundred strong, was accompanied by M ajor General S irHugh Gough, and was under the command of LieutenantColonel Craigie, of the 55th . foot. The second, about one

thousand strong, was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Morris,of the 49th . regiment.The expedition proceeded on the 6th . against the city of

Chinhae , the military depOt of the province, situated on themainland Opposite Chusan, and surrounded by a wall of extraordinary height and thickness. The troops landed on the l oth .

of October, advanced through a difficul t country towards thecity, and stormed the works covering the approach to theplace . In this city an extensive arsenal , and cannon foundry,w ith mil itary stores, fell into the hands of the captors. Theforce employed consisted of detachments of the 18th . ,

49th . ,

and 55th . regiments, and of the Royal and the Madras Artillery .

From Chinhae the expedition proceeded up the river on thei 3th . of October

,against the fortified city of Ningpo, where

no resistance was encountered. The troops landed, and formedon the ramparts

,and possession was taken of the second city

FI R ST CHI NE S E W AR .

in the province of Che-Keang,containing three hundred thousand

inhabitants.

On the l oth . of March , 1842 , a large army of Tartars and

Chinese made a sudden attack upon Ningpo, escalading thewalls, and forcing some of the gates, w ith great spirit, when

the few British in garrison,triumphed over their numerous

opponents. A guard of the 18th . Royal Irish Regiment, con

sisting of Lieutenant Anthony Armstrong, one sergeant,and twenty three rank and file

,stationed at the West gate,

being attacked by large numbers,behaved steadily, and gal

lantly drove them back, capturing two banners, the bearers of

which had been shot at the gate : the spirited behaviour of

this ofl cer was commended in the public despatches.

Five days afterwards the troops embarked from Ningpo, and

sailed up the river to attack the enemy’

s posts. On the 15th .

of March they were engaged at T sekee, and the heights of

Segaon, which were captured ; the Chankee-pass was also forced,

and the expedition, of which the 1 8th ., 26th .

,and 49th . formed

a portion, returned to Ningpo on the 1 7th . of March . This

place was evacuated by the British in M ay, and an expeditionproceeded against the fortified city of Chapoo, where a landingwas effected on the 18th . of M ay . The i 8th . and 49th .

regiments composed the right column, under Lieutenant Colonel

Morris; and the 26th . and 55th . regiments were in the left,under Colonel Schoedde the centre column under LieutenantColonel M ontgomerie, comprised detachments of the Royal and

Madras Artil lery, and the 36th . Madras Native Infantry . Lieu

tenant-Colonel Tomlinson met a soldier’s death at the head of

his regiment, the 18th . R oyal Irish .

In June an expedition sailed up the Yangtse-Keang river,and the fortified posts of Woosung and Poonshau w ere cap

tured. The city of Shanghae was afterwards taken possession

of without opposition . Reinforcements arrived, including the98th . regiment from England, and the expedition proceededagainst Chin-Keang-foo

,one of the strongest and most im

portant cities of China . The fleet left Woosung on the 6th .

of July,the Chinese troops were driven from S uyshan, and on

the 2oth . of July the armament approached Chin-Keang-foo.

On the following day, after the reconnoissance had been com

58 M E D A LS OF TH E B R I T I SH A RM Y.

pleted, and the ships were in position, the landing commenced .

The first brigade, consisting of the 26th .,the Bengal Volun

teers, flank companies of the 4 l st. Madras Native Infantry,

and the 98th ., was under the command of M ajor-General

Lord Sal toun ; the second (centre) brigade consisting of a

detachment of the R oyal Artillery, 55th . , 6th . Madras Native

Infantry, 36th . Madras R ifles, 2nd. Madras Native Infantry, anda detachment of Sappers, was commanded by Colonel , now

Lieutenant-General S ir James Holmes Schoedde, (55th .

Foot ;) the third brigade comprised the 18th . and 49th .

, and

the 14th . Madras Native Infantry, and was commanded byColonel, afterwards S ir R obert Bartley, (49th . regiment, )both these officers having the local rank of Major-General .M ajor Generals Lord Saltoun and Schoedde commenced

landing the troops before daylight, but considerable delay oc

curred from the rapidity of the current and the scattered stateof the ships. The guns were next landed, followed by M a

jor-General Bartley’s brigade . Lord Sal toun moved forward

with the troops of his brigade first landed, the 98th . under

L ieutenant Colonel Campbell , (now Lord Clyde), and somecompanies of the native regiments, to destroy the encamp

ments,and cut off the enemy’s communication with the city,

between twelve and fifteen hundred of whom had shewnthemselves. The soldiers drove them over the hills and de

stroyed the encampments. M ajor General S choedde escaladed

the city walls at the north angle and carried the innergateway, which was obstinately defended .

T he 55th . highly distinguished itself on this occasion .

”

Lieutenant Cuddy, of that regiment, was the first to mountthe walls, and was shortly afterwards severely wounded . Major

(now Major-General Char lesWarren, Warren,command

ing the 55th ., after he was himself wounded, cut down two

of the enemy, and was personal ly engaged with a third .

“ T he grenadier company of H M . 55th . Foot, and two companies of

the eth . regiment of M . N . I . , W i th the S appers carrying the ladders,under the command of Brevet-M ajor M aclean, 55th . Foot, advanced againstthe north-east angle. T he S appers, commanded by Lieutenant Johnstone,w ith the greatest stead iness and gal lantry reared their ladders againstthe wal l , and in a few minutes the grenad iers of the 55th . had mounted ,and div id ing into two parties, proceeded to clear the ramparts, one partyturning to the right, under Brevet—M ajor M aclean, and another to the

left, under Lieutenant Cuddy, 55th .

” —M aj or-Geaeral S choedde’

s despatch .

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60 M E D ALS OF T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y.

S ir Hugh Gougb proceeded to carry his victorious troopsinto the heart of the empire, and attack Nankin, the ancientcapital of China, wherein the fugitives from Chin-Keang-foohad sought refuge . By the 9th . of August the British navaland land forces environed Nankin, and a great portion of thetroops landed . This decisive step produced the desired resul ts,and condi tions of peace w ere acceded to ; the Chinese payingan indemnity, and ceding a portion of territory to the Britishcrown .

In consideration of the gal lantry displayed by the troopsemployed on the coasts and rivers of China

, H er Majesty wasgraciously pleased to permit the 18th .

, 26th .,49th .

,55th . ,

and 98th . regiments, to bear on their colours and appointments the word CHI NA , and the device of the “D ragon .

”

THE FIR ST CH INA M EDAL.

THI S Medal , authorized by the Queen, is by the late Will iam Wyon, E sq. R .A .

, and has on the obverse the Queen’

s

head, wi th the superscription VI CTORI A R EGI NA ; on the reverseis a palm tree, against which are placed the arms of England

on a shield, with cannons, anchor, flags,etc . and the motto

AR M I S E XPOSCEB E PACEM . In the morgue the word CHINA ,1 842 , underneath . The ribbon is crimson with yell ow edges.

M r . Wyon made a very elaborate design for this medal , con

sisting of the Chinese Plenipotentiaries signing the treaty, andon the cloth of the table was a very minute pattern embroi

dered, representing the British Lion trampling on the dragon .

S o happy was the idea considered, that this portion insteadof the whole of it was adopted for the reverse, over which

was the above motto, and Nanking, 1842 , beneath ; but the

present medal was ul timately struck, as the former was

deemed offensiv e to the feelings of the conquered people .

SEQUEL TO THE FIRST AFFGHAN CAMPAI GN .

SHAH SOOI AH ’

S government became so unpopular that the

Afl'

ghans determined to effect the expulsion of the British,

by whose aid he had been reinstated, and whose presence in

SEQUE L TO TH E FI R ST AFFGH AN CAM PA IGN .

Cabool was rendered necessary to support him on the throne .The crisis arrived in 1 841 . In October the Afl

'

ghans brokeout into open insurrection ; the British envoy, S ir Will iamM acnagb ten, and S ir Alexander B arnes, were treacherously murdered, and the troops, including the 44th . regiment,’ whichoccupied Cabool , being compel led to evacuate that place, and

retreat towards Jellalabad, were cut to pieces on the march,D r. Brydon of the Shah’s forces, being the only Officer whosucceeded in reaching that place. It is remarkable that thisofficer was one of the heroes of Lucknow .

The 13th . regiment was more fortunate ; under its gallantLieutenant-Colonel , S ir R obert Sal e, (serving with the localrank of M ajor-General ), it reached Jellalabad, having at thebreaking out of the insurrection been detached from Caboolwith a force in order to reduce the insurgents, and after

much hard fighting in the passes had taken possession of

Jellalabad, the successful defence of which by his small gar

rison, forms so bright a feature in this terrible and gloomyhistory. Before describing this heroic defence

,only equalled

by that of Lucknow ,it is necessary to Show the manner in

which the gal lant band reached the place of safety. The 13th .

and other troops left Cabool on the 1 1th. of October, in con

sequence of a body of insurgents having possessed themselvesof the Khoord Cabool pass,f about ten miles from the capital ,With a view to expel the rebels, and re-open the commu

nication with India. On the 12th . of October the pass was

T he 44th . regiment arrived at Jel lalabad in January 1841, and was

moved to Cabool in M ay fol lowing. On the l st of October of that year,the strength of the regiment in Afl

’

ghanistan was 25 Officers, 35 sergeants,14 drummers, and 635 rank and fi le . T he number kil led at Cabool, andduring th e retreat, amounted to 22 Ofiicers and 543 men ; three oiiiccrs,Lieutenant-Colonel S helton, and Lieu tenants E vans and Sonter, and 51

men were taken prisoners. T he officers kil led between the l oth . of Nov

ember, 1841 , and the l ath . of January, 1842, were Lieutenant-ColonelM ackrel l, M

'

or Scott, Captains Swayne, M CCrea, Leighton, and R obinson ;Lieutenants odgin, Coll ins, White, Wade, H ogs, Cumberland, Raban,Cadett, S w inton, Fortye, and Gray ; Paymaster Bourke ; QuartermasterH alahan ; S urgeon H arcourt, and Assistant-Surgeons Balfour and Primrose.

Lieutenant Souter, severe ly wounded , preserved the colours of the 44th .

by tying them round h is waist. 102 officers were k illed at Cabool, andduring the retreat .

1' This was the place where the massacre of the British troops occurred,

and not as too frequently stated, in the Khyber pass, wh ich had theybeen able to reach, being on the Ind ian side of Jellalabad, they wou ldhave been safe .

62 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y.

forced, the troops under S ir Robert penetrating to Khoord

(Little) Cabool .Major-General S ir Robert Sale, Captain Hamlet C . Wade,

(Major of Brigade,) Lieutenant George Mein, and Ensign Oakes

were wounded . Lieutenant M cin being dangerously wounded,was obliged to be sent back in a litter to Cabool . Upon

S ir Robert Sale being compelled to quit the field from theseverity of his wound, the command of the troops devolved

upon Lieutenant-Colonel Dennie, C.B ., also of the 13 th . The

regiment then faced about, to return through the pass se

cording to the plan for executing the operation,leaving the

other corps at Khoord Cabool . Possession was then taken of

B ootkhak , where the regiment was stationed until the 18th . of

October . During this delay, incessant night-attacks were madeby the enemy, called by them Shub Kboon, (night slaughter ;)S ir Robert Sale’s precaution in ordering the men to lie downon their alarm posts, as soon as the fire was opened on thecamp, prevented much loss: his orders prohibiting any returnfire l ikew ise saved many, and all the enemy’s attempts to forcean entrance therein were successful ly resisted by the bayonetalone . Meanwhile the rebell ion continued of a formidablecharacter, and the 13th . were ordered to march to T ezeen

,

where they arrived on the 22nd . of October,and were engaged

w ith a body of insurgents, whom they drove from some heightsand strong positions. The regiment here lost Lieutenant E d

ward King, who fell at the head of his company, while

gallantly charging the enemy, and Lieutenant R . E . Frere was

wounded .

I n consequence of orders from Cabool, the force under Major

General S ir Robert Sale marched for Gundamuck , and werecontinually pressed day and night

,by insurgent bands hovering

on their flanks and rear, which occasioned the fatigues and

duties of the troops to be particul arly harassing ; the way led

along defiles and over mountains, and when the soldiers halted,breast-works had to be thrown up to defend the bivouac ground

from sudden attacks of the Afl'

gbau cavalry .

On the 29th . of October the rebels were found in force at

the Jugdul luck Pass, and for some time they checked the

advance of the column ; but the skirmishers of the 13 th . sprang

D E FE NCE OF J E L LALA B AD . 63

forward, and driving the Afl'

ghans from almost inaccessibleheights protected by breast-w orks, enabled the British force tosurmount every obstacle in the defile, and to arrive at Gun

damnek on the following day . Lieutenants Jennings, Holcombe,and Rattray w ere severely wounded ; Lieutenant-Colonel Dennie,Captains Wilkinson, Havelock, Wade

, and Fenw ick, were

Specially mentioned in the despatches. T he 1 3 th . regimentup to this period had ten men killed and seventy-fivewounded .

S ir Robert Sale remained at Gundamuck w ith his troopsuntil the 5th . of November, when they proceeded and capturedthe fort of M amoo Khail in the neighbourhood, and returnedon the 6th . to Gundamuck . There intelligence was receivedof the breaking out of a violent insurrection at Cabool

, on

the 2nd. of November, and of the probability that the rebellionwoul d become general . Under these circumstances

,two forced

marches on Jel lalabad were made, w ith a numerous enemypressing on the flanks and rear ; a body of insurgents werebeaten at Futtehabad by the rear-guard under LieutenantColonel Dennie ; and Jel lalabad, the chief town in the valleyof Ningrahar, was seized by the Bri tish troops on the 12 th .

of November, to establish a post upon which the corps at

Cabool might retire,if necessary, and thus restore a l ink in

the chain of communi cation w ith India.

DEFENCE OF JE LLALABAD .

12TH . Nov EM B ER , 1841 , To 7TH . APR I L, 1842 .

T H E fortress of Jellalabad was found to be in a very dilapidated state, and the inhabitants disaffected to the governmentof the Shah . T he Afl

'

ghans collected to about ten thousand,and the walls of the fort being without parapets, and thegarrison having only one day and a half suppl ies, on hal frations

, a sal ly was made on the 14th . of November, whichrouted the enemy, and enabled the troops to collect provisions,and erect works for the defence of the fortress

, which called

forth the efforts of all . While thus employed, the Afl‘

ghans

in great force again invested the place on the 2 7th . of No

64 M E D ALS OF T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y .

vember, but they were completely routed and dispersed by a

sally of the garrison on the l st. of December .

On the 9th . of January, 1842 , the garrison was summoned

to give up the fortress by the leader of the Afl'

ghan rebellion,

in fulfilment of a convention entered into at Cabool withMajor-General Elphinstone, who was taken prisoner at a con

ference, and died shortly afterwards; but S ir Robert Sale beingfully assured of the bad faith of the insurgents, refused ; theannihilation of the troops from the capital , in the Ghilzie

defiles, by the severity of the climate, and the basest treachery

on the part of those in whose promises they had confided,proved the correctness of the major-general

’

e estimate of theircharacter.

Captain Broadfoot, garrison engineer, and Captain Abbott,commissary of ordnance

,aided by the indefatigable exertions

of the troops, brought the works into a state of defenceagainst any Asiatic enemy not provided w ith siege-artill ery ;but the place was kept in a continual state of alarm by theoccurrence of one hundred shocks of an earthquake in thecourse of a month, one of which, on the 19th . of February,occasioned the parapets to fall, injured the bastions, made a

breach in the rampart, destroyed the guard-houses, reducedother portions of the works to ruins, and demolished one

third of the town. With that unconquerable Spiri t of perse

verance for which the troops had already been distinguished,they instantly turned to the repair of the works. Sirdar

Mahomed Akbar Khan,B arukzye, the assassin of the late

Envoy, and the treacherous destroyer of the Cabool force, flushed

with success, approached with a numerous army to overwhelm

the little garrison ; he attacked the foraging parties on the

2 1st. and 22nd . of February ; but was astonished at findingthe works in a state of defence

, whereupon he established a

rigorous blockade . From that time to the 7th . of April, the

reduced garrison was engaged in a succession of skirmishes, in

which the 13th . had opportunities of distinguishing themselv es;particularly detachments under Captains Pattisson and Fenwick,Lieutenants George Wade and W. Cox .

Information was received on the 5th . of April, that the forceunder Major-General, now General S ir George Pollock,

D E F E NCE OF J E LLALAB AD . 65

had experienced reverses in the Khyber, and had retraced its

steps towards Peshawar ; and on the 6th . a feu-de-j oc'

e and

salute of artillery were fired by Mahomed Akbar,in honour of

the event. It was also reported that the Ghazees had beendefeated, and that the Sirdar had retreated into L nghman .

S ir Robert Sale resolved to anticipate the last-mentionedevent

,by a general attack on the A ifghan camp, w ith the

hope of reliev ing Jel lalabad from blockade, and facilitatingMajor -General Pollock’s advance . Directions were accordinglygiven to form three columns of infantry, the central one con

sisting of the 13 th ., (mustering five hundred bayonets, )

under Colonel Dennie, C.B . ; the left comprising a similar num

ber of the 35th . Native Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel

M onteatb, C B ; and the right composed of one company of

the 1 3th .,one of the 3 5th . Native Infantry, and the detach

ment of Sappers, under the command of Lieutenant Orr, ( theseverity of Captain B roadfoot’s wound still rendering him non

efl'

ective, ) amounting to three hundred and sixty men, was

commanded by Captain (afterwards the celebrated S ir Henry)Havelock, of the 13 th . ; these were to be supported by thefire of the guns of No. 6 field battery under Captain Abbott,the whole of the small cavalry force being under CaptainOldfield and Lieutenant Mayne .

At dayl ight on the morning of the 7th . of April, the troopsissued from the Cabool and Peshawur gates. The Sirdar,Mahomed Akbar Khan, had formed his force of about six

thousand men in order of battle for the defence of his camp ;its right resting on a fort, and its left on the Cabool river ;even the ruined works w ithin eight hundred yards of the place

,

but recently repaired, were filled w ith Ghilzie marksmen, whohad evidently determined upon a stout resistance . T he attackwas led by the skirmishers and column under Captain Havelock ;this drove the enemy from the ex treme left of his advanced lineof works, which it pierced at once, and proceeded to advanceinto the plain ; the central column at the same time directedits efforts against a square fort, upon the same base, the

defence of which was obstinately maintained . Colonel Dennie,while nobly leading his regiment to the assault, received a

shot through his body, which, to the deep regret of officersF

66 M R D AL S OF T H E B R I T I SH ARM Y.

and men, shortly after proved fatal ."t

The rear of the work having been final ly gained by passingto its left, orders were given for a combined attack upon theenemy’s camp ; this was bril liant and successful . The artilleryadvanced at the gallop, and directed a heavy fire upon the

Afl'

ghan centre, while two columns of infantry penetrated hisline near the same point, and the third forced back his leftfrom its support on the river, into which some of his horseand foot were driven . The Afl

'

ghans repeatedly attempted tocheck the advance by a smart fire of musketry— by throwingforward heavy bodies of horse, which twice threatened in forcethe detachments of infantry under Captain Havelock, and byopening three guns, screened by a garden wal l ; but in a

short time they were dislodged from every point of theirpositions, their cannon taken, and their camp involved in a

general conflagration .

By abou t seven o’clock in the morning the battle was over,and the enemy in full retreat in the direction of Lughman .

Two Afl'

ghan cavalry standards were taken, besides four guns

which had been lost by the Cabool army and Gundamuck

forces. Great quantities of matérz’

el and stores w ere, togetherwith the enemy’s tents, destroyed, and the defeat of MahomedAkbar, in Open field, by the troops he had boasted of blockading,was complete .

In addition to Colonel Dennie,kil led

,the 13th . had Lieu

tenant Jennings and Assistant Surgeon Barnes wounded ; eightprivates were kill ed, and thirty one rank and file wounded .

Armourer Sergeant Henry Ulyett, of the 13th . , capturedMahomed Akbar’s standard, which he took from a cavalrysoldier, whom he kill ed . The standard is of scarlet cloth, w ith

a green border, and crimson and yell ow fringe . It is trian

Captain Wi lkinson, of the i 3th . , on whom the ch arge of one of the

infantry columns devolved on the lamented fal l of Colonel D ennis. andCaptain H amlet Wade, (Brigade-M ajor,) were h igh ly commended in M ajorGeneral S ir Robert Sale’s despatch ; Lieutenant and Adj utant Wood madea dash at one of the enemy, and in cutting h im down, his charger wasso severely injured as to have been afte rwards destroyed . Lieutenant Coxwas the first of the party wh ich captured two of the enemy ’

s cannon.

T he conduct of these two oflicers, bOth of the 1sth . , was special ly noticed .

M ajor Wade presented to the United S ervice M useum an A fl‘

ghan stee l

helmet, w ith chain-mail defence for the neck and eyes, and a nasal orbar to be raised or lowered for the defence of the nose. Th is was wornby one of the Afl

‘

ghan cavalry , and taken in the above action.

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68 M E D ALS OF T H E B R I T I SH ARM Y.

On the 26th . of August, 1842, it was officially announcedin the “London Gazette

,

” that “In consideration of the distinguished gal lantry displayed by the 13th . Light Infantry,during the campaigns in the Burmese empire and in Afl

‘

ghan

istan, H er Majesty has been graciously pleased to approve of

that regiment assuming the title of the ‘l 3 th ., or Prince

Al bert’s R egiment of Light Infantry ;’

and of its facings

being changed from yellow to blue .“H er Majesty has also been pleased to authorize the 13th .

Regiment of Light Infantry to bear on its colours and appointments a

‘Mural Crown,’superscribed ‘Jel lalabad,

’as a memorial

of the fortitude, perseverance, and enterprise, evinced by thatregiment

, and the several corps which served during the

blockade of Jel lalabad.

’

THE JE LLALABAD MEDALS .

A Silver medal was distri buted by the Govemor General of

India to every oflicer, non-commissioned officer, and private,European and Native, who belonged to the garrison of Jellala

bad Ou the 7th . of April , 1842 ; on one side was a Mural

Crown superscribed JE L LALAB AD , and on the other v I I APR I L,1842 . H er Majesty’s permission for the 13th . Light Infantryto wear this medal was dated 26th . of August, 1842 . Theribbon, intended to represent the rays of the rising sun

, was

made expressly for the above medal,and is generally known

as the rainbow pattern .

"i

Subsequently a silver medal, designed by William Wyon,

E ilenborough , transmitted to the aged mother of Colonel D ennis that medalwhich her son wou ld have worn, had he happily surv ived . In reply ing tothe letter wh ich accompanied th is token, M rs. D ennis beautiful ly said, that“she accepted it with p leasure and w ith pride, for she had a right to feela pride in her son

’s life, and in h is death .

” Lord Fitzgerald added , “thatit was impossible to read that passage w ithout honouring the lady, andeven more deeply lamenting the fate Of the son of whom she had so just lyand tru ly written.

” S ince 1842 it has been the invariable practice w ithregard to medals granted for serv ice in Ind ia, to present them to the legalrepresentatives of the deceased Officers and sold iers.

Thismedal , which was struck in Ind ia by order of Lord E l lenborough ,is now very scarce. T he accompanying engrav ing has been made from a

specimen kind ly lent to me by Cap tain A . C. T uppcr, one of the Counci lof the R oyal United S ervice Institution, from whom I have received severalvaluab le hints during the progress of this work.

T H E J E L LALAB AD M E DALS . 69

E sq .

,was struck . On the obverse was the Queen’

s Headsuperscribed VICTOR I A VI ND Ex . On the reverse a figure of

Victory, w ith the Union Jack in her left hand, and laurel

wreaths in her right,flying over the fortress of Jellalabad .

Above the figure are the words JE LLAL AB AD , vI I APRI L, in a

semicircle ; and in the exergue M DCCCXLI I . (See page

This was exchanged for the first medal, the ribbon being thesame in both cases.

A PR IL

163402

FI R S T J E L LALAB AD M E DAL .

70 M E D ALS or TH E B R I T I SH ARM Y .

SECOND AFFGH AN CAMPAIGN . 1842 .

WHE N the news of the Afl'

ghan tragedy reached India, it

was resolved to rescue the gallant garrison, and to restoreBri tish supremacy beyond the Indus. Accordingly a force was

col lected at Peshawur, in the north of the Punjaub, underMajor-General Pollock, early in 1842 . Of this army the

Queen’

s regiments consisted of the 3rd. Light Dragoons, and

the 9th . and 3 l st. Foot . On the 5th . of April the KhyberPass was forced, although strongly occupied

,and its mouth

having a breastwork of stones and bushes.

Precipitous and rocky hills, on the right and left, presented

great natural obstacles to . the ascent of troops, and it was an

undertaking of no ordinary difficul ty to gain the summit of

such heights, defended, as they were, by a numerous body of

the enemy ; the columns destined to accomplish this most important object, moved off simultaneously w ith the main one

intended to assault the entrance, but were compel led to make

a considerable detour to the right and left, to enable them to

commence the ascent. The right column,consisting of four

companies of the 9th . Foot, and the same number of companiesof the 26th . and 64th . Native Infantry

, were under the com

mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor,

of the 9th . regiment,and Major Anderson, of the 64th . Native Infantry . The leftcolumn, consisting of four companies of the 9th . Foot

,a Similar

number of companies of the 26th . and 64ib . Native Infantry,together w ith four hundred Jezailchees, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Moseley and Major Huish, commenced the ascent,led by Captain Ferris, of the regiment of Jezailchees.

Both columns, after considerable opposition,succeeded in

routing the enemy, and gaining possession of the crest of thehills on either side. While the flanking columns were inprogress on the heights, Captain Alexander, in command of

the artill ery, placed the guns in position, and threw shrapnelsamong the enemy when opportunity offered, which assistedmuch in their discomfiture . Upon the heights being gained,the main column was advanced to the mouth of the Pass,and commenced destroying the barrier, which the enemy had

AD VANCE ON CAB OOL . 71

evacuated on perceiving their position was turned ; portionsof the right and left columns were left to keep the heights,under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Moseley and MajorAnderson, and M ajor Huish and Lieutenant-Colonel Taylorcontinued their advance to crown the hills in front, and on

each side, which were covered with the foe, who appeareddetermined to contest every inch of ground ; but the gallantryof the troops carried everything before them.

Thus was accompl ished without the payment of any tribute,the passage of the Khyber Pass, ! and the road to Jel lalabadwas gained . The siege of that place (as already shewn) hadbeen abandoned

, when M ajor-Gcneral Pollock arrived on thel 6th . of April , and found the garrison, after a siege whichhad lasted upwards of five months, in excellent health, witha plentiful supply of ammunition

,and al l most anxious to

ADVANCE ON CAB OOL . 1842 .

MAJ OR -GENE R AL POLLOCH urged upon Lord Ellenborough, thenew Govemor General of India

, the advance upon Cabool the3 l st. regiment, which had followed by forced marches, joinedat Jell alabad on the 5th . of M ay, having undergone much pri

vation on the way, and the loss of sev eral men from famineand fatigue ; while at Jellalabad the army was hal ted in

wretched tents, the cl imate being so unhealthy during thesummer, that the natives use it only as a winter residence .

Soon the effect of this displayed itself; the days became so

oppressive,that both ofi cers and men were obliged to dig

deep holes underground in which to shield themselves, in

It is remarkable that the S ikhs, afterwards such formidable opponentsduring the S utlej and Punjab campaigns, were able supporters at th isperiod , and during the recent Ind ian M utiny they sustained their formercharacter, the S ikh regiments being most valuable al lies.

In a notification from the Governor-General, in Council, dated fromRenares, on the 19th . Of A pri l, 1842, the fol lowing passage occurs — “T he

Governor-General deems it to be due to the troops of the M aha RajahS here S hing, to express his entire satisfaction w ith their conduct, as reportedto h im, and to inform the army, that the loss sustained by the S ikhs inthe assau lt of the Khyber Pass, wh ich was forced by them, is understood

to have been equal to that sustained by the troops of H er M ajesty and

of the Government of Ind ia .

"

72 M E D ALS OF T H E B R IT ISH AR M Y .

some Sl ight measure, from the burning heat of the sun, the

thermometer rising in the tents as high as

I n consequence of the extreme heat the troops sufl'

ered a

loss which the most sanguinary encounter w ith the enemycould not have exceeded . Neither was it in men alone thatthe army was daily losing its efficiency . From the val leyof Jel lalabad hav ing been so long the seat of war, the fertileland had become a desert,— the wretched half-starved camelscould find no forage on the bare face of the sand, and theydied by hundreds; their dead bodies lying about in al l direc

tions, swollen with the sun, and emitting the most pestilential

exhalations, together with the filth and dirt of a standingcamp of fifty thousand men, added to the disease which ragedamong the troops.

Eventually it was found necessary to divide the force, and

the fourth brigade, in which was the 3 1st . regiment, was

ordered to march under Brigadier M onteath to Peshbolak , in

the Shinwaree country, to punish some refractory tribes, whohad attacked several convoys

,and been guilty of many acts

of murder and plunder . The warlike and turbu lent Shinwareetribes shel tered themselves in their strongholds, which wereformed in a narrow valley, strengthened by many forts and

stockaded enclosures, while the heights on either Side weredefended by numerous sunghas, or breastworks of large stones,which were so constructed as to enable them to dispute every

inch of ground w ith an advancing force . The brigade having

arrived, and encamped about two miles from this formidableposition, a reconnoitring party was sent out, under the com

mand of Captain W illis, of the 3 15t. ; this party, having pro

ceeded some four or five miles from the camp, was furiously

attacked, and suffered severely from the enemy’s fire ; never

theless the object sought was fully obtained,after which it

returned,

to the camp, sustaining a smart action the whole

way back .

On the 26th . of July, Brigadier M onteath prepared to attack

the enemy near M azeena w ith his whole force ; and accordingly,leaving the camp standing under an efficient guard, he movedtowards the position occupied by the Afl

'

ghans, who were pre

pared, and nothing loath to meet him . The engagement was

AD VANCE ON CAB OOL . 73

commenced by the 3 l st. regiment, seconded by the 33rd . and

53rd . Native Infantry, ascending the heights, and driving the

S hinwarees from their breastworks, and along the ridges of thehills, while the l oth . Light Cavalry, in the valley below , chargedthem whenever thev shewed front on level ground. The campfol lowers and pioneers had been fum ished with combustibles toburn the forts, as the Shinwarees w ere driven out of them,

which service was very efficiently performed . Meanwhile, on

the heights, the enemy disputed every foot of ground until

taken at the point of the bayonet, and Lieutenant M ‘I lween,

of the 3 l st. , was killed in leading one of the attacks.

The Afl'

ghans being driven from their defences, the artillery,under the command of Captain Abbott, played upon them w ith

great effect ; and after contesting the day until ev ery fort and

place of defence had been taken and destroyed, they fled, dispersing themselves among the neighbouring hills, where it wasimpossible to pursue them. Their loss was very great, includingmost of their leaders.

After this action the brigade returned to Jel lalabad, and on

the 2oth . of August the army marched in two divisions en route

to Cabool . Three days afterwards the troops arrived at Gun

damnek, when information was received that the enemy, underthe Chiefs Hadji Ali and Khyroolah Khan, occupied the villageand fort of M ammoo Khail, about two miles distant

,and it

was determined to attack them there on the follow ing morning .

Accordingly on the 24th . of August,at four O’clock

,e .m.

, the

troops advanced, and the attack on M ammoo Khail was attendedw ith complete success.

Major-General Pollock left Gundamuck on the 7th . of September

,and on the day after the troops were engaged with

the forces of Mahomed Khan and the Ghilzie chiefs at thePass of Jugdul luck ; in the valley were seen the blackened re

mains of the unfortunate Cabool force . N0 further oppositionwas shewn to the advance of the army until nearing the valleyof T ezeen ;

—the road from this place to Khoord Cabool wasthrough a succession of lofty hills, called the Huft Kotul , or

Eight Hills.

On the l oth . of September, it having been ascertained thatAkbar Khan, with twenty thousand men, had established himself

74 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y .

in the Khoord Cabool Pass, in order to cover the capital and

fight a pitched battle with the British, the second division wasordered to join the first by a forced march to T ezeen, where

M ajor-General Pollock was encamped . This junctionwas effected

on the 1 1th . of S eptember, with little loss, although a runningfight was kept up the greater part of the way . In fact, theadvance to Cabool was a succession of skirmishes oftentimes bynight as wel l as by day . The camp was attacked on the nightof the 12th . of September, but the enemy made no impression,and little loss occurred .

Shortly after daybreak on the i 3 th . of September,the army

moved off its ground towards the T ezeen Pass, the advancedguard being commanded by S ir Robert Sale. After mov ing

carefull y along the Pass for about two miles,the Afl

'

ghans

were discovered, in great force, occupying strong positions on

the heights on either side, while their artill ery and cavalry

were formed some distance farther on in the Pass itself. The

action commenced by a heavy fire on the advanced guard of

the British ; and the distance being too great for musketry,from the effect of which also the Afl

'

ghans were covered byextensiv e sunghas, for the whole length of their position, it

was judged necessary for the troops to ascend the heights and

drive them from their posts at the point of the bayonet. This

service was most effectively performed on the left heights by

the 9th . and 3 l st. regiments, and on the right by the 13th.

Light Infantry .

The companies ascended the face of the mountain under a

most gel ling fire, from the effects of which many casualtiesoccurred, and not returning a shot until the ledge was gained

a combined volley within ten yards of the enemy, followedby an immediate charge of bayonets, drov e him from his

defences with great slaughter, and the heights were gained .

Being reinforced by fresh troops, the British pushed on, and

storming one entrenchment after another, threw the Afl'

ghans

into great confusion . The artillery was now brought up, and

played upon them w ith terrific effect, while the British caval ry,having charged and overthrown their horse, posted in the

Pass, and taken their guns, together with the state tent of

their commander, Mahomed Akbar Khan, victory, even at this

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76 menu s or run narrrsn man .

with thirty -six non-commissioned officers and men of the 44th .

regiment— one hundred and five in all .

CANDAHAR. 1842 .

A s the 13th . Light Infantry are so intimately connected withthe defence of Jel lalabad, in like manner the 4oth . regimentis associated with Candahar. M ajor-General S ir Will iam Nott,l ike S ir Robert Sale, refused to obey the order from M ajorGeneral Elphinstone to surrender . After the insurrection at

Cabool , a general rising took place throughout Afi'

ghanistan,

and the insurgents in the neighbourhood of Candahar beingheaded by Prince Sufter Jung, the son of Shah S oojah, and

brother of Prince Timour, (Governor of Candahar,) who hadleft on the 29th . of November, 1841 , to place himself at thehead of those whom Mahomed Atta Khan was assembling on

to his conduct, wh ile serving with the army on its retreat from Cabool,by S ir Robert Peel, on mov ing the vote of thanks to the army employedin Afi

‘

ghanistan—“I have said that, in the course of th is campaign, in

stances of the most generous devotion, of friend ly sympathy, and of desperatefidelity, were d isplayed , wh ich deserve at least a passing notice . LieutenantE yre says : ‘Lieutenant S turt son-in-law to S ir R obert and Lady Sale)had nearly cleared the defile, w en he received h is wound, and wou ld havebeen left on the ground to be backed to pieces by the Ghazees, whofol lowed in the rear to complete the work of slaughter, but for the generousintrepid ity of Lieutenant M ein, of H er M ajesty’s 1sth Light Infantry, who,on learning what had befallen him, went back to h is succour, and stoodby him for several minutes, at the imminent risk of his own l ife, vainlyentreating aid from the passers by . H e was, at length, joined by SergeantD eane, of the Sappers, w ith whose assistance he dragged his friend, on a

qu ilt, through the remainder of the Pass, when he succeeded in mountingh im on a miserable pony, and conducted h im in safety to the camp, wherethe unfortunate oflicer l ingered til l the fol low ing morning, and was the

only man of the whole force who received Christian burial . LieutenantM ein was h imse lf at this very time suffering from a dangerous wound in

the head , received in the prev ious October ; and h is heroic disregard of

self, and fidelity to his friend in the hour of danger, are wel l deservingof a record in the annals of B ritish valour and virtue ; I think, S ir, it isb ut just that the name of Lieutenant M ein shou ld be mentioned w ithhonour in the H ouse of Commons, and 1 do not regret having noticedth is circumstance, as it has cal led forth so generous and general an ex

pression of sympathy and approval . ’T he name and sufferings of Lady S ale w il l be ever connected w ith the

d isasters in Afl‘

ghanistan ; her extraord inary presence of mind, her generousconsideration for the wants of her companions in captiv ity, and her nob leexample, d isplaying a total forgetfulness of se lf, endeared her to the

country, and shed an imperishable renown on her sex, exhibiting to the

world a remarkable instance of se lf-reliance and strength of mind, combinedw ith the faithful performance of the duties of a soldier’s wife. H er Journalis one of exciting and absorbing interest.

ou tp u t“ . 77

the eastern frontier . The insurgents under these two chiefs

having approached within eight miles, M ajor General S irWill iamNott

,moved out to attack them on the morning of

the 12th . of January, 1842, the 4oth . forming the advance .

This regiment, during the previous year, had suffered severely

from sickness, the number of deaths amounting to one hundred

and fifty-nine. A strong position, wi th a morass in their front,

had been taken up by the enemy, which rendered the approachof the troops difficul t. The Afi

'

ghans were, however, quickly

routed . At this period, and until the 7th . of M ay, the soldiers

remained accoutred every night .During the month of February considerable numbers of Aff

ghans, under the command of Prince S ufter Jung and otherchiefs assembled in the v icinity of Candahar, plundering thevillages

,and by every possible means urging the inhabitants

to join in an attack upon the British troops, especiall y thoseoccupying the cantonments; but owing to the severity of theweather the M ajor-General was unable to move, and such a

measure became impracticable till the 7th . of March, when,the enemy having approached closer

, S ir Wil liam Nott marched

with the remainder of his army against them ; they werefoll owed, and dispersed in every direction . While the force

was thus absent, a strong detachment of the enemy made an

attack on the city, and succeeded in burning the Herat gate,but were repul sed with great loss by the troops in garrison.

On the 25th . of March, S ir Wil liam moved out with a force

(of which the 4oth . formed a part,) to the support of a brigadedetached under the command of Colonel Wymer, C.B . , of theBengal army, to forage and to afford protection to the numerousvill ages

, when the Afi'

ghans were driven across the Urghundaubin the greatest confusion .

M ajor General (now Lieutenant General S ir R ichard) England,who had at first been unsuccessful in conveying stores toCandahar from Scinde, having been reinforced at Quetta,again advanced, and accomplished his object. On the 28th .

of April he attacked the enemy’s strong position in front of

the v il lage of H ykulz ie . The 4 l st. , which formed part of

his force, was the only Queen’

s regiment that shared in thisaction ; two out of the three columns of attack were led by

78 H E D AL S or ru n sem en anur .

Majors Simmons and Cochran, the reserve being under M ajorBrowne, all of the 4 l st. Foot.On the 19th . of M ay, a force, composed of the 4oth . and

other corps, under Colonel Wymer, marched for the purpose

of drawing off the garrison of Kelat-i -Ghilzie, a hill fort eightyfour miles from Candahar, on the road to Ghuznee. It arrivedthere on the 26th .

, but on the 2 1st. the fort had been attackedby four thousand Ghilzees, whom the defenders had gall antlydefeated. The troops consequently were only occupied in

destroying the defences, etc ., till the 1st. of June, when

they returned to Candahar fi

Major-General Nott moved with his army on the l oth . of

August, upon Cabool . The 4oth . and 4 l st . regiments formeda portion of his force, the wounded, sick, and weakly menbeing sent to India aid the Kojuck Pass, with the troopsunder Major-General E nglandj Captain White

, of the lightcompany of the 4oth .

, was appointed to command the advance,composed of the light companies of the 4oth . and 4 l st. , and

A medal was granted to the gallant garrison of Kelat-i-Ghilzie forits heroic and successful defence, under Captain Craigie, bearing on one

side a sh ield inscribed KKL A T -I -GH ILZ IE within a wreath of laurel, andsurmounted by a mural crown ; on the other side a cuirass, helmet, flags,muskets, and cannon, arranged as a trophy, w ith the word v rc

'

ra , anddate mncccxmr underneath . T he ribbon is of the rainbow pattern. Thismedal was also by Wil liam Wyon, E sq . , R .A . No Queen’

s regiment formedpart of the garrison, and therefore did not receive the above medal T heKelat-i-Gh ilzie regiment is the only corps wh ich bears the name of thisfort on its colours, which place is sometimes mistaken for KHE L AT , home

on the colours of the 2nd. and 17th . Foot, to commemorate the capture ofthe capital of B eloochistan by the troops under M ajor-General S ir ThomasW il lsh ire, on the 13 th . of November, 1839.

1' M ajor-General England evacuated Quetta on the 1st. of October, and

succeeded in w ithdraw ing through the Kojuck and Bolan Passes into theval ley of the Indus, a portion of the force which had been stationed at

Candahar, and al l the scattered garrisons of the intermediate places betweenthe eastern face of the Kojuck mountains and the p lains of Cutchee. LordE llenborough, in General Orders, remarked that,

“Th is operation, less bri ll iant in its circumstances than that entrusted to M ajor-General Pol lockand M ajor-General Nott, was yet one wh ich demanded the greatest prudence in the making of every prev ious arrangement for securing the safedescent of the several columns, and wh ich cal led into exercise many of thehigher qual ities which most contribute to form the character of an aecom

p lished general .”“T he Governor-General could not but regard w ith some anxiety the

progress of this movement, requiring so much of delicate management ini ts execution ; and it is a subject of extreme satisfaction to him, that thesame complete success should have attended this, which has, during the

present campaign, attended every other part of the combined operationsof the armies beyond the Indus.

"— General Order: by the Governor Generalof I ndia, S hula, October 2oth., 1842.

B E -CAPTUR E or enuznnn. 79

the 2nd., 16th . , 38th . ,

42nd . , and 43rd . regiments of B engal

Native Infantry, and the regiment of Kelat-i-Ghilzie .

BATTLE OF GONINE .

30m . AUGUST , 1842 .

Smmsnoonsnn, the Afi‘

ghan governor of Ghuznee, about threeo’clock in the afternoon, on the 3oth . of August, brought nearlythe Whole of his army

,amounting to about twelve thousand

men,into the vicinity of the camp at Gonine, distant thirty

eight miles south-west of Ghuznee, when M ajor-General Nottmoved out w ith one-half of his force

,and after a short but

spirited contest, defeated the Afi'

ghans, capturing their guns,

tents, ammunition, etc . and dispersing them in every direction .

One hour more of daylight, and the whole of their infantry

would have been destroyed . Shumshoodeen fled towards Ghuz~

nee,accompanied by about thirty horsemen . M ajor Hibbert, of

the 4oth .

, was specially noticed in the despatches. Two officerswere killed and four wounded ; thirty-six non-commissionedofficers and men were killed and sixty-two wounded .

RE -CAPTURE OF GHUZNE E .

6m . San susnn, 1842 .

MAJ OR -GEN ER AL Srn WI LLI AM Non ,on the morning of the

5th . of September,moved upon Ghuznee . Lieutenant-Colonel

Palmer, Political Agent, commanding at Ghuznee, upon promiseof honourable treatment and safety on the march to Cabool ,and by the orders of Major Pottinger and M ajor-General Elphinstone, had, in March, 1842, capitulated. The garrison was

exhausted by fatigue and constant duty,and the men had

suffered greatly from cold, the thermometer having been fourteen degrees below Zero. Upon Shumshoodeen, nephew of

Dost Mahomed Khan, swearing on the Koran that he woul dgive the Sepoys a safe escort to H indoostan, they consentedto deliv er up their arms. The city was found to be ful l of men,and a range of mountains running north-east of the fortress was

80 M E D ALS or rm: B arrrsn A RM Y.

covered by heavy bodies of cavalry and infantry ; the gardensand ravines in the vicinity being likewise occupied . A con

siderable reinforcement from Cabool , under Sultan Jan, had alsobeen received by the enemy. Major Sanders, of the BengalEngineers, was directed to reconnoitre the works; this broughton some smart skirmishing, and Captain White, of the 4oth .

,

commanding the light companies, was pushed forward, whenthe Major-General determined to carry the enemy’s mountainpositions before encamping his force . This was effectivelyperformed by the troops, and the A ffghans were driven beforethem until every point was gained . Two regiments and someguns were sent from the camp, (which had been pitched,) tooccupy the village of B ul lool , about six hundred yards fromthe walls of Ghuznee, upon the spur of the mountain to thenorth-east

, as this appeared to be a desirable spot for preparinga heavy battery.

During the night of the 5th . of September, the engineers,sappers and miners, and infantry working parties were employed

in erecting breaching batteries; before the guns, however, had

reached the position on the morning of the 6th . , it was as

certained that the fortress had been evacuated, and at daybreakthe British colours were flying from the citadel . The 4oth .

had one private killed and three privates wounded ; the 4 l st.had the same number wounded . I n these operations the loss

was much less than might have been expected, from the numbers and positions of the enemy, and from the fact of thetroops being obliged to move under the range of the guns of

the fortress. Three hundred and twenty-seven Sepoys, of the2 7th . Native Infantry were here released from the state of

slavery to which they had been reduced by the Afi’

ghans. Aparty was detained, under Lieutenant G . White, to take downthe celebrated gates of S omnauth, concerning which so muchdiscussion afterwards arose .

On the 10th . of September the troops continued their march

on Cabool, when Shumshoodeen, Sul tan Jan, and other chiefshaving assemble d about twelve thousand men,

occupied, on

the i 4th . and i 5th . of September, a succession of strongmountains

,intercepting the advance at B eenee Badam and

M ydan, but they were dislodged, and driven from their position.

menu s roa rnn snconn AFFGH AN CAM PA I GN . 81

No further opposition was encountered, and on the 1 7th . thetroops, under Major-General Nott, reached Cabool , and joined

the force under M ajor General Pollock .

After the strong town of Istal if had been captured by the

troops under Major-General Mc Caskill , on the 29th . of September, in which the 9th . Foot and the light companies of the

4 1st. bore a gall ant part, the army broke ground on its return

to India on the i 2th . of October, the grand bazaar of Cabool ,named the Chahar Chu ttah, where the remains of the Britishenvoy had been exposed to public insult, having been firstdestroyed . On arriving at Jellalabad, the fortress was des

During the march through the passes several attacks

of the Afi'

ghans were repulsed . According to the wish of LordEllenborough, the Governor-General , the garrison of Jel lalabad

proceeded in advance of the rest of the troops, in order

to make a triumphant entry. The medals (mural crown pat

tern) granted to the garrison for the defence and battle near

Jellalabad had been forwarded a few days previously, in order

that they might be worn on its entrance into Ferozepore, whichtook place on the 17th . of December .

The foregoing services are commemorated on the colours and

appointments of the following Queen’

s regiments Cabool,

1842 .— 3rd. Light Dragoons, 9th .

,i 3th .

,3 i st . , 4oth .

,and 41st.

regiments. Candahar and Ghusnoo.-4oth . and 4 1st. regiments .

J ellalabad — i 3 th . Light Infantry .

MEDALS FOR THE SECOND AFFGH AN CAMPAIGN .

T H E medals for the second Afi'

ghan campaign generally re

sembled that for meritorious service, of which an illustration

has been given, except that the words CAND AHAR , GHUZNE E ,

CAB UL , 1 842, under each other, were engraved within thewreath of laurel , and beneath the imperial crown, instead of

On the south face of the fort was a large bastion, close to wh ich wasan open space which had been converted into a burial ground ; here theremains of Colonel D ennie, w ith many other gallant soldiers were laid ,and the engineer officer in mining the bastion caused the whole mass tobe thrown by the exp losion over the graves, thus leav ing a lasting andappropriate monument over them, and effectual ly preventing the bod iesbeing disturbed by the A fi

‘

ghans.

82 n sm ns or run nurrrsn AR M Y.

Fox M surronrous S envrcs . Where the recipient was entitledto the foregoing services but one medal was given . Some of

these medals w ere only inscribed CAND AHAR , 1842 ; and othersCABUL, 1842 . Such as claimed for Guuznsn and CAB UL hadone inscribed with those words w ithin a double wreath of

laurel, as shewn in the accompanying engraving. On the oh

v erse in each instance was the Queen ’

s head, w ith the super

scription Vl cronm VI ND EX . The ribbon was the same in all ,

being that known as the rainbow pattern. The artist was thelate WilliamWyon, E sq.

, R .A . The authority for these medalsto be worn by the Queen’

s troops was notified to the army inIndia on the 28th . of January,

CAMPAIGN IN SCINDE . 1843 .

T H E withdrawal of the troops from Affghanistan was con

sidered by the Scindian princes as a sign of weakness, and

“H is E xcel lency the Commander-in-Ch ief in Ind ia has received theauthority of H is Grace the Commander-in-Chief to promulgate to the A rmyin Ind ia, that H er M aj esty has been graciously pleased to permit such ofthe officers, non-commissioned omcers, and privates of H er M ajesty’s regiments, as were engaged in the operations beyond the Indus, to receiverespectively medals similar to those wh ich w i l l be issued by the R ightH onourable the Governor-General to the Indian A rmy, in commemoration of the same serv ices, and to wear such medals, suspended by the

Ind ian ribbon, in al l parts of Her M ajesty’s dominions.”

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84 menu s or run nurrrsn Anu r .

BATTLE OF MEEANEE .

l 7n . FEB RUARY, 1843 .

H Avms thus commenced hostil ities, the Ameers assembled a

numerous force to destroy the few British troops in the country.

S ir Charles Napier, trusting to the valour of the force under

his orders, advanced to meet the enemy . On the 1 7th . of

February, twenty-two thousand S cindian troops were discoveredin position behind the bank of a river at M eeanee . The British,mustering two thousand eight hundred men, advanced in echelon

of regiments to attack their numerous opponents, and the 22nd.,

commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel (now Lieutenant-General S ir

John) Pennefather, led the attack . A numerous body of B e

loochees discharged their matchlocks and pistols at the 22nd .,

and then rushed forward sword in hand to close upon theBritish line ; but these bold and skilful swordsmen went downunder the superior power of the musket and bayonet.“

After a severe’ contest the S cindian army was defeated, and,

on the day following the victory, six of the Ameers deliveredtheir swords to the British General upon the field of battle .The B eloochees lost five thousand men, and all their guns,

ammunition, and treasure were taken, together with their campand standards.

In the Notification of the R ight Honourable Lord Ellenborough, the Govemor General of India, it was directed,

“That

T he only Queen’s regiment at M eeanee was the 22nd . , and the fol

low ing extracts from the despatch of M ajor-General S ir Charles Napiertestify the part borne by it in th is v ictory z—“Lieutenant-Colonel Pennefather was severe ly wounded, as, w ith the h igh courage of a soldier

,

he led h is regiment up the desperate bank of the Fulaillee . M ajor Wy l lie,Captains Tucker and Conway, Lieutenants Harding and Phayre, were al lwounded wh ile gloriously animating their men to sustain the shock ofnumbers. Captains M eade, T ew, and Cookson, w ith Lieutenant Wood , al lfel l honourably. urging on the assau lt w ith unmitigated valour. M ajorPoole, of the 22nd . , and Captain Jackson, of the 25th . Native Infantry,who succeeded to the command of those regiments, proved themse lvesworthy of their dangerous posts. T he Acting A ssistant QuartermasterGeneral , Lieutenant M c M urdo, of the 22nd . regiment, had h is horse k illed ,and, while on foot leading some soldiers in a desperate dash down theenemy’

s side of the bank, he cut down a ch ieftain. H e has greatlyassisted me by h is activity and zeal during the whole of our operations.

Innumerab le are the ind ividual acts of intrepid ity wh ich took p lace between our sold iers and their opponents, too numerous for detail in th isdespatch , yet wel l meriting a record .

”

BATT LE OF HYD E RAB AD .

the unserviceable guns, taken at Hyderabad, shall be sent toBombay, and there cast into a triumphal column, whereon shallbe inscri bed in the Engl ish, and two native languages

,the

names of M ajor General S ir Charl es Napier, K C.B ., and of

the several officers mentioned by H is Excellency in his des

patch, and l ikewise the names of the several officers, non-com

missioned officers, and privates mentioned in the reports, thatthus the names may be for ever recorded of those who, at

M ceauce, obtained for themselves that glory in the field, whichis the reward dearest to a true soldier.

”S ir Charles Napier

set the example, which has since been more or loss followed,in naming the non-commissioned ofi cers and men who had

special ly distinguished themselves.

"5

The loss of the 22nd. regiment was Captain J . M c LeodT ew, one sergeant, and twenty two rank and file killed ;Lieutenant Colonel Pennefather, Captain T. S . Conway, Lieutenants W. M . G . Mc Murdo and F . P. Harding, Ensigns R .

Pennefather and H . Bowden, one sergeant, one corporal , and

fifty privates wounded.

BATTLE OF HYDERABAD .

24m . MAR CH, 1843 .

T H E whole of the Ameers did not submit, and the chiefswho continued to resist assembl ed an army, which was com

mended by M eet Shere M ahomed. The British advanced fromHyderabad at daybreak on the morning of the 24th . of March

,

and about half-past eight o’clock twenty thousand S cindiantroops were discovered in order of battle behind a nul lah .

Arrangements were immediately made for commencing the

1 M ajor Poole, commanding the 22na. regiment, in consequence of Lieutenant-Colone l Pennefather having been severely wounded, stated in h isreport, respecting the sold iers of the regiment under his command , whohad d istinguished themse lves in the battle of M eeanee,

“that the ofiicers

general ly assert that they fee l d ifficu lty in making selections, where the

conduct of every man of their companies was so satisfactory. In so generala fie ld of action and persevering exertion, I equal ly fee l at a loss whereto draw a d istinction ; but it may be proper to mention the names ofPrivate James O’

Neill, of the light company, who took a standard wh ilstwe were actively engaged with the enemy, and D rummer M artin D elaney ;the latter shot, bayoneted, and captured the arms of M eerWhul lee M ahomedKhan, who was mounted, and d irecting the enemy in the hottest part of

the engagement.”

86 M E D A L S or T H E B R I T I S H A RM Y .

action, and the 22nd . regiment led the attack. Major Poolecommanded the brigade, and Captain F . D . George the regiment,which advanced steadily against the enemy’s left, exposed to

a heavy fire of matchlocks, w ithout returning a shot until

arriving w ithin forty paces of the entrenchment, when it stormedthe position occupied by the B eloochees. Lieutenant Cootefirst mounted the rampart, seized one of the enemy’s standards,and was severely wounded while in the act of waving it andcheering on his men ; Lieutenant Powell seized another, and

the gal lant example of the officers stimulated the men to similar

deeds. Privates J . Doherty, C . Lynar, E . Jobin, J . Mc Cartin,J. Walmsley, G . Roberts, E . Watson, and J. Oakley shot thedefenders, and then captured fourteen standards, making five

of their opponents prisoners. Privates S . Cowen, S . Al der, andG . Banbury also captured colours ; and Corporal T im. Kellyshot one of the S cindians, taking from him a sil ver-knobbedstandard. The B eloochee infantry and artill ery fought well ,but were unable, although greatly superior in numbers, to

resist the determined attack of disciplined soldiers.

M ajor General S ir CharlesNapier stated in his publ ic despatch,T he battle was decided by the troop of Horse Artillery, and

H er Majesty’s 22nd . regiment) “

The loss of the enemy was very great, and eleven pieces ofcannon were taken in position on the nullah, together with

seventeen standards. The B eloochee force was completely de

feated, and their commander, Meer Shere Mahomed, fled to thedesert.1

' Among the kil led was the great promoter of the war ,Hoche Mahomed S eedee . Twenty three rank and fil e of the

22nd. regiment were kill ed on this occasion ; Lieutenants Chute,Coote, Evans, and Brennan, Ensign Richard Pennefather, six

sergeants, one drummer, four corporals, and one hundred and

twenty-three privates were wounded. At the battle of H y

derabad the regiment mustered only five hundred and sixty-two

T he words M E E ANE E , H YD E R A B AD , and S CIND E were authorized to beborne on the colours of the 22nd . regiment .

1 In the pursuit of M eer S here M ahomed, the follow ing men of the

22nd . , concealing their wounds received in the batt le of Hyderabad ,marched w ith their regiment the next day , th ink ing another action was ath and z— S ergeant Haney , John D urr, John M u ldowney, R obert Young,H enry Lines, Patrick G il l, James A ndrews, Thomas M idd leton, JamesM ulvey, and S ilvester D ay .

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88 M E D AL S or T H E B R I T re AR M Y.

chiefs. During the minority of the M aharajah , the office of

regent was to be held by Mama Sahib . In a short time theregent was compelled by force to quit the Gwalior state, and

the Dada Khasgee Walla succeeded to the confidence of theMaharanee w ithout possessing general ly that of the chiefs, and

by his influence various acts were committed insul ting and in

jurions to the British Government. The delivery of the Dadabeing peremptorily insisted upon as a necessary preliminary tothe re-establishment of the customary relations with the Gwal iorstate, the Maharanee at l ength complied with the request, andthe Governor General , in order to give fri endly support to theyouthful Maharajah , directed the immediate advance of forcessufficient for the purpose . The Anglo-Indian troops entered

the dominions of Scindiah , and a strong government havingbeen established at Gwalior, they received orders to withdraw ;but were not destined to return to their own territory withouta severe conflict. Negotiations appeared proceeding to an

amicable issue, but the design of the enemy to gain time

to concentrate his forces became at length so evident, thatactive measures of hostility were determined upon.

The main division crossed the Koharee river early in the

morning of the 29th . of December, and found the Mahratta

forces drawn up in front of the vill age of Maharajpore, in

a very strong position, which they had occupied during the

night, and which they had carefully entrenched . The British

w ere about fourteen thousand strong, with forty pieces of

artillery, while the enemy mustered eighteen thousand men,including three thousand cavalry, w ith a hundred guns. Not

w ithstanding the extreme difi cul ty of the country, intersectedby deep and almost impassable ravines, the whole of theAnglo-Indian troops w ere in their appointed positions by eighto’clock in the morning of the 29th . of December. The action

commenced by the advance of M ajor General L ittler’

s column,which was exactly in front of Maharajpore ; whilst M ajorGeneral Val iant’s brigade took it in reverse, both being sup

ported by M ajor General D ennis’

s column, and the two light

field batteries.

H er Majesty’s l 6th . Lancers, and the 39th . and 4oth .

regiments highly distinguished themselves. The 39th . forming

M AH A B A J POB E AND PUNN I AB .

part of Brigadier Wright’s brigade, (Lieutenant-Colonel of the

regiment, now Major-General) in one of the charges, hadtheir commanding officer, Major Bray, desperately wounded,by the blowing up of one of the enemy’s tumbrils in themidst of the corps; but the regiment was ably brought out

of action by M ajor (now Major-General S ir Charles Thomas)Van S traubenzee. A small work of four guns on the left of

the entrenched main position of Chonda was long and obsti

nate ly defended, but subsequently carried ; and the guns cap

tured by the grenadiers of the 39th . , under Captain Campbell,admirably supported by a w ing of the 56th . Native Infantry,under Major Phil ips.

Not less distinguished was the conduct of the 4oth . ; thisregiment in the attack on the enemy’s entrenched positions,had two successive commanding officers, M ajor S topford

'” and

Captain Coddington, wounded at the very muzzles of the guns.

Two regimental standards were captured by the 39th . and

four by the 4oth. regiment. M ajor-General Valiant was also

wounded .

Major General Churchill , C.B .,Quarter-M aster General of

H er Majesty’s forces in India, and Captain S omerset of the

Grenadier Guards, Military S ecretary to Lord Ellenborough,both received several wounds in personal rencontres. The

former died after amputation of the leg. M ajor Henry Havelock,C.B .

, of the 13th . Light Infantry, Persian interpreter, servedon S ir Hugh Gough’s personal staff.

Brigadier Cureton’s brigade of cavalry, of which the l 6th .

Lancers (under Lieutenant-Colonel Macdowell) formed part,took advantage of every opportunity, manoeuvring mostjudiciously on the right

,and had it not been for an impas

Brigad ier S topford, C.B . , of the 64ib . , who was ki lled on the 9th . of

D ecember, 1856, at the attack on R esh ire, in Persia, commanded the 4oth .

at M aharajpore, and fel l wh ilst lead ing on h is regiment, dangerouslywounded, at the very muzzles of the enemy

’s guns. For th is serv ice he

was made Lieutenant-Colonel and a C.B . H e lay for a considerable timewounded on the fie ld, among the dying and the dead, men and horses,and migh t have fal len a v ictim to his own generosity . When h is doolyor stretcher was sent for h im from the rear, and he perceived M ajorGcncral Church ill ly ing near h im mortal ly wounded , with both legs carriedaway by a cannon ball, l ike another S idney, he said, “Oh ! General youare worse than 1 am, you ’ l l bleed to death , you must go on th is dooly.

”

Colonel S topford was at last carried to the rear, and was only in timeto b id farewel l to the general who died immed iately afterwards.

M E D ALS OF T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y.

sable rav ine, w ould have cut off the retreat of the whole .T he cavalry division was under the orders of Major-GeneralS ir Joseph Thackwel l , K .O.B .

In this action fifty-six guns

,and the whole of the enfi ny

’

s

ammunition waggons were captured.

Major-General Grey, who had been directed to push on

w ith the left wing as rapidly as practicable to Punniar,twelve

miles south-west of Gwalior, gained al so a complete victoryon the same day as the battle of M aharajpore was fought,namely, the 29th . of December .

About four o’clock in the afternoon the enemy was obser

ved to have taken up a strong position on a chain of loftyhill s, four miles eastward of the camp . The Major Generaldetermined immediately to attack him, and the 3rd. Buffs,w ith a company of sappers and miners, were detached to oc

cupy a position on an opposite ridge, fol lowed afterwards to

the right by five companies of the 39th . Native Infantry,until the troops, amounting to two thousand and seven men

,

could be brought up, and an attack made upon the enemy’sleft flank and centre . Owing to the lateness of the day, itwas some time before this force coul d be supported. The

Buffs, under Lieutenant Colonel Clunie, and the sappers attackedthe centre, exposed to a galling fire from the guns, and gal

lantly carried every position, driving the enemy from height toheight, and capturing eleven of his guns with a standard . Thesecond infantry brigade under Acting-Brigadier Anderson

, of

the 50th .,

arrived in time to put a finish to the action ;forming on the crest of the hil l, he, by a gal lant and judiciousmovement, attacked the enemy’s left, and completely defeatedhim, taking the remainder of his guns. Major Petit commandedthe 50th . , and distinguished himself by the charge he madedown the hill at the head of that regiment. The 5oth .

Native Infan try shared in the above movement. M ajor Whitecommanded the latter, and took the second infantry brigade

out of action upon Brigadier Anderson being wounded .

A portion of the first cavalry brigade, under BrigadierCampbell of the 9th . Lancers, accompanied the force as far

as the ground woul d admit, but no opportunity was affordedfor actively employing them.

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92 M E D AL! or T H E B R IT I S H ARM Y.

according to European tactics, had, since the decease of thatpol itic ruler in 1839 , become the dominant power, and finallycoerced, or induced the Lahore authorities to commence hostilities. Accordingly the Sikh army, having crossed the Sutlejon the 1 1th . of December, 1845, invested Ferozepore on one

side, and took up an entrenched position at the village of

Ferozeshah, about ten miles in advance of Ferozepore, and

nearly the same distance from M oodkee, the enemy placing inthis camp one hundred and eight pieces of cannon, with a forceexceeding fifty thousand men .

S o unexpected and unprovoked an aggression, in a time of

profound peace, rendered a series of difficul t combinations forthe protection of the frontier indispensable ; and accordinglyseveral regiments w ere hastily assembl ed under the personalcommand of the Commander-in-Chief in India, General S irHugh Gough

,in order to repel the invasion . The Sikhs

remained inactive in the vicinity of Ferozepore for some days,which may be regarded as a providential circumstance as in

stead of annihilating M ajor-General S ir John Littler 8 weakdivisions, they contented themselves with stopping the daks,and plundering the country, until the 17th . of December

, whenthey marched to intercept the approach of the “Army of theSutlej ,

” then advancing to the rel ief of Ferozepore from

Umballa.

BATTLE OF MOODKE E .

18TH . Deon-RR , 1845 .

AFT E R a harassing march of one hundred and fifty miles,

along roads of heavy sand, the troops arrived at M oodkee,on

the 18th . of December, having endured every kind of privation,

the incessant labour required of them admitting scarcely an

hour’s uninterruped repose before being cal led upon for renewedexertions. About three o

’clock in the afternoon, the army,suffering sevom from the want of water, and in a state of

great exhaustion, received intell igence of the advance of theSikhs on M oodkee, and the troops had

’

scarcely time to get

under arms,and to mov e to their positions, before the infor

mation was confirmed . The horse artil lery and cavalry were

BATTLE or noonxns . 93

immediately pushed forward, the infantry and field batteries

moving in support. T wo miles were scarcely passed, whenthe enemy, consisting of about twenty thousand infantry, and

an equal number of cavalry, w ith forty guns, were discoveredin position, whi ch they had either just taken up, or were

advancing in order of battle . The country at this spot was

a dead flat, dotted with sandy hill ocks, and covered at shortintervals with a low thick jungle, forming an excell ent screen

for the infantry and guns of the enemy, from which theyopened a severe cannonade upon the advancing troops, which

was vigorously replied to by the horse artillery under Brigsdier Brooke . After the mantsuvres of the cavalry on the leftand right flanks of their opponents, the infantry commencedtheir participation in the fight, and advancing under M ajor

Generals S ir Harry Smith, Wal ter Gilbert, and S ir John Mc

Caskill , attacked in echelon of l ines the Sikh infantry, thewood and approaching darkness of night rendering them almostinvisible . The great superiority of numbers of the enemynecessarily caused their extended l ine to outflank the British,but the movements of the cavalry counteracted this advantage .Desperate was the opposition experienced, but the roll of fire

from the infantry soon convinced the Sikhs of the inutilityof resistance ; their whole force was driven from position to

position with great slaughter at the point of the bayonet ; nightonly saved them from further disaster, this stout conflict beingmaintained for an hour and a hal f of dim starlight, objectsbeing rendered stil l more obscure from the clouds of dust whicharose from the sandy plain . Darkness alone prevented thepursuit of the foe ; and the force bivouacked on the field forsome hours; returning to their encampment, when it was ascer

tained that they had no foe before them.

I n thismanner was achieved the first of a series of victoriesover the Sikh troops; troops that had fought w ith the Britisharmy only three years previously, in the advance on Cabool,and had been thanked in general orders for their services,sustaining as they did, at the forcing of the Khyber Pass

, a

loss equal to that of the Anglo-Indian force, as stated at page7 1 ; it appears therefore but reasonable to infer, that much of

the skill evinced by them in the disposition and arrangement of

94 M in ut e or run B R IT IsM A RM Y.

their army may be in some degree attributed to the experi

ence they gained by their co-Operation in the Afl'

ghan cam

paign ; proving themselves unquestionably at M oodkee, and in

the succeeding conflicts, one of the best disciplined and mostpowerful antagonists the British had ever encountered in India.

This victory was not gained without considerable loss ; several

gal lant officers fell, and amongst them the hero of A ifghanistan,

Major-General S ir R obert Sale, who, towards the conclusionof the action, had his thigh shattered w ith a grape-shot, fromthe effects of which he died . M ajor-General S ir John M c

Gaskill, who had served with the 9th . Foot in thatcountry, was also amongst the slain .

M oonxan was authorized for the colours and appointmentsof the 3rd . Light Dragoons, 9th .

, 3 1st., 5oth . , and 80th .

regiments.

BATTLE OF FEROZE SHAH OR FE ROZE SH UH UR .

2 l sT . AND DECEM B E R , 1845 .

On the 19th . of December the army was concentrated at

M oodkee, no further operations taking place until the 2 1st . ,

when it moved by its left on Ferozepore ; and having on themarch been reinforced by M ajor General S ir John L ittler

’

s

div ision of five thousand men from that place, General S irHugh Gough formed his forces in order of battle . It was thenresolved to attack the enemy’s entrenched camp at Ferozeshah,or Ferozeshuhur, where they were posted in great force, and

had a most formidable artillery ; their camp was a paral lelogram,

about a mile in length, and half that distance in breadth, the

shorter sides looking towards the Sutlej and M oodkee, and thelonger towards Ferozepore, and the open coun try. T he plains,as at M oodkee, were covered w ith low jhow jungle ; this

added to the difficulty of the advance, which was made in four

div isions; the left w ing under the direction of the Govemor

General, (Lieutenant-General S ir Henry Hardinge, ) who had

volunteered his services as second in command. One hundred

guns of the enemy, nearly one half of battering calibre, opened

a heavy cannonade, which was checked, but not silenced, by

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96 M E D AL s or TH E B R I T I SH ARM Y .

labours were not ended, for in less than two hours Sirdah TejSingh brought up from the vicinity of Ferozepore fresh battalions, and a large field of artillery, supported by thirty

thousand Ghorechurras, previously encamped near the river.

Driving in the cavalry parties, he made strenuous efforts to

regain the position at Ferozeshah ; this attempt was defeated ;but the Sirdar renewing the contest w ith fresh troops, and a

large artill ery, commenced the attack by a combination against

the left flank ; and after being frustrated in this attempt, se

sayed such a demonstration against the captured vill age, as

compelled the British to change the whole front to the right.Meanwhile an incessant fire was maintained by the foe w ithoutbeing answered by a single shot, the artillery ammunition being

completely expended in these protracted encounters. T he almost

exhausted cavalry w ere now directed to threaten both flanksat once

,the infantry preparing to advance in support ; this

soon caused the Sikhs to discontinue firing, and to abandon thefield, precipitately retreating towards the Sutlej , large stores of

grain and the matért'

el of war being abandoned by the enemy .

“

A v ivid p icture of th is sanguinary struggle was given by the lateViscount H ard inge, in a letter to a member of h is family, which was

quoted by S ir R obert Peel, when the vote of thanks to the army w as

reposed in Parliament . “ I t was the most ex traord inary of my l ife .

bivouacked with the men, w ithout food or covering, and our nightsare bitter cold . A burning camp in our front, our brave fe l lows lyingdown under a heavy cannonade wh ich continued during the wholenight, mixed w ith the w ild cries of the S ikhs, our E ngl ish hurrah, thetramp of men,

and the groans of the dying. In this state, w ith a handful of men, who had carried the batteries the night before, I remainedt il l morning, tak ing very short intervals of rest by lying down w ith var

ious regiments in succession, to ascertain their temper, and rev ive theirspirits. I found myself again w ith my old friends of the 29th . , 3 l st., both .,

and 9th . , and al l in good heart. M y answer to al l and every man was,that we must figh t it ou t, attack the enemy v igorously at daybreak,beat h im, or d ie honourably in the field . T he gal lant old General, k indhearted and heroical ly brave, entirely coincided w ith me . D uring thenight I occasional ly cal led upon our brave E nglish soldiers to punishthe S ikhs when they came too close, and were imprudent ; and whenmorning broke we went at it in true E nglish style . Gough was on theright. I placed myself, and dear little A rthur by my side, in the centre,about thirty yards in front of the men, to prevent their firing, and we

d rove the enemy w ithout a hal t from one ex tremity of their camp to

the other, capturing th irty or forty guns as we went along, which fireda t twenty paces from us, and were served obstinately . T he brave mend rew up in an exce l lent l ine, and cheered Gough and myself as we rodeup the line, the regimental colours lowering to me as on parade. T hemournful part is the heavy loss I have sustained in my officers. I havehad ten aides-de -camp hars-dc-comb at, five ki lled and five wounded . T hefire of grape was very heavy from 100 p ieces of cannon. T he S ikh armywas dril led by French officers, and the men the most warlike in Ind ia .

”

B ATT LE or ALIWAL . 97

It is not surprising that the British casualties were nu

merens. iVithin thirty hours an entrenched camp had been

stormed, a general action fought, and two considerable conflictssustained w ith the enemy. Thus in less than four days, sixtythousand Sikh soldiers, supported by upwards of one hundred

and fifty pieces of cannon, were dislodged from their pod tion,

and received a just retribution for their treacherous proceedings,without prov ocation or declaration of hostilities.

The 3rd. Light Dragoons, 9 th . , 29th ., 3 l st. , both .

, 62ud .,

and 8oth . regiments bear the word FB RoznsnAn on their

colours and appointments. In the official despatch there wereno regiments particularized, for all were equally exposed

during this protracted conflict .“

BATTLE OF ALIWAL.

28TH . JANUAR Y, 1846 .

Orv the 16th . of January, 1846, the first brigade, w ith a

few guns and some native cavalry, received sudden orders to

march on the following morning in the direction of Loodiana,

under the command of Major-General S ir Harry Smith . Bya forced march on the 17th .

, the fort of D hurrumkote was

surprised, and the garrison, consisting of about three hundredmen, laid down their arms, and were sent prisoners to headquarters. On the 2oth . of the same month this division was

reinforced near the fort of Jugraon by the l 6th . Lancers,the 53rd . Foot, 9. detachment of recruits of the Queen’

s

regiments, and a troop of horse artill ery . The Major-Generaldecided on attempting the rel ief of Loodiana, which was butsl ightly garrisoned, and was threatened by a large body of

the enemy. The troops commenced their march about one

“T he Governor-General’s thanks are due to al l the infantry regimentsof H er M ajesty, and to the l st . E uropean Light Infantry of the EastInd ia Company’

s service, al l of wh ich reg iments distinguished themse lvesby the most devoted courage in brav ing the destructive fire of theenemy’

s batteries, and val iantly capturing their guns. T he Govemor

General offers his thanks more especially to H er M ajesty’s 3rd . D ragoons,

who,‘

on al l these occasions, sough t opportunities of usefu l conflict w iththe enemy, and fought with that superiority over their opponents whichsk i l l and d iscipl ine impart to brave and determined men.

”— GeneralOrders by the R ight H onourable the Governor General .

B

98 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T IsR AR M Y .

o’clock in the morning of the 2 l st . ; about eleven, the

enemy was observ ed to be drawn up, parallel with the Britishl ine of march, in a strong position at B uddiwal , his frontcovered by a ridge of low sand-hil ls, bristling with fortypieces of artill ery, which were so placed that it was necessary,in order to gain Loodiana, either to risk a battle to dislodgehim from a strong position,— which, w ith troops fatigued by

a long march, under a burning sun, and greatly inferior in

numbers, would have been a hazardous proceeding, —or to

proceed al ong the entire front of his p osition under a gallingfire .

Having a just confidence in the steadiness of his troops,S ir Harry Smith chose the latter course . The infantry, formedin open column of companies right in front (the grenadier

company of the 3 l st. leading, ) and ready at any moment toform line

,preceded by the artillery

,and covered by the

cavalry, marched at a distance of five hundred yards, along

the front of this formidable line, receiv ing the fire of eachbattery as it bore upon them. The Sikh position beingpassed, and the enemy declining to follow , by three o

’clockin the afternoon the troops arrived at Loodiana, thus effecting

the desired object .

On the 22nd . and 23rd . the soldiers were permitted to restthemselves after their late fatigue, and on the 24th . theenemy retired to Al iwal, a village on the Sutlej . The Britishmov ed to the ground lately occupied by them at B uddiwal ,

where they w ere reinforced by the second brigade of S ir

Harry Smith’s div ision, consisting of the 5oth . Foot and 48th .

Native Infantry, w ith some cavalry and infantry from Loodiana.

At daylight on the 28th . S ir Harry Smith marched withhis whole force to attack the Sirdar R unjoor Singh and theRajah of Ladwa in their camps at Aliwal, the enemy being

drawn up in line of battle w ith his left resting on the

v illage . From information afterwards received, it appearedthat the Sikhs were about to march upon Jugraon that verymorning, for the purpose of getting betw een S ir HarrySmith’s force and the heavy guns coming up from Delhiunder a v ery slender escort. T he march having been pre

viously conducted in column of brigades at deploying distance,

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100 M E D ALs or T H E B R I T I SH AR MY .

Smith rejoined the main body of the army, it was determined

at once to storm their entrenchments, and finall y drive them

out of H indoostan. This was no ordinary undertaking, as,

from observations made during the time the head-quarte rs of

the army were stationed at the vil lage of Nihalkee, it was

ascertained that the position at Sobraon was covered with for

midable entrenchmcuts, and defended by thirty thousand of

the «Hits of the Khalsa troops ; besides being united by a goodbridge to a reserve on the opposite bank of the river, on

which was stationed a considerable camp, with artill ery, whichcommanded and flanked the Sikh field works on the Britishside of the SutlejAbout daybreak on the l oth . of February, the mortars,

battering guns, and field artil lery w ere disposed on the al luvial

land, embracing within their fire the enemy’s works. As

soon as the sun’s rays cleared the heavy mist which hung

over the plain, the cannonade commenced ; but notwithstandingthe admirable manner in which the guns were served, it

would hav e been visionary to expect that they could, w ithin

any limited time, silence the fire of seventy pieces of artillery behind well -constructed batteries, or dislodge troops so

strongly entrenched. It soon therefore became evident thatmusketry and the bayonet must ul timately decide the contest.The British infantry

,formed on the extreme left of the

l ine, then advanced to the assaul t, and in spite of every

impediment, cleared the entrenchments, and entered the

enemy’s camp . H er Majesty’s l oth ., 53rd.

, and 8oth . regi

ments, with the 33rd. , 43rd . , 59th ., and 63rd. Native Infantry,

moving at a firm and steady pace, never fired a shot til lthey had passed the barriers opposed to them, to which was

attributed the success of their first effort, and the small less

sustained by them. When checked by the formidable obstacles

and superior numbers to which the attacking division was

exposed, the second division, under M ajor General Gilbert,afforded the most opportune assistance by advancing to the

attack of the Sikh batteries, entering the fortified position

after a severe struggle, and sweeping through the interior of

the camp . A very severe loss was inflicted by this division

upon the retreating enemy. The same gallant efforts, attended

B AT T LE or SOB R AON . 101

by similar resul ts, distinguished the attack of the enemy’sleft by the first division, under M ajor General S ir HarrySmith, in which the troops nobly sustained their former

Fighting with the energy of desperation, the Sikhs, evenwhen some of their entrenchments were mastered with the

bayonet, endeavoured to recover with the sword the positionsthey had lost . It was not until the weight of all threedivisions of infantry, in addition to several regiments of

cavalry, w ith the fire of every piece of field artil lery that

could be sent to their aid, had been felt, that the enemygave way . The Sikh regiments retreated at first in tolerableorder

, but the incessant volleys soon caused them to seek

safety in a rapid flight. Masses of them precipitated themselves on their bridge, which, being broken by the heavy fire,

was incapable to sustain the mul titudes pressing forward ; thesudden rise too of the Sutlej rendered the ford almostimpassable , adding another obstacle to their escape . Adreadful carnage ensued . The stream was red with thebodies of men and horses, the bridge in many places had

given way, and it is considered that at least a third of

the Sikh army perished in this battle ; sixty-seven of their

guns were captured, together with two hundred camel -sw ivels

(zumboorucks, ) numerous standards, and vast munitions of

war.

In this manner ended the battle of Sobraon ; at six in

the morning it commenced ; at nine it became a hand tohand conflict ; and by eleven it was gained . M ajor General

A most gal lant act was performed by Sergeant B ernard M c Cabe, ofthe 3 l st. Foot. Lieutenant T rittou, bearing the Queen’

s co lour, was shotthrough the head, and E nsign Jones, who carried the regimental one, wasnearly at the same time mortally wounded . T he regimental colour, fal lingto the ground , was seized by Sergeant M cCabe, who, rush ing forward,crossed the d itch, and p lanted it on the h ighest point of the enemy ’

s

fortifications, maintaining h is position under a most tremendous fire,the colour being completely ridd led w ith shot. T he men, cheering,scrambled into the works as best they cou ld , and drove the enemy intothe river, Lieutenant Noe l bearing the Queen’

s colour, the staff of wh ichwas sh ivered in h is hand . S ergeant M c Cabe was appointed to an ensigncyin the 18th . Royal Irish R egiment, on the recommendation of the lateGeneral S ir H arry Smith, who pronounced th is deed to be one of themost daring he ever w itnessed, and which he considered tended much to

shorten the struggle . Captain M c Cabe, of the 32nd . , to which regimenthe was afterwards promoted , d ied of wounds, received while leading hisfourth sortie, at Lucknow, on the l st. of October, 1857 .

102 statu t e or T H E B R I T I SH AR MY.

S ir Robert Dick, the former l eader of the 42nd .

R oyal Highlanders in Spain, fell at the moment of victory ;Brigadier Taylor, C.B .

, the beloved commanding officer of the

29th . regiment, who commanded the third brigade of the

second division, was also killed . In these sev eral battles theBri tish loss amounted to six thousand two hundred and

seventy-two officers and men killed and wounded .

”

Of the Queen’s regiments, besides those al ready mentioned,

the 3 l st . and 5oth . were described in orders as havinggreatly distinguished themselves. The gallant conduct of the9th . ,

29th . , and 62ud. regiments, was also speciall y noticed,and the cavalry were not forgotten fSOB R AON

, on the colours and appointments of the followingregiments, commemorates this decisive victory, namely,— 3rd.

,

9th . , and l 6th . Light Dragoons; 9th . , l oth .,29th .

,3 l st. ,

5oth ., 53rd. , 62nd . , and 8oth . Foot ; their conduct, and that

of the officers, rece ived the thanks of Parliament .T en days after the battle of Sobraon the British arrived

before Lahore . So complete was the discomfiture of theSikhs, that no further opposition had been experienced ; and

on the 22nd . of February a brigade of troops took formal

possession of the palace and citadel of Lahore . A treaty was

afterwards signed, which, while it evinced the moderation and

justice of the paramount pow er of India, appeared cal culated

to secure the frontier against similar acts of aggression .

K I L L E D . WOUND E D

Officers . M en. Officers. M en .

M oodkee

Ferozeshuhur

A l iwalS obraon

Total 92 1295 3 15 4570

1'“M ajor-General S ir Joseph T hackwel l has established a claim on th is

day to the rare commendation of hav ing ach ieved much w ith a cavalryforce, where the duty to be done consisted entirely of an attack on fieldwork s, usual ly supposed to be the particu lar prov ince of infantry andarti llery . I l ls v igi lance and activ ity throughout our operations

,and the

superior manner in wh ich our outpost duties have been carried on underhis superintendence demand my warmest acknow ledgments.”— General S irH ugh Gough

’s despatch.

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104 M E D ALs or T H E B R I T IsM ARM Y.

united his troops with those of Colonel Cortlandt, severalencounters took place w ith the insurgents, until they werein July compelled to shelter themselves w ithin the walls of

M ool tan . Major-General Whish arrived from Lahore in thevicinity of M ool tan,

on the 18th . of August, 1848, w ith a

force of which H er Majesty’s l oth . Foot formed part, and on

the next day was joined by a column from Ferozepore ,w ith which was the Queen’

s 32nd . regiment . The vill age Of

R amteerut was taken possession of on the 7th . of September,and the working parties having made good progress, it was

resolved to attack the ou tworks on the 12th . of that month,when Shere Singh deserted w ith five thousand Sikhs to theenemy. This defection made it necessary to raise the siegeon the 15th . of that month, and a position was taken up

some miles distant. Lieutenant-Colonel Pattoun,Of the 32nd .

,

who commanded the attack, was kil led, and also Quar termasterTaylor, of that regiment, together w ith M ajor Montizambert,of the l 0th . Foot.Meanwhile Lord Gough was marching into the Punjab, and

the advance force, under Brigadier-General Campbell, C.B .

,

(now Lord Clyde, ) was engaged at R amnuggur on the 22nd .

of November, 1 848 . Here the gal lant Brigadier-GeneralCureton, C.B .

, commanding the cavalry division, (the flaxen

haired boy of the Peninsula,) and Lieu tenant-Colonel WilliamHavelock, K .H .

, were killed . The brilliant charges of the3rd . and 14th . Light Dragoons, and of the 5th . and 8th .

regiments of Light Cavalry, against the enemy’s horsemen,numbering between three and four thousand men, was

specially noticed in general orders.

This engagement was followed by the action of Sadoolapoor,

on Sunday, the 3rd . of December,1 848, by the troops under

Major-General S ir Joseph Thackwell , in which the3rd . Light Dragoons, and the 24th . and fi l st. regimentsshared . The enemy’s loss was severe

, but the British casual tieswere comparatively smal l

,amounting to only seventy-three

killed and wounded .

A gallant and successful attack was made w ith little less,on a strong position Of the enemy on the eastern side Of

the Grand Canal , by the troops under Brigadier-General F .

SIE GE OF M OOL TAN

Markham, on the morning of the 7th . of November .

“ Thisis known as the action of S ooroojkhund, in which the l oth .

and 32ud . regiments shared, (the latter being commanded by

M ajor Inglis, afterwards the heroic defender of Lucknow , )when the enemy’s strongly entrenched position was carried,and four of his guns captured without firing a shot.While these events were occurring M ajor Genera l Whish

renew ed the siege Of M ooltan ; and hav ing been joined on the26th . of December by Brigadier the Honourable H . Dundas,C.B .

,of the 6oth . Rifles, w ith the Bombay column, which,

in addition to native corps, comprised the 60th . R oyal R ifles,an attack was made on the entrenchments on the 27th . of

December ; and the enemy being driven from the suburbs, a

position was taken up by the British w ithin four hundredyards of the walls . The gallantry and discipl ine of the 6oth .

Rifles were specially noticed ; they had M ajor Gordon kil led,and Major Dennis w ounded . Three companies of the 32nd .

shared in the re-occupation of the suburbs on this occasion.

By a shell from one Of the mortars on the 3oth . theprincipal magazine in the citadel was blown up , destroyingthe grand musj id and several houses, and costing the lives of

about eight hundred of the garrison. Now ise dismayed bythis misfortune, M oolraj continued the defence ; but breacheswere effected during the nights of the 3oth . and 3 1st .

, one

near the Delhi gate, and the other near the B ohur gate . A

sortie was made by the garrison on the last day Of the

year, but this was repulsed by Major Edwardes and Lieutenant

Brevet-M ajor E dwardes, C.B . , in his despatch to M ajor-GeneralWh ish giving such detai ls of the action of the 7 th . Of November as

concerned the Irregu lar A uxi liary Force under h is command, and Lieutena nt Lake, stated z— “I regret to say that the head Of the British linereached the east side Of the nullah as our Irregulars arrived at thepassage in the canal, wh ich connected the entrenchments on the east

and west, and a party of S heikh Emamoodeen’s Rohi l las, d isregard ing in

the heat of the action the orders they had received to keep on their own

side of the nu l lah , crossed over and had captured a gun on the eastern

bank, when they were mistaken by the S epoys for M oo lraj‘

s troops, andtwo were shot down before the error cou ld be explained .

“I deem it my duty to bring to your notice the noble conduct of a

private of H er M ajesty’s 32nd . Foot, who at th is Juncture, perceiv ing what

was going on, leaped down the canal, and putting h imself in front of myPathans, faced the British troops, and waved h is chako on the end of hisbayonet as the signal to cease firing. Thus many fi'iendly lives weresaved. T he name of this brave man is H owell .”

106 M E D ALs OF T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y .

Lake, the enemy being dri ven back w ith severe loss. Theplace was eventually stormed in the afternoon Of the 2nd. of

January, 1849 .

Colour Sergeant John Bennett, of the 1st. Bombay Fusiliers,performed a most gallant act. He planted the Uni on Jack inthe crest of the breach, standing beside it until the troops had

passed . Both colour and staff were riddled with balls. Thesuburbs between the Delhi gate and the left breach wereoccupied by pickets from the first brigade , under M ajor Dennis,of the 60th . Rifles, a company of that regiment, under CaptainDouglas, being stationed in the houses opposite the breach inthe Khoonee B oorj to cover the advance of the storming party,and two companies, under Captains Young and S ibthorp, toperform the same office for the Bengal column .

Two practicable breaches having been made, orders wereissued to storm the citadel (into which M oolraj had retired)on the 22nd . ; and when the British troops were about tocommence, the Sikh chief, with the whole Of the garrison,surrendered . M oolraj was subsequently tri ed for the murderof M r . Agnew and Lieutenant Anderson, but the capitalsentence was changed into imprisonment for life . This siegecost the British a loss of nearly one thousand two hundredkilled and wounded . After this brilliant success Major GeneralWhish proceeded with a considerable portion of his troops,to join the army immediately under the command of LordGough .

M OOL TAN is borne by the l oth ., 32nd .

, and 60th .,in

commemoration Of their distinguished services during theseOperations. These three regiments, after the fall of the place,proceeded to join the army under Lord Gough

,and by forced

marches succeeded in being in time to share in the final

struggle at Goojerat.

BATTLE OF CHILIANWALA .

13T H . JANUARY, 1849 .

L OR D GOUGH having received information on the l oth . of

January of the fall of the fortress of A ttock, which had been

defended for a lengthened period by M ajor Herbert, and of

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108 M E D A Ls OF T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y.

Brigadier Pennycuick’s brigade hav ing failed in maintaining

the position it had carried, Brigadier Penny’s reserve was

ordered to support ; but Brigadier General Colin Campbel l,

(to use Lord Gough’s own words,)“with that steady coolness

and mil itary decision for which he is so remarkable, havingpushed on his left brigade and formed l ine to his right,carried everything before him, and soon overthrew that portion

of the enemy which had Obtained a temporary advantageOver his right brigade .This last brigade mistook for the signal to move in double

time the action of their brave leaders, Brigadier Pennycuick

and Lieutenant Colonel Brookes, who waved their swords over

their heads as they cheered on their gallant troops. This nu

fortunate mistake caused the Europeans to outstrip the nativecorps, which were unable to keep pace

,and arriving, com

plete ly blown, at a bel t of v ery thick jungle, got into someconfusion, and Lieutenant-Colonel Brookes, heading the

was killed between the Sikh guns. At this moment a numerous

body of infantry, which supported their guns, Opened so

destructive a fire that the brigade was compelled to retire,but not before having lost their gallant leader, Brigadier

Pennycuick,’f

and the three other field Officers of the 24th .,

together w ith nearly half the regiment ;1’ the native corps

also suffered severely .

Major-General S ir Joseph Thackwell , on the extreme left

and rear, charged the enemy’s cavalry wherever they shewed

When Brigad ier Pennycuick fel l mortal ly wounded, a S ikh was

mangl ing the body ; on seeing wh ich h is son rushed forward , dealt an

avenging b low , and across h is father’

s corpse endeavoured to protect the

remains ; b ut it was in vain, and the heroic youth fel l overpowered bynumbers. Like Lord Talbot and his son, in S hakspere

’

s“H enry VI . ,

where, however, the younger is the first slain, the words used by theelder are fu lly app licable in the above instance ; in a gal lant termination,such souls, “

coupled in bonds of perpetuity,” despite of “antick death ,”

“shal l ’

seape mortality.

”

Another father and son met a like fate in th is campaign. ColonelCureton was k illed at Ramnuggur, and h is son, Lieutenant A . J .

Cureton, Of the i 4th . Light D ragoons, fel l at Ch ilianwala .

1' The loss Of the 24th . was fearful ; it was the central regiment of the

fifth brigade, under Brigad ier Pennycuick , wh ich formed the right brigadeof the th ird d iv ision, under Brigad ier-General Col in Campbell . LieutenantColonels Brookes and Pennycuick , C .B . , M ajor H arris, Captains Lee,Travers, H arris, and S hore, Lieutenants George Phi llips, Payne, Wood ate,and E nsigns W i lliam Phil lips, Col lis, and Pennycuick were k i lled ; ajorPaynter, Captains B rown and Bazalgette, Lieutenants Wi ll iams, Croker,

B ATT LE OF GOOJ E B AT .

themselves, and the right attack of infantry, under M ajor

General S ir Walter Gilbert, was most successful , whilst the

left brigade, under Brigadier Mountain, was highly distinguished .

Brigadier Godby ably supported the advance with the rightbrigade .

”

Lord Gough remained with Brigadier-General Campbell’

s

division, which had been reinforced by Brigadier Mountain’s

brigade, until nearly eight o’clock, in order to effect thebringing in of the captured ordnance, and of the wounded .

T he loss of the Sikhs, principal ly among their old and triedsoldiers

, was computed at three thousand killed, and four

thousand wounded . With the exception of Sobraon, it wasremarked by Lord Gough that he never remembered seeingso many of an enemy’s slain upon the same space . The Britishcasual ties were likew ise heavy .1In this battle the ‘

undaunted bravery of H er M ajesty’s29th . regiment

, under Lieutenant Colonel Congreve, was spe

special ly noticed, and the conduct of the 6 i st. was equallydistinguished .

BATTLE OF GOOJE RAT .

2 l s'r . FE B RUARY, 1849 .

AFT E R the battle of Chilianwala, the enemy, owing to wantof suppl ies, quitted their entrenchments, and took up a positionbetween Goojerat and the Chenab . It appears to have beentheir intention to cross this river

, and,after plundering the

R echna Doab, to have marched to Lahore ; but this was

B erry, Thelwal l, and H artshorn ( Adjutant,) M acpherson, and A rcher96th . Foot,) were wounded . Of the men the casualties were returned as

our hundred and n inety-seven kil led or wounded ; two hundred andtwenty-seven of these were killed in action, and nine subsequently d iedof their wounds.

“Th is d ivision nobly maintained the character of the Ind ian A rmy,taking and spiking the whole of the enemy '

s guns in their front, andd ispersing the S ikhs wherever they were seen .

”— L ord Gough’

s desp atch .

1' Ramnuggur z—Two omcers and fourteen men kil led, nine officers and

fifty -three men wounded , and twe lve missing. Ch il ianwala :—Th irty-eightofllcers and five hundred and six ty-four men ki lled, ninety-four officersand one thousand five hundred and dity-seven men wounded, and one

h undred and four missing. Goojerat z—S ix officers and ninety men kil led,th irty-nine officers and six hundred and six ty-seven men wounded, andfive missing.

l l O u suA t s or T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y.

prevented by M ajor-General Whish, who had detached a

brigade to guard the ford8 above and below Wuzeerabad, in

which direction Lord Gough had moved .

At half-past seven o’clock in the morning of the 2 l st . of

February, the army advanced w ith the precision of a parademovement. The Sikhs opened their fire at a very long distance, which exposed to the artillery both the position and

range of their guns. The infantry was halted just out of

fire , and the whole of the artill ery were advanced, covered byskirmishers.

The Sikh guns were served w ith their accustomed rapidity,

and the enemy well and resolutely maintained his position,but the terrific force of the British fire obliged him, .

afteran obstinate resistance, to fall back . T he infantry were thendeployed, and a general advance was directed, the movementbeing covered, as before, by artillery.

Burra Kalra, the left village of those of that name, whereinthe enemy had concealed a large body of infantry, and whichwas apparently the key of their position

, lay immediately inthe l ine of Major-General S ir Walter Gilbert’s advance, and

was carried in the most brilliant style by a spirited attackof the third brigade, under Brigadier Penny

,consisting of

the 2nd . Europeans, and 3 1st. and 7oth . regiments of Nativ eInfantry, which drove the enemy from their cover w ith greatslaughter . A very spirited and successful movement was also

made about the same time against a heavy body of troops inand about the second or Chotah Kalra, by part of BrigadierHervey’s brigade, most gal lantly led by Lieutenant-ColonelFranks

,of the l oth . Foot.

T he heavy artillery continued to advance,taking up suc

cessive forward positions, driving the enemy from those hehad retired to, whilst the rapid advance and beautiful fire

of the horse artillery and l ight field batteries, which were

strengthened by bringing to the front the two reserved troops

of horse artil lery, under Lieutenant Colonel Brind,Brigadier

Brook having the general superintendence of the whole of thehorse artillery, broke the enemy

’

s ranks at al l points. The

whole infantry line then rapidly advanced,and drove their

opponents before it. The nullah was cleared, several villages

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112 mum ps or run R RrrrsR ARM Y .

Major -General S ir Wal ter Gilbert, in command of a compe

tent force, resumed the pursuit towards the Jhelum on the

following morning, with a view of cutting off the enemy from

the only practicable gun-road to that river . Another division

of infantry, under Brigadier General Colin Campbell , advanced

on the road to B imber, scouring the country in that direction

to prevent their carrying off the guns by that route, and

a body of cavalry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Bradford, suc

cessful ly pushed on several miles into the hills, and twenty four

from Goojerat, accompanied by Captain Nicholson , a most

energetic political oflicer, w ith the same object, whilsts ord

Gough remained in possession of the field for the purpose

of supporting these operations, covering the fords of the

Chenab, and destroying the vast magazines of ammunitionleft scattered in all directions. These combinations were entirelysuccessful, the detached parties coming at every step on the

wreck of the dispersed and flying foe .

GOOJ E B AT was authorized to be borne by the 3rd., 9th .

, and

14th . Light Dragoons; l oth ., 24th .

, 29th . , 32ud.

,5ard .

, 60th .,

and Gi st . regiments. The thanks of parl iament w ere unani

mously voted for the operations in the Punjab .

Major General S ir Walter Gilbert,

crossing theJhelum on the ard . of March, came up w ith a portion of theretreating army, under Shere Singh and Chuttur Singh

,at

H oormuck, where they surrendered on the 1 1 th . of March ;the sirdars and the remainder of his troops

, amounting to

sixteen thousand men, laid down their arms at B awnl Piudee

three days afterwards. Forty-one pieces of artillery were

given up . Dost M ahomed was energetically pursued throughAttock and Peshawar, as far as the Khyber Pass.

S ir Charles Napier, who had been selected at a moment’snotice, and had proceeded to India, thus found on his arrival

that the British arms had gained the ascendancy in thatcountry, and the consequence of Lord Gough’s crowning

victory was the annexation of the Punjab . A pension was

granted to Maharajah D huleep Singh ; and the celebrateddiamond, the Koh-i Noor, or Mountain of Light

,taken from

Shah Sooja by Runjeet Singh, was presented to H er Majesty .

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THE SUTLEJ AND PUNJAB MEDALS .

T H E Sutlej and Punjab medals w ere designed by Will iam

Wyon, E sq .

,and both have on the obverse the head of the

Queen, with the superscription VI CTORI A REGI NA . On the re

verse of the Sutlej medal is a figure of Victory standing,offering a laurel w reath with her right hand, and holding a

palm branch in her left, a trophy of Sikh arms being at

her feet. The words AR M Y on T H E SUT LE J are arranged roundthe rim. In the exergue of the specimen from which theengraving is taken, occurs the word M OOD KEE , 1 845, so thata recipient in the four actions would have but three clasps.

The same plan was followed for one,two, or three actions ;

some would consequently have FE R OZE S HUH UR.,AL IWAL, or S o

B B AON, 1 846,beneath the figure of Victory . The ribbon is

dark blue with crimson edges.

The reverse of the Punjab medal is unique . The Sikhs

are represented as laying down their arms before Lord Gough,a field of battle at the termination of a victory, being depicted ;in the background are the troops, together with a group of

palm trees and other accessaries, indicative of an Indianlandscape . The figure of Lord Gough

, on his charger,is

exceedingly spirited, the latter, a beautiful Arab, having beenmodelled from the life . Clasps were granted for M OOL TAN

,

CHI LI ANWALA , and GOOJ EB AT . The ribbon is blue w ith yellowedges. The superscription is T o T H E AR MY or T H E PUNJAB ,and in the exergue is the year MD CCCXLIX .

SECOND BURMESE WAR.

1852— 53 .

T E E King of Ava having refused redress for injuries inflicted on British subjects at Rangoon, in violation of thetreaty of Yandaboo, concluded at the termination of the firstBurmese war, after an ineffectual attempt at negociation, hos

til ities commenced . Troops were collected from Bengal and

1 14 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y .

Madras, and placed under the command of Major-GeneralGodw in, who had borne a . prominent part in the first war

w ith A va . T he Queen’

s regiments which formed part of

the force were the 18th ., 5 l st .

,and 80th .

” Major-General

Godwin embarked wi th the force under his command on the

2 8th . of March, 1852 , and three days afterwards the destruo

tion of the stockades on the banks of the river Irrawaddyw as effected . The next service was the attack and capture

of Martaban, on the 5 th . of April, in which portions of

the 1 8th . and 80th . shared . Captain Campbell commandedthe wing of the 1 8th .

, and Major Lockhart that of the 80th .

Captain Gillespie in command of the grenadiers of the for

mer regiment was first on the walls, and the soldier followinghim received three wounds. About seven o

’clock in the morn

ing the troops landed , and the storming party was soon underthe walls and over them

,when Lieutenant-Colonel R eignolds

at once took possession, after some skirmishing,of the pagodas

on the height, and by eight o’clock a.m . Martaban was won .

The storming party from the 80th . was commanded by Captain Christie of that regiment.At this period the Madras division (comprising the 5 l st. regi

ment) had not arrived at Rangoon, but by the 7th . of Aprilit reached the rendezvous at the mouth of the Rangoon river ;on the 1 1th .

, (Sunday,) Rangoon was bombarded, and at day

break ou the foll owing morning the troops commenced landing.

They had not proceeded far when some guns were opened on

the British, and shortly afterwards skirmishers showed them

selves in the jungle . This was a new mode of fighting withthe Burmese, as no instance occurred in the former war of

their attacking the flanks or quitting their stockades. Now

they w ere not only good shots, but bold in their operations,

and clever in selecting their ground and covering themselves.

A strong outwork named the White House Redoubt was as

saulted ; the storming party, of which four companies of the5 l st . Light Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel St. Maur, formed

18th . , eight hundred and fifty men ; 5l st . , nine hundred ; 8oth . , four

hundred and sixty ; A rti l lery, five companies, five hundred and seventeen

Native Infantry, three regiments, two thousand eight hundred ; Gun L as

cars, seventy ; S appers ahd M iners, one hundred and seventy ; in al l fivethousand seven hundred and sixty-seven men .

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1 16 menu s or T H E R srrrsn ARM Y.

men of Captain R ice’s company to be special ly thanked in

orders. Major Errington, who commanded the troops, was

wounded . After leaving a garrison in Bassein the remainder

of the troops returned to Rangoon .

M artaban was attacked by a Burmese force of upwards of

one thousand men on the 26th . of M ay, but they were gal

lantly repulsed by the garrison, consisting of the 49th . M ad

ras Native Infantry, under Major Hall . The 5 1st. regiment,which had been sent to reinforce the garrison, assisted in

driving back the enemy from the stockade, and pursued him

some distance .During the middle of September, the 18th . and 8oth . regi

ments embarked at R angoon for Prome, and arrived there on

the morning of the 9th . of October. The troops were landedin the evening in a suburb to the north of and beyond thetown . A s they advanced towards the position selected for

the night, a very smart fire of musketry and jmgal ls was

simultaneously opened from some jungle and houses on theB ritish left, and a small pagoda in the front . The grenadiersof the 8oth . under Captain Christie

, and two companies of

the same regiment under Captain Welsh, accompanied by Brigadier R eignolds, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 18th . regiment, in

a short ‘ time most gallantly drove the enemy from their posi

tion . The remainder of the troops were landed on the following morning, when the place was found evacuated by the

B urmese . Thus the important city of Prome was gained,w ith the smal l loss of one kill ed and eight wounded .

On Sunday, the 2 1st. of November, Pegu was attacked bya force under Brigadier M c.Neil l , of the Madras Army, com

posed of the l st . Bengal Fusiliers, under Lieutenant Colonel

Tudor, three hundred ; l st. Madras Fusiliers, Major Hill , threehundred ; 5th . Madras Native Infantry, M ajor Shubrick, fourhundred ; seventy Sappers; and thirty-two Artill ery .

When the news of the capture of this city was receivedat Calcutta, a proclamation was issued annexing the wholeprovince of Pegu to the British territories.On the 8th . of December the enemy attacked Prome in

force, but were repulsed with loss; the engagement lasted

from midnight until four o’clock in the morning of the 9th .

SE CON D B UB M E S B WAR . 1 17

The 5 1st. shared in this action .

The small garrison left in Pegu was constantly harrassed bythe attacks of the Burmese army, encamped at a short dis

tance, which were gallantly repulsed by Major Hill, of the

Madras Fusiliers. A reinforcement of twelve hundred men,left Rangoon on the 1 1th . of December, and arrived at Pegu

on the 14th ; when, after a toilsome march through a close

country w ithout a road,

and an attack from a large bodyof skirmishers, the relief was effected . A further advance

into the country, with a view to bring on a general action,was made on the 1 7th . and an attack subsequently ensued,when the Burmese rapidly abandoned their entrenched position

and took to flight ; after a further march of two days, theenemy avoiding a general engagement, the state of the com

missariat forced the British general to return to Pegu , and

subsequently to Proms.

A n expedition proceeded under Brigadier General S ir John

Cheape, to the D onabew district of Pegu, in order

to reduce the stronghold of Myat toon, a robber-chief. Theforce was actively engaged on the 17th .

,18th .

,and 19th . of

M arch, 1858 ; after a severe struggle of four hours’ duration

the place was stormed and destroyed . The left wing was

commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Sturt, of the 67th . BengalNative Infantry, and the right wing by Major W igstone, of

the 18th . Royal Irish, who was severely wounded . The totalloss amounted to twenty-two kil led, and one hundred and

eight wounded, fourteen being officers. The casualties sus

tained by the 18th ., 5 l st. , and 80th . regiments, amounted to

thirteen killed and sixty-five wounded .

On the 3oth . of June, 1853,the termination of the war

was oflicial ly announced, and although the king of Ava re

fused to sign a formal treaty of peace, yet as all the con

cessions demanded were agreed to, the Govemor General

proclaimed that hostilities would not be resumed so long as

the British possession of Pegu remained undisputed . A l l thecaptives in A va were released, and the navigation of theIrrawaddy was declared to be free for the purposes of tradebetween the tw o countri es.

The word PE ou has been authorized for the colours of the18th .

,5 l st. , and 80th . regiments.

M E D ALS OF T H E B R ITI SH ARM Y .

THE PERSIAN CAM PAIGN .

1856— 1857 .

A RUPTUR E occurred with Persia, in consequence of thatPower having taken possession Of Herat on the 25th . of CO

tober, and war was declared on the l st . of November following .

An expedition accordingly proceeded to the Persian Gulf,under Major-General Stalker, C.B . , and the Island of Karrack

was taken formal possession of on the 3rd . of Decemberw ithout opposition . The troops landed on the 7th . at R as

Halala, about fifteen mil es below Bushire, and two daysafterwards stormed the position at the Old Dutch fort of

R eshire, which was taken, the place being carried at the

point of the bayonet.“ The casualties w ere principally confinedto the officers, amongst whom was Brigadier James S topford,C.B .

, of the 64th .,kil led .

On the morning of the l oth . the British marched on Bushire,a walled town, which surrendered unconditionally, after a bom

bardment Of upwards of four hours. No loss was sustained ;sixty -five guns, with large quantities of ammunition and warlikestores, were here captured . The garrison, consisting of abouttwo thousand, (a large number having previously effected theirescape

, and several drowned in the attempt,) grounded theirarms in front of the British line, and were on the fol lowingmorning escorted by the cavalry some distance into the country,and then set at liberty . H er Maj esty’s 64th .

,under Major

Stirling, shared in this success.

Captain John Augustus Wood, of the 2oth . B ombay Nat ive Infantry,gained the Victoria Cross for h is gal lantry on the 9th . of D ecember. On

that day he led the grenad ier company, wh ich formed the head of the

assaulting column. H e was the first man on the parapet of the fort,where he was instantly attacked by a large number of the garrison, whosuddenly sprang on h im from a trench cut in the parapet itself. Thesemen fired a vol ley at Captain Wood and the head of the storming party,when only a yard or two d istant ; although struck by no less than seven

musket-bal ls, he at once threw h imself upon the enemy, passed h is swordthrough the body of their leader, and , being closely fol lowed by the menof h is company , speed ily overcame al l opposition, and establ ished h imse lfin the place . Th is officer

’s decision, energy, and determined valour con

tributed in a high degree to the success of the attack . H is wounds com

pe l led h im to leave the force for a time ; but, w i th the true spirit of a

good sold ier, he rejoined his regiment, and returned to h is duty at Bushirebefore the wounds were properly healed.

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120 M E D A Ls or T H E Rnrrrsrr AR M Y.

T he loss in the action at Koosh-ab on the 8th . of February

was limited to sixteen killed and sixty-two wounded . LieutenantFrankland, of the 2nd . European regiment

, was the onl y Officer

killed .

“ This officer together w ith Captain Forbes, commanding

the 3rd . regiment of Light Cavalry, and Lieutenant Doveton

Downes Greentree, of the 64th . regiment, both severely wounded,

(the latter losing his leg,) received special mention in the

Governor-General ’s Notification .

For some months the Persians had been engaged in fortifyingtheir position at Mohammerah, and Lieutenant General Outram

resolved to attack them. Their army,estimated at thirteen

thousand men, w ith thirty guns, was commanded by the Shah

Zadu ,Prince Khauler Mirza, in person ; whilst the Anglo-Indian

troops consisted of about five thousand . This place was bom

barded on the 26th . of March . Brigadier~General Havelocklanded the troops, but no portion of the military force was

actively engaged, except some European riflemen sent on boardthe war-vessels, as the Persians fled from their entrenchedcamp without waiting an attack . Meanwhile a treaty of peacehad been in progress, the ratifications of which were exchangedat Bagdad on the 2nd. of M ay, whereby Herat was agreed

to be evacuated, and all interference with the internal affairs

of Afi'

ghanistan was to be avoided .1'

In honour of this campaign, in a country bel ieved to con

tain the site of the Garden of Eden, and memorable for the

T o Lieutenant-General S ir James Outram, and to his brave companions in arms, the Governor-General in council desires to od’er an

early assurance of the warm approbation and thanks wh ich they haveso wel l merited . These are especial ly due to M ajor-General S talker, C .B . ,

and to Co lonel L ugard , C.B . , ch ief of the staff, who are described by S irJames Outram as having guided the troops to v ictory in the time—mosthappily not of long continuance— during wh ich he was d isabled by a

severe fall of h is horse. B ut they are due to all of every rank who havetaken share in th is signal ly successfu l exploit, wh ich has called for ex

traordinary exertions from al l , and in wh ich al l have borne themse lves

my; gal lantry.

” -N otification, Fort William, Foreign D ep artment, M arch 12th .,

M ajor-General S talker and Commodore E thersey both destroyed themselves at Bush ire, wh i le labouring under mental aberration ; the formeron the 14th . of M arch, 1857, and the latter three days afterwards.

1 The Persian titles are remarkable ; “H is M ajesty the S hah Of Persia,H is E xcel lency the Abode of Greatness, the favorite of the King, FerokhKhan, Ameen Oolmoolk , the Great Ambassador of the M ighty S tate of

Persia, the Possessor of the Royal Portrait, and of the B lue Cordon, theBearer of the D iamond-studded G ird le,” &c. , &c .

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I ND I AN M UT INY M E D AL . 121

exploits,of Al exander the Great

,the following Queen’

s regiments were authorized to bear on their colours the wordsB ue I RE , 64th . Foot ; Koosn -AR , 64th . and 78th . regiments;R Ee IR E , 64th . regiment.

THE SECOND BURMESE AND PERSIAN MEDAL .

TIIE medal and ribbon for these two serv ices are the same .On the obverse is the Queen ’

s head, similar to that for the

Indian Mutiny,

and on the reverse is represented Victorycrowning an antique warrior . In the exergue is the lotus.

This medal was designed by Leonard C . Wyon, E sq . Theribbon is bright scarlet, w ith two dark blue stripes. A clasp

w ith the word PE Gu was issued with the medal for services inBurmah

,and that for the Persian campaign had one inscribed

PERsI A .

THE INDIAN MUTINY ME DAL .

1857— 1858 .

T II I s medal , which is by L . C . Wyon, E sq., is a work of

great merit. The obverse has the Queen’s head w ith the

superscription VICT OR IA RE GI NA, and on the reverse Britanniais represented in an erect position, instead of being seated

,

and above is the word IND IA ; the drapery is most judiciously

arranged . In her right hand, out-stretched, is a laurel wreath .

The usual shield with the Union is on the left arm,and in the

hand are other wreaths. The British Lion forms an appropriatebackground . The ribbon is French-white, w ith two red

stripes. It was granted to all engaged in operations against

the rebels or mutineers, and was also conferred on non-militarypersons who had borne arms as volunteers against them . Thereare five bars attached, respectively inscribed D E LII I , D E E RNCEOE LUCIINOw ,

RE LI E F or LucxNow , LucxNow,and CE NTR AL

IND I A . The first clasp was granted to the troops employed inthe operations against, and at the assault of, Delhi ; that forthe DE FE NCE or LUCKNOW was conferred on all of the original

garrison, under M ajor-General Inglis, and to those who suc

122 M E D ALs or T II E B R I T IsM ARM Y.

coured them,and continued the defence under M ajor-Generals

S ir H enay Havelock and S ir James Outram,until relieved by

Lord Clyde ; R ELI E E or Lc Now was authorized to the troopsengaged in the operations against that place, under theimmediate command of Lord Clyde, in November, 1857 and

the clasp LUCIINOW was awarded to the force engaged underhis lordship’s immediate command in March, 1858, in the finalcapture of the town, and in all operations connected therewith ;CENT R AL IND IA was granted to the column under M ajor-GeneralS ir Hugh R ose, engag ed in the operations againstJhansi

, Calpee, and Gwalior, and also to the troops, which,under the command of M ajor Generals R oberts and Whitlockrespectively, performed such important service in Central India.

SIEGE OF DELHI.

30TH . M AY To 14T H . SE PT E M B E R, 1857 .

SUND AY, the l oth . of M ay, 1857, will never cease to beremembered in India. An outbreak, for some time contemplated, broke out at Meerut in the afternoon of that day . Acentury had elapsed since Clive’s celebrated battle of Plassey,the forerunner of so many victories gained in India, by thevaluable co-operation of Native troops, when the latter, forgetfulof their former glories and of their loyal ty, burst out into mutiny,with the view of overthrowing British supremacy in the East ;the outbreak of Vel lore, in the Madras Presidency, in 1806

,

having been the only exception to the long-continued fidelity ofthe Sepoy soldier. During the operations against Persia theCourt of Delhi had entered into correspondence with the Shah,and Dost Mahomed, the Sovereign of Cabool , had been urgedto invade the Punjab, when, by the secession of the Bengalnative army, the time should be Opportune . The grievance ofthe greased cartridges was indeed urged, but the combinationhad been for some time forming, and the name of the Kingof Delhi, over eighty years of age, was imagined to be a

“tower Of strength” in the endeavour to be made to restorethe supremacy Of the Mogul dynasty.

There is no doubt the rebelli on was prematurely commenced ;

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124 M E D A Ls OE T H E B R I T IsH AR MY .

but died of cholera at Kurnaul on the 27th . of M ay . H is

successor was M ajor General Reed, who on the day fol lowingquitted Rawul Pindee, and arrived early in June at the camp

of Major-General S ir Henry Barnard, at Aleepore,

where a numerous force had been collected .

Whil e Brigadier-General Archdale Wilson hastened with a

body of troops from Meerut to join the former, the mutineers

from Delhi attempted to intercept his march . He was attacked

on the 30th . of M ay at Ghazee-ood-deen-nuggar, when seven

hundred British soldiers defeated a disciplined force morethan seven-fold their number . This is considered as the com

mencement of operations before Delhi . On the following day

(Whit-Sunday) the attack was renewed, and the enemy was

again repulsed, twenty-six guns being captured . The 6th .

Dragoon Guards and first battal ion 60th . Rifles have reason to

be proud of the deeds peformed this day . No further Oppo

sitiou was encountered,and Brigadier General W ilson joined

S ir Henry Barnard at A leepore . The united forces commencedtheir march shortly after midnight, and Brigadier General Reedbeing unable from sickness to proceed w ith the army, thecommand devolved on M ajor General S ir Henry Barnard . Atdawn on the 8th . of June the British arrived before B adleeke-Serai , a fortified position

, when the enemy Opened fire .

Brigadier Hope Grant, C .B . , with his column, consisting of

portions of the 9th . Lancers, 6th . Dragoon Guards, 75th . , first

battalion 6oth . and 87th . were highly distinguished . On the

regimental colour of the 75th . appeared the R oyal Tiger,gained in former fields in India, and they added to their

w ell-earned reputation by charging the enemy with the

bayonet, who abandoned the whole of his gun s. ColonelChester, of the 2 3rd . Native Infantry

,Adjutant-General of

the army, the only ofi'

icer kil l ed, fel l early in the

I t appears from that interesting work, “T he Chaplain’s Narrative of

the S iege of D elh i,” ( the R ev . John E dward Wharton R otton, thatthe Adjutant-General actual ly lived for a few momentsalter being wounded ,and bade Captain Barnard , the son of the General commanding the force

at the time, raise h is head, that he might catch a glimpse of the wound .

Colonel H erbert, of H er M ajesty’s 75th . , tel ls me, “ th is was a positivefact ; and as soon as Chester saw the nature of the wound wh ich hadbeen inflicted upon h im, and was conv inced of its being mortal, he

cool ly, and yet kind ly, expressed his convictions to General Barnard ’

s

sI EG E OF D E LHI . 125

This entrenched frontier being carried, S ir Henry Barnarddivided his army into two columns, one of which proceededalong the main trunk road under Brigadier-General Wilson,while the other marched under his own command to the siteof the Delhi cantonments, before they were burnt . Here on

an eminence the mutineers were posted, which position was

taken by S ir Henry Barnard, the enemy being forced to

abandon their guns; while this rapid flank movement to theleft had been effected, Brigadier Wilson

’s column forcing its

way through gardens with high w alls, compel led the foe to

take refuge in Delhi, the two commanders meeting at a placenamed Hindoo R ao’s House . In these actions the Ghoorkas,evinced that gal lantry which was so prominent during everysubsequent encounter with the enemy.

After these events the British army took up a positionbefore Delhi . The force at this period comprised the follow ingQueen’

s regiments — two squadrons of the 6th . Dragoon Guards,

(Carabineers,) the 9th . Lancers; head-quarters and six companiesof the 60th . R ifles; head-quarters and nine companies of the75th regiment ; in addition to these were three troops of horseartillery ; a company of foot artillery, a detachment of sappersand miners, the first Bengal Fusiliers, and the head-quartersand six companies of the second Fusiliers, and the S irmoorbattal ion. A strongly-built residence, named Hindoo Rao’sHouse, on the top of a high eminence about half a mile in

advance of the camp, offered an excel lent position for bombardingthe town, and from the three batteries erected thereon a constantfire of shot and shell was kept up . Between Hindoo Rao’sHouse and the Grand Trunk Road the ground was rough and

rocky, covered w ith brushwood and enclosed gardens, over which

the Sepoys frequently crept up in skirmishing order, avail ingthemselves of the she lter thus afforded

, but they were alwaysrepulsed by the guides and rifiemen, being at times pursuednearly to the city wall s. Every mutineer who was capturedwas at once shot or bayoneted . The lines of defence were

gradually advanced, and the rebels were driven from the Subzee

son ; begging the generous youth, who would stay to minister to h is

dying moments, to care for himself, and leave him, a dying man, tohis fate : he then expired.

”

126 M E D A L s or T H E B R I T I sH AR MY .

M uudee,formerly used as a market for vegetables, and the

Serai, a large building in front Of it, which the British stronglyfortified

,together w ith the Pagoda opposite the M orse Gate .

Early in June cholera appeared in the camp ; this added tothe trials of the troops; there being in consequence of thesmall force scarcely any rest by night, as the limited numbersbarely admitted of relief, lessened as they were by thoserequired for picket duty . Fighting by day, and being on the

alert for a renewal of the conflict by night,occasioned great

fatigue, and shewed what British troops can endure ; besideswhi ch the ammunition supplies were not very plentiful forheavy ordnance .” Another large Serai, near the Ajmeer Gate,was gal lantly taken on the 1 7th . of June

,by a body of troops

under M ajor Tombs, of the artill ery.

During the evening of the 1 9th . of June the British wereattacked in the Ochterlony Gardens, when Brevet LieutenantColonel Yule, of the 9 th . Lancers, was killed. In consequenceof a prophecy that the 23rd . of June, the centenary anniversaryof Plassey, was to be fatal to British rule in India, a determined efl

’

ort was made by the mutineers on that morning,

who advanced from the city in large bodies, and attacking thebatteries, kept up a sustained and vigorous fire throughout theday . Their prophets proved but fal se ones, for the enemy wasbeaten as usual . This vi ctory of the 23rd . of June occasioned

much rejoicing in the camp . Frequent skirmishes occurred

towards the end of the month, and during July . The besieging

force had now been strengthened by a wing of the 8th . Footand of the Gi st. regiment. Early in July S ir Henry Barnarddied of cholera, when the command devolved on M ajor-General

R eed, who, al though the senior, had rel inquished it to him

upon the decease of General Anson. R eed, on account al soof ill -heal th, was soon compel led to give over the commandto Brigadier-General Wilson . The 8th . and 61st. regiments

sufl'

ered severely from cholera, attributed to their long marchduring the height Of the rainy season . The former, in four

The fol lowing fact is significant of the scarcity of th is kind of ammunition — In one Of the field force orders it was notified that two annas

would be given for each of the enemy ’s twenty-four pounder round shot

that might be brought into camp, to be again used up . S imilar instancesoccurred during the siege of S ebastopol, and in the Peninsu la, as noticedat page 65 of the Crimean section of this work .

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128 M E D A Ls or T H E B R I T I SH AR M Y.

Brigadier General Nicholson gained a bril liant victory overthe enemy at Nujjufi

'

ghur, twenty miles from Delhi, on the

25th . of August, and thus prevented an attack upon the rear

of the British camp .

For some time the siege-train from Meerut had been anxiouslyexpected

, and on the morning of the 4th . of September it

arrived .

A crisis was now fast approaching ; fifty-four siege-guns wereplaced in position in several batteri es, and on the l i th . of

September an incessant fire was opened, and sustained, upon

the l ine of defence between the Water and Cashmere Gates.

The latter was in ruins on the i 3th .,and shortly after three

o’clock on the foll owing morning the assaulting columns prepared to advance . There were four columns of attack ; Bri gadier General Nicholson commanded the first ; Brigadier GeneralJones the second ; Brigadier Campbel l the third ; and M ajor

Re id the fourth . There was also a fifth reserve column underBrigadier Longfield.

It being necessary to blow Open the Cashmere Gate, inorder that the attacking force might effect an entrance intothe city , this desperate duty was performed by LieutenantsHome and Salkeld,“ of the Engineers. The latter died of his

wounds, and the former was shortly afterwards killed by an

al l , the great object of d isarming the suspicions regiments was carriedout . Colonel E ll ice w ith three companies of the 24th . regiment, had an

affair w ith the i 4th . Native Infantry, at Jhelum on the 7th . of July ;and had several casualties, he h imself being dangerously wounded ; and

a flying column, under Brigad ier-General N icholson, encountered the

mutineers about noon on the i 2th . Of July, as they were crossing the

R avee ; in th is action the 52nd . Light Infantry, under Colone l Campbel l.maintained their h igh character. A fter another attack on the l 6th . Of

that month. the Brigad ier proceeded to several d isturbed parts of the

(

funny, and eventually joined the troops before D elhi on the i 4th . ofugust.

T he column from the Punjab comprised the 52nd . Light Infantry, a

w ing of the 6i st. , No. 17 Light Field Battery, 2nd . regiment of PunjabInfantry, a w ing of the 7 th . Punjab Police Battal ion, 4th . S ikh Infantry,two hundred and fifty M ool tanee Horse, w ith siege guns and ordnancestores. T he 52nd . were six hundred and eighty strong, w ith six sick,but on the 14th . of September, ow ing to the ravages of fever and cholera,they only mustered two hundred and forty efl

‘

ectives of al l ranks.

In addition to these two officers there were S ergeants John Smithand A . B . Carmichael , and Corporal F . Burgess, a lias Joshua BurgessGrierson, of the S appers and M iners ; Bugler H awthorne, of the 52nd .

Light Infantry, and twenty-four S appers and M iners, viz z— fourteen Na.tive and ten Punjab. Covered by the fire Of the 60th . R ifles, th is partyad vanced at the doub le towards the Cashmere Gate ; Lieutenant H ome,

S I E G E or D E LHI . 129

explosion, whilst blow ing up a fort abandoned by the rebels

in B oolundshuhur .

Brigadier Nicholson w ith the first column Of attack, consisting

of three hundred men of the 75th two hundred and fifty of

the 1st . European Bengal Fusiliers, and five hundred of the

2nd. Punjab Infantry, was ordered to assault the breach in the

Cashmere Curtain Gate . A portion escaladed the left face of

the bastion at the gate, while the remainder, covered by the

fire Of the 60th .,rushed up the breach made upon their left

of the gate . After reaching the Cabool Gate, so destructive a

fire was opened by the enemy, that the advancing troops werecompelled to desist. Their gallant commander Nicholson, whilstinducing the men to renew the attempt, here fell mortal lywounded, and died nine days afterwards. Colonel Herbert, of

the 75th . , was previously wounded on the glacis, and thecommand of this portion of the assaulting column devolved on

Captain William Brookes, of that regiment .Brigadier William Jones w ith the second column, composed

of the 8th ., 2nd . European Bengal Fusiliers, and 4ih . Sikh

regiment of infantry, (the storming party consisted of seventyfive men of these corps, and the assault was led by BrevetMajor R . S . Baynes, of the 8th . Foot, who w as dangerouslywounded,) cov ered by the fire of the skirmishers of the 6oth .

Rifles, advanced through the breach in the bastion at the

Water Gate,and gained possession of the walls as far as the

Cabool Gate w ithout meeting any check . Upon reaching the

with S ergeants John Smith and Carmichael, and H av i ldar M adhoo, al l

of the S appers, lead ing and carrying the powder bags, fol lowed byLieutenant Salkeld , Corporal Burgess, and a section of the remainder of

the party . S ergeant Carmichae l was k i lled whi lst laying his powder, andH avi ldar M adhoo was wounded . Wh ilst endeavouring to fire the chargeLieutenant S alkeld was shot through the leg and arm, and handed over

the slow match to Corporal Burgess, who fel l mortal ly wounded just as

he had successfully performed h is duty . H av ildar T iluk S ingh , of the

S appers and M iners was wounded , and Ram H eth , S epoy of the samecorps, was k i l led during this part of the Operation. T he demol i tionhav ing being most successful , Lieutenant H ome then caused the bugleto sound the regimental cal l Of the 52nd . as the signal for the advanceof the column ; th is was repeated three times, as it was feared thatamidst the noise of the assau lt the sound might not be heard . T he

bugle r, R obert H aw thorne, after performing h is own dangerous duty,humanely attached h imse lf to L ieutenant S alkeld, and after bind ing upthat officer

’s wounds under a heavy musketry fire , had h im removed

w ithout further injury . For this deed , pronounced to be “as noble as

any that has ever graced the annals of war,” he received the V ictoria

130 M E D AL s or TH E B R IT I SH ARM Y.

latter the troops turned one of the guns immediately on the

Lahore Gate, from which the foe was firing grape and roundshot .Colonel George Campbell , of the 52nd. Light Infantry,

proceeded w ith the third column of assault, consisting of two

hundred and forty of the 52nd .

, five hundred Of the l st.

Punjab Infantry, and two hundred and sixty of the Kumaou

battalion, and when the Cashmere Gate had been burst open

by the explosion, the stormers rushed in, and in a short time

the column gained possession of the main guard, where so

many murders had occurred at the outbreak of the mu tiny,and at once advanced to the attack of the great mosque, theJumma M D SJIG, situated about the centre of the city. When

almost close to the mosque, it was found that there were

no means of gaining an entrance, the force being without

powder-bags or artillery ; and hav ing to sustain a concentrated

musketry fire from the surrounding houses, the column was

eventual ly compel led to w ithdraw .

Major R e id, of the S irmoor Battalion, who led the fourth

column, (consisting Of fifty men, 60th . Rifles, two hundred

S irmoor Battalion, one hundred and sixty 1st. Fusiliers, twohundred Guides, twenty-five Coke

’

s Corps, sixty-five Kumaon

Battalion, eighty Gi st. Regiment, —seven hundred and eightyin all ,) was severely wounded ; his fal l checked the advance of

the Goorkhas; Captain D . D . Muter, of the first battalion Of

the 60th .,succeeded to the command ; and the rush of the

R ifles and Fusiliers placed them for a moment in possessionof the breastwork at the end of the Serai of Kishengunge,but being unsupported, were unable to maintain the position,under the heavy flanking fire to which they became exposed.

Meanwhile the cavalry brigade, (consisting of two hundred

of the 9th . Lancers, and four hundred and ten Natives from

the Guides, l st.

,2nd .

,and 5th . Punjab Cavalry

, and H odson’s

Horse ; w ith three guns of the first Troop Horse Artillery,and four guns of the second

,under Major Toombs

,) commandedby Brigadier Hope Grant

,forming in front of the wal ls, proceeded

to the Cabool Gate, and although exposed to a heavy fire,did excellent service by prev enting the mutineers, who came

out in great numbers through the gardens, from attacking

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132 M E D AL s or T H E B R I T I SH ARM Y.

of the 2oth .

, possession was secured of the Lahore Gate, and

the troops then advanced upon the other bastions and gates,until the entire defences of the city were acquired . T he

enemy unable to w ithstand the uninterrupted and vigorous firefrom the guns and mortars

,from the first entrance of the city

by the British, and the steady and persevering advance of thetroops, at length took to flight, abandoning their camp, property, and several of their sick and wounded, besides the

greater portion of their field artillery ; some four or five thousandfled across the bridge of boats into the Doab, or countrybetw een the Jumna and the Gauges, and the rest al ong the

right bank of the former river .

After the gate of the palace had been blown in, it was

occupied by the troops about noon on Sunday, the 2oth . of

September, and the head-quarters of Major-General Wilson

were established therein the same day . The rapid advance

upon the Jumma Musjid by Major Brind, of the artil l ery,with a detachment of fifty men of the 8th . Foot, and twenty

of the l st. Bengal E uropean Fusil iers, under the command of

Captain Bannatyne, of the former regiment, an entrance into

which was forced about an hour and a half prior to the assaul t

upon the palace, contributed towards the success of the

operations, and the complete occ upation of the city. At

sunrise on the 2 l st. a royal salute proclaimed that Delhi wasagain under British rule ; the aged Sovereign, after a trial,was sent a prisoner for l ife to Rangoon .

“

When the capture of Delhi was completed, a flying column,

Wel l might the Governor-General , in h is “Notification,” remark,that “Before a single soldier, of the many thousands who are hasteningfrom E ngland to uphold the supremacy of the British power, has set foot

on these shores, the rebe l force, where it was strongest and most united,and where it had the command of unbounded mi litary appl iances, hasbeen destroyed or scattered by an army col lected within the l imits of theNorth -westem Provinces and the Punjab alone .

“The work has been done before the support Of those battal ions, wh ichhave been col lected in Bengal from the forces of the Queen in Ch ina,and in H er M ajesty ’

s eastern colonies, could reach M ajor-General W ilson’s

army ; and it is by the courage and endurance of that gal lant army alone ;by the skill , sound judgment, and steady resolution of its brave commander ;and by the aid of some native ch iefs, true to their allegiance, that, under

the b lessing of God, the head of rebel lion has been crushed, and the cause

of loyalty, humanity, and rightful authority v indicated .

”

Lord Canning also bore testimony to the invaluable assistance received

from S ir John Lawrence, in recru iting and strengthening the armybefore Delhi .

SI E GE or D E LHI . 133

under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel E . H . Greathed,‘

consisting of the 9th . Lancers, 8th . and 75th . regiments, the

2nd . and 4th . Punjab Infantry, two hundred of H odson’

s Horse,

w ith the i st ., 2nd .

, and 5th . Punjab Cavalry and HorseArtillery, proceeded on the morning of the 23rd . of September,from Delhi in a south-easterly direction upon B oolundshuhurand Allyghur, w ith a view of cutting off the mutineers on the

right bank of the Jumna, in their endeavour to pass the river

into the Doab . At B oolundshuhur, on the 28th . of September,the column defeated a body of the enemy

, and afterwardsdestroyed the fort of M alaghur ; here, Lieutenant Home, whoshared in the blowing open of the Cashmere Gate at Delhi,met an accidental death by an explosion of gunpowder . Whileon the march along the Great Trunk road to Al lyghur, therebels were again encountered and scattered .

Pursuing this successful course the troops arrived at Agra,after a night-march from H attrass; fatigued as they were, and

while preparing to encamp, an attack was suddenly made uponthem on the 10th . of October, by a numerous body of the

enemy . In the action which ensued the 9th . Lancers werespecially mentioned. Lieutenant Colonel Cotton, commandingat Agra, at once repaired to the camp, and assumed the

command, but Lieutenant-Colonel Greathed was not aware of hispresence for some time . The attack was soon overpowered,and turned into a complete rout, notwithstanding severalineffectual attempts to make a stand

,and the pursu it was

continued during the rest of the day for a distance of elev en

miles,the whole of the enemy’s guns, twelv e in number,

being captured. This was effected under the rays of an Indian

sun, and w ith comparativ ely smal l but the casual ties of

the enemy were immense .

A t one time there were three brothers of this name before D elh i, the8th . Foot being under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Greathed at the

assau lt on that city ; th is was the elder ; the other, H . H . Greathed , E sq .

,

Commissioner and Political Agent of the Bengal Civ i l Serv ice, d ied of cholera

on the 19th . of S eptember, the day prev ious to its capture ; and the

oungest, Brevet-M ajor W i lliam Wi lberforce H arris Greathed , C. B . , of the

engal E ngineers, who was severely wounded in the storming of D elh i ,was appointed , in M ay last, Assistant M il itary S ecretary at H ead-Quarters,on Lieutenant-Colonel H . W . Norman, C .B . , retu rning to Ind ia to resumethe duties of D eputy-Adjutant-General in Bengal .

1' E leven k illed and fifty-six wounded ; d ivided amongst the Company

’s

134 M E D ALS or T H E B R I T I SH A RM Y .

Lieutenant Colonel Greathed hav ing crossed the Jumna was

joined, on the i 4th . of October, by Brigadier Hope Grant,

”

who, as senior oflicer, took the command . After dismantling

the fort of a rebel Rajah at M ynporee, who did not attemptany resistance, the column put to flight a body Of fugitives

from Delhi, killing many of them. Possession was gained of

the fort of Jhujj ur by Brigadier Showers, on the i 7th . of

October, which is regarded as the close of the Operations

against D elhi . Brigadier Grant, continuing his march, arrivedat Cawnpore on the 28th . of October, and on the 3oth . crossedthe Ganges

, reaching the v icinity of the A lumbagh on the 8th .

of the following month .

DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW.

29TH . JUNE To 25TH . SE PT EM B E R , 1857 .

S I R HENRY LAWR ENCE , hav ing received information in‘

the

evening Of the 29th . of June,that a body of rebels were

about to march upon Lucknow from the vil lage of Chinnahut,distant about eight miles from the town, determined on

making a reconnoisance . This was accordingly commenced on

the follow ing day . Misled by the reports of wayfarers, who

stated that there were few or no men between Lucknow and

Chinnahut, the troops proceeded a greater distance than was

originally intended,and suddenly fell in w ith the enemy,

who had up to that moment eluded the v igilance of theadvanced guard by concealing themselves, in overwhelmingnumbers

,behind a long line of trees.

For some time the foe was held in check by the force, composed of three hundred of the 32nd .

, and portions Of the

i 3th .

,48th .

, and 7 l st. Native Infantry, w ith the howitzer ;but the Oude artillerymen and drivers were traitors, and theyoverturned their six guns into ditches, cut the traces of theirhorses, and abandoned them,

notwithstanding the remonstrances

A rtillery, 9ih . Lancers, 8th . and 75ih . Queen’s R egiments ; l st. , 2nd . , and

5th . Punjab Cavalry ; H odson’s H orse ; 3rd . and i th . Punjab Infantry ; and

ard . E uropean R egiment .A fterwards promoted M ajor-General for his eminent serv ices at D elh i,

and in that of a d ivision at the relief of Lucknow , and in the subsequentoperations in India, his name being frequently mentioned in the despatches.

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136 M E D AL s OR T H E B R I T I SH ARM Y.

in which S ir Henry Lawrence was sitting. The missile burstbetween h im and M r. Couper, close to both, but w ithoutinjury to either. The Whole of his staff implored S ir Henryto take up other quarters, as the place had then become thespecial target for the round shot and shell of the enemy.

This,however, he jestingly declined to do, observing that

another shell would certainly never be pitched into that smallroom. On the very next day however he was mortally woundedby the fragment of another shell which burst exactly in the

same spot, and Captain W ilson, Deputy-Assistant AdjutantGeneral , received a contusion . S ir Henry Lawrence terminatedhis distinguished career on the morning of the 4th . of July,hav ing previously directed Brigadier-General Inglis to take thecommand of the troops, and Major Banks to succeed to the

office of chief commissioner .

Scarcely had the garrison recovered this shock, when it

had to lament the death of M ajor Banks, who received a

bullet through his head while examining a critical outpost on

the 2 l st. of July.

When the blockade was commenced only two of the

batteries were completed, and the defences were in an un

finished condition, the buildings in the immediate v icinity,which gave cover to the enemy, being only partially clearedaway . Indeed the heaviest losses were caused by the firefrom the enemy’s sharp-shooters, stationed in the adjoiningmosques and houses of the native nobili ty, the necessity of

destroying which had been repeatedly pressed on S ir Henryby the staff of engineers, but h is invariable reply was,

“Sparethe holy places, and private property too as far as possible ;

”

and the garrison consequently suffered severely from this

tenderness to the religious prejudices, and respect to therights, of the rebel lious citizens and soldiery.

Then ensued a defence as heroic as any in the annals of

war . The narrative of Brigadier Inglis, simple and earnest,w ill never be forgotten by his countrymen . By it the reader

will see that not a building w ithin the wal ls of the R esidencywas safe the wounded were shot while in hospital, and

One of the most remarkable rel ics of the siege that I have seen was

the mess p late of the 32nd . regiment. T he spoons were twisted by the effect

nxrnxcx or LUCKNOW. 137

ladies and children met the same fate in houses consideredsecure . The enemy, while working the guns concealed bythe trenches, were shielded from the fire of the garrison, uponwhom an incessant cannonade was kept up until the 2oth . of

July, at ten o’clock on which morning the besiegers, in great

numbers, after exploding a mine within the British defences,attempted to storm the Residency, and did not cease theirefforts until two o

’clock in the afternoon, being driven backby the gallant defenders, who were sustained by the con

sciousness of the mighty trust committed to their charge .It was not until the l oth . of August that another assault

was attempted, although during the interval the forlorn

garrison became exposed to a constant fire, w ith famine staringit in the face . This second attempt, simil ar in its featuresto the first, commencing w ith the springing of a mine close tothe brigade mess, al though repeated at various points, metw ith a like result: in some instances the defenders, acting

l ike grenadiers of a former time,dislodged the fee with hand

grenades. On the 18th . of August another mine was sprungin front of the Sikh lines w ith deadly effect

,burying al ive

eleven men beneath the ruins, whence it was impossible toextricate them, ow ing to the tremendous fire kept up by theenemy from houses distant less than ten yards in front of

the breach . Captain Orr, unattached, and Lieutenants Mecham

and Soppitt were blown into the air, but, wonderful to state,

received no further injury than a severe shaking. A general

assaul t followed the explosion , which was soon repulsed ; butthe enemy succeeded in establishing themselves in one of thehouses of the British position, from which they were driven

in the evening by the bayonets of the 32nd. and 84th .

regiments.

Fresh mines were sprung on the 5th . of September, whenthe last seri ous assault was made . It was in vain ; all these

repeated attacks met everywhere with defeat . Thus endedthe four great struggles which occurred during the siege .

For eighty-seven days and nights officers and men stood or

of the enemy ’s shot, and the soup tureen presented a singular appearance.

the hand les be ing nearly wrenched off. These battered articles were sent

to W indsor Castle for the inspection of H er M ajesty.

138 M E D ALS or run nurrrsn u mr .

slept under arms. Notw ithstanding al l the hardships expe

ri enced, the garrison made no less than five sortiss, in whichtwo of the enemy’s heaviest guns were spiked, and several ofthe houses, from which a harassing fire was experienced, wereblown up . Cholera, smal l pox, and an unknown, but fataldisease , added to the loss sustained from the enemy’s fire .

Delicate women, some whilst in their earliest grief for theloss of their husbands, assisted in nursing the sick and

wounded . The names of Birch, Polehampton, B arber, and

Gal l , wil l descend to posterity as worthy imitators of FlorenceNightingale .The conduct of the 32ud. , (reduced to less than three

hundred,) and the detachment of the 84th . was splendid . Theloyalty of the native troops

, but especially the 1sth ., was never

surpassed . The other regiments were the 48th . and 7 l st.

Nativ e Infantry,“ the European and Native Artill ery, and

the Sikhs of the respective corps.1' The number of artillerymen

was so reduced, that on the occasion of an attack, the gunners,although aided by men of the 3 2nd . regiment, and byvolunteers of al l classes

,had to run from one battery to

another, wherever the enemy’s fire was hottest, there not

being nearly sufficient men to serve half the number of gunsat the same time . Eventually the number of Europeangunners was only twenty-four, whil e, including mortars, therewere no less than thirty guns in position . So near too werethe heavy guns of the assailants

,that their taunts and threats

addressed to the native defenders could be easily heard ;besides which many of the British mil itary airs

,such as

‘Brighton Camp,” “S ee the Conquering H ere Comes,

”and

the “National Anthem,

”were, w ith matchless efi

'

rontery,

frequently played by the enemy .

In general orders it was announced that “There does not

T he native non-commissioned officers and men who formed part ofthe garrison, received the Ind ian Order of M erit, and were permitted to

count three years of add itional serv ice . T he 13 th 48th . , and 7 l st.regiments of Native Infantry w ere afterwards formed into one corps,designated the “Regiment of Lucknow.

”

1' T he garrison of Lucknow , from the 30th . of June to the 26th . of

S eptember, 1857, had one hundred and forty officers and men, E uropeans,k i l led, and one hundred and ninety wounded ; Natives, seventy-two ki lledand one hundred and th irty-one wounded .

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140 u snxt s or T H E B R I T I SH AR MY.

in suppressing the mutiny in the neighbourhood . This columnconsisted of the third company eighth battalion of the royalartillery, seventy-six ; l st. Madras Fusil iers, three hundred and

seventy-six ; 64th . regiment, four hundred and thirty-five ;78th . Highlanders, two hundred and eighty-four ; 84th .

regiment, one hundred and ninety ; detachment of the BengalArtillery, twenty-two ; Volunteer Cavalry, twenty ; totalBritish, one thousand four hundred and three . T he native

troopsz— T he Regiment of Ferozepore, four hundred and

forty-eight ; 13th . Irregular and 3rd . Oude Irregular Cavalry,ninety-five ; Galundauze, eighteen ; total native troops

,five

hundred and sixty-one ; in all one thousand nine hundredand sixty-four. It is computed that the mutineers numberedthree thousand five hundred, and they occupied a strongposition at Futtehpore, w ith twelve guns.

Pushing forward two of their guns, they commenced, on

the i 2th . of July, a cannonade on the British front, whilea body of infantry and cavalry threatened the flanks. Theenemy had imagined an easy v ictory over Major R enaud’sforce, but they found Brigadier-General Havelock ready toreceive them. Astonished by the precision of the fire of the

guns under Captain Maude, of the Royal Artillery, and the

deadly aim of the E nfield rifles, they fell back uponFuttehpore in disorder, leav ing three of their cannon . Here

they endeavoured to make a stand, but were compel led totake to flight, abandoning twelve guns. This victory, inHavelock’s order of the day, was attributed “to the BritishArtillery, to the E nfield rifle, to British pluck, and to theblessing of Almighty God .

”

Brigadier-General Havelock continued his march upon Cewupore

,and on the i 5th . of July was twice engaged with the

mutineers, first at the vil lage of Aeng,and next at the bridge

over the Pandoo Nuddee . Successful in both instances, thecolumn pushed on, having captured the two guns with which

it had been intended to defend the bridge . After it had beencarried information was received that Nena Sahib occupied a

position at Ahirwa ; this position was a very strong one, and

in order to save the troops from the fire of his heavy guns,the British General made a flank movement, which resulted

D E FE NCE or Lucxnow . 141

on the l 6th . in a direct charge w ith the bayonet. The 78th .

Highlanders, gallantly led by Colonel Hamilton, supported bythe Madras Fusiliers, succeeded in turning the enemy’s left

flank ; whil e the 64th . and 84th .,

and the Regiment of

Ferozepore, broke the right ; the mutineers were driven headlongon Cawnpore, leaving a twenty-four pounder on the field .

The victors bivouacked on the ground, from which the

roofless barracks at Cawnpore could be perceived . WhenNena Sahib” saw that nothing could w ithstand the advance

of the avenging column, he gave directions on the 1 7th . for

the massacre of the women and children in his power,and

with savage barbarity caused their bodies to be thrown into

a w ell .Early on that morning a heavy explosion was heard, arising

from the blowing up, by the enemy, of the magazine at

Cawnpore, when Nena Sahib was w ithdrawing thence upon

B ithoor. Cawnpore was at once occupied, and the troops werehorrified at the traces which remained of the massacre . The

capture of the castel lated palace of Nena Sahib at B ithoor,

where he was unable to make a stand , was effected withoutfiring a shot

,and twenty guns w ere taken.

Upon Brigadier General Neil l ’s arrival at Cawnpore, fromBenares

,he was left in command of the former place, whilst

Brigadier-General Havelock commenced his march upon Lucknow . Hav ing passed the Ganges into Oude, the mutineerswere next encountered near Unao, on the 29th . of July. The

action was commenced by the 78ih . Highlanders and the 1st.Fusiliers, with two guns. Afterwards, the 64th . , commanded byColonel Wilson, were ordered up . Patrick Cavanagh

, a private

of that regiment, was hewn in pieces by the Sepoys whilstexhibiting to his comrades an example of the highest gal lantry .

This val iant soldier had he survived would have received theVictoria Cross. At the narrow pass between the village and

This miscreant’s real name was B oendoo Punt, and h e was theadopted son of Bajee R ao, the ex-Peishwah of Poona. A fter the deathof the latter, in 1852, he made claim to the pension wh ich had beenal lowed to that chief by the treaty of 1818, when he gave h imself upto S ir John M alcolm. T he refusal of the l nd ian authorities to recogniseh is right made h im commence his v ind ictive course. H e had beenermitted to keep up a retinue of two hundred sold iers, and had a

ortified place of residence at B ithoor, ten mi les from Cawnpore.

mucu s or T H E narrrsn AR MY .

the town of Unao the mutineers were discovered in great force,but, after an obstinate contest they sought safety in flight.Subsequently the troops pushed on towards B usherut Gunge,a wal led town, w ith wet ditches. which was captured by the1st. Fusiliers, 64th . , and 78th . regiments.

Major General Havelock’s" force was not of sufficientstrength to continue the advance upon Lucknow

,cholera

having broken out amongst them ; and he fell back on the

2nd. of August, on M unghowar . On the 5th . he againattacked the enemy at B usheru t Gunge

,driving them! out of

the town with great slaughter . Preparations were next com

menced for passing over the Ganges to Cawnpore . The

baggage had already been forwarded across the river, when he

resolved, on the 1 1 th . of August, to attack the mutineers a

third time at B usherut Gunge, where they had once morecol lected in great force, and again defeated them .

Returning to their former position at M unghowar, the troops,on the i 2th . and i 3 th . of August, crossed the Ganges toCawnpore, where they arrived, nearly worn out by fatigue,sickness, and constant exposure to an Indian sun . Almostimmediately, however, they struck another effective blow on

the mutineers. A large body of them had collected at B ithoor,

and were menacing Brigadier-General Neil l at Cawnpore .M ajor-General Havelock, uniting his force w ith the former

,

marched on B ithoor, and gained another victory. Duringthese several encounters forty guns had been taken

,and sixty

more recovered for the government. Great loss had beeninflicted on the enemy, while the British casual ties werecomparatively small .

The British column afterwards remained at Cawnpore waitingfor reinforcements, and on the l 6th . of September, MajorGeneral S ir James Outram arrived with the welcome aid ;

al though the senior officer, he nobly relinquished to M ajorGeneral Havelock the honour of relieving the Lucknowgarrison, and accompanied the column as Chief Commissioner

Promoted to the rank of M ajor-General on the soth . of July, 1857, andwas afterwards appointed a Knight Commander of the Bath ; also created

a baronet, but dying before the patent was seal ed. the d ignity was con

ferred upon h is son, now Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel S ir H enry M . H avelock,Bart., of the i 8th. Royal Irish, regiment.

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144 M E D ALS or ru n R Rrrrsn ARMY .

length overcome, and the troops established themsel ves w ithinthe enclosure of the R esidency!“ It was not, however, until thefollowing evening that the remainder of the force, w ith the

sick and wounded, constantly exposed to the attacks of the

foe, could be brought in . This succour is regarded, in respectto the medal-Clasps, as a continuation of the defence of

Lucknow .

RELIEF OF LUCKNOW.

1 7T H . NOVE M B E R , 1857 .

S I B Con n CAM PB E LL,1'

who, like S ir Charles Napier, hadproceeded at a moment’s notice to India, did not find the

Captain W il liam Robert M oorsom, of the 52nd Light Infantry,rendered most important service in gu id ing H avelock's second column .

Th is young officer had been se lected in 1856 to conduct a scientificsurvey of Lucknow, and hav ing preserved r ough copies of it, hisknow ledge of the city proved of the h ighest importance. not only on

th is, but subsequent occasions, h is gal lantry being repeated ly mentionedin the despatches. Captain M oorsom met a sold ier’s death at the earlyage of twenty-four, at the head of a column of attack on the rebe lparts of the c ity of Lucknow, on the 1 1th . of M arch , 1858 . and the

62nd . , feeling that the career of th is young officer, who had been engagedin nine pitched battles and numerous sk irmishes, hav ing been tw icewounded , was an honour to the regiment, erected a monumental table tto h is memory in the cathedral of R ochester. T he d ivision of S ir JamesOutram also erected in Westminster Abbey a memorial w indow to theiryouthful Quartermaste r-General.

1“ Captain Oliver J . Jones, R N . , in his

“Recol lections of a W inter Campaign in India, 18

5 7 gives the fol low ing amusing anecdote of h is firstpeep at the Commander-in-Chief‘. T he author was wandering through therooms of a “

strongish place” taken from a Rajah — “ In one of them Ifound a couple of glass candlesticks, not worth sixpence a-piece ; but asmy establ ishment only sported an empty porter bottle, I thought theywould make a handsome add ition, and took them. (

‘oming down stairs

I met Forster—poor fel low ! he is now dead—one of the Ch ief’s aide-decamps, who said ,—‘B y Jove, old fe llow, you

’d better not let S ir Co l in

catch you looting— here he comes !‘

upon wh ich I dropped them, as Paddysays, l ike a hot murphy ; and in a couple of minutes after saw a S ikhwalk ing off w ith my elegant candlesticks. S oon afterwards I saw the

chief serv ing out bamboo backsheesh to some S ikhs who passed h im w i thloot, w ith a b ig stick , and I rejoiced at the warning my friend Forster

had given me, e lse, perhaps, in his wrath, he might have broke myhead too .

”

T he promising young officer above referred to. namely, Captain W F .

Godolph in For er, of the i 8th . R oyal Irish Regiment, son of M aj or

General W . F.

‘

erster, E .H . , M ilitary S ecretary at H ead Quarters , d iedat Lucknow on the i 4th . of M ay , 1858, and up to that date had aecom

panied S ir Colin Campbe l l in al l his battles and operations against themutineers.

R E LI E F or LUCKNOW . 145

task completed, as was the case'

in the Punjab emergency .

There was work to be done, and how nobly and successful lyit was performed, is new matter of history . Troops constantlyarrived from England at Calcutta, and were moved up to

Cawnpore as speedily as possible, but owing to the want of

transport, only slow progress was made, and S ir Colin was not

prepared to proceed therefrom for the final rel ief of thegarrison at Lucknow before the 9 th . of November. By a rapidmarch he joined, on the same day that he quitted Cawnpore,the column under Brigadier-General Grant in camp at Bantam,

about six miles from the Alumbagh . Remaining there for

reinforcements until the i 2th . of November,he advanced on

the A lumbagh, which he reached in the evening, after havingcaptured the guns of a body of the enemy who had attackedhis vanguard " A s the direc t road from the A lumbagh to

the Residency was through the heart of the city of L ucknowfiwherein every street was a fortification, the houses beingloopholed and filled w ith desperate men, S ir Colin determined to make a detour to the right, and after forcinghis way through the D ilkoosha park and the Martiniere,to cross the canal to the east of Lucknow , and then arriveat the R esidency by a circuitous route round the north-eastcorner of the city.

Although this work is devoted to the deeds of the British Army, itis impossible to pass over the aid afforded to the military Operations at

Cawnpore and the v icinity, by the Naval Brigade, under their gal lantleader, the late Captain ( afterwards S ir W illiam) Peel . A long with a

smal l mi litary force of about seven hundred men under Captain Powe l l,they were engaged on the 1st of November at Kadiwe, twenty-four milesfrom Futtehpore, and succeeded in routing w ith severe loss, the mutineers,amounting to four thousand men

'

. On the loss of Captain Powe ll, whowas killed in th is encounter, the command fe l l upon Captain Peel . T heduties were very arduous ; after th is battle, w ith the exception of a day’srest for the foot-sore men who had marched seventy-two miles in threedays, besides gaining the above v ictory , dai ly marches had to be madein order to join the column before Lucknow .

1' M r. Thomas H enry Kavanagh , A ssistant Commissioner in Oude, when

serv ing under the orders of Lieutenant-General S ir James Outram, in

Lucknow, on the 8th . of November, 185 7, volunteered on the dangerous

duty of proceed lng through the city to the camp of the Commandcro imch ief, for the purpose of

‘

gu id ing the re liev ing force to the beleagueredgarrison in the Residency,—a task wh ich he performed w ith chivalrousgal lantry and devotion.

A h igh ly interesting work has been written by th is gentleman, show inghow he won the VICT OR I A Caoss, wh ich was conferred upon h im under

the R 0 al Warrant of the 13th . of D ecember, 1858 ; by which th is highd istinct on was accorded to certain non-mil itary persons, who, as Volunteers, had borne arms against the mutineers in l ndia.

146 M E D Ans or run E R r'rI sE ARM Y.

On the i 5th of November, as the troops approached the

park, the leading men w ere met by a long line of musketry

fire ; the advanced guard w as qu ickly reinforced by a field

battery and companies of infantry, when after a running fight

of nearly two hours, the rebels w ere driven across the garden

and park at the Martiniere, and far beyond the canal . Both

the park and the latter building were at once occupied bythe troops, when they sustained an attack in front, and

promptly driving back the enemy, pursued them across the

canal .

Early on the morning of the i 6th . of November, the vic

torious troops proceeded to attack the S ecunder Bagh, (garden

or plantation) a high walled enclosure of strong masonry,one hundred and twenty yards square

,and careful ly loop

holed al l round . This post was numerously defended. Opposite to it, at a distance of one hundred yards, was a v il lage

which was likewise loopholed, and fil led w ith men . As the

head of the column advanced along the lane to the left of

the S ecunder Bagh, a fire was opened on it by the enemy,which was hotly maintained for an hour and a hal f on

both sides. A small breach having been made, it was determined to storm the position, and this was effected by the

remainder of the Highlanders and the 53rd. and 4th . PunjabInfantry, supported by a battal ion of detachments underM ajor B arnston.

"L

After this bril l iant commencement Captain Peel ’s R oyalNaval Siege Train proceeded to the front, and advancedtowards the Shah Nujjeef, together w ith the field battal ionand some mortars, the village to the left hav ing been clearedby Brigadier the Honourable Adrian Hope and LieutenantColonel Gordon . This position was resolutely defended againsta heavy cannonade of three hours. It was then stormed inthe boldest manner by the 93rd. Highlanders, under Brigadier

“There never was a bolder feat of arms, and the loss inflicted on theenemy, after the entrance of the S ecunder Bagh was effected was immense : more than two thousand of the enemy were afterwards carriedou t. T he officers who led the regiments were Lieutenant Colonel L. H ay ,H M .

’s 93rd . H igh landers, l ieutenant-Co lonel Gordon, H .M .

’s 93rd H igh

landers ; Captain Walton. H .M .

’s 53rd . Foot ; Lieutenant Paul, 4th . Pun

jab infant

a ( since dead) and M ajor B arnston, H .M’s 90th . Foot. ”

S ir Co lin mpbell’s despatch.

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148 M E D AL s OF T H E B R I'rI sn AR M Y .

cluding the sick and wounded, without subjecting them to

the enemy’s fire . By a series of masterly arrangements, whichmay be regarded as a perfect example of such combinations,the desired object was attained . A fire was opened upon the

Kaiserbagh on the 2oth ., and when the fee was led to be

l ieve that an immediate assault was contemplated, orders were

issued for the garrison to withdraw through the line of picketsat midnight on the 2zud. Brigadier the Honourable AdrianHope so ably carried out the dispositions to cover the mov e

ment, that the mutineers were completely deceived, and insteadof follow ing, they commenced firing on the old positions, manyhours after they had been quitted by the British .

During all these operations from the l 6th . of November,the remnant of Brigadier Greathed

’

s bri gade closed in the

rear, and again formed the rear guard as the troops retired

to D ilkoosha, which was reached by the whole force by four

o’clock in the afternoon of the 23rd . of November . On the

previous day that valued soldier whose name is so identified

w ith Lucknow , the gal lant S ir Henry Havelock, died of an

attack of dysentery, to the universal regret of the army and

of his country .

LUCKNOW.

2Nu . TO 2 1813. MAR CH , 1858 .

S I R COLI N CAM PB ELL, leaving a portion of his army at the

A lumbagh under S ir James Outram, commenced his marchupon Cawnpore, on the 2 7th . of November, 1857, and arrivedat B uunee that evening . On the following morning he re

ceived intelligence of the attack made upon Major-GeneralWindham

,— who had been fiercely engaged with the Gwalior

rebels. That officer on the 26th . attacked one of the enemy’sdiv isions eight miles from Cawnpore, routed them,

and cap

tured al l but one gun . Next morning,being reinforced, they

returned to the assault, forced the British within their linesat Nuwabgunge, burning down the camp of three regiments.

T he Rifle Brigade under Colonel Walpole , supported by the

88th . under Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell , which suffered very

LUCKNOW . 149

severely, were highly distinguished . On the 2 8th . the renewed

attempts of the enemy were triumphantly defeated .

’ Then

followed the decisive battle of the 6th . of December,1'

when

the Commander-in-chief utterly routed the rebel army, whichhad been augmented by four regiments from Oude, and the

fol lowers of Nena Sahib, estimated at not less than twentyfive thousand men, with about thirty -six guns.

After this action S ir Colin Campbel l continued at Cawnporeuntil the beginning of 1858, employed in restoring order in

the stronghold of the mutiny, and in preparing to advanceon Lucknow . Several assaul ts were made by the rebels to

dislodge S ir James Ou tram from his position at the A lumbagh,before he could be aided by S ir Col in Campbell ; especially on

the 12th . and l 6th . of January, and subsequent months, but

they were al l defeated. The first portion of the army crossedthe Ganges at Cawnpore on the 4th . of February. Brigadier

Franks, while on his road to Lucknow , on the 19th ., de

feated two separate bodies of the enemy , at Chanda and

Amereepore, and on the 23rd . of that month gained a de

oisive victory over their united forces, when attempting to

capture B adshahgunge, a strong fort near S ultanpore¢

“T he fighting on the 28th . was very severe . On the left advance,Colone l Walpole w ith the R ifles, supported by Captain Greene

’s battery,

and part of the 82nd . regiment, achieved a complete v ictory over theenemy, and captured two e ighteen-pounder guns.

“T he glory of th is wel l-contested fight belongs entirely to the abovenamed companies and art i llery.

”—M aj or General Windham's despatch.

1 Force employed on the 6th . of D ecember : Brigad ier Greathed ’s

B rigade—8th . , 64th . , and 2nd . Punjab Infantry. A rti l lery Brigade—N o

troops Horse Artil lery ; three light Field Batteries ; guns of the NavalBrigade ; heavy Fie ld Battery Royal A rti l lery. Cavalry Brigade—9th .

Lancers ; detachments l st . 2nd . and 5th . Punj ab Cavalry, and H udson’s

H orse . 4th . Brigade—58rd . Foot ; 42nd . and 9ard . H igh landers ; 4th .

Punjab R ifles. 5th . Infantry B rigade—23rd . R oya l Welsh Fusiliers ; 82nd.

and 82ud . R egiments. 6th . Brigade—second and third battalions R ifleBrigade ; detachment 88th . Foot . E ngineer Brigade—Royal E ngineers,and detachments Bengal and Punjab S appers and M iners attached to

the various brigades of Infantry.

1:Of this batt le, in wh ich twenty-five thousand men were driven h oura strong position,—leav ing twenty-one guns, nine of siege calibre, withthe loss on the enemy ’

s side of one thousand eigh t hundred, and onlyeleven on that of the v ictors,—the Earl of E l lenborough, in the HouseOf Lords, most eloquently remarked that When we hear of an electrictelegraph passing under the very ground on wh ich the enemy stood,through an unfordable river, to the distance of several mi les, and thatit was used for the purpose of issuing commands in the midst of a

general action, that, l say , was the use of science taken advantage of byreal genius. Looking at the manner in which the particular battle to

1 50 M E D AL s or TH E B R I T I SH ARMY .

Being joined on this day by the siege train from Agra, and

al l the requisite arrangements having been completed, S ir

Colin Campbell proceeded direct from Cawnpore to the

A lumbagh , where the army arrived on the l et . of M arch .

The divisions under Brigadier Generals S ir Hope Grant and

Walpole, who had been employed watching the mutineers,had meanwhile rejoined, and on the following morning the

D ilkoosha palace was seized after a skirmish, in which a gun

w as captured from the enemy .

’ This palace was at onceoccupied as an advanced post on the right, and the MahomedBagh on the left, heavy guns being placed at each point tokeep down the fire of the rebels. The remainder of the siegetrain and addi tional troops arrived on the next and succeedingdays; the right of the British l ine now rested on B ibiapore

and the river Goomtee the left stretching in the directionof the A lumbagh . Brigadier-General Franks, C.B . , joinedw ith his division on the 5th . of M arch,

’

r after a march of

one hundred and thirty miles, during which four actions had

wh ich I refer was fought— the battle of S ultanpore , in wh ich the ful l useof the E nfield rifle and other improvements in moder n warfare were deveIOped—not only were they fighting as giants with the force of giants,b ut they were fighting as giants wou ld fight who had stolen the fire

from H eaven.

”

Troops employed z—H ead quarters of the d iv ision of A rtillery and

of the Field Artillery brigade under M ajor-General S ir A . W i lson,and Co lone l D . Wood , C. B . R oyal H orse A rti llery ; Lieutenant-Co lonelD

’Aguilar

’s troop. R oyal H orse A rti l lery ; Lieutenant-Colonel Toombs, C B . ,

and Lieutenant Bishop‘

s troops ; Bengal H orse A rtil lery, under LieutenantCo lonel Turner ; two twenty-four-pounders and two eight-inch how

i tzers of the “S hannon’

s” Naval Brigade ; two companies l ’anjab Sappers

and M iners. H ead quarters of the Cavalr d ivision, and the l st . CavalryB rigade, under Brigad ier-General S ir J . Grant, and Brigad ierLi tt le. 9ih . Lancers ; 2nd . Punjab Irregular Cavalry ; detachment of 5th .

Punjab d itto ; 1st . S ikh Irregu lar Cavalry . Second d ivision of Infantry,under Brigad ier-General S ir E . Lugard , consisting of th ird b ri

gade, Brigad ier P. M . M . Guy , 84th . , a8th . , and 53rd . Foot ; fourth b ri

gade, Brigadier the Honourab le A drian H ope, 42nd . and 93rd . H igh landersand 4th . Punjab R ifles.

1‘ The force under B rigad ier-General Franks consisted of one hundred

and forty E uropean and one hundred and seven Native emcers, andfive thousand six hundred and forty-six men, and was composed of twocompanies of R oyal, one of Bengal, and one of M adras A rtillery ; detachments of Benares H orse ; Lahore Light H orse. Pathan H orse, andth ird S ikh Irregular Cavalry ; H er M ajesty’s l oth . , 2oth . , and 97th . regiments, and six battalions of Goorkha infantry and artillery.

A dash ing cavalry combat occurred at Nyapoorwa, on the 1st. of M arch,in which CaptainA ikman, commanding the 8rd . S ikh cavalr was greatlyd istinguished ; and on the 4th . of that month , the fort of howrara was

captured . Th is emeer received the VICT OR IA CR oss, see page 181.

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152 M E D AL s or run RR Ir IsE AR M Y.

These instructions were carried out w ith the most markedsuccess, but the enemy still clung pertinaeiously to his own

end of the iron bridge, on the right bank, and heavy eannonadiugensued from both sides, until the bridge was subsequentlytaken in reverse . On the 1 1 th . S ir Edward Lugard pressed

forward in l ike manner . As the operation had now becomeone of an engineering character, the most ; earnest endeavours

were used to save the infantry from being hazarded before due

preparation was made . The chief engineer, Brigadier N apier,placed the batteries so as to breach and shell a large blockof the palaces designated the Begum Kotes. At four o’clockin the morning the latter were stormed with great gal lantryby the 93rd . Highlanders, supported by the 4th . Punjab R iflesand one thousand Ghoorkas, led by Brigadier the HonourableAdrian Hope, under Brigadier-General S ir Edward Lugard’edirection . The whole block of buildings was secured by thetroops, who inflicted a heavy loss on the enemy, and the

attack was pronounced by S ir Col in Campbel l to have been“the sternest struggle which occurred during the siege .

The chief engineer pushed forward the approach with the

greatest judgment through the enclosures, by the aid of the

sappers and heavy guns, the troops immediately occupying the

ground as he advanced, and the mortars being moved fromone position to another as the ground was won on whichthey could be placed. The buildings to the right

,and the

Secunder Bagh, were taken early in the morning of the same

day , without opposition, and during the night of the i 2th .

S ir James Outram was reinforced w ith a number of heavy gunsand mortars, and directed to increase his fire upon the KaiserBagh , while the mortars placed in a position at the Begum’

s

house never ceased playing on the Imambarrah, the next largepal ace it was necessary to storm

,between the Begum Kotee

and the Kaiser Bagh .

Upon B rigadier~General Franks, C . B . , who had rel ieved S irEdward L ugard, and the second division with the fourth on

the 12th . of M arch, devolved the duty of attacking the

Imambarrah . For this purpose a column of attack was formedon the morning of the i 4th .

, by Brigadier D avid R ussell,who at the second relief of Lucknow had been severely wounded.

LUCKNOW. 153

The Maharajah Jung B ahadocr too had joined w ith a force of

about nine thousand men and twenty-four field guns, drawnby men, and took up his positi on in the British l ine on the

12 th. , and moved close to the canal on the follow ing day .

H is Highness passed the canal and attacked the suburbs inhis front, and considerably to the left of Banks

’8 house, at the

request of the Commander-ia-chief; his troops were thus mostadvantageously employed in covering S ir Colin Campbell’s leftfor several days, during which, from the nature of the

operations it was necessary to mass all the available strengthof the British force towards the right in the joint attackcarried along both banks of the Goomtee .

Early on the 14th . the Imambarrah was carried, and theSikhs of the Ferozepore Regiment, under Major B rasyer, pressingforward in pursuit, entered the Kaiser Bagh, the third line of

defences having been turned w ithou t a single gun being firedfrom them. Supports were quickly thrown in, and all the

well -known ground of former defence and attack, the Mess-house,the Tara Kotee, the Mctee Mahul, and the Chatter M unzil,

were rapidly occupied by the troops, while the engineersdevoted their attention to securing the position towards the

south and west. The doomed city was now hastily evacuatedby the enemy, thousands of fugitives being seen to escape tothe north and west. Flying columns were sent after them,

and building after building which had been occupied as a

defence, was successively taken, until al l save the city itself

was in the hands of the British .

A combined movement was organized on the 19th . of

M arch . S ir James Outram moved forward directly on the

M oose Bagh, the last position of the foe on the line of the

Goomtee ; the latter was cannonaded from the left bank by

S ir James Hope Grant, whil st Brigadier Campbell , moving round

the western side from the Alumbagh , prevented retreat inthat direction . The rent was complete, great loss beinginflicted on the enemy by all these columns.

M ajor-General S ir Edward Legard was directed to attack,on the 2 1st. a stronghold in the heart of the city, held byM oul vie . This he occupied after a sharp contest, and it thenbecame possible to invite the return of the inhabitants, and

154 unnAns or run sarrrsn AR MY.

to rescue the city from the horrors of this prolonged struggle .

Brigadier William Campbell, of the 2nd. Dragoon Guards,attacked the enemy with his caval ry, when retreating fromthe city in consequence of S ir Edward’s advance, occasioningheavy loss, and pursuing the fugitives for six miles.

‘

CENTRAL INDIA.

JANUARY re JUN E , 1858 .

Major-General S ir Hugh Rose, at the end of

Jannary, 1 858, captured R athghur, a strong fort in CentralIndia. For two whole days, the 26th . and 2 7th . of January,the guns of the British played upon the walls, and when a

practicable breach had been effected, the garrison, on the 28th . ,

endeavoured to escape by using ropes to aid them in theirdescent. Meanwhile an attempt was made by the enemyoutside to relieve the fort by an attack on the rear of thecamp ; this was, however, soon frustrated, and the place wastakenst On the 3 1st. of January a v ictory was gained everthe insurgents near Barodia.

From the 2nd . to the 21st. of M arch , 1858, the British had one

hundred and twenty-seven officers and men killed , and five hundredand ninety-five wounded , namely z— A rti llery and E ngineers, includ ingNaval B rigade of the S hannon, R oyal H orse and Foot A rti llery, BengalA rti l lery and S appers and M iners, R oyal E ngineers, Punjab Sappers. andD e lh i Pioneers, th irty-one k i lled and eigh ty -nine wounded . CavalryFirst brigade—9th . Lancers, 2nd . Punjab Cavalry, detachment 5th . d itto,and l st . S ik h Irregular Cavalry, five k illed and thirty-three wounded ;second brigade— 2nd . D ragoon Guards, 7 th . H nssars, H odson

’s and Pathan

H orse, six k i lled and twenty wounded . Infantry —First brigade—5th .

Fusil iers, one k i lled and four wounded ; second brigade— 78th . H igh landers,9oth . , and R eg iment of Ferozepore, e leven k il led and seventy-five wounded ;th ird brigad e— 34th . . 88th . , and 5ard . regiments, two k illed and th irty-twowounded ; fourth brigade—42nd . and 93rd H igh landers, and 4th . PunjabR ifles, tw enty-seven ki l led and one hundred and th irty-five wounded ;fifth brigade— 23rd . R oyal We lsh Fusil iers, 79th . H igh landers, and l st.E uropean Bengal Fusiliers, n ineteen k il led and seventy-six wounded ;sixth brigade—second and th ird battalions of the R ifle Brigade and the

2nd . Punjab Infantry, ten killed and fifty -four wounded ; seventh brigade-loth . , 2oth .

, and 97th . regiments, fifteen k il led and seventy-sevenwounded .

1 T he casual ties of the second b rigade of the Nerbudda Fie ld Forceduring the siege and attack of Rathghur were three killed and eighteenwounded , and were d iv ided amongst the B ombay A rtillery, 14th . LightD ragoons, 3 ta. Bombay E uropean R egiment, Bombay and M adras Sappersand M iners, 24th . Native Infantry, and l st . Cavalry Hyderabad Contingent.A t Barod ia the casualties were two ki lled , and twenty-one wounded ,shared amongst the S tafl

‘

, Horse A rtil lery, ard . E uropean R egiment,8rd . Ligh t Cavalry, and l st. and 3rd . Cavalry Hyderabad Contingent.

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156 M E D ALS or run R Rrrrsn AR MY.

in the least the arduous siege and investment of Jhansi . Thevictory was gained with the small less of fifteen kil led and

sixty-six wounded ; seven died of wounds. The casual ties of

the 14th . Light D ragoons were the greatest, namely, five killedand

'

twenty-four wounded . Fifteen hundred of the enemy

were killed, and all his artil lery stores and ammunition w erecaptured. Captain Need’s troop of this regiment was speciallycommended , and Lieutenant Leith gained the Victoria Crossfor hav ing charged alone, and rescued that emeer when sur

rounded by a large number of rebel infantry.

T he assaul t was made on the 3rd. of April , the stormingparties being div ided into two columns, one of which formed

the right, under Lieutenant-Colonel Lowth, of the 86th . , and

the other the left attack . The latter was led by MajorStuart, of the same regiment, and making its way partlythrough the breach and partly by escalading a bastion intothe city, penetrated to the palace ; here it was met by theright column, which had advanced along the streets in the

midst of a galling fire from the houses on each side .‘ Theconduct of the 86th . received high commendation. Possessionhaving been gained of a large portion of the city by the 3rd.

Europeans and 86th . Foot, these two corps occupied w ith picketscommanding houses, and several hand-to-hand combats occurred .1

'

Preparations were being made for the continuance of the

attack, when intelligence reached S ir Hugh Rose that the

Rance had during the preceding night fled from the fortress,attended by a smal l escort ; she was seen mounted on a greyhorse, and al though hotly pursued, was not overtaken ; thiswas succeeded by a general abandonment of the place by therebels, who proceeded in a north-easterly direction . Jhansi was

two hundred and twenty-six rank and file ; 24th . Bombay Native Infantry,two hundred and ninety-eight rank and file ; and 25th . B ombay NativeInfantry, four hundred rank and file .

S everal standards were captured, together with a silk Union Jackwhich had been given by Lord W illiam Bentinck to the grandfather

of the B anee’s husband w ith permission to have it carried before him

as a reward for his fidel ity, a priv ilege accorded to no other IndianPrince. T he soldiers who had so bravely won th is flag of their country ,asked permission to hoist it on the p lace,—a request to which S ir H ughRose at once acceded .

1' See R ecipients of the Victoria Cross.

—B oyal Artil lery and Engineers,86th . regiment, and 72nd . Bengal Native Infantry .

CENTRAL IND IA . 157

taken possession of without further opposition, when nothing

could exceed the humanity shewn by the victorious trOOps !

In the meantime Awah, in R ajpectens, a strongly-fortifiedtown, had been taken by Colonel Holmes, on the 24th . of

January, and M ajer-General R oberts in March advancedagainst Kotah, the R ajah of which was friendly to theBritish, but was coerced by his followers.

Two hundred men of the 83rd ., and the Rifle Company of

the 1sth . Native Infantry, under Brevet-Lientenant-ColonelHeatly, of the former regiment, were sent by M ajor-General

Roberts, commanding the Rajpootana Field Force, on the

26th . of March, into the portion of the town held by theM aha Rao, who had been assaul ted on two successive morningsby the rebels; the servi ce rendered by Lieutenant ColonelHeatly wi th this detachment on this occasion, and up to the

time of the assault was prominently noticed . Late on the

evening of the 28th ., the 8th . Hussars, under Lieutenant-Colonel

Sal is, arrived .

On the 3oth . of March the place ~was carried with thegreatest gal lantry, the 72ad. j and 95th . regiments leading theway . The first column, under Brigadier Parke, of the 72nd . ,

was composed of two hundred and fifty men from each of the

following regiments, namely, the 72nd. , under Major T hellusson ,

13th . Native Infantry, under Captain Adams, accompanied bya party of Sappers, under Lieutenant Paterson, R oyal Engineers.

T he second column, under Lieu tenant-Colonel Holmes, compriseda like number of the 83rd . , under M ajor Steele, and of the12 th . Native Infantry, under Lieutenant Howison ; and the

third column, under Lieutenant-Colonel Raines, of the 95th ., was

Casualties during the siege and storm of Jhansi z—First Brigade ;A rtil lery, E ngineers, 86th . and 25th . Bengal Native Infantry, th irteen ki lledand ninety-three wounded, including fourteen kil led and fifty -four woundedof the 86th . regiment ; S econd Brigade -H orse Artillery, 14th . LightD ragoons, M adras and B ombay S appers and M iners, 3rd . BombayE uropean R egiment, 24ih . Native Infantry, twenty-six ki lled and sixtyeight wounded ; H yderabad Contingent Fie ld Force, fourteen killed andthirty-nine wounded ; total two hundre d and fifty -three .

1' Lieutenant Cameron, of the 72nd . , received the Victoria Cross for con

spicuous bravery on this day , In hav ing headed a smal l party of men, andattacked a body of armed fanatic rebels, strongly posted in a loopholedhouse, w ith one narrow entrance. He stormed the house, and ki lled threerebels in single combat. This emeer was severe ly wounded, having lostthe half of one hand by a stroke from a tulwar.

158 menu s or run narrrsn AR M Y .

similarly made up of the 95th . , under Major the HonourableE yre Massey , of that regiment, and the l oth . Native Infantry,under Lieutenant Roome, each accompanied by a party of

S appers, under an engineer ofiicer . T he reserve under BrigadierMacan, consisted of two hundred and fifty of the 83rd .

,under

Lieutenant-Colonel Heatly, and of the 13 th . Native Infantry,under Captain Steuart.

By the explosion here of a magazine fired by the rebels,after the capture of the city , Captain Robert B ainbrigge, of

the 23rd. Bombay Light Infantry, Brigade-Major of the firstbrigade of the R ajpectens Field Force, and Captain EvelynBazalgette, of the 95th . regiment, w ere unfortunately kill ed .

From the 23rd . to the 80th . of March the British casualtiesamounted to fourteen killed and forty-six wounded— a small

less when compared w ith the importance of the capture . Thecavalry and Colonel Blake ’s troop of Horse Artill ery weresent in pursuit .Major General Whitlock, in command of the Madras column,gained a decisive v ictory at B ands, on the 19th . of April ,over the troops of the Nswab of that place . The battle lastedfour hours.

1e T he enemy mustered abou t seven thousand,including one thousand mutinous Sepoys of the Bengal army,and their loss amounted to five hundred men and several guns.1

'

Banda surrendered at once, and the Major-General then movedon towards Calpes to cc-operate in the attack intended to be

made by S ir Hugh R ose upon that stronghold . The latter,on the 7th . of M ay , attacked and captured the fort of Koonch .

Marching thence to Golowl ie on the Jumna, three miles distantfrom Calpes, a determined attack was there made by theinsurgents upon the British, on the 22nd . of M ay, and the

In add ition to four killed and fourteen wounded , the i 4th . LightD ragoons had cl h tcen cases of sunstroke, two prov ing fatal . T he 7 l st .

H igh land L igh t nfantry suffered from the same cause, eight out of the

nineteen cases dy ing from the intense heat ; one day in the shade it

rose to 130 degrees. S ir H ugh R ose stated in h is despatch , that when a

w ing of the 7 l st. was prostrated by sun-sickness, the only complaint heheard in the field hospitals from these gallant fellows, was that they couldnot rise and fight.

1 Troops employed in the action at B anda z— H orse A rtillery, E uropeanand Native ; 12th . Lancers, ( left w ing one squadron H yderabad Cavalry,one hundred and thirty-six ; detachments R oyal A rti llery ; M adras Arti l lery ;S appers and M iners ; ard . M adras E uropean R egiment ; l st. Regiment ofNative Infantry ; D etachment 50th . Nativc Infantry .

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160 u RnALs or run narrrsn AR M Y .

On the l 6th . of June, S ir Hugh R ose advanced upon Gwalior,and on that day, in the action at M orar, Lieutenant Ncave, ofthe 7 1st, which regiment wel l maintained its historical renown,was kil led . Brigadiers Smith and Orr, with additional troops,arrived on the 1 7th . at Kota-ki-Serai

, ten miles from Gwalior,where they defeated some of the advanced posts. T he chargethrough the enemy’s camp of the 8th . Hussars and the conductof the 95th .

, were most highly spoken of. The infantry was

commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Raines of the latter regiment.In a hand to hand contest the stout-hearted R ance of Jhansiwas killed, and as her body could not be discovered, it is

supposed to have been burnt. S ir Hugh Rose subsequentlyarrived, and a fierce attack was made on the 19th . by theinsurgents, who were repulsed, and after a severe conteston the plain between the town and the heights, w ere completelydefeated ! Gwalior was then occupied, and the MaharajahS cindiah was once more restored to his throne .

After this decisive battle the Central India Field Force wasbroken up, and was distributed in the garrisons of Gwalior,Jhansi, and other places. S ir Hugh R ose afterwards returnedto the Bombay Presidency, prior to which, in general orders,the Commander-in-chief in India thanked him and M ajorGenerals Roberts and Whitlock for their eminent services.

Such is a brief account of the special services for whichclasps have been awarded

, which natural ly divide into five

acts the exciting drama of the Indian Mutiny ; there are

however several episodes which alone would fill a volume t

Number killed and wounded of the Central Ind ia Field Force duringthe operations before Gwalior, from i 6th . to 19th . of June , 1858 z—Firstbrigade— fourth company, second batta l ion, Arti llery ; i 4th . Light D ragoons ;25th . Bombay Native Infantry ; 3rd . R egiment Cavalry Hyderabad Contingent.S econd brigade— 7 l st . H igh land Light Infantry ; Brigad ier Smith ’s brigade ;R ajpootaua Field Force ; 3rd . Troop H orse A rti llery ; A rti llery ; sth .

H ussars ; l st. Native Light Cavalry Lancers) Bombay ; 95th . regiment ;l oth . B ombay Native Infantry .

—K.illc twenty-one, wounded sixty-six.

1' One of these, the defence of A rrah, is most remarkable . S ixteen

E uropeans and fifty S ikh soldiers, made a noble stand against threethousand mutineers. T he E urOpeans were M r. L ittledaic, judge ; M r.

B ombs, col lector ; M r. Wake, mag istrate ; and M r. Boyle, rai lway engineer,—al l civ ilians. T he first attempt to rel ieve them failed ; on the 27th . of

July portions of the l oth . and 37 th . regiments, and some S ikhs, aboutfour hundred in al l, were sent up the river from D inapore in two

steamers, one of which grounded ; th is caused a de lay, b ut in the eveningof the 29th . the troops were disembarked . Captain D unbar pushed on

until he reached the outskirts of the town, when the sepoys suddenlyopened a destructive fire of musketry from the wood, a great number

CE NT R AL I ND I A . 161

In this campaign there were many separate columns, which

afforded officers greater opportunities of distinguishing them

selves than ih ordinary cases. So various were the mil itary

operations that it is almost impossible to condense them into

one connected whole .Amongst the most determined opponents of the British wasthe cx ~Queen of Oude, commonly known as the Begum,

under

whom many of the fugitives had rallied . She endeavoured togain ov er that active ally Jung B ahadoor, but w ithout success.

Moveable columns successfully effected the objects intended .

Beni Madho, a powerful chieftain, whilst Lieutenant-ColonelCarmichael was in pursuit, w as intercepted and driven acrossthe Goomtee, by Brigadier (new S ir Alfred) Horsford, who, at

the head of a separate column, had highly distingu ishedhimself. On the 3oth . of December Nena Sahib and his

foll owers were attacked and driven through a jungle whichthey endeavoured to defend ; afterwards across the Raptes, the

7th . Hussars entering that river with the fugitives. TheNena escaped punishment for the time, but al though not taken

including h imself, being k illed , the surv ivors be ing hotly pursued to thesteamer. M ajor Vincent Eyre, of the Bengal H orse Artillery, ( author ofthe wel l-known work on the d isasters at Cabool, ) who was in commandof . a flying force, on hearing of th is event, advanced from S hawpore, a

d istance of twenty-eight miles, and on the 2nd . of A ugust encounteredthe rebels near Goojerajgunge ; and although the odds were twenty to

one, gallantly defeated them.

M r. R oss Lewis M angles, Assistant M agistrate at Patna, and M r.

W i l l iam Fraser M ‘D onel l, M agistrate of Saran, both of the Bengal Civ i lS erv ice, received the Victoria Cross for their services ; the f ormer forvolunteering to serve w ith the above, hav ing, on the morning of the8oth . of July, after Captain D unbar’s death, during the retreat, w ithsignal ga l lantry and generous se lf-dev otion, and notwi thstand ing thathe had h imself been prev iously wounded, carried for several mi les, out

of ac tion, a wounded sold ier of the 37th . regiment, bore h im in safety tothe boats, after binding up his wounds under a murderous fire, wh ichk i lled or wounded almost the whole detachment ; and the latter for greatcoolness and bravery on the same day and occasion, in hav ing climbed ,under an incessant fire outside the boat, in which he and several sold ierswere, up to the rudder, and w ith consid erab le d ifficulty cut throughthe lashing wh ich secured it to the side of the boat. On this be ingcut the boat obeyed the helm, and thus th irty-five E uropean soldiersescaped certain death .

In th is feat of arms, by wh ich the gal lant garrison was rel ieved ,one hundred and fifty -four men of the 5th . Fusil iers, under CaptainL

’E strange, maintained the ancient fame of their regiment, and sharedw ith the first company of the fifth battalion of the Bengal Artillery,and the Buxar Gentlemen Volunteers, in th is important result ; so

honourable to them and to their daring commander. Captain S cott,E nsigns Lew is Oldfield , (wounded, and M ason, and Assistant-S urgeonThornton, were the other officers 0 the detachment of the 5th . Fusi liers.

M

162 menu s or rm; B arman ARM Y.

by the B ritish , there is no reason to doubt the certainty of

his death . Tantia Topee, in pursuit of whom so many longmarches had been made, was ultimately captured and hanged .

Thus may the contest be said to have terminated, and the

resistance of one hundred and fifty thousand armed men

overcome ; in no campaign had greater exertions been displayed,and more honour acquired by the British soldier .

Besides the names of Lieutenant General S ir James Outram,

Major-Generals S ir Henry Havelock, S ir Hugh R ose, Roberts,Whitlock, S ir Archdale Wilson, S ir James Hope Grant, S ir

W illiam R ose Mansfield, S ir Thomas Harte Franks, S ir

Edward Lugard, Windham, and S ir John Michel, the campaignproduced a number of B rigadier-Generals, such as Neill, theHonourable Adrian Hope, Walpole, S ir Robert Napier,R ussell , Nicholson, Horsford, Barker, Wetheral l , Jones, Parke,R owcroft, and others, who are intimately associated w iththe military operations by which an extensive country maybe said to have been re-conquered, and peace restored .

Lord Canning, the able Governor General of India, and

the Earl of Elgin, who nobly diverted the troops orderedfor China, are inseparably connected w ith these events ; and

if difficul ty has been experienced in doing justice to individualofficers during the mutiny, it is enhanced when attemptingto record the deeds of him who, linked with mil itary servicesextending over half a century, brought this momentous struggleto a successful termination . In other times enemies had to be

encountered in India, and great battles had been won, but in

this instance the men had been armed and disciplined bytheir conquerors. No words can be more applicable than thoseof H is Royal Highness the ‘ Duke of Cambridge, when the voteof thanks to the Army in India was proposed in the H ouse

of Lords,on the 14th . of April , 1 859 z—

“As to Lord Clydeit would be preposterous in me to sing his praises; they are

not only patent to every nobleman present, but they are known

throughout the length and breadth of this country, of the

continent, and in other parts of the world .

”

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164. M E D ALS or run. B R ITI SH “my .

and H er M ajesty's 96th . regiment, they routed the enemy, who were

advancing against B rigad ier Smith ’

s position, charged through the rebe lcamp into two batteries, capturing and bringing into camp two of the

enemy's guns, under a heavy and converging fire from the fort and

town. Troop Sergeant-M ajor Janna Cnaurrom—At B eejapore on the

8th. of S eptember, 1858, when both the officers attached to the troopwere d isabled , and h imself severely wounded at the commencement of

the action by a bal l through h is body, he continued at h is duty forward ,th roughout the pursu it, and d isabled several of the enemy with h is

pistol. He was also recommended for distingu ished conduct at Gwal ior.N INTH LANCE RS . Lieutenant Amman S '

rowaL L J ONas.- The cavalry

charged the rebe ls on the 8ih . of June, 1857, and rode through them.

Lieutenant Jones, w ith h is squadron, gal lantly captured one of their g uns,k i l ling the drivers, and , w ith Lieutenant-Colonel Yule’s assistance, turned

it upon a v illage occupied by the rebe ls, who were quickly dislodged .

This was a wel l-conceived act, gal lantly executed .- (D espatch from

Major-General James H ope Grant, dated l oth. January,S ergeant H . H a r man— For daring and d istinguished gal lantry in the

fol lowing instances —A t the batt le of B ud ie-ke-Serai, near Delh i, on the

8th . of June, 1857, in going to the assistance of Sergeant H . Helstone,who was wounded, d ismounted , and surrounded by the enemy, and at

the risk of his own l ife carrying him to the rear. On the l oth. of

October, 1857, at Agra, in hav ing run unarmed to the assistance of

S ergeant Crews, who was attacked by four rebels. H artigan caught a

tulwar from one of them w ith h is right hand, and w ith the other h it

h im on the month, d isarmed h im, and then defended himself against

the other three, ki ll ing one and wound ing two, when he was h imse lfdisab led from further service by severe and dangerous wounds. Privates

Tnom s H ANCOCK and JonN Pe l i ca n—T he guns, I am happy to say ,

were saved ; but a waggon of M ajor S cott’s battery was b lown up . I

must not fai l to mention the excel lent conduct of a sewer of the 4th .

Irregular Cavalry and two men of the 9th . Lancers, Privates ThomasH ancock and John Purcel l, who, when my horse was shot down, remainedby me throughout. One of these men and the sowar offered me their

horses, and I' was dragged out by the sowar’s horse. Private Hancock

was severe ly wounded, and Private Purcel i’s horse was killed under him.

T he Sowar’s name is Roopur Khan.

—Extract of a letter from B rigad ierJ . H . Grant, C.B . , Command ing Cavalry Brigade of the Fie ld Force, to theDeputy-Assistant Adj utant-General of Div ision ; dated, Camp, D elh i, 22nd .

June, 1857. Private J . R . Rosan a—For b ringing in a comrade, mortal lywounded, at Boolundshuhur, on the 28th . of S eptember, 1857. through a

street under a heavy musketry fire, in wh ich serv ice he was h imselfwounded . Lance-Corporal B . Kama —For defending, on the same day

and place, against a number of the enemy, h is command ing officer,

Captain Drysdale, who was lying in a street w ith h is col lar-boneb roken, his horse having been d isabled by a shot, and remaining withh im until out of danger. Private P. D ononoa—For having, on the

above occasion, gone to the support of Lieutenant Blair, who had been

severely wounded, and with a few other men brought that officer in

rue. VICTOR I A cnoss. 165~

safety through a large body of the enemy’s cavalry. Private J . FR E E M AN .

For having gone, on the l oth . of October, 1857, at Agra, to the assistanceof Lieutenant Jones, who had been shot, ki ll ing the leader of the

enemy’s cavalry, and for defend ing th is ofiicer against several of the

enemy . Troop S ergeant-M ajor S p arrow—For conspicuous gal lantry on the

17th . of January, 1858, at S hamsabad , in going to the assistance of PrivateKidd , who had been wounded , and h is horse d isabled , and bringing h imout of a large number of rebels. Lance Corporal W. Gear —For con

spicuous gallantry at Lucknow, on the 6th . of M arch , 1858, in having

d ismounted in the presence of a number of the enemy, and taken up

the body of M ajor Smyth, of the 2nd . D ragoon Guards, wh ich he

attempted to b ring off the field, and after being ob l iged to rel inquish it‘

,

being surrounded by the enemy’

s cavalry, he went a second time under

a heavy fire to recover the body . Troop S ergeant-M ajor Rusnn—Forconspicuous bravery, near Lucknow , on the 19th . of M arch, 1858, in

hav ing, in company w ith one private of the troop, attacked eight of theenemy, who had posted themse lves in a nu llah, and ki lled three of

them. Private R . Newman —For going, at Lucknow , on the 19th . of

March, 1858, to the assistance of a comrade whose horse had fal len on

bad ground , and bringing h im away, under a heavy fire of musketryfrom a large body of the enemy.

FOURTE ENTH LIGHT D RAGOONS . Lieutenant Janus h arm—( S ee

page 156.

S EVENTE ENTH LIG HT D RAGOONS . Lieutenant H E N RY E va-L YN

Woon .—For hav ing on l 9th . of October, 1858, during the action at S ind a

waho, when in command of a troop of the ard . Light Cavalry, attackedw ith much gal lantry, almost single-handed, a body of rebels who had

made a stand, whom he routed ; and also for hav ing subsequently, nearS indhora, gal lantly advanced w ith a D ufi

‘

ader and Sowar of B eatson’s

H orse, and rescued from a band of robbers a Potail , Chemmum S ingh,whom they had captured and carried off to the jungle, where they lntended to hang him.

R OYAL A RTILLE RY. Captain FR ANCI S Coa au as M anna, C.B

Th is oflicer stead i ly and cheer i pushed on w ith his men, and bore downthe desperate opposition of the enemy, though w ith the loss of one-th irdof his artillerymen. S ir James Outram reported that th is attack appearedto h im to indicate no reckless or foolhardy daring, but the calm heroismof a true soldier, who ful ly appreciated the difficulties and dangers of the

task he had undertaken ; and that, but for Captain M aude’s nerve and

coolness on th is trying occasion, the army cou ld not have advanced .

E xtract from Fie ld Force Orders of M ajor-General H avelock, 17th . of

October, 1857 . Bombardier Josaru B R E NNAN .—F0r marked gal lantry at

the assau lt of Jhansi, on the 8rd . of Apri l, 1858, in bringing up two

guns of the Hyderabad Contingent, manned by natives, lying each under

a heavy fire from the wal ls, and directing them so accurately as to compelthe enemy to abandon his battery.

ROYAL ENGINE E R S . Corporal M ICH AE L S L E AVON .—F0r determined

bravery on the attack of the fort of Jhansi, on the ard . of A pril, 1858,in maintaining his position at the head of a sap, and continuing the

166 H snAL s or T H E B R IT I SH AR M Y.

work under a heavy fire, with a cool and steady determination worthy

of the highest praise .

M ILITARY TRAIN . Private S AM UE L M ann a —On the evacuation of

A zimghur by Koer S ingh’s army, on the 15th . of A pril, 1858, a squadron of

the M ilitary Train and half a troop of H orse A rtil lery were sent in pur

su it. Upon overtak ing them and coming into action with their rearguard, a squadron of the ard . S ikh Cavalry (also detached in pursu it,)and one troop of the M il itary Train were ordered to charge, whenLieutenant and Adjutant H amilton, who commanded the S ikhs, was

unhorsed and immed iately surrounded by the enemy , who commenced

cutting and hack ing h im wh ilst on the ground . Private M orley, seeingthe pred icament that Lieutenant H ami lton was in, although his (M orley

’s)

horse had been shot from under h im, immediately and most gal lantlyrushed up, on foot, to his assistance, and in conjunction with Farrier

M urphy, cut down one of the sepoys, and fought over LieutenantH amilton'

s body, unti l further assistance came up, and thereby was the

means of saving that officer from being k il led on the spot. Private M ICH AE L

M URPH Y, Farrier.—Received the Victoria Cross for the same act ; he cut

down several men, and although h imself severely wounded, never left

Lieutenant H amilton’s side until support arrived .

FIFTH R EGIM ENT. Sergeant B onna'r Gamer —For consp icuous

devotion at A lumbagh , on the 24th . of September, 1867, in proceed ingunder a heavy and gal ling fire to save the l ife of Private E . D eveney,whose leg had been shot away, and eventual ly carrying h im safe into

camp, w ith the assistance of the late Lieutenant B rown and some com

rades. Private Paras M ‘M ANUS .—A party, on the 26th . of September,

1857, was shut up and besieged in a house in the city of Lucknow by

the rebel sepoys. Private M ‘M anus kep t outside the house until he h imsel fwas wounded, and, under cover of a pil lar, kept firing on the sepoys, andprevented their rush ing on the house . H e also, in conjunction w ith PrivateJohn Ryan, rushed into the street and took Captain A rnold, of the l et.M adras Fusi liers, out of a dooly, and brough t h im into the house in spiteof a heavy fire, in wh ich that officer was again wounded . Private PAT RI CKM ‘B A L E .

—F0r conspicuous bravery at Lucknow on the 2ud . of October,1857, when he was the first man at the capture of one of the guns at

the Cawnpore B attery ; and again on the 22nd . of December, 1857, when,by a bold rush , he was the first to take possession of one of the enemy‘

s

guns, which had sent several rounds of grape through his company, wh ichwas skirmishing up to it. On every occasion of attack Private M ‘H ale

was the first to meet the foe, amongst whom be caused such consternationb y the boldness of his rush, as to leave little work for those who fol lowedto his support. By his habitual coolness and daring, and sustained braveryin action, h is name became a household word for gal lantry among his

comrades.

TENTH R EGIM ENT. Private JOHN Ki tt ie— For daring gal lantry at

B enares, on the 4ih . of June, 1857, on the outbreak of the mutiny of the

native troops at that station, in hav ing volunteered to proceed with twonon-commissioned ofi

‘lcers to rescue Captain B rown, pension paymaster,and his family, who were surrounded by rebels in the compound of their

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168 menu s or mu . nnI rIsn Aamr.

- For d istinguished bravery in a sortie on the 7th . of July, 1857 , made,as reported by M ajor Wilson, late D eputy Assistant Adjutant Generalof the Lucknow Garrison,

“for the purpose of examining a house stronglyhe ld by the enemy, in order to d iscover whether or not a mine was

being driven from it.” M ajor W i lson stated that he saw the attack,

and was an eye-w itness to the great personal gal lantry of LieutenantLawrence on the occasion, he being the first person to mount the ladder

and enter the window of the house, in efi'

ecting wh ich he had his pistolknocked out of h is hand by one of the enemy . A lso for d istinguishedgal lantry in a sortie of the 26th . of S eptember, 1857 , in charging, w ithtwo of his men, in advance of his company, and capturing a nine-poundergun. Corporal W I L L IAM murmu rs—For d istinguished gal lantry on the

soth . of June, 1857 , in sav ing the l ife of M r. Capper, of the B engal Civ ilS ervice, by extricating him from the ruins of a verandah which had

fa l len on him, Corporal Oxenham being for ten minutes exposed to a

heavy fire while doing to. Private !VI L L I AN Dow ns —For distinguishedgal lantry on the 4th . of July, 1857, in going out w ith two other men, sincedead , and:spiking two of the enemy ’

s guns. H e ki l led a Subadar of theenemy by one of the guns. A lso for d istinguished gal lantry on the 9th .

of the same month, in going out again with three men, since dead , to

spike one of the enemy’s guns. H e had to ret ire, the spike being too

sma l l, but was exposed to the same danger. Also for d istinguished braveryon the 27th . of S eptember, 1857 , in spiking an eighteen-pounder gun

during a sortie, he being at the same time under a most heavy fire fromthe enemy .

TH IRTY-FOURTH R EGIM ENT. Private Gnonoa R ICH AR D S ON —For

determined courage at Kewauie, T rans-Gogra, on the 27th . of April, 1859,in having, although severely wounded one arm being d isabled closedw ith and secured a rebel sepoy armed with a loaded revolver.FORTY-S ECOND REGIM E NT. Private WAL T E R 0001: and Private

D UNCAN M IL L Aa .—In the action at M aylah Ghaut, on the 16th . of Jan

uary, 1858, B rigad ier-General Walpole reported that the conduct of PrivatesCook and M il ler deserved to be particularly pointed out. A t the time

the fight was the severest, and the few men of the 42nd . regiment weresk irmishing so close to the enemy, who were in great numbers, that someof the men were wounded by sword cuts, and the only emeer w ith the42nd . was carried to the rear, severely wounded, and the colour-sergeantwas k il led , these soldiers went to the front, took a prominent part in

d irect ing the company, and d isplayed a courage, coolness, and disciplinewh ich was the admiration of al l who witnessed it. Lieutenant Fau cetsE DW AR D H enay FA R QUH A R SON .

—F0r conspicuous bravery when engaged

b efore Lucknow,on the 9th . of M arch , 1858, in having led a portion of h is

company, stormed a bastion mounting two guns, and spiked the guns, bywh ich the advanced position held during the night of the 9th . of M arch was

rendered secure from the fire of arti l lery . This officer was severely woundedwh ile hold ing an advanced position on the fol low ing morning. Quarter

master S ergeant JOHN Sm rsoN .—For conspicuous bravery at the attack on

the fort of Ruhya, on th e 15th . of Apri l, 1858, in hav ing volunteered to go

to an exposed point within forty yards of the parapet of the fort under

m s VI croaIA enoss. 169

a heavy fire, and brought in first Lieutenant D ouglas, and afterwards a

private soldier, both of whom were dangerously wounded. Lance-CorporalA L axAND an T nou pson . For daring gal lantry on the 16th . of April, 1858,when at the attack on the fort of R uhya, in hav ing vo lunteered to assistCaptain Cafe, commanding the 4th . Punjab R ifles, in bringing the bodyof Lieutenant W il loughby, of that corps, from the top of the glacis, ina most exposed situation, under a heavy fire. ManonAumm . PrivateE DW A uD S e ance would have been recommended to H er M ajesty for thedecoration of the Victoria Cross had he surv ived . H e and Lance-Cor

poral Thompson of that regiment, volunteered to assist in bringing in the

body of Lieutenant W i lloughby . Private S pence dauntlessly p laced h imselfin an exposed position, so as to cover the party bearing away the body .

H e died on the i 7th . of the same month , from the effects of the wound

wh ich he received on th is occasion. Private JA M E S D Av Is.- For con

spicuous gallantry at the attack on the above-named fort, when w ith anadvanced party to point out the gate of the fort to the engineer officer,

this private offered to carry the body of L ieutenant B ramley, who was

killed at this point, to the regiment, which duty of danger and affectionhe performed under the very wa lls of the fort. Colour-S ergeant W I L L IA M

G ru mman—For h is conspicuous and gal lant conduct on the morning of the6th . of May , 1868, in having saved the life of Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron,his commanding oiilcer, who, during the action at Bareil ly on that day,had been knocked from his horse, when three fanatics rushed upon h im.

Colour-Sergeant Gardner ran out, and in a moment bayoneted two of

them, and was in the act of attacking the th ird when he was shot down

by another soldier of the regiment.

PORN -TH IRD BEGIM ENT. Private H E NR Y AD D Ison .—For gal lant

conduct on the 2nd . of January, 1869, near Kurrereah, in defending

against a large force and saving the life of Lieutenant Osborn, Pol iticalAgent, who had fal len on the ground wounded . Private Add ison receivedtwo dangerous wounds and lost a leg in th is gal lant service.

FORTY-FOURTH R EG IM ENT. Lieutenant Rooaas and Private M ‘

D oq L L . ( See Ch ina Campaign, pageFIFTY-S ECOND REGIM ENT. B ugler Ronna'

r H Aw' moaNB .—( See page

129 . Lance-Corpora l H E NR Y S an a —For having most gal lantly carried

away a wounded comrade, under a heavy fire of grape and musketry,on the Chandnee Chouk , in the city of D elhi, on the morning of the

assault on the l 4ib . of S eptember, 1867 .

FIFTY-TH IRD REG IMENT Lieutenant Amman Kmxn Prussian —Forconspicuous bravery on the l 6th . of November, 1857, at the taking of

the Secunder Bagh, L ucknow , when in command of the grenadier

company, being one of the first to enter the build ing. H is conduct was

h igh ly praised by the whole company. E lected by the emeers of the

regiment. Private J . Kenna —For conspicuous bravery on the aboveoccasion, and for volunteering to bring up ammunition to his companyunder a very severe cross fire. Private 0. l um en—For conspicuousbravery at the assau lt of the S ecunder Bagh on the same day . A lthoughsevere ly wounded through the right shoulder, he was one of the first

men of the 63rd . regiment who entered the buildings under a very

170 11 3mm or rm: sarrI sn ARM Y.

severe fire . Both were elected by the private soldiers of the regiment .S ergeant-M ajor CrI AnL us Pu n—For stead iness and fearless conduct under

fire, at Lucknow, on the 17th . of November, 1867, when bringing upammunition to the mess-house, and on every occasion when the regimenthad been engaged . E lected by the ofi

‘icers of the regiment. Afterwards

appointed ensign.

S IXTIETH R IFLE S . L ieutenant A L rnIrD S e ances H nArucorn.—For

h igh ly gal lant and daring conduct at D elh i throughout the siege, fromJ une to September, 1867 , during wh ich he was wounded . H e volunteeredfor services of extreme danger, especially during the six days of severe

fighting in the streets afte r the assault . E lected by the officers of his

regiment. Private S Au uzL Truncate—For hav ing at D elhi on the nightof the 19th . of June, 1867 , during a severe conflict w ith the enemy, whoattacked the rear of the camp, carried ofi

‘

on his shou lders, under a heavyfire, a mortal ly wounded omcer, Lieutenant H umphreys, of the Indianservice . Wh ile so doing, Private Turner was wounded by a sabre cut in

the righ t arm. H is gal lant conduct saved the above-named ofiicer from

the fate of Others, whose mangled remains were not recovered unti l thefol low ing day . Co lour-Sergeant S rnr urm Gamma —For daring and gallantconduct before D elhi on the 2ard . of June, 1867, in volunteering to lead a

small party of men, under a heavy fire , to the “Sammy House,” for the

purpose of d islodging a number of the enemy in position there, whokept up a destructive fire on the advanced battery of heavy guns, in

which, after a sharp contest, he succeeded . A lso recommended for gal lantconduct throughout the Operations before D elhi . Private JAu ss THOM PS ON .

—For gal lant conduct in sav ing the life of Captain Wilton, of the 60th . ,

on the 9th . of Ju ly, 1857, by dash ing forward to his re lief, when thatofficer was surrounded by a party of Ghazees, who made a sudden rush

on him from a serai, -and k illing two of them before further assistance

cou ld reach . A lso recommended for conspicuous conduct throughout thesiege. Wounded . These three were elected by the privates of the regi

ment. Private Joan D i va n—For distinguished gallantry in heading a

successful charge made by Beeloochee and S ikh troops, on one of the

enemy’s trenches before Delh i, on the l oth . of S eptember, 1867 . H e

leaped out of the trenches, c losely fol lowed by the native troops, and

was shot down from the top of the enemy’s breastworks. BuglerWI L L un

S on ora—For gal lant conduct at D elh i, on the 13th . of September, 1867,the night previous to the assaul t, in volunteering to reconnoitre the breach .

H is conduct was conspicuous throughout the Operations, especial ly on the

2nd .,

of August, 1867, on which occasion, during an attack by the enemyin force, be rushed forward over the trenches, and kil led one of the enemy’

s

buglers, who was in the act of sound ing . Co lour-Sergeant Guonou

WA L L E R .—E0l' conspicuous bravery at D elhi, on the l i th . of S eptember,

1867 , in charging and capturing the enemy’s guns near the Cabul Gate ;and again, on the i sth . of S eptember, 1867, in the repu lse of a sudden

attack made by the enemy on a gun near the Chandnee Chouk . E lectedby the non-commissioned ofiicers of the regiment. Private B . DAu aac .

-For conspicuous bravery at Barei lly, on the 6th . of May , 1868, when

in a serai, he was attacked by three Ghazees, one of whom he cut down.

H e was wounded twice on this occasion.

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172 R em us or E R ITIsR ARM Y .

h imse lf to the fire of the enemy,‘

in bringing in and attending to the

wounded on the 26th . of September, at Lucknow . Colour-S ergeantS TEWAR T M ‘PR E RsON .

—For daring gal lantry in the Lucknow Residency onthe 26th . of S eptember, 1867. in hav ing rescued, at great personal risk, awounded private of his company, who was lying in a most exposed

situation under a very heavy fire. Colour-Sergeant M ‘Pherson was also

distinguished on many occasions by h is coolness and gallantry in action.

Private H E NR r WA R D .—For his gal lant and devoted conduct in hav ing on

the night of the 26th . and morning of the 26th . of September, 1867,

remained by the dooly of l i eutenant H . M . Havelock, l oth . Foot, D eputy:

Assistant Adjutant-General Fie ld Force, who was severe ly wounded, and

on the morning of the 26th . of September, escorted that officer and

Private Thomas Pi lkington, 78th . H ighlanders, who was also wounded,

and had taken refuge in the same dooly, through a very heavy cross

fire of ordnance and musketry. This soldier remained by the side of the

dooly, and by h is example and exertions kept the dooly-bean ie from

dropping their double load throughout the heavy fire, with the same

steadiness as if on parade, thus sav ing the lives of both, and b ringingthem in safety to the Bail lie Guard . Private JArms H OL LOWE L L .

—A

party, on the 26th . of September, 1867, was shut up and besieged in a

house in the city of Lucknow by the rebe l sepoys. Private H ol lowel l,one of the party, behaved throughout the day in the most admirab lemanner ; he directed, encouraged , and led the Others, exposing himse lffearlessly, and, by his talent in persuading and cheering, prevailed on nine

d ispirited men to make a successful defence in a b urning house w ith

the enemy firing through the windows. S urgeon Joanna J R R , C .D .

For most conspicuous gal lantry and important services, on the entry of

M ajor-General H ave lock’s relieving force into Lucknow on the 26th . of

September, 1867, in hav ing during ac tion ( when the 7sth . H igh landers,then in possession of the Char Bagh, captured two nine-pounders at

the point of the bayonet,) by great exertion and devoted exposure ,attended to the large number of men wounded in the charge, whom he

succeeded in getting removed on cots and the backs of their comrades,unti l he had col lected the dooly o bearers, who had fled . S ubsequently ,on the same day , in endeavouring to reach the R esidency w ith the

wounded men, S urgeon J ee became besieged by an overwhelming force

in the M ote-M ehal , where he remained during the whole night and

fol low ing morning, voluntarily and repeated ly exposing himse lf to a

heavy fire in proceeding to dre'

ss the wounded men who fel l whileserving a twenty-four pounder in a most exposed situation. H e even

tual ly succeeded in taking many of the wounded , through a cross fire

of ordnance and musketry, safely into the Residency, by the river-bank ,although repeated ly warned not to make the peri lous attempt. LieutenantAnD R Rw CAT IICA R T B OC L E .

-For conspicuous gal lantry on the 29th . of

Ju ly, 1857, in the attack at Case , in lead ing the way into a loopholedhouse, strongly occupied by the enemy , from wh ich a heavy fire harassedthe advance of his regiment. This ofiicer was severely wounded in thisimportant service .

E IGHTY-FOURTH R EGIMENT. Captain the H onourab le Aucusrus

run VICTOR IA cnoss. 173

11 3 3 3 7 Ancmaarm Anson.- For conspicuous bravery at Boolundshuhur,

on the 28th . of S eptember, 1857 . T he 9th . Light D ragoons had charged

through the town, and were re-forming in the serai ; the enemy attemptedto close the entrance by drawing their carts across it. so as to shut inthe cavalry, and form a cover irom wh ich to fire upon them. CaptainAnson, taking a lance, dashed out of the gateway, and knocked the driversoff their carts. Owing to a wound in h is left hand, received at D elh i,he could not stop his horse, and rode into the midd le of the enemy, whofired a vol ley at him, one bal l passing through h is coat. A t Lucknow ,

at the assau lt of the Secunder Bagh, on the l 6th . of November, 1857 ,he entered w ith the storming party on the gates being burst open. H e

had his horse ki l led, and was himself slightly wounded . M ajor-GeneralS ir James H epe Grant, in h is despatch stated, H e had showedthe greatest gal lantry on every occasion, and has slain many enemiesin fight.” Sergeant-M ajor Gannon L amnna'

r, (aiterwards Lieutenant andAdjutant of the 84th . Foot . )—For d istinguished conduct at Onao, on the

29th . of July ; at B ithoor, on the l 6th . of A ugust ; and at Lucknow , on

the 25th . of September, 1857 . Lance-Corporal Anaauart Bow man—Fordistinguished bravery and forwardness, as a skirmisher, in al l the twelveactions fought between the 12th . of July and the 25th . of S eptember,1857 . Private Joan H ou ses— For distingu ished conduct in volunteeringto assist in working a gun of Captain M aude

’

s battery, under a heavyfire, from wh ich gun nearly all the artil lerymen had been shot away .

E xtract from M ajor-General H avelock ’s Field Force Orders, dated 17 th . of

October, 1867. Lance-Corporal S rnnor r .—For conspicuous gal lantry at

Lucknow, on the 6th . of October, 1857, in going out w ith S ergeants G linnand M u ll ins, and Private M ul l ins, to rescue Lieutenant G ibaut, who, incarrying out water to extinguish a fire in the breastwork, had been mortally wounded, and lay outside. They brough t in the body under a

heavy fire. Lance-Corporal S innott was tw ice wounded . H is comrades

unanimously elected h im for the Victoria Cross, as the most worthy. H e

had previously repeated ly accompanied Lieutenant Cihuut when he carriedout water to extinguish the fire . Private P . M y s or e—For being foremost in rushing across a road, under a shower of balls, to take an oppositeenclosure ; and for gal lant conduct at every engagement at wh ich he waspresent w ith his regiment, from the i 2th . of July, 1857, to the relief ofthe garrison. E lected by the private sold iers of the regiment.

E iGH TY-S IXTH R EGIM ENT. Lieutenant and Adjutant H UG H S 'rawan'

r

Comm a—For conspicuous gallantry near Jhansi, on the l st . of A pril,1868, when No. 1 company of the regiment was ordered to take a gun,

in dash ing forward at a gallop, under a heavy musketry and artil leryfire, driving the enemy from the gun, and keeping possession of

’

it til l thecompany came up. A lso for conspicuous gal lantry in attacking the rear

guard of the enemy, when he had three horses shot under him in suc

cession. Captain H B '

N RY Enwaan J anon a.—For conspicuous gal lantry at

Jhansi, on the 3rd . of April, 1858, in having with the assistance of PrivateByrne, removed, under a very heavy fire, Lieutenant Sewel l, of the 86th .

regiment, who was severe ly wounded , at a very exposed point of the

attack upon the fort ; also, for gal lant conduct at the capture of the fort

174 mam as or run B R IT I SH ARM Y.

of Chandairee, the storming of Jhansi, and in action with a superior

rebel force on the Jumna, on the 28th . of M ay , 1868, when he was

severe ly wounded . Private Jan us Faaasou.—For having gal lantly attacked

a number of armed rebels, on the occasion of the storming of Jhansi, onthe above day , one of whom he ki lled, and bayoneted two others. H e

was h imself wounded in the attack . A lso for having brought in, at

Calpee, under a heavy fire, Private M ichae l Burns, who afterwards d iedof h is wounds. Private Janus B r eam—For gal lant conduct at Jhansi,on the ard . of April, 1858 , in carrying Lieutenant S ewel l, who was lyingbad ly wounded, to a p lace of safety under a very heavy fire, assisted byCaptain Jerome, in the performance of which act he was wounded by

a sword cut.

NINETIETH REGIM ENT . Lieutenant and Adjutant Wa rrant R em us .

—For conspicuous gal lantry in the advance upon Lucknow, under M ajorGeneral H ave lock, on the 2l st. of S eptember, 1857, in having chargedthe enemy’s guns in advance of the skirmishers of the 9otb . LightInfantry, under a heavy musketry fire, and prevented them dragging of .

one gun, wh ich was consequently captured . For conspicuous gal lantry at

Lucknow on the 25th . of September, 1867, in having charged in advance

of the 9otb . column, in the face of a heavy tire of grape, and forced the

enemy to abandon h is guns. S urgeon Aura our D tcxsox H one —For

persevering bravery and admirab le conduct in charge of the wounded

men left behind the column, when the troops under M ajor-GeneralH avelock forced their way into the Residency of Lucknow, on the 26th .

of S eptember, 1867 . T he escort left with the wounded, had , by casualties,been reduced to a few stragglers ; and being entirely separated fromthe column, this smal l party w ith the wounded were forced into a house, in

which they defended themselves ti ll it was set on fire. They then retreated

to a shed a few yards from it, and in th is p lace continued to defend

themselves for more than twenty-two hours, t ill relieved . A t last only sixmen and M r. H ome remained to fire. Of four officers who were w iththe party, all were bad ly wounded, and three afterwards d ied . T he con

duct of the defence during the latter part of the time devolved thereforeon M r. Home ; and to h is active exertions, prev iously to be ing forced

into the house, and his good conduct throughout, the safety of any of

the wounded, and the successfu l defence were mainly to be attributed .

D r. H ome’s account of this defence is most exciting, and at length whenescape appeared hopeless he says, “We resigned ourselves completely toour fate. A little after daybreak, we were roused by d istant firing .

T his time it had no effect upon us. I t however approached nearer and

nearer, when Ryan, suddenly jumping up, shouted , ‘Oh boys ! them’s our

chaps i’ We then al l jumped up, and united in a cheer, and kept shouting

to keep on their right. A t the same time we fired at the loopholes fromwhich the enemy were firing. In about three minutes we saw CaptainM oorsom appear at the entrance-hole of the shed , and, beckoning to him,

he entered, and then by his admirable arrangements, we were al l broughtofi

'

safely, and soon after reached the palace, w ith the rear guard of the

9oth .

” Private John Ryan, the sold ier here mentioned, gained the Vic

toria Cross. ( See recipients l st. M adras Fusiliers, page Assistant

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M E D ALS OF TH E B R IT I SH ARM Y .

to which the sergeant was brought in, very shortly afterwards, badly

NiNETY-FIFTH R EGIM ENT. Private B E RNAR D M ‘Qurnr .—For ga l lant

conduct on the 6th . of January, 1858 , at the capture of the entrenchedtown of Rows, when he was sevem and dangerously wounded in a

hand-to-hand fight with three men, of whom he kil led one and wounded

another. H e received five sabre cuts and a musket-shot in th is service .

R IFLE B R IGAD E . Captain H att er W in te r, Corporal W . Nasa , and

Private Davrn Hawan —For conspicuous gal lantry at Lucknow , on the

1 1th . of M arch, 1858. Captain W ilmot ’s company was engaged w ith a

large body of the enemy near the Iron B ridge . That officer found

h imself at the end of a street w ith only four of h is men, opposed to

a considerable body. One of the four was shot through both legs and

became utterly helpless ; the two men lifted him up, and althoughPrivate H awkes was severely wounded , he carried him for a considerabledistance, exposed to the fire of the enemy, Captain W i lmot firing w iththe men’

s rifles and covering the re treat of the party. Private S u n :S l u m—An armed rebel had been seen to enter a tope of trees, at

Nowabgunge, on the isth . of June, 1858. Some ofilcers and men ran

into the tope in pursuit of h im. T he man was a Ghazee . Private S hawdrew h is short sword, and w ith that weapon rushed single-handed on the

Ghazee. S haw received a severe t u lwar wound, but after a desperate

struggle he ki lled the man.

NAVAL BR IGAD E . Joan H AR R I S ON and Lieutenant Nowsu . S ALstorr.

- For conspicuous gal lantry at Lucknow , on the 16th . of November, 1857,in climbing up a tree, touch ing the angle of the S hah Nujj ifi

‘

, to reply tothe fire of the enemy, for which most dangerous service the late Captain S irWil liam Pee l had cal led for volunteers. E DW A R D Roarrtsorv, A.B .

—For

conspicuous bravery in having, at Lucknow, on the 1sth . of M arch, 1858,under a heavy musketry fire, w ith in fifty yards, jumped on the sand-bagsof a battery, and extinguished a fire among them. H e was dangerouslywounded in perform ing this serv ice .

B ENGAL HORS E ARTILLE RY. G unner t utast Cowm an—Th issold ier was recommended for the Victoria Cross for h is gal lantry in

action w ith the enemy at Jhelum, on the 7th . of July, 1857 . LieutenantCookes, Bengal H orse Artil lery, reported that “

about daybreak on thatday I ad vanced my half troop at a gal lop, and engaged the enemyw ithin easy musket range. T he sponge-man of one of my guns hav ingbeen shot during the advance, Gunner Oonolly assumed the duties of

second sponge-man, and he had barely assisted in two dishargcs of h is

gun, when a musket-bal l through the left thigh fel led h im to the

ground . Nothing daunted by pain and loss of b lood , he was endeavouringto fresume h is post, when I ordered a movement in retirement, and

though sevem wounded , he was mounted on his horse in the gun

team, and rode to the next position which the guns took up, and

manfully decl ined going to the rear when the necessity of his so doingwas represented to h im. Abo ut eleven o

’clock e .m. , when the guns were

sti ll in action, the same gunner, while sponging, was again knockeddown by a musket-bal l strik ing h im on the h ip, thereby causing great

rm: VICT OR IA cases. 177

faintness and partial unconsciousness, for the pain appeared excessive,

and the b lood flowed fast. On seeing th is I gave d irections for h is

removal out of action ; but th is brave man, hearing me, staggered to

h is feet, and said,‘No, sir, I

’l l not go there wh ile I can work here

and shortly afterwards he again resumed his post as sponge-man . Laterhi the afternoon of the same day my three guns were engaged at one

hundred yards from the wal ls of a v il lage with the defenders, namely , thei 4th . Native Infantry, mutineers, amid a storm of bu l lets, wh ich did greatexecution. Gunner Conol ly, though sufi

'ering severely from h is two prev ious

wounds. was wielding his sponge w ith an energy and courage wh ichattracted the admiration of h is comrades, and whi le cheerful ly encouraginga wounded man to hasten in bringing up the ammunition, a musket-bal ltore through the muscles of his right leg ; but with the most undaunted

bravery he struggled on ; and not til l he had loaded six times did th isman give way, when through loss of b lood he fel l in my arms, and I

placed him on a waggon, wh ich short ly afterwards bore h im in a state

of unconsciousness from the fight.” Captain Gaoaorr A L E XAN D E R B E NNY.

—Lieutenant Colonel Farquhar, commanding the l st. B elooch Regiment,reported that he was in command of the troops stationed in the D elhiM agazine after its capture on the i 6th . of S eptember, 1857 . E arly in

the forenoon of that day a vigorous attack was made on the post bythe enemy, and was kept up with great v iolence for some time withoutthe slightest chance of success. Under cover of a heavy cross fire from

the high houses on the right flank of the magazine, and from Selinghur

and the pa lace, the enemy advanced to the high wal l of the magazine,and endeavoured to set fire to a thatched roof. T he roof was partial lyset fire to, which was ex tinguished by a sepoy of the B elooch battalion,a sold ier of the Gi st. regiment hav ing in vain attempted to do so. The

roof hav ing been again set on fire, Captain R enny, w ith great gal lantry,mounted to the tap of the wal l of the magazine, and flung severalshel ls w ith l ighted fuses into the midst of the enemy, wh ich had an

almost immed iate effect, as the attack at once became feeble at thatpoint, and soon after ceased there. S ergeant B E R NA R D D IAM OND and

Gunner R I CH AR D F l T Z -GE RA L D .—F0r an act of valour performed in

action against the rebels and mutineers at B oolundshuhur, on the 28th .

of September, 1857, when these two sold iers evinced the most determinedb ravery in working the ir gun under a very heavy fire of musketry ,whereby they cleared the road of the enemy, after every other man

belonging to it had been either k i l led or d isabled by wounds.BE NGA L ART ILL E RY. Lieutenant-Colonel H aunt Tomas, C.B . , and

Lieutenant JAM E S H I L L S . For very gallant conduct on the part of

Lieutenant H il ls before Delh i, in defend ing the position assigned to him

in case of alarm, and for nob le behav iour on the part of LieutenantColonel Tombs in tw ice coming to h is subaitern

’

s rescue, and on eachoccasion k il ling h is man. Th is occurred on the 9ih . of July, 1857 .

Captain W i L L IAM OLPH R R '

rs, O. S .—For h igh ly-distinguished conduct on

the 25th . of S eptember, 1857 , when the troops penetrated into the cityof Lucknow, in having charged on horseback, w ith H er M ajesty’

s 9oth .

regiment, when, gal lantly headed by Colone l Campbel l, it captured two

guns in the face of a heavy fire of grape, and having afterwards

178 menu s on TH E B R I T I S H AR M Y.

returned, under a severe fire of musketry, to bring up l imbers and

horses to carry off the captured ordnance, wh ich he accompl ished .

Bombard ier J. Th orn s— For d istinguished gal lantry at Lucknow , on the

27th . of September, 1857 , in hav ing brought off on h is back , under a

heavy li re, under circumstances of considerable d ifiicul ty , a wounded

soldier of the M adras Fusiliers, when the party to wh ich he was

attached was returning to the R esidency from a sortie, whereby he

saved h im from fall ing into the hands of the enemy. Lieutenant H AS T INGSE DW A R D H AR R I NGT ON , Rough R ider E . Jnnms e s, Gunners J. PA R K, T.

L AUG H NAN , and H . M i suse — E lec ted respectively by the officers and non

commissioned officers generally, and by the private sold iers of each troopor battery, for conspicuous gal lantry at the rel ief of Lucknow, from the

14th . to the 22nd . of November, 1857 . Lieutenant FR E D E R ICK S nare s

R onnars.— Lieutenant Roberta’s gal lantry was on every occasion most

marked . On follow ing up the re treating enemy on the 2nd . of

January, 1858, at Khodagunge, he saw in the d istance two sepoys goingaway w ith a standard . Lieutenant R oberts put spurs to h is horse. andovertook them just as they were about to enter a v il lage. They immediately turned round and presented their muskets at h im, and one of

the men pu l led the trigger, b ut fortunately the cap snapped , and the

standard -bearer was cu t down by th is gal lant young officer, and the

standard taken possession of by h im. H e a lso, on the same day , cut

down another sepoy who was standing at hay , w ith musket and bayonet,keeping off a sowar. Lieutenant Roberts rode to the assistance of the

horseman, and rush ing at the sepoy, w i th one blow of his sword cut

h im across the face, kil ling h im on the spot.FIR ST BENGAL ENG INE E R S . Lieutenants D UNCAN CH AR L Rs H orus:

and PH IL I P S A L K E L D , upon whom the Victoria Cross was prov isional lyconferred by M ajor-General S ir A rchdale W ilson. Bart for theirconsp icuous brav ery in the performance of the desperate duty of blowingin the Cashmere Gate of the fortress of D e lhi, in broad day l ight, under

a heavy fire of musketry, on the morning of the 14th . of S eptember, 1857,preparatory to the assault, wou ld have been recommended to H er M ajestyfor confirmation in that d istinction had they surv ived . L ieutenant JensJA M E S M ‘L aon Innes — A t the action at S u ltanpore, on the 23rd . of February,1858. Lieu tenant Innes, far in advance of the lead ing skirmishers, wasthe first to secure a gun wh ich the enemy were abandoning. R e tiringfrom th is, they rall ied round another gun further back , from wh ich the

shot would , in another instant, have ploughed through the advancingcolumns, when Lieu tenant Innes rode up , unsupported, shot the gunne r

who was about to apply the match , and remaining undaunted at h is

post, the mark for a hundred match lock men, w ho were sheltered in

some adjoining huts, kept the arti llerymen at bay , until assistancereached him. S ergeant J oan Smu t — For consp icuous gal lantry, in con

junction w ith Lieutenants H ome and S alkeld , in the performance of the

desperate duty of blow ing in the Cashmere Gate of the fortress of

D elh i in broad daylight, under a heavy and destructive fire of musketry,on the morning of the i 4th . of S eptember, 1857, preparatory to the

assau l t.FIR ST BENGAL E UROPE AN LIGHT CAVALRY. Lieutenant H uon

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180 mam as or run B R I T I SH aanv .

soldier of the l st. E uropean Bengal Fusiliers, whom he carried off under

a very fire from the enemy, whose cavalry were w ith in forty or fifiy yardsof him at the time. Lieutenant T nou as Ann a Burm a —D ate of act of

bravery, March 9th . , 1858 .—“Of wh ich success the skirmishers on the

other side of the river were subsequently apprised by L ieutenant Butler,of the Bengal Fusil iers, who swam across the Goomtee, and, cl imb ing theparapet, remained in that position for a considerab le time, under a heavyfire of musketry, until the work was occupied .

”—Extract of LieutenantGeneral S ir James Outram’

s M emorandum of operations carried on under

his command at the siege of Lucknow .

LATE S E COND BENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY. Colonel Jan usT asvm —For a daring act of bravery in July, 1867, when the IndorePresidency was suddenly attacked by H olkar’s Tr00ps, in having charged

the guns with only five men to support h im, and driven the gunners from

the guns, thereby creating a favourab le diversion, which saved the livesof many persons, fugitives to the Residency. I t is stated that officers whowere present considered that the efi

'

ect of the charge was‘

to enable manyE uropeans to escape fi om actual slaughter, and time was gained whichenab led the faithful B hopal Arti llery to man their guns. Colonel T ravers’shorse was shot in three p laces, and his accoutrements were shot throughin various parts. H e commanded the B hopal Levy .

FOURTH BENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY. Lieutenant FR E D E R ICKR onna '

rsox A mman — This ofileer, command ing the 8rd . S ikh Cavalry on theadvanced picket, with one hundred of h is men, having obtained information,just as the force marched on the morning of the l st. of M arch, 1858, of the

proximity, three mi les off the h igh road , of a body of five hundred rebelinfantry, two hundred horse, and two guns, under M oosah ib Ali Chuckbdar,attacked and utterly routed them, cutting up more than one hundred men,capturing two guns, and driving the survivors into and over the Goomtee.

This feat was performed under every disadvantage of broken ground, andpartial ly under the flanking fire of an adjoining fort. Lieutenant Aikmanreceived a severe sabre cut in the face in a personal encounter w ithseveral of the enemy .

E LEVE NTH BENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY. E nsign E vmu nn

A L ov sw s LI S L E a m s, of th is regiment would have been recommended

to H er M ajesty for the decoration of the Victoria Cross, had he survived,

for many gal lant deeds wh ich he performed during the siege of D elh i,during wh ich he was wounded three firms . A t the assau lt of that cityhe captured the Water Bastion, w ith a smal l party of men, and was

final ly ki lled in the streets of D elh i on the 18th . of September.TH IRTE ENTH BENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY. Lieutenant WIL L IAM

Gaoae a Comma—For hav ing on the retreat from Chinhut, on the soth .

of June, 1857, saved the lives of three men of the 32nd . regiment atthe risk of h is own.

TW ENT Y- S IXTH BE NGAL NATIVE INFANTRY . Lieutenant H ansonCHA M B E R S TAYL OR Jsw arm— For an act of daring bravery at the vil lageof Baroun, on the 14th . of October, 1858, on an occasion when aboutseventy sepoys were defending themselves in a brick build ing, the onlyapproach to which was up a very narrow street, in having cal led on the

rna vrc'ronrA caoss. 181

men of his regiment to follow him,when, backed by only some four men,

he made a dash at the narrow entrance, where, though a shower of bal lswas poured upon him, he pushed his way up to the wall of the house,

and, beating up the bayonets of the rebels with his sword, endeavoured to

get in .

TH IRTY-S EVE NTH B ENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY . S ergeant-M ajor

M . Rou sseau —This non-commissioned officer volunteered to accompanyLieutenant-Colonel S pottiswoode, commandiug the s7th . Regiment of BengalNative Infantry, to the right of the l ines, in order to set them on fire,

with the view of driving out the sepoys, on the occasion of the outbreakat Benares on the evening of the 4th . of June, 1867 ; and also volunteeredwith Sergeant-M ajor G il l, of the Loodiana R egiment, to bring of CaptainBrown

,Pension Paymaster

,his wife and infant, and some others, from

a detached bungalow into the barracks. H is conduct was high lymeritorious,and he was afterwards promoted.

LATE FORTY S IXTH B ENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY . Captain

(afterwards L ieutenant-Colonel) SAM UE L JAM E S Bnowmt, C.B .

—For havingat S eerpoorah , in an engagement with the rebel forces under Khan A l ieKhan, on the 3 l st. of August, 1868, whilst advancing upon the enemy’s

position at daybreak , pushed on with one orderly sowar upon a nine-pounder

gun that was commanding one of the approaches to the enemy’s position,and attacked the gunners, thereby preventing them from re-loading and

firing upon the infantry, who were advancing to the attack. In doing

this a personal conflict ensued, in which Captain Browne, Commandant of

the 2nd. Punjab Cavalry, receiv ed a severe sword-cut wound on the leftknee

, and shortly afterwards another sword-cut wound , which severed the

left arm at the shou lder, not, however, before Captain Browne had suc

ceeded in cutting down one of his assail ants. The gun was prevented

from being re-loaded, and was eventually captured by the infan try, and the

FIFTY-S IXTH B ENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY . Captain W I L L IA M

M AR T IN Cu m—For bearing away under a heavy fire,with the assistance

of Privates Thompson, Crowie, Spence, and Cook, the body of LieutenantW illoughby, lying near the ditch of the fort of Ruhya, and for running

to the rescue of Pri vate S pence, who had been severely wounded in the

attempt. (Vida 42nd. regiment, page

S IXTIE TH BENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY. B revet-Captain Ronna'r

H AYD ON S nnannAnar -For distinguished gallantry at the head of the gu ideswith the fourth column of assau lt at D elhi , on the 14th . of S eptember,1857 , when, after twice charging beneath the wall of the loopholed serai,it was found impomible, owing to the murderous fire, to attain the breach .

Captain (then L ieutenantj Shebbeare endeavoured to organize the men ; but

one third of the E uropeans having fal len, his efforts to do so failed. H e

then conducted the rear-guard of the retreat across the canal most success

ful ly . H e was miracu lously preserved through the afi'

air, but yet left thefield with one bu l let through his cheek and a bad scalp wound along the

back of the head from another .

S IXTY-S IXTH (GHOORKH A) B ENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY . Lieutenant JOH N AD AM M u m—Ou the attacking parties approaching the

182 M E D ALS or run B R ITI SH ARM Y.

enemy’s position under a heavy fire of round shot, grape, and musketry, on

the oc casion of the action at C hoorporah, on the l oth . of February, 1858,Lieutenant Tytler dashed on horseback ahead of al l , and alone, up to the

enemy's guns, where he remained engaged hand to hand, until they were

carried by the British , and where he was shot through the lefl arm, had

a spear wound in his chest , and a bal l through the right sleeve of his coat.

S E VE NTY-S ECOND B ENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY . LieutenantH AR RY Hu ston Lr s'e —For gal lantly charging and breaking, singly, a

sk irmishing square of the retreating rebel army from Calpee, and kil l ingtwo or three sepoys in the conflict . M ajor-General S ir H ugh Rose,

reported that this act of bravery was witnessed by himself and by LieutenantCo lonel Gal l, C.B . , of the 14th . Light D ragoons.BENGAL VETERAN E STABLI SH M ENT. Captains Gsoae a Fonans'r

and W I L L IAM R AYNOR .—F0r gal lant conduct in the defence of the magazine

at D elhi, on the 11th . of M ay , 1857 . (See pageCOMM IS S AR IAT DE PARTM ENT , (B ENGAL E S TABLISH M ENT . )

Deputy-Assistant Commissary of Ordnance JOH N B ow man — For gal lantconduct in the defence of the magazine at D elhi, on the 1 1th . of M ay ,

1857 . ( See pageBENGAL A RMY, (UNATTACH E D .) E nsign PA '

rmcx R oomm

M ajor-General S ir James H ope Grant, commanding Oude Force,bore testimony to the gal lant conduct of this ofiicer on several occasions.One instance was particularly mentioned. On the return from Kuthirga of

the Kupperthul la Contingent on the 27th . of S eptember, 1858, E nsign R oddywhen engaged with the enemy, charged a rebel (armed with a percussion

musket) whom the cavalry were afraid to approach, as each time they

attempted to do so the rebel knelt and covered his assai lant ; this, however,did not deter this ofilcer, who went boldly in, and when w ithin six yardsthe man fired, kil ling E nsign R oddy’s horse, and before he cou ld get dis

engaged from the horse the rebe l attempted to cut him down . E nsign

R oddy seized him until he coul d get at his sword, when he ran h is opponentthrough the body. H e proved to be a subadar of the late 8th . Native

Infantry,—a powerful man, and a most determined character.

L OOD IANA R EGIM ENT. S ergeant-M ajor Pn'r lta G I L L .

—This non

commissioned emeer conducted himse lf with gallantry at Benares, on the

night of the 4th . of June, 1857 . H e volunteered with S ergeant-M ajorR osamond, of the a7th . regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, to bring in

Captain B rown, Pension Paymaster, and his fami ly from a detached bungalowto the barracks, as already recorded at page 181 , and saved the life of the

quartermaster-sergeant of the 25th . regiment of Bengal Native Infantry in

the early part of the evening, by cutting off the head of the sepoy who had

just bayoneted him. S ergeant-Major Gil l stated, that on the same night he

faced a guard of twenty-seven men, with only a sergeant’

s sword ; and it was

al so represented that be tw ice saved the l ife of M ajor B arrett, of the 27th .

regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, when attacked by sepoys of his own

regiment.

FIR ST PUNJAB CAVALRY . Lieutenant Joms Warsa w—L ieutenant

Watson, on the l 4th . of November, 1857 , with his own squadron , and that

under Captain (then Lieutenant) Probyn, came upon a body of the rebel

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184 M ED ALS or rm: nnIrIsn AR IIY .

against the left of the ao-cal led Peishwah’s Army, under Tantie Topee. H e

was severe ly wounded on that occasion.

”

FIR ST M AD RAS FUS ILIE RS . S ergeant PA'rrucx M Anonnr .

—For

distinguished gal lantry, (whi lst doing duty with the volunteer cavalry,) inaiding in the capture of the regimental colour of the 1st . Regiment Native

Infantry, at M ungulwar, on the 21st. of S eptember, 1857 . Private JOH N

R YAN.— In addition to the act described at page 168, (5th . Foot, ) Pri vate

Ryan distinguished himself throughout the day by his intrepidity, and

especial ly devoted himself to rescuing the wounded in the neighbourhood

from being massacred. H e was most anxious to visit every dooly. Pri vate

T nouAs Dum p -For his cool intrepidity and daring ski l l , whereby a

twenty-four pounder gun was saved from fal ling into the hands of the

enemy. Private J . Sm '

rrI .—For having been one of the first to try and

enter the gateway on the north side of the S ecunder Bagh . On the gate

way being burst open, he was one of the first to enter, and was surrounded

by the enemy. H e received a sword-cut on the head, a bayonet wound on

the left side, and a contusion from the butt end of a musket on the right

shoulder, notwithstanding which he fought his way out and continued to

perform his duties for the rest of the day . E lected by the private soldiers

of the detachment, 1st. M adras Fusil iers.N IN ETE ENTH M ADR AS NATIVE INFANTRY. Captain H arman!

M Acxw oa I CLoe s‘

rOUN .—For conspicuous bravery on the 15th . of Jannary,

1859, in charging the rebels into Chichumbah with on ly eight men of his

regiment, (the 2nd. Cavalry H yderabad Contingent,) compell ing them to

t e-enter the town, and final ly to abandon their plunder. H e was severelywounded himself, and lost seven out of the eight men who accompanied

him.

TH IRD B OM BAY EUROPEAN RE GIM ENT. Private FR R D R R ICK

WHI R L POOL —For gal lantly volunteering on the 8rd. of Apri l, 1868, in‘

the

attack of Jhansi, to return and carry away several killed and wounded, whichhe did twice under a very heavy fire from the wal l ; also for devoted braveryat the assau lt of Lohari , on the 2nd . of M ay , 1868, in rushing to the rescue

of Lieutenant D onne, of the regiment, who was dangerously wounded. In

this service Private Whirlpool received seventeen desperate wounds, one of

which nearly severed his‘

head from his body. T he gal lant example shown

by this man is considered to have greatly contributed to the success of the

day .

TH IRD BOM BAY LIGH T CAVALRY . Lieutenants M oon: and M AL

COLM S ON —Introduced in Persian Campaign, page 119.TWENTIETH BOM BAY NATIVE INFANTRY . Captain J. A . WOOD .

-Introduced in Persian Campaign, page 118 .

TWENTY-FOURTH BOM BAY NATIVE INFANTRY. Lieutenant

W I L L I AM A L EXAND E R KE R R .—On the breaking out of a mutiny in the

27th . Bombay Native Infantry, in Ju ly, 1857 , a party of the mutineers took

up a position in the stronghold, or page, near the town of Kolapore, and

defended themselves to extremity. Lieutenant Kerr, of the Southern M ahratta

I rregular H orse, took a prominent share of the attack on the position, on

the l oth . of July, 1857, and at the moment when its capture was of great

public importance, he made a dash at one of the gateways with some dis.

CAPTUR E OF CANTON .

mounted horsemen, and forced an entrance by breaking down the gate. The

attack was completely successfu l , and the defenders were either ki lled,wounded, or captured, a resu lt that may with perfect justice be attributed

to Lieutenant Kerr’s dashing and devoted bravery.

IND IAN M E D ICAL E STABLIS H M ENT. H ospital Apprentice A R T H URFrrze rnnom— (S ee pageIND IAN NAVAL BR IGAD E . M R . GE OR GE B E L L Cm crmm—For great

gal lantry on the 4th . of S eptember, 1858, at S uhejnee , near Peroo, in havingcharged into the middle of a considerab le number of the rebels, who were

preparing to ral ly and open fire upon the scattered pursuers. T hey were

surrounded on all sides, but, fighting desperately, M r. Ch icken succeeded in

kil ling five before he was cut down himself. H e would have been cut to

pieces had not some of the men of the l st. Bengal Police and 3rd. S ikhIrregu lar Cavalry dashed into the crowd to his rescue

,and routed it, after

ki lling several of the enemy.

SECOND CHINESE WAR .

1856— 1860.

T H E second war against the Chinese arose from various actsof aggression ; amongst which the seizure of the crew of thememorable lorcha named the Arrow , was the most prominent .

The operations were at first confined -to the navy and marines.

Admiral S ir Michael Seymour pursued vigorous measures ; heopened fire upon Canton in October, destroyed several Chinesejunks on the 5th . of November, 1856, and the B ogus Forts,mounting upwards of four hundred guns, were captured on the1 2th . and 13th . of that month . An attack was made on thesuburbs of the city of Canton on the 12th . of January, 1 857,when a detachment of the 59th . , employed in conjunction withthe naval forces, sustained a few casualties.

Passing over the expeditions which resul ted in the destructionof the Chinese fleet of war-junks in the Canton waters, as

belonging to the naval historian, the period approached whenthe Earl of Elgin arri ved at Hong-Kong as the British

Plenipotentiary,to neg otiate with the Emperor, and if satis

factory terms were not conceded, to carry on the war withv igour . H is lordship arri ved at Hang-Kong early in Jul y,1857, and the news of the terrible Indian Mutiny havingreached him at Singapore

,a portion of the force selected for

operations in China was, with a noble patriotism, at once

186 M E D A L S or TH E B R I T I SH annv .

despatched to Calcutta,the Earl following them soon after with

additional troops from Hong-Kong .

L ieutenant General the Honourable Thomas Ashburnham,

C.B ., who had been appointed to the mili tary command of the

force destined for China, hav ing left for Calcu tta, was succeededby Major-General (now S ir Charles Thomas) Van S traubenzee .

Lord Elgin was not able to act effectiv ely until December, in

which month Commissioner Yeh was informed that the Britishand French governments were united in their determinationto proceed against Canton until the demands required wereconceded . Operations were eventually prosecuted w ith increasedvigour, in consequence of the evasive replies of the ChineseCommissioners, which resul ted in the

CAPTURE OF CANTON .

29m . DECEM B E R , 1857 .

A E nconnorsssncn was made on the 22nd. of December,1857, by a body of British and French troops, to ascertainthe exact position and strength of the forts to the north of

Canton . A similar step was taken in the course of a day or

two, to gain information regarding the eastern side of thecity, and a proclamation was subsequently issued, notifyingthat the place, if not surrendered

, would be bombarded and

stormed .

After a cannonade, which commenced on the 28th . of

December,1857, the troops w ere embarked for Kupar Creek,

at the south-east of the town, which w as deemed the mostconv enient for landing the attacking This was composedof British and French troops ; the former had been formedinto two brigades; the first, consisting of the first and secondbattal ions of Royal Marine Light Infantry , was under Colonel

T he 59th . regiment, Royal S appers and M iners, first landed, then the

French Naval Brigade, fol lowed by that of the Royal M arines, and laterin the day by the British Naval Brigade . T he numbers amounted to five

thousand six h undred and seventy-nine, namely , eigh t hundred troops ;R oyal M arines, two thousand one hundred ; Naval Brigade, one thousandeight hundred and twenty -nine ; and French Naval Brigade, nine hundredand fifty . T he mot d

’

ordre, or parole, throughout the operationswas “Franceand E ngland .

” S hortly after the land ing, Lieutenant H acket. of the 59th . ,

aide-de-camp to Colonel Graham, wh ilst carrying an order, was surprisedby a party of Chinese, who inhumanly beheaded h im, and then made ofi

’

.

Two of them were shot, and a th ird was afterwards hanged .

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188 M E D ALS or T H E nnrn sn ARM Y.

CAPTURE OF THE TAKU FORTS.

2 1st. Aneusr, 1860.

Tru e treaty the Chinese Government refused to ratify , and

the British and French were resolved to obtain that result.

In the first instance persuasion and diplomatic efforts were

resorted to, but without success. Every attempt at negotiation

having proved frui tless, recourse was again had to arms,

Major-General S ir James Hope Grant, so distinguished

during the Indian Mutiny, being appointed to the command,w ith the local rank of Lieutenant General . On the 1st. of

August the troops landed at Pehtang, which they quitted on

the 12th ., and on that morning M ajor-General S ir R obert

Napier commanding the second division, encountered the enemy

at S in-ho. In this action the Armstrong guns were first usedin war. The attack of the entrenched fortified camp of Tangkuoccurred on the 14th . of August, and on the 2oth . orders

were issued for the attack of the North Taku Forts, by a forcecomposed of British and French troops, about fifteen hundredof each . T he 44th .

, 67th . , and R oyal Marines, under S irR obert Napier represented the British quota ; there was howevera heavy train of field artill ery, comprising several eight-inchmortars and two Armstrong batteries. In the evening the

gun-boats took up their positions, and the troops having crossed

a flat and muddy plain, the night was employed in throwingup trenches and batteries. Such alacrity was shewn by theChinese for the fight, that early in the morning of the 2 l st.

of August they opened fire upon the troops an hour beforethe time fixed upon by the Al lies; this was foll owed by a

tremendous bombardment in reply,

aided by the gun-boats,which pitched shell and rockets into the North Fort. Theassaul t then took place .

” The place was defended w ith great

T he storming party consisted of a w ing of the 44th . , under LieutenantColonel M ac M ahon, and one of the 67 th ., under Lieutenant-Colone lThomas, supported by the other w ings of those two regiments and the RoyalM arines, under Lieutenant-Colonel Gascoigne. A detachment of the latter,under Lieutenant-Colonel Travers, carried a ontoon bridge for crossingthe wet d itches, and M ajor Graham, of the Royal E ngineers, conductedthe assau lt . T he whole were commanded by Brigad ier R eeves, who,although severely wounded in three p laces, did not quit the field unti l hehad conducted h is men into the fort.

OCCUPATI ON OF r E e . 189

determination, al though the grand magazine had exploded fromthe fire of the British artil lery. At length the regiments“

before named, in conjunction with the French, gained a footingon the wal ls. Even then the Tartars fought with nobleintrepidity, but eventually they endeavoured to take refuge inthe next fort about half a mile distant, al though few suc

ceeded in the attempt . Their loss was at least three thousand ;the British casual ties were seventeen kill ed, and one hundredand fifty

-eight w ounded ; their al lies had about thirty killed

and upwards Of one hundred wounded . Four hundred guns

were taken, and the capture Of this strong fort caused the

Chinese the same afternoon to surrender the others, together

with the province of Pachel i, upon a cessation of hostilities

being granted .

OCCUPATION OF PEKIN .

13TH . OCTOB ER , 1860.

T rE NTe was reached by the al lies on the 6th . Of Sep

tember, when the Chinese authorities as usual endeavoured to

T he fol low ing Officers and men gained the VrCT OR rA Caoss for acts

Of bravery performed on the occasion Of the assault and capture of the

North Taku Fort z— d4 tb . regiment—Lieutenant R OB E R T M ONT R E S OR R OGE R Sand Private JOHN M ‘D OUG A L L . 67th . regiment -Lieutenant E D M UND H E NR YLE NON .

— For d istinguished gal lantry in sw imming the ditches, and enteringthe North Taku Fort by an

‘

embrasure during the assault. They were

the first Of the E nglish establ ished on the walls Of the fort, wh ich theyentered in the order in which their names are here recorded , each one

being assisted by the others to mount the embrasure. 67th . regimentLieutenant NA T H AN rE L BuRsL E M and Private T H OM As LANE —For simi largal lantry, and for persevering in attempting during the assau lt, and beforethe entrance of the fort had been effected by any one, to enlarge an

opening in the wall, through wh ich they eventually entered, and, in doingso, were both severe ly wounded . 67th . regiment—E nsign JOHN WOR T HYCH APL IN .

—F0r d istinguished gallantry at the North Taku Fort. ThisOfllcer was carrying the Queen’

s colour Of the regiment, and first p lantedthe colours on the breach made by the storming party, assisted by PrivateLane, Of the 67 th . , and subsequently on the cavalier of the fort, whichhe was the first to mount. In doing th is he was severe ly wounded . Ind ianM ed ical E stabl ishment.—H ospital A pprentice AR TH UR FI T ZGI B B ON .

—F01'

hav ing behaved with great coolness and courage at the capture Of the

North Taku Fort ; he accompanied a w ing of the 67th . regiment, whenit took up a position w ith in five hundred yards of the fort, and hav ingquitted cover, he proceeded, under a very heavy fire, to attend to a

dooly o bearer, whose wound he had been d irected to bind up ; and whilethe regiment was advancing under the enemy ’

s fire , he ran across the

open to attend to another wounded man, in doing which he was himse lfseverely wounded.

190 minu s or run nnrrrsn ARM Y.

gain time by negotiation. On arrival at the encamping ground,it was found occupied by a large Chinese army

, whil e batterieshad been hastily thrown up ; M r. Parkes, (accompanied byLieutenant Anderson, of Fane’s Irregular Horse, M r . DeNorman

,and M r . Bowlby, the special correspondent of “The

Times,”whose vigorous reports were of such universal interest,

proceeded to Tang-chow to ascertain the reason of this threateningattitude . M r . Loch, accompanied by Captain Brabazon, DeputyAssistant Quartermaster General , were afterwards despatchedunder a flag of truce to order them to return . Meanwhilethe Chinese line opened fire, and an action ensued, when theirtroops

, far superior in numbers, were dispersed, the enemylosing six hundred men, and seventy-five guns. This action

was fought on the Chow-H o on the 1 8th . of September,and another occurred on the 2 l st. of September, on whichday the l st. or King’s Dragoon Guards performed “veryexcellent The Chinese entrenched camp was taken,and they were driven back upon Pekin . Nearly six hundredpieces of cannon were captured by the allies during theseoperations. Continuing the advance on that city, a portionof the French army occupied the famed Summer Palace of

the Emperor . On the 7th . of October the Chinese w ereinformed

, that if the prisoners were not restored, and one of

the gates of Pekin del ivered up, the city would be stormed .

T he late Lord H erbert, in h is first speech in the H ouse of Lordsin moving the vote Of thanks to the Forces in Ch ina, alluded to th isserv ice —“T he Tartar cavalry had posted themselves upon an eminence,wh ich had a sudden fal l at the foot of i t, and in the deepest part theyhad made a d itch . They ev idently thought our cavalry could not pass

th is d itch, and that they shou ld be able to p ick off our men as theycame up w ith the greatest ease w ith their matchlocks. T he spot hasbeen described to me by an eye w itness as what would be cal led, inhunting phraseology, “

a very ugly p lace,” one which very many wouldhave looked at tw ice, and wh ich very few would have gone at. T he

probabil ity is that the majority Of the field wou ld have gone round, and

attained their Object in some other w ay . T he l st . D ragoon Guards howeverrode at it, and so successfu l ly, that they cleared the place w ithout morethan one or two men getting out of the ranks. Th is struck d ismay intothe Tartars, who had no conception such a feat w as possible, and theyinstantly scattered themselves all over the plain. A Ch inese force afterwardsattempted to c lear the place, as our men had. b ut they utterly failed, andfe l l back into the d itch . I t is said to have been singular-to w itness thegreat respect the enemy always paid to our cavaly , whether regulars or

irregulars, but the a larm depicted in their countenances, and their sudden

change of tactics whenever our D ragoon Guards afterwards came into thefie ld , was something remarkab le.

”

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192 M RD ALs or rH R narr ten ARM Y .

and soldiers of H er M ajesty’s Army and the Indian Forces

employed in the foregoing operations. The medal is similar

to that granted for the first Chinese War, (page l 2 l ,) except

that the date 1842, on the reverse, is omitted . The ribbon

is the same, namely, scarlet with yel low edges. The clasps

are of the same pattern as those for the M utiny M edal , and

are inscribed CAM ON, 1857, T AxU Forms, 1 860, and Pam ,

An additional clasp having thereon CHINA , 1842, was

au thorized for such of the recipients of the first medal as

had been engaged in the second Chinese War.

T HE Chinese Campaign brings the M enu s or a B R I T IsH

AR M Y to a conclusion, and al though this service cannot beregarded with the same absorbing interest attaching to theIndian Mutiny, yet it forms a glorious addition to the annalsof War, being not only remarkable for the first effectiv eemployment of Armstrong guns, but also for the success of

the sanitary measures adopted to preserve the heal th of thetroops in so distant a quarter of the globe ; and above al l

for the cordial union existing between the al lied commanders,

S ir Hope Grant and General Montauban. All must trust thatthe armies of France and England may never be otherwiseemployed than for the mutual glory of both countries, in the

maintenance of one common cause, and in the promotion of

the best interests of mankind.

Clasps for FArsH AN, 1857, and TAKU FOR TS , 1858, were authorizedfor the Navy and M arines, b ut are not specified above, as they weregranted expressly for Naval operations.

LOND ON : G B OOM B B I D G E AND S ONS .

In one volume, Fcap . 8vo., cloth, price Five Shillings,

I T I E F

I T A R EM

S T UD I

B Y T H OM AS CAR T E R ,

(ADJU'rAN'r-ORNR R AL

’s om en. )

PR INCIPAL CONTENT S

Battles on Sundays. M artial Prelates. Nelson and the 69th . Regiment .Soldiers

’Letters. Weather in B attles. B adajoz and the 7i th . Re

‘

ment .Perils at Sea. M ilitary Coincidences. Capture of the E agle b t 9 s7thWomen in B attle . D isposal of Treasure. First Action of the M t Hussars.

Officers versus Ladies’ D resses.

Presence Of M ind .

Using up the Enemy’s Shot.

Curious M odes of Recruiting.

Self-devotion . 69nd. L ight Infantry.

The Pope’s M edal to B ritish Troops S ir T homas Picton and the D uke of M aribel

Napoleon and the 2oth . R egiment . Last of the Queues and Amenities of War

Action at Gorde and the 78rd . R egiment. etc . , etc.

Sugar used for E arthworks.

OPIN ION S OF T H E PR E S S .

A very entertaining volume evincing great research . It is surprising what a

incidents and facts the Author has brought together, and placed before us in an att

form. T he work is just the one suited to a so dier, inasmuch as it may be taken upaway an hour, and laid down at any moment, w ithout losing its thread, or weakeni

impressions.

” United S ervice M agazine.

“S econd to none of its class in merit, ‘Curiosities of War’

teems with authentic anecd

the British Army . We recommend our readers to buy the book, the perusal of whioendear yet more the British Army to every E nglishman . T he Author has done both the

and the pub lic a favour, by the pub lication of ‘Curiosities of War.’ —S tandard .

“Nob le deeds, lo alty, and heroism,in every phase of M i litary l ife, are chronicled

raphic skil l, and t e book wil l doubtless give an impetus to the spirit of the day .

”— S" 1188 .

“A capital book, and one that wil l be appreciated beyond the camp and the barrackM r . Carter is a man of much observation and industry, and has col lected together a n

entertaining facts and anecdotes, which must prove acce tab le to al l classes of E nglisH is cha ter on

‘S unday Battles’ is es ecial ly curious, an that on‘D efence of the C

admirab y interesting; whi le the care u l ly-compiled list of ‘Recipients of the Victoriawas wel l-imagined, as it wil l render the volume a most acce

ptable gift to the relatives

heroes whose gallant deeds are therein chronicled ; whi le on t e rai l it wi l l be a most a

genial , and conven ient companion .

’ —L t°

terary Gazette.

“The Author has combined 9. great deal of amusement w ith solid information for mreaders, and for the larger pub lic, every day increasing, wh ich takes an interest in mmatters. The contents ofthe volume range over an immense field, with crops of quaints ringing up at eve page, about ‘Battles on S undays,

’ ‘Infiuence of Weather on Fig‘gent to Coventry,’ loth ing of the Army,

’ ‘Bal loons in Warfare,’ ‘M i lton near ly Adj

General ,’ (rather a drawback to have a b l ind officer of that rank in action,)‘S ugar use

Earthworks,’ ‘Barrack Libraries,’ ‘S obri nets of R egiments,

’and an overflow ing harv

similar antiquities. We shal l give it a earty welcome .

”—R ussell ’s A rmy and Navy“Will ful ly repay those who are daily becoming more and more interested in the

that i t is necessary to be fu l ly$

re ared against any emergency that may arise a

et ties of the country.- B elh cc 13] M essenger .

L O N D O N

Complete in Three Volumes, price 7s. 6d . each, cloth, gilt,Illustrated with Fac-similes of the M edals and R ibbons in colours,

and other Illustrations,

AND HOW THEY WERE WON.

B Y T H OM A S CAR T E R ,

Author of “Curiosities of War, and Military Studies.

”

What is a ribbon worth to a soldier !Everything ! Glory is priceless!

"

S IR E . B . LYrrON, B AR'r.

F I R S T VOL UM E .

CRIM EAN CAM PAIGN — Dedicated to M ajor-G eneral T H E H ONOUR A E I.

S I R J AM E s YORKE SCA R LE T T , Adjutant-General of H er M ajesty’

s Forces

W ith Fac-simile Illustrations in Colours of The Crimean M edal— French Wedal— Sardinian War M edal— Turkish W ar M edal—M edal for D istinguisheonduct in the Field—Victoria Cross.

S E CON D VOL UM E .

GYPT , PE NINSULA, WATER LOO , AND SOUTH AFR ICA .— D edicate

to E n G RACE T H E D UKE or RI CHM ON D , K .Cr .

W ith Fac-simile Illustrations in Colours of T he G old Cross—The W ar M eda

Turkish M edal for E gypt— Talavera M edal—Waterloo M edal— M edal fo

M eritorious S ervice— The Cape M edal .

T H I R D V OL UM E .

IND IA , CHINA, AND PERSIA.— Dedicated to General LOR D CLYD E , G .O.B

W ith Fac-simile Illustrations in Colours of The Indian W ar M edal— Sering

patam M edal— The Sutlej and Punjab M eda ls— The Ghuznee M edal— IndiaM utiny M edal—LT he China Medal— T he Second J ellalabad M edal— The M aharaj

poor S tar— M edal for the Second B urmese War.

E ither of the Volumes may be had sep arately , or in E ighteen Numbers, p r it

l s. each, M edals in Colours il lustrating each N umber .