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F MICHIGAN ·
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UNIVERSITY
OF
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1817
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JHL·LIB
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA
LONDON
SPOTTIS WOODE
NEW-STREET SQUARE
PRINTED
ΒΙ
AND CO.

mzy
ازار
THE
SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA
BEING SOME ACCOUNT OF
SIR WILLIAM PEEL'S NAVAL BRIGADE IN
THE INDIAN CAMPAIGN OF
1857-1858
BY
EDMUND HOPE VERNEY
LIEUT. R.N.

SANS • CHANG
•
SAUNDERS,
LONDON
OTLEY,
AND CO.
66 BROOK STREET, HANOVER SQUARE
1862
DS
478
•V53.
1
657738-234
To the Memory of
SIR
WILLIAM
AND TO THE
PEEL
OFFICERS AND BLUE-JACKETS OF HIS NAVAL BRIGADE
Are Dedicated
THESE RECOLLECTIONS OF OUR INDIAN CAMPAIGN
PREFACEЕ.
IN offering this book to the public, I do not profess to
give a history of the Indian Mutiny, or even of a
small portion of it. I can only write a description of
the scenes witnessed by one individual of a large
army, and give the reports of operations which he
did not witness as they often reached him, some in-
correctly, others perhaps utterly without foundation.
I cannot but feel that no small responsibility
attaches to one who attempts to print an account,
however crude, of the deeds of such a man as Sir
William Peel, or of his blue jackets; but as, after a
lapse of three years, none has yet appeared, I trust
that my simple narrative may not be considered
inappropriate as a slight memento of a portion of
the last services of our lamented commander.
In preparing these pages for publication, I have
adhered to the form of a journal, although, not con-
1
X
PREFACE.
sidered the most readable style for a book, because
they are compiled from letters and journals written at
the time.
During our year's campaign in India, one feeling
pervaded the minds of the officers of the Naval
Brigade, which only strengthened as time went on,
and an expression of which cannot possibly be
omitted here. This was the obligation we all felt we
were under to the whole army, from the Commander-
in-Chief down to the naughty drummer-boy who
(afraid of getting licked by his comrades) sounded
the "advance" at Kallee-Nuddee without orders, for
their unremitting consideration and civility to every
officer or blue jacket of ours. Had a sentry orders
only to admit a favoured few to the roof of the
Dilkushah, he would stretch a point in favour of
the crown and anchor button; were baggage-camels
to be issued, the Naval Brigade were first served; did
we want medical assistance, a surgeon from the Staff
was sent to us; we had only to ask for a thing to
get it; and was one of our men a little "disguised "
and in trouble as even sailors will be sometimes
he was quietly handed over to his own officers to
be settled with; and although thus openly favoured,
in no instance did any feeling of jealously appear,
but all seemed animated with a desire to show to
PREFACE.
xi
blue jackets on land the civility and hospitality which
I trust we always endeavour to show to red coats
afloat.
I must not neglect this opportunity of tendering my
sincere thanks to the Shannon's late chaplain, for his
kindness in allowing me the use of his journal, and
to Mrs. Verschoyle, the lady to whose kindness and skill
I am indebted for the photograph of Sir William Peel,
which does duty as frontispiece.
In sending these pages to the press, I cannot foresee
whether they will be cast upon the already swollen heap
of unread books, or be deemed worthy of a happier fate;
but once launched into print, copies may be stranded
on the shores where the scenes are laid, and I hope
these lines may meet the eyes of those whose cordial
hospitality and good-fellowship, to my brother officers
and myself, have left recollections which I assure them
will not easily be effaced. But deeper still, in my own
mind, lies the remembrance of the affectionate kind-
ness of those intimate friends, in whose superior and
elevating society were spent many successive Sundays
or Friday evenings, and unmindful of whom I can
never, in word or thought, refer to my year in India.
CLAYDON HOUSE: Nov. 16, 1861.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
A short Sketch of the Proceedings of H.M.S. Shannon, from the Date
of her being commissioned to her Arrival at Calcutta
CHAP. II.
Journey to Allahabad in the River-steamer Benares
Page 1
9
CHAP. III.
Garrison duty at Allahabad.
at Cawnpore
Relief of Lucknow. - Engagements
22
CHAP. IV:
March to Cawnpore.
Recapture of Cawnpore. The Yellow
Bungalow".
38
CHAP. V.
March from Cawnpore to Futtegurh. Camels and Elephants.-
Kunnoj.- On the Line of March.
Nuddee
Battle of the Kallee-
46
CHAP. VI.
Furruckabad and Futtegurh.-Picture of Camp Life.— Advance to
the Ramgunga. - Native Servants.
Return to Cawnpore . 64
xiv
CONTENTS.
CHAP. VII.
March to Unao.— Naval Brigade Races.
Buntera. — Breaking up
the Encampment at Night.
kushah
Lucknow.
Capture of the Dil-
Page 83
Siege of Lucknow.
CHAP. VIII.
Sir James Outram crosses the Goomtee.
Capture of the Martinière, Begum Kothee, Little Imaum-Barah,
and Kaiser-Bagh
CHAP. IX.
93
Siege of Lucknow.
Great Imaum-Barah.
The Kaiser-Bagh. The Residency. The
Story of Mrs. Orr .
CHAP. X.
115
•
Return of the Naval Brigade.- Bullock-Train travelling in Bengal.
- Death of Sir William Peel.- Public Reception of the Naval
Brigade at Calcutta.
. 125
CHAP. XI.
The Return of H.M.S. Shannon to England. - Promotions and
Decorations bestowed upon her Officers and Blue Jackets 146
•
APPENDIX
t
•
149
=
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PHOTOGRAPH OF SIR WILLIAM PEEL
JEHANGEERAH
KERR'S BATTERY
Frontispiece
12
40
MUD PORCH AT ERAM CUSSERAI
52
•
TOMB AT ERAM CUSSERAI
MAP OF THE BANKS OF THE GANGES
THE RAMGUNGA
PLAN OF THE SHANNON'S NAVAL BRIGADE BATTERY
OUTLINE OF THE SHANNON'S NAVAL BRIGADE POSITION
PLAN OF ATTACK ON THE BEGUM'S PALACE
53
55
. 74
94
96
101
•
FAC-SIMILE OF GOLD COIN
113
•
PLAN OF CITY AND ENVIRONS OF LUCKNOW
. 118
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAPTER I.
A SHORT SKETCH OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF H. M. S. SHANNON,
FROM THE DATE OF HER
HER BEING COMMISSIONED ΤΟ HER
ARRIVAL AT CALCUTTA.
HER Majesty's screw steam frigate Shannon, of 51
guns, 600 horse-power, and 2667 tons, was com-
missioned by Captain William Peel at Portsmouth on
the 13th of September, 1856. At this time she was
the finest frigate afloat, being the first of a new and
very powerful class, calculated to obtain great speed
under sail or steam, and to carry very heavy metal.
Her armament consisted of twenty 56 cwt. 32-prs. on
the upper deck, one 95 cwt. 68-pr. on the forecastle,
and thirty 65 cwt. 8-in. guns on the main deck, and
she could steam twelve knots.
After she was fitted out she went round to Plymouth
Sound, and, as if destined for adventure from the very
commencement of her career, was nearly lost there
B
2
CHAP. I.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
:
on the 3rd of January of the ensuing year. At about
6 A.M. a strong westerly gale sprung up, and it be-
came necessary to veer cable, as the ship was lying at
single anchor. In doing this the cable parted, and the
other anchor was at once let go: quickly, however,
though this was done, from the great force of the wind
the ship had already gathered sternway, and, to every-
body's consternation, the second cable also snapped.
There was but one other cable bent, the starboard
sheet, and that anchor could not be let go at once.
All hands were turned up to clear it away, and Cap-
tain Peel rushed on deck in his shirt and trowsers.
In the meantime the ship was drifting rapidly to the
eastward, with her broadside to the wind. Owing to
the great personal exertions of the first lieutenant, Mr.
Vaughan, the sheet anchor was presently cleared away
and let go, and providentially it brought the ship up,
or she must have left her bones on the rocks below
Bovisand.
The Shannon was ordered to Lisbon; but on the
10th of January, off Ushant, in a strong westerly
breeze, the step of the mainmast was discovered to
be sprung, and the ship returned to Plymouth, where
she remained for a long time in dock. When again
ready for sea, she went for a cruise off Cape Clear, and
returned to Spithead. She was now ordered to pre-
pare for service in China, and left England on the
17th of March, 1857.
1857.
DEATH OF MR. COAKER.
3
The Shannon's outward voyage was attended by no
remarkable incident. Three times between England
and the Cape a man fell overboard, and on each oc-
casion her boats, fitted with Clifford's lowering appa-
ratus, were manned and lowered with great celerity,
and on two occasions the men were saved. The third
case was that of Mr. J. Coaker, master's assistant, a
most promising young Greenwich scholar, who fell off
the fore-yard, but his head striking the fore-chains, he
was killed before reaching the water. His body was
picked up and brought on board, and in the evening
was committed to the deep, sewn up in a hammock,
with two 32-pr. shot at his feet, and covered by the
union jack; the body was brought up on a grating
with his cap and dirk placed over the breast. All
the officers attended, the ship's company on the
gangway, the marines on the quarter-deck, and the
band playing the "Dead March in Saul." The Rev.
E. L. Bowman read the funeral service; and at the
words "we therefore commit his body to the deep,"
the remains of poor young Coaker glanced over the
side and plunged into the sea.
The Shannon anchored in Simon's Bay on the 7th
of May, and sailed again on the 11th. About the
20th of the month, in a strong north-westerly gale,
the speed of the ship under canvas was very remark-
able; under double-reefed topsails, courses, and reefed
fore-topmast studding-sail, the ship sometimes averaged
B 2
4
CHAP. I.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
fourteen and fifteen knots an hour; and, during one
squall, when the log was hove by the officer of the
watch, she was going 15.8.
On the 11th of June, the Shannon anchored off
Singapore. On her arrival here the first intimation
was received of the outbreak in India; and the
Simoom, arriving with troops for China, was ordered
to return with them to Calcutta ; so she steamed out,
the military band on board playing "You may go to
Hong Kong for me." On the 23rd Lord Elgin em-
barked with his suite, and the Shannon sailed for
Hong Kong, where she arrived on the 2nd of July.
On the 16th, hearing that affairs in India were
assuming a very troublous aspect, the Earl of Elgin
and suite re-embarked; and, taking on board a de-
tachment of Royal Marines, and of the 90th Regiment,
sailed for Calcutta, touching at Singapore en route.
On the 6th of August the Shannon arrived off the
mouths of the Ganges. The water here is very shallow,
and the low mud shore cannot be perceived from any
distance, so the most careful navigation is requisite.
Soundings were obtained, the ship put under easy sail,
a gun fired, and a jack hoisted for a pilot. The Cal-
cutta pilot service is a distinct service in itself, under
martial law like the royal navy, and turns out many a
good seaman and steady officer, and the pilots receive
half-pay and retiring pensions after a certain term of
service. At length a smart little brig came under the
1857.
APPROACH TO CALCUTTA.
5
Shannon's stern, lowered a boat, aad sent a pilot on
board: and the frigate, furling sails, steamed through
the dull and muddy waters to the mouth of the
Hooghly. The scenery of that part of the Delta formed
by the mouths of the Ganges called the Sunderbunds,
is anything but inviting: from the mast-head of a
large ship, as far as the eye can reach, no rise of
land is visible in any direction; at high water the
sea is almost on a level with the tops of the in-
numerable mud islands, and which are uninhabited
save by crocodiles and a few wild beasts; they are
covered with a thick and almost impenetrable jungle,
and there are seen the gigantic leaves and luxuriant
vegetation of a tropical climate. This description of
scenery continues to within a few miles of Calcutta
itself, varied only by occasional mud flats, from
which arise pestilential odours in the hot season.
On nearing Calcutta, the east bank of the river,
called Garden Reach, is covered with villas and
pleasure-grounds; here are the head-quarters of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company, while nearly oppo-
site are the grey buildings of Bishop's College; on
passing these, and the frowning batteries and green
slopes of Fort William, the Shannon was repeatedly
cheered, for at this time every English arm was cor-
dially welcomed; and the opportune arrival of two
men-of-war, the Shannon and Pearl, whose heavy guns
could sweep the Maidân, gave confidence to the anxious
B 3
6
CHAP. I.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
hearts of India's rulers, and seemed to take a load
off every European mind; and at 5 P. M., as the
frigate's anchor dropped from her bows, and the
governor-general's salute of nineteen guns thundered
through the sultry air, echoing and re-echoing on the
walls of Government House, it may have suggested a
hint of England's might to the Despot of Oude, now a
captive in Fort William.
At Calcutta, Lord Elgin disembarked; he afterwards
chartered the steamer Ava, and returned in her to
China. In the meantime, Captain Peel offered to the
governor-general the services of the blue jackets of
the Shannon, with their ships' guns, to form a Naval
Brigade, which were accepted, and preparations for
service on shore immediately begun; the dress of the
men was in no respect altered, but their straw hats
were covered with white cotton, and provided with
curtains to protect the back of the neck. On the
12th of August, Dr. Wilson, Lord Bishop of Calcutta,
visited the ship; after going all over her, the ship's
company assembled on the quarter-deck, and he ad-
dressed them energetically, saying, that if he were not
eighty-four years of age, he would go up to fight the
Sepoys himself. On the 13th, a large flat came along-
side the Shannon, and was laden with ten 8-inch
guns and two brass field-pieces, with a proportion of
ammunition, and a supply of clothing and medical
comforts for the men. The great rivers of India are
1857.
CAPT. PEEL LEAVES THE SHANNON.
7
its main arteries of commerce, which is carried on by
means of steamers, or flats towed by them; these flats
have great beam, but do not draw more than two
foot, or two foot six; they are thatched over to keep
out the burning sun, and are available for the navi-
gation of the rivers at all seasons of the year. On the
14th, the river-steamer Chunar came alongside the
frigate, and Captain Peel embarked, with the following
officers: Lieuts. Young, Wilson, Hay, and Salmon;
Captain Gray and Lieut. Stirling, R.M.; Lieut. Lind,
of Hageby, of the Swedish navy; the Rev. E. L.
Bowman; Dr. Flanagan; Mr. Comerford, assistant-
paymaster; Messrs. M. Daniel, Garvey, E. Daniel,
Lord Walter Kerr, Lord Arthur Clinton, and Mr.
Church, midshipmen; Messrs. Brown, Bone, and Henri,
engineers; Mr. Thompson, gunner; Mr. Bryce, car-
penter; Mr. Stanton, assistant-clerk; and Messrs.
Watson and Lascelles, naval cadets. Four hundred
and fifty men, with their arms and ammunition, em-
barked in the flat, which was taken in tow by the
Chunar: Captain Peel also took up a launch and
cutter belonging to the Shannon. The ship was left
under the command of Mr. Vaughan, the first lieu-
tenant; and as the Chunar steamed away, three hearty
cheers were exchanged.
From this time the officers left on board the Shannon
were daily employed volunteering men from English
merchant ships in the river; and in this manner one
B 4
8
CHAP. I.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
hundred men were raised, and immediately put through
a course of drill.
On the 12th of September, Captain Sotheby, R.N.,
started for the interior, with one hundred and fifty-five
of the ship's company of H.M.S. Pearl,- an account of
whose proceedings has been published by her chaplain,
the Rev. E. A. Williams.
On the morning of the 18th, the river steamer Be-
nares, with a flat in tow, came alongside the Shannon,
and Lieut. Vaughan embarked on board of her, with
the following officers: Lieut. Wratislaw; Mr. Verney,
mate; Mr. Way, midshipman; and Mr. Richards,
naval cadet; one hundred and twenty men embarked
in the flat, with their rifles and ammunition. As this
reinforcement steamed away up the Hooghly, they
gave the old ship three cheers, which were stoutly
returned by the little party left on board. The frigate
was left under the command of Mr. Waters, master,
with about one hundred and forty men, moored close
to the shore, and a brass gun was mounted in the
main-top to sweep the Maidân in case of any disturb-
ance in Calcutta.
The further proceedings of this detachment, after-
wards called the first company, and a general sketch
of the movements of the Shannon's Naval Brigade, are
detailed in the pages of the following journal.
1857.
DEPARTURE FROM CALCUTTA.
9
CHAP. II.
JOURNEY TO ALLAHABAD IN THE RIVER STEAMER BENARES.
September 18th. — This morning the steamer
Benares with a flat in tow came
came alongside the
Shannon, and receiving on board the second detach-
ment of Naval Brigade proceeded up the Hooghly
with her jolly-boat in tow.
This is the first sta-
‹ September 21st.-Cutwa.
tion we have stopped at for coal: the town is situated
at the point where the two rivers Bargarutti and
Hadjee run into the Hooghly, the former of which
we ascend to-morrow; we have come a hundred and
twenty miles, and already find the weather cooler.
Several passengers are going with us to Allahabad,
amongst others the Rev. T. Moore, appointed chaplain
of Cawnpore, Colonel Longden of H. M. 10th Regi-
ment, and Captain Maxwell of the Bengal Artillery.
?
September 25th. We are now above Berham-
pore where the steamer River Bird is on shore; we
tried to tug her off, but in vain, so they will have to
wait for the dry season, and then make a regular dock
for her, as she is only about fifteen feet from the channel.
10
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. 11,
Captain Peel only went as far as Berhampore in the
Chunar; here her engines proved so defective that he
applied for another steamer, and the River Bird was
sent to him: she went up as far as Dinapore, when it
was found that she drew too much water to proceed
any further: Captain Peel then went on in the
steamer Mirzapore, which finally brought the flat up
to Allahabad. The River Bird got on shore on her
way down to Calcutta.
↳ September 26th.-Above Berhampore. The day
before yesterday, we saw a faint blue line rising
above the horizon, and since then the Rajmahal range
of hills has gradually risen to view: it is quite a
novelty to be in a country so flat that one can unin-
terruptedly mark the approach to hills from a great
distance some of the green jungle scenery on the
banks of the river is pretty: the current here is very
strong, and we have been struggling with it all day.
:
• September 27th.We hear that the steamer
Chunar, with Captain Sotheby of the Pearl on board,
has stuck in the mud, and is now about twenty miles
ahead of us; however, we hope that our good boat,
the Benares, will take us all the way up to Alla-
habad without accident, as she draws less water.
3 September 29th.—We have been steaming along
all day, as usual, and are now close to the Rajmahal
hills, which are very pretty after the flat country
through which we have been passing for so long:
1857.
RAJMAHAL.
11
they are partly covered with woods, of which the
trees are much less tall than those on the plains; the
Ganges here attains its greatest size and strength, and
the current is very powerful: there does not appear
to be much cultivation, at any rate near the banks of
the river; a few huts are to be seen, the natives being
chiefly engaged in pastoral occupations. There is a
remarkable race of Highlanders called the "Sonthals,"
who live amongst the wilds of the Rajmahal hills;
they are very fierce, powerful, and athletic, they have
never been subdued, and sometimes make incursions
from their mountain fastnesses upon the helpless Hin-
doos. We just touched on a mud-bank this morning,
but on the whole are making a good passage, won-
derfully free from accidents, if not very rapid. In the
forenoon we assisted an E. I. C. gun-boat which we
found with both her anchors stuck fast in the mud.
September 30th.-We are now a little way below
three rocks in the middle of the Ganges, called the
Colgong rocks; they rise to the height of fifty or sixty
feet from the water, and are much rent and torn, and
in their ragged clefts grow most picturesque trees and
shrubs; it is not very easy to pass these rocks as the
current is so strong. We pass our days very pleasantly:
in the morning at daylight we heave the anchor up,
and as soon as we are fairly under weigh, all hands fall
in for an hour's drill: then follows breakfast, and at
about nine parade, with perhaps a quarter of an hour's
12
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. II.
drill by this time it is too hot to do much, so the
day is spent in reading and writing, listening to the
sonorous but rather wearisome chant of the native
leadsman, "tien barmi lâni," and shooting at birds
and alligators until 5 P.M., when we have another
parade and about half an hour's drill; at six we dine,
at sunset we anchor, and the evening is passed under
the awning in reading, singing, and other amuse-
ments.
Ђ
↳ October 3rd.-Jehangeerah. Yesterday morning
we landed all our men at Bhagulpore for drill. The

JEHANGEERAH.
river here is seven miles broad, and we are now steam-
ing along with flat country on the starboard and hilly
country on the port side.
• October 4th.-Above Monghir. This morning
we arrived at Monghir, and left again in the after-
noon: it is a very pretty town surrounded by a semi-
1857.
MONGHIR.
13
ruinous wall built by the Hindoos about a hundred
years ago, when this place marked the British frontier:
it is protected by a fort of great antiquity, built on
a picturesque site on a rock jutting out into the
river. The town wall is of very great extent, and
encloses a space said to be larger than Fort William
at Calcutta. This place is remarkable for the number
of wooden folding-chairs made in it; also for its ham-
mers with iron handles, which unscrew and disclose a
knife, fork, and corkscrew, ingeniously but roughly
made; also for small mats and hand-punkahs made of
a particular sort of grass. Here also are manufactured
guns and rifles, bearing the names of celebrated English
gunsmiths, and so skilfully imitated that one would not
at first sight detect the deception; those, however, who
are allured by their cheapness into buying them, gene-
rally find that bullets fired from them possess very erratic
propensities, and they frequently burst after a few dis-
charges. The country to the south of the Ganges still
maintains its hilly character, while that to the north is
flat and muddy. To-day has been set apart by the
Governor-General, as a day of humiliation and
prayer,
and a fund is to be raised for the benefit of the
wives and families of those who may fall in quelling
the mutiny.
October 6th.-This morning, just before noon,
our steamer grounded; it was the first time since
leaving Calcutta, so that, on the whole, we may con-
14
CHAP. II.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
:
sider ourselves rather fortunate: it was 9 P.M. before
we get her off, though our men worked hard all day,
assisting the steamer's crew.
October 7th.-Twelve days hence we hope to
reach Allahabad; the weather is already much cooler.
↳ October 10th.-Yesterday afternoon we left the
large military station of Dinapore, taking with us two
small field-pieces for Captain Sotheby at Buxar.
Dinapore seems to be the most civilised place that
we have touched at on our journey from Calcutta:
we heard there that Delhi was taken, its king captured,
and his two sons shot; we heard also of the relief of
Lucknow and death of General Neil; and that Captain
Peel has arrived safely at Allahabad with all his men
and guns. The hills that we used to see to the south-
ward and eastward have disappeared; the country
is flat on both sides, and the water very muddy, but
the river not so broad. We pass many dead bodies,
in various stages of decomposition, floating down the
river; they are generally the bodies of natives which
have been partly burnt on the banks of the sacred
Ganges, and are sometimes brought from a con-
siderable distance for this purpose, by their affectionate
relatives: when the families are too poor to afford
a funeral pyre, the body is simply cast into the water,
food for the crows and vultures. Every day we have
several hours hard drill; we landed all hands twice at
Dinapore, and we find that our men do very well at
1857.
DINAPORE.
15
the manual and platoon exercises, at which they are
of course well drilled on board, but they make occa-
sional mistakes in marching and wheeling, for which
there is not space on the deck of the flat. Perhaps
the most difficult thing for sailors to learn is to keep
such a distance when marching in file that they will
fall into their right places in fronting. We never
insist much on their keeping step; this will come in
time.
When I was writing yesterday evening, an enormous
locust with large wings, swooped down upon my desk,
the wings then suddenly disappeared, and the creature
began hopping about the table on its spider-like legs
in a most grotesque manner. I threw my handker-
chief over him and popped him into a bottle of gin ;
I examined him when he was dead, and found him
to be of about the size of a small bat, but having the
power of shutting up his large transparent wings into a
kind of tape, and then rolling them up into a ball on
the hinder part of his back; hence their sudden dis-
appearance. I caught another shortly afterwards, and
now they are both in a pickle bottle full of gin, ready
to send down to the Shannon by the first opportunity.
O October 11th. - Above Dinapore. The even-
ings now begin to get very cool, and last night so cold
that I was glad of a blanket; but the days are still
warm, the sun hot and the winds cool. We are
beginning to make better progress; the current is not
16
CHAP. II.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
so strong above Dinapore, as there are fewer tribu-
taries; we hope to reach Allahabad in about ten days,
and very glad shall we be to rejoin our old shipmates.
D October 12th.-Yesterday evening we arrived at
Buxar, where we saw Captain Sotheby and his party;
it is an old mud fort, built by the Hindoos; its chief
strength consists in a very deep ditch by which it is
surrounded, crossed in one place by a narrow draw-
bridge. There are at present only five or six small
brass guns, but if there were a dozen larger ones it
would be rather a strong place, and resist a consider-
able body of Sepoys. The men and officers of the
Pearl are all letting their beards and moustaches grow,
but Captain Peel has given an order that his Naval
Brigade are to continue to shave; however, we are
not very particular about the beards.
3 October 13th.-Ten miles below Ghazeepore.
A bar of sand here crosses the river, which is actually
fordable; over this bar we are forcing our way,
although there is only about four foot of water, and
we draw four foot six. It is a most unusual occur-
rence for the river to be so broad and so shallow; in a
short time it will have formed for itself a channel; just
at present it spreads over a breadth of perhaps two
miles; but the rains are now over, and the waters have
fallen.
October 14th.-This Ganges is a wonderful river,
its gigantic tributary streams, together with its own
1857.
GUN-BOATS FOR INDIAN RIVERS.
17
vast length through lands so fertile, and by cities so
populous, ought to make India one of the first coun-
tries in the world. With reference to some remarks
made in the House of Commons, suggesting that
gun-boats should be sent out here for the protection
of towns situated on the rivers, I believe that they
would be invaluable; the gun-boats which were
used in the last war mostly drew six or seven
feet water; now I learn from Captain Elder who
commands this steamer, a most intelligent and superior
man, that for a gun-boat to be serviceable on the
Ganges between Calcutta and Allahabad, in the dry
season, she must not draw more water than two foot
six; and for a gun-boat to be serviceable between
Calcutta and Dinapore only, she must not draw more
than four foot six. In the rainy season, a vessel
drawing ten foot of water might go up as high as
Allahabad, but in the dry season, a vessel drawing
only two foot six when loaded with provisions, guns,
coal, &c., would find some difficulty in getting up,
although by heaving her over the mud, it might be
done at all times of the year. Though the Ganges
is so very shallow, there is generally plenty of breadth,
so that gun-boats might be constructed of great beam,
thirty feet at least, to enable them to draw so little
water. There are many depôts of coal along the river,
so that a gun-boat would not require to have great
stowage of fuel. The East India Company has a sort
C
+
18
CHAP. II.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
}
of gun-raft consisting of two boats decked over with a
large paddle-wheel between them; this raft draws
three foot water, and carries four 12-pr. brass
howitzers; surely this might be improved upon. It
would not be a very great objection to gun-boats for
the Ganges to have the engines above water-line;
even if they were damaged in action, they might
be rowed or even punted with poles in shallow
water, where the current does not run too strong;
in smooth water like the Ganges, an engagement
would be quite a different thing to one
on the
open sea, where damage to the engines might be at-
tended by the total loss of the boat. Last night we
reached Ghazeepore, where we found H. M.'s 37th Regi-
ment; it seems to be a large, straggling station with
plenty of trees and open ground, and is notoriously
healthy. We saw some Hindoos burning a body as we
passed to-day, the odour from which was very sicken-
ing. The river here is much narrower, but the country
does not appear as if it was much flooded during the
heavy rains; no hills are to be seen in any direction.
The natives are very much surprised at the continuous
flood of soldiers that are arriving, and want to know
where they all come from; it is to be hoped it will
produce a good moral effect on them.
noon we hope to arrive at Benares.
now recovering from cholera, is the
To-morrow fore-
One man, who is
only serious case
of illness that we have had since we left Calcutta,
1857.
BENARES.
19
although many men are on the sick list with boils
and sores from inflamed musquito bites.
? October 16th.-Last night we arrived at Benares,
the Oxford of India and head-quarters of Sanscrit
scholarship: it is a very large Hindoo city of great an-
tiquity, on the north bank of the Ganges, with many
curious old specimens of architecture: the view from
the water is one of the finest of its kind in India, as the
river bends first towards and then from it; the water
side is lined with magnificent flights of broad stone steps
called ghauts, which are the daily lounge of the native
population; here they undergo the process of washing in
the sacred river, which is fortunately a religious cere-
mony, and then sit on the steps, smoking, or dozing,
or besmearing themselves with the marks of their caste
in yellow paint or sacred Ganges mud. The houses of
the native town are small, but there are numerous
mosques, the peculiarly oriental gracefulness of whose
swelling domes and tapering minarets attract and
charm the eye, although in size they cannot compete
with those of the head-quarters of Islamism: here,
as at Stamboul, the town does not improve on acquaint-
ance; one finds on landing only steep, narrow, and ill-
paved streets which will afford passage to no wheeled
vehicle. To-morrow we hope to arrive at Mirzapore.
↳ October 17th.-To-day we passed Chunar, one
of the most picturesque fortresses in India, situated
on a high sandstone rock on the south bank of the
c 2
20
CHAP. II.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
river, and completely commanding it: it is deservedly
held in great estimation by the Hindoos, who have a
tradition that it is under the direct protection of the
Almighty, and cannot be captured: English troops
took it by assault some years ago, but that has not
shaken their faith in the least.
o October 18th.-Yesterday at about 1.30 P.M. we
arrived at Mirzapore, which we left early this morn-
ing: it is the last station before we reach Allahabad,
and a principal commercial city. We have to-day
met with such a strong current that we have been
obliged to anchor, and to-morrow it will be as much
as we shall be able to do to stem it. I brought a
letter of introduction to Mr. Venables, a merchant
here, who distinguished himself very much in the
mutiny, and he was so good as to invite me to dine
with him in the evening at his bungalow about a mile
from the ghaut. Now a "ghaut" is a term applied
equally to a mountain pass, or a landing-place; I
believe that it means literally "a passage; " a "bunga-
low" is, properly speaking, " a summer country house;"
most people in Bengal have offices and "go-downs
(storehouses) in town, and a bungalow in a com-
pound" a little way out of town. A "compound" is the
enclosure in which a house is situated, and this one
word includes what in England would be called a yard,
a park, a shrubbery, or grounds. Mirzapore is a large
town, situated on the frontiers of the rebellious country;
66
"
1857.
MIRZAPORE.
21
it is now garrisoned by a few Madras troops only, who
openly say in the native bazaars that if the Sepoys
come, they will join them: "for" say they,
say they, "what
could we do? We are not strong enough to overcome
them, and we should only be cut to pieces by our own
countrymen if we resisted:" so the Europeans living
there go to bed every night with the happy conscious-
ness that they may all find their throats cut in the
morning. From what I hear I believe that the natives
of India do not, for the most part, side against us,
except in Oude, where they bitterly hate us: there
they are a very different race from the enervated
Hindoo; they are bred to carry arms from their youth,
and every one is a soldier from his childhood, both in
feeling and carriage. We hear that the Sepoys have
assembled near Lucknow, that there is a good deal of
fighting going on, and that our troops find it as much
as they can do to repel the attacks: but reinforcements
are daily pouring in, and I believe that the Naval
Brigade is likely to be sent on immediately.
•
D October 19th.-This evening we have anchored
where we are not more than ten miles from Allahabad
in a direct line, but very much further by the river,
We hope to arrive there to-morrow about mid-day.
3 October 20th. This morning we landed, about
half a mile from the Fort of Allahabad; the first
detachment come down to meet us, and we all marched
up to barracks together with the band playing,
C 3
22
CHAP. III.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. III.
GARRISON DUTY AT ALLAHABAD. — RELIEF OF LUCKNOW.
ENGAGEMENTS AT CAWNPORE.
* October 21st.To-day we have been busily em-
ployed bringing the tents and baggage up from the
steamer Benares.
4 October 22nd.-To-morrow the advanced guard
and siege-train, in charge of Lieut. Vaughan, with
one hundred men and four officers, start for the front.
The officers are, Lieut. Salmon, Mr. M. Daniel, Lords
W. Kerr and A. Clinton, midshipmen: Mr. E. Daniel,
who received the Victoria Cross when serving under
Captain Peel in the Crimea, has already been sent on
to Cawnpore, as an artillery officer was telegraphed
for. We have got very good quarters here, and have
turned regular soldiers; officers patrol all night and
mount guard, and our men drill far better than we
could have expected. We have five parades and two
drills daily; at the morning parade it is quite a sight
to see our men fall in under the colonnades of the
barracks: each one puts on a clean suit of clothes
from head to foot daily, there being a proportion of
1
1857.
ALLAHABAD.
23
"dobies" (washermen) to each company; every man
wears shoes, which are well blacked and polished; and
the mountings of the Minié or Enfield rifles glisten in
the sun: the officers fall in, and such drill as can be
performed in the shade is gone through.
man.
↳ October 24th.-Yesterday morning Lieut. Vaughan
left with his detachment. Another party is now or-
dered to be ready to start, consisting of Lieuts. Young
and Hay, Mr. Garvey, mate, and Mr. Church, midship-
From what one hears of campaigning in India
in time of peace, it seems to be generally little more
than a pic-nic; tents are provided for the officers,
lined with a sort of coarse, coloured chintz, carpeted,
with blinds for the doors to keep the sun out.
peace-time, the march of a body of men averages
twelve miles a day; and when they arrive at the end
In
of their march, they find that the servants have pitched
the tents, prepared a meal, and put out a change of
linen; the "bheestie" is ready with a skin of water
for a bath, and the dobie is waiting to wash the clothes
they take off.
Exercised at light in-
Mustered by com-
slops, stores, &c.,
At 1·30 P.M. the
October 28th.-6 A. M.
fantry and company drill. 10 A.M.
panies. Cleared lower barracks of
and placed them in an upper room.
second company of the Naval Brigade, under the com-
mand of Lieut. Hay, marched out with Captain Peel:
the officers accompanying them are, Mr. Bowman,
::
}
C 4
24
CHAP. III.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
chaplain; Mr. Garvey, mate; Mr. Church, midship-
man; and Messrs. Watson and Lascelles, aides-de-camp
to the Captain; besides these, he takes up two en-
gineers, with the carpenter and artificers. There
remain now to garrison this large fort about a hun-
dred and fifty men of the Naval Brigade, including
sick, band, and officers. The officers remaining be-
hind are, Lieut. Wilson, in command; Lieut. Wratis-
law, commanding the first company, whose subalterns
are Mr. Way, midshipman, and myself; Mr. Lind, of
Hageby, a lieutenant in the Swedish navy, doing duty
as a mate in our service, commanding the third com-
pany, whose subaltern is Mr. Richards, naval cadet;
Mr. Thompson, gunner; Mr. Comerford, assistant-
paymaster; and Mr. Staunton, assistant-clerk. We
expect to follow the others very shortly. Yesterday
I was doing duty as subaltern of the main guard, and
this morning I turned out the guard to salute Captain
Peel and his party as they passed out.
4 October 29th.-Sent ten men to hospital; total
number of men sick, sixty-four. A fatigue-party of
thirty men employed at the arsenal arranging stores;
issued rifles to the band. Died in hospital, Henry
Patt, bandsman. Seventeen officers and two hundred
and sixty-seven men marched into barracks on the
strength of the garrison.
October 30th.-Forty coolies employed hauling
up the jolly-boat and cutter. The fortress of Alla-
1857.
FORT AND TOWN OF ALLAHABAD.
25
habad is situated in the fork made by the confluence
of the Rivers Ganges and Jumna, and has always been
regarded as a very strong and important military post;
it can accommodate a large number of men in tents, but
only six hundred in the barracks; it was built about
two hundred years ago, but the land face has since been
considerably modernised; the two river faces have
not been much altered, and consist of imposing walls
and massive bastions of red sandstone, pierced with
the small embrasures and loopholes characteristic of
the old days of Oriental chivalry; the fort contains
the largest arsenal in this part of India: it is entered
by three approaches, the Main, the Jumna, and the
Ganges Gates, the latter of these is bricked up, and
no longer used, but the Main Gate, approached through
the winding ways of modern fortification, is a hand-
some entrance, on each side of which are cells, re-
served for State prisoners in close confinement. About
five hundred yards from the glacis, a permanent camp
has been pitched, for the use of regiments passing up
the country; near the fort is the town of Allahabad
proper, which consists almost entirely of native huts;
about two miles to the eastward of it are the canton-
ments, which were formerly the prettiest in this part
of India; now only a few of the houses are habitable,
and the rest are but half burnt ruins, looking most
desolate in their deserted and abandoned gardens;
the church too has been sacked and burned, but
26
CHAP. III.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
could be restored; the roads near the cantonments
are very good, and the country is prettily wooded.
↳ October 31st.-4.30 A.M. Sent a fatigue-party
of twenty men to the railway station to transport
camel carts. Carpenters employed painting boats.
Launched cutter to send for Lieut.-General Sir Colin
Campbell, K.C.B., Commander-in-Chief. 9 P.M. Sent
an escort of one officer and twenty-one men to meet
Sir Colin Campbell at the bridge of boats over the
Ganges. Sixty-seven men in hospital. On this day,
the detachment of the Naval Brigade under Sir Wil-
liam Peel arrived at Futtehpore.
• November 1st.-3 A.M. Sir Colin Campbell and
suite arrived; and at sunrise the garrison fired a salute
of seventeen guns. 10 A.M. Mustered by companies,
and performed Divine service. Number of sick, se-
venty.
› November 2nd.—7.30 A.M. Sir Colin Campbell
and suite left the garrison, under a salute of seventeen
guns. Exercised the band at rifle drill. Number of
sick, sixty-three.
November 3rd.-A company of H.M. 82nd Re-
giment marched into barracks. Number of sick, sixty-
one. To-day we have heard of Captain Peel's engage-
ment at Kudjwa, the following brief account of which
is from the pen of our chaplain, Mr. Bowman:-
O November 1st.-5.30 A.M. A force consisting of a
hundred men and officers of the Naval Brigade, with Lieut.
1857.
ENGAGEMENT AT KUDJWA.
27
Hay, Mr. Garvey, Lieut. Stirling, R.M., and Mr. Bone, one
company of Royal Engineers, two companies of H. M. 53rd
Regiment, and a detachment of sixty men of different regi-
ments, afterwards joined by one company of H. M. 90th
Highlanders, about five hundred and thirty men in all, the
whole under command of Colonel Powell, C.B., started from
Futteḥpore in pursuit of a body of the mutineers: after march-
ing twenty-four miles, at 3 P.M. they came within sight of the
enemy, found them intrenched in a strong position behind
some hillocks of sand, and driving their skirmishers out of a
field of long corn, engaged and defeated them, capturing
two guns and an ammunition waggon: the whole force of the
enemy exceeded four thousand men, of whom about two
thousand were Sepoys and fought in uniform, many with
medals on their breasts. Their loss in the action was esti-
mated at over four hundred killed, and included their com-
mander and wounded. Colonel Powell was killed early in
the action, when the command devolved on Captain Peel.
The battle was fought near the village of Kudjwa, and lasted
two hours and a half, the force encamping in the vicinity of
a village called Binkee that evening. The following day,
the force under Captain Peel returned to Futtehpore in
high spirits, and was received with loud cheering. Lieut.
Hay, R.N. was slightly wounded in the hand, and Lieut.
Stirling, R.M. was severely wounded in the calf of the leg.*
*
☀ November 4th.-A company of H.M. 82nd Re-
giment marched into barracks.
November 6th.-9.30 P.M. Lieut. Wratislaw, with
fifty men, left the garrison, by order of Brigadier
Campbell, to protect the hospital. Some men were
seen prowling round the walls of the fort the other
* See Appendix.
28
CHAP. III,
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
night, and the Brigadier ordered me out with a picquet
to see what they were about; the men ran away, but our
attention was thus drawn to some windows in the wall,
open drains, and the arsenal, all of which were in a
very unprotected state. As this fortress is not strongly
garrisoned, great precautions are taken both by day
and night; after gun-fire, the drawbridges are hauled
up, and the gates locked, and there is neither ingress
nor egress without written permission from the com-
mandant; all the sentries are visited, guards turned
out, and walls patrolled twice during the night, by the
subaltern commanding the main guard, and once by
the captain of the week; any person within or without
the fort not answering when hailed, is fired at by the
sentry, and on hearing a shot fired all the guards turn
Some years ago, a very curious pillar, some fifty
feet long, was found here, made of one solid piece of
stone; the colonel then commanding the garrison had
it set up in the middle of the parade-ground, with a
comical-looking carved lion on the top. It goes by
the name of Bheem Singh's Lat. A Calcutta Magazine
gives the following account of it: "It is one stone,
42 feet 7 inches in height, of which 7 feet 7 inches
may be considered the base, which was probably
buried to some extent in the ground, or in the ma-
sonry that supported it. The shaft, properly so called,
is 3 feet in diameter at the base, diminishing to 2 feet
2 inches at the summit; the neck, immediately below
out.
1857.
BHEEM SINGH'S LAT.
29
the capital, represents with considerable purity the
honeysuckle ornament of the Assyrians, which the
Greeks borrowed from them with the Ionic order.
The pillar at Allahabad lost its capital, but the de-
ficiency was supplied from two of the Tirhoot ex-
amples which retain their capitals, with the lions which
crowned the summits of all. This pillar is one of a
group of monolites set up by Asoka in the middle of
the third century, B.C.; they were all alike in form,
and all bore the same inscription, being four short
edicts, containing the creed and principal doctrines of
Bhuddism, which he had recently embraced. Of these
one is at Delhi, having been re-erected by Feroze-shah
in his palace, as a monument of his victory over the
Hindoos; three more are standing near the River
Gunduck, in Tirhoot; a fragment of another was dis-
covered near Delhi, and part of a seventh was used
as a roller on the Benares road by a Company's en-
gineer officer." On this day, Captain Peel, with the
first detachment of the Naval Brigade, arrived at-
Cawnpore.
↳ November 7th. 6.30 A.M. Lieut. Wratislaw and
party returned from the hospital. H. M. 82nd Regi-
ment marched out of barracks. Carpenters employed
painting boats. Died, Michael Shea, R.M. By order
of the commandant, Brigadier Campbell, porter is now
served out to our men.
• November 8th.-6.30 A.M.
Mustered by com-
3.0
CHAP. III.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
1
panies and marched to the garrison chapel. 5 P.M.
Sent funeral party to inter the remains of Michael
Shea, deceased. Number of sick, sixty-four.
4 November 12th.-The following account of the
operations of the detachment of the Naval Brigade
which accompanied Sir Colin Campbell to the relief
of Lucknow, is from the journal of our chaplain: a
list of the officers will be found in the last chapter.
4 November 12th.-The Naval Brigade arrived at the
camping ground near the Alumbagh; a short time before
their arrival, about two thousand of the enemy were observed
on the left, about a thousand yards off, among corn and
sugar-cane fields; our men immediately brought their great
guns into position on the road, and the Horse Artillery,
Highlanders and Lancers went in pursuit; after firing a few
round shot, the enemy dispersed.
November 13th.-Last night, the wounded from
the battle of Kudjwa arrived, and amongst them were
Lieut. Stirling, R.M. and an officer of the 93rd of the
name of Conyngham; both were wounded by a bullet
in the calf of the leg.
↳ November 14th.-The washermen knock our
clothes to pieces terribly, but get them beautifully
white and clean, far beyond anything I ever saw in
England; this, however, is chiefly owing to the burn-
ing sun, which would bleach a chimney-sweep in about
ten minutes, brushes and all. Our men have all sorts
of pets: cats, dogs, goats, pigeons, monkeys, parrots,
and even sheep and squirrels; every morning, about
1857.
ADVANCE TO THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW.
31
twenty men and monkeys go down to a covered bath
in the ditch of the fort, adjoining which is a smaller one
used by the officers. Every barrack-room has a small
square hole in each of its four corners for ventilation,
and what with the birds flying in at the windows and.
out through the ceiling, one's room is a perfect aviary.
↳ November 14th.-(From Mr. Bowman's Journal.) The
whole force got under weigh, and proceeded by a circuitous
route to attack Lucknow; on the march, which was among
cornfields and woods that would have afforded splendid cover
for the enemy, the troops were several times engaged, and
on one occasion some of the Highlanders were driven back,
but being reinforced, compelled the enemy to retreat: on
nearing Lucknow they made a stand, but were driven back
with the loss of two guns. Two large buildings, or rather
palaces were taken by our troops; one, called the Dilkushah,
is a royal hunting-seat, situated on a hill overlooking
Lucknow; the other, a European college called the Mar-
tinière, built by a Frenchman, General Martine, who was
commander-in-chief of the Oude army many years ago, is
situated a little below the Dilkushah. We now all moved
into a compound near the Martinière, but had hardly oc-
cupied it when several round shot were fired right among
us; at the same time a determined attack was made by the
enemy with musketry, which soon obliged us all, men and
guns, to evacuate the place. Our large guns were rapidly
taken, under a heavy fire, into a position whence they might
drive back the enemy, and some troops were also ordered to
charge, the enemy were repulsed, and we then returned and
bivouacked for the night. We had a sad misfortune with
one of our guns; it accidentally went off while being loaded,
probably on account of not having been properly sponged,
killed Francis Cassiday, captain of the maintop, severely
32
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. III.
to-
wounded two other blue jackets, killed one Highlander, and
severely wounded two others. The total loss of the army
day has been upwards of twenty killed and wounded, and
among
the former are two officers of the Carabineers.
O November 15th.-(From Mr. Bowman's Journal.) The
army rested.
D November 16th.-(From Mr. Bowman's Journal.) The 8th
Regiment, Hodson's horse, and three guns of the Royal Artil-
lery, under command of Lieut. Walker, the whole under com-
mand of Colonel Little, remained at the Dilkushah to guard
the baggage, stores, sick and wounded: the remainder of the
army proceeded to attack Lucknow. Presently the advanced
guard was heard in conflict with the enemy; when the Naval
Brigade guns came up to where the fighting was going on,
they found that a sort of summer palace called the Secundra
Bagh, was being attacked: it was full of Sepoys, who kept
up a killing fire from the roofs and neighbouring walls. The
engagement was very severe, and an officer came rushing back
along the line shouting for infantry, and hurrying up the
heavy guns. When the field hospital arrived at the scene of
action, it took up its position under the walls of the Secundra
Bagh, inside of which the fighting was still going on: this
was the safest position that could be selected, but the shot,
shell, and musket-balls were cutting the trees about in all
directions, and falling among the wounded who were brought
in rapidly; in a few hours the place was covered with doolies
full of wounded, who were afterwards removed to beds placed
along the wall. In the evening a report was spread that one
of the adjacent towers contained a magazine; this caused a
panic, and the whole of the wounded were removed into the
open, where they remained for some time: afterwards the
report was found to have been false; they were moved back
again, and there they remained during the first awful night.
Lieut. Salmon was brought in, wounded in the thigh by a
musket-ball during the afternoon. Martin Abbot Daniel,
1
1857.
THE SECUNDRA BAGH.
· 33
midshipman, was killed by a round shot which tore away the
right side of his head. In writing to his father, Captain Peel
says: "It was in the front of the Shah Najeef, and in command
of an 8-in. howitzer, that your noble son was killed; the
enemy's fire was very heavy, and I had just asked your son if
his gun was ready; he replied "All ready, sir," when I said,
"Fire the howitzer," and he was answering "Aye, aye," when
a round shot in less than a moment deprived him of life.
We buried him where he fell, our chaplain reading the service,
and in laying him in his resting place we felt, captain, officers
and men, that we had lost one of the best and noblest of the
Shannons." The firing slackened considerably during the
night, and our troops advanced some distance towards the
Residency, having stormed and taken the barracks and
several bungalows. Twelve or thirteen of the Naval Brigade
were brought in wounded, and three or four were killed.
* November 17th.-(From Mr. Bowman's Journal.) On
account of the unsafe position and exposed situation of the
hospital, the sick were removed this morning to a village
about a hundred and fifty yards off: this village was built,
as are many in Oude, consisting of a square court, surrounded
by mud cottages, whose doors and windows all open to the
interior on the outside are very thick blank mud walls, the
whole forming rather a strong fortification. The sick had
not been here long before the enemy had evidently received
information of the move, for several round shot were sent
into the court, the second of which killed two camels which
were lying down in the centre of the square, the third going
right through the roof of the building in which Dr. Dickson
and some of the staff were living. The hospital was in a
most precarious position, as it was open to the rear, a large
breach having been made in the wall, and no sentries having
been posted at the entry. During the night heavy firing was
heard close to, probably the enemy engaging our picquets: a
few men coming in might have massacred the whole of our
D
34
CHAP. III.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
:
sick and wounded; but the night passed without any at-
tempt being made, although a general attack was expected,
the bells ringing every half hour and the firing recom-
mencing each time. To-day, great cheering was heard all
round, which announced the fact that communication had
been opened with the Residency. Generals Havelock and
Outram met Sir Colin Campbell, and the women and
children were now considered out of danger.
? November 20th. The garrison saluted Major-
General Dupuis, R.A., with thirteen guns, on his
leaving the fort. This evening we received intelli-
gence that there were two thousand Sepoys about
three miles off: all the troops in the permanent camp
were immediately got under arms, and everyone in
the fort was on the "qui-vive"; but there was no
attack, and all ended in smoke. A few nights ago,
we sent out an advanced picquet of fifty men, and
on another occasion, two field-pieces and a hundred
men, but neither time did any Sepoys appear; so either
spies must have brought false intelligence, or the
rebels taken alarm.
November 23rd.-(From Mr. Bowman's Journal.)
Last night, the whole force retreated from Lucknow, and
arrived at the Dilkushah. The retrogade movement was
made in a most successful manner, without any pursuit or
annoyance from the enemy. A large number of shot were
necessarily left behind in the Residency, and also a few
disabled guns,
3 November 24th.-(From Mr. Bowman's Journal.)
The army started from the Dilkushah for the Alumbagh,
leaving behind two of the Naval Brigade guns and two
1857.
THE RETREAT AT CAWNPORE.
35
thousand men to cover the retreat, and follow on the suc-
ceeding day. General Havelock died this day at the Dil-
kushah, of dysentery: he will be buried to-morrow in
the Alumbagh. A 24-pr. about a thousand yards off annoys
the garrison of the Alumbagh very much, several shots
having struck the tents, and a few natives having been killed:
this gun goes by the name of "Nancy Dawson." The Sepoy
commanders pay their men for every round shot or bullet
they bring in: this affords very pretty practice for our
picquets, as there are constantly several men out in the open,
picking up shot that fall short.
4 November 26th.-Allahabad contains many valu-
able stores and is very strong, yet it has no standing
garrison besides the Naval Brigade. I have had my
room partitioned off with grass mats, to keep out the
draughts; there is no sort of protection in these bar-
racks from cold in winter, nothing has been thought
of but how to keep them cool in summer. We hear
that there is a party of Sepoys between Cawnpore and
Lucknow intercepting the post, which may account for
our receiving no news from that direction.
h ↳ November 28th. (From Mr. Bowman's Journal.)
Orders arrived early in the morning for the Naval Brigade to
march at 7 A. M. Captain Peel took upon himself to ignore
the order, and directed the men to get their breakfasts before
starting; at noon they marched fifteen miles, and then
received orders to bivouac for two hours, after this they again
started and reached the camp of the main army, about three
miles from Cawnpore, at 2 A.M. No tents were pitched, but
the guns were kept ready for action. We hear that the
Gwalior Contingent attacked Cawnpore on the 26th, and
D 2
36
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. III.
General Wyndham hearing that they were approaching,
went out to meet them with about fifteen hundred men:
they fell in with a strong reconnoitring party of the enemy,
attacked and defeated them, capturing three guns; they
then returned and encamped about two miles from Cawn
pore: the next day at 11.30 A.M. the alarm was sounded,
and thirty-six blue jackets with two 24-prs. with Mr. Garvey,
mate, under command of Lieut. Hay, advanced to meet the
enemy, and after a short time came in sight of them. The
enemy fired the first shot from a gun on the road, but as
soon as our guns replied, they opened fire with grape and
canister from batteries on either side of it: our guns not
being properly supported, and being in advance of the
skirmishers, Lieut. Hay received orders from General Dupuis
to retire and leave them, which he did, having spiked one:
our blue jackets advanced again shortly afterwards with the
Rifles and 88th, and brought them in: Lieut. Hay was
struck in the stomach by a spent grape-shot, and carried to
the rear. The retreat now became general, and our troops
pursued by the enemy and harassed by musketry, reached
the entrenched camp at about 5.30 P.M. with their guns.
Mr. H. A. Lascelles, naval cadet, A.D.C. to Captain Peel,
distinguished himself a good deal, seizing a rifle from a
wounded man of the 88th, and charging with that regiment.
«November 30th.-We were all much astonished
this morning to see a post-captain in top-boots, spurs,
and corduroys, come riding across the parade-ground;
he wore a full-dress sword-belt, and a curious looking
sword, very much curved, and broad, with a wooden
hilt, an undress frock-coat with the three stripes, and a
number of shiny leather accoutrements hanging about
him by marvellously contrived straps; there was a
1857.
CAPTAIN OLIVER JONES.
37
drinking flask, a revolver case, a present-use pouch, a
reserve pouch, and a telescope case, all made of black
shiny leather; his saddle was quite new and white,
with white holsters and bags hanging from it, white
bridle, and white reins; this all turned out to be
Captain Oliver Jones, an officer on half-pay, come up
here for a lark as he told me.
D3
38
CHAP. IV.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. IV.
MARCH ΤΟ CAWNPORE. RECAPTURE OF CAWNPORE. THE
YELLOW BUNGALOW.”
o December 6th.-8.30 A. M. Received orders per
electric telegraph for Lieut. Wilson, Mr. Verney, the
band, and eighty men to proceed to Cawnpore.
‹ December 7th. Cheemee. Yesterday, at three
hours' notice, we left Allahabad for Cawnpore. Since
Captain Peel started, one thought has been uppermost
in each mind, namely, the desire to follow him. When
we left yesterday, the scene among our men ordered
to remain was most extraordinary, old petty-officers
and young seamen giving way to floods of tears at
not being ordered to the front. This is the end
of the railway at present, and we march this after-
noon at one or two o'clock with bullock-waggons.
We have just met Lieuts. Hay and Salmon going
to Allahabad wounded, with the women, children,
and wounded relieved from Lucknow: Lieut. Salmon
is shot through the thigh, and Lieut. Hay has re-
ceived an internal wound, caused by a spent ball
striking his sword-belt; Lieuts. Young and Salmon
have been recommended for the Victoria Cross. I hear
that at Cawnpore shot and shell are flying into the
1857.
RECAPTURE OF CAWNPORE.
39
1
tents.
Lieut. Young is at present in command of our
men at that place.
Futtehpore. We hear that the road between this
and Cawnpore is not safe, but that the rebels have been
well thrashed. Our journey, even this far, has been
full of adventures, an account of which in an idle
moment (see April 22nd, 1858) might amuse; but
as they chiefly consisted of carts breaking down, and
oxen and waggons weaving themselves into a curious
and writhing fabric.
(From Mr. Bowman's Journal.) Orders have come for
the baggage to proceed immediately to the Commander-in-
Chief's camp, about three miles off on the Calpee Road. The
enemy deserted the city of Cawnpore at about three o'clock
this morning; yesterday they had guns in position to play
upon the Grand Trunk Road; when our guns went to attack
them they appeared taken by surprise, and did not at first
return the fire. After encountering rather a heavy fire for a
short time, they retreated with our men full in pursuit.
They made one stand behind an entrenchment, which was
stormed and carried by the Royal Marines under Captain
Gray, R.M., and the 53rd. The enemy then fled down the
Calpee Road, pursued by our troops, that being the only one
open to them, as a two-gun battery commanded by Lord
Walter Kerr was opposed to them on the Futtehpore Road.
Seventeen guns were captured, also their camp, which con-
tained a great portion of the things taken from the 88th, 90th,
&c., on the occasion of General Wyndham's retreat. The
cavalry pursued the enemy for about fifteen miles, cutting
them to pieces, and our guns went down the road about nine
miles: in the evening the troops returned with a great
quantity of baggage and ammunition. Our loss has been very
D 4
40
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. IV.
{
trifling; two officers. were killed Lieut. Vincent of the 8th,
and Lieut. Salmond of the Staff; the latter was found with
his throat cut, a short distance down the Calpee Road. The
loss of the Naval Brigade was' two men slightly wounded.

KERR'S BATTERY. CAWNPORE.
* December 9th. -Futtehpore. This day at noon
we start; four of our men who were ordered to remain
behind have smuggled themselves into our party. Yes-
terday we caught a Sepoy with a large quantity of
spoil, amongst which was a pair of cymbals, which
the chief magistrate of the place kindly gave us, and
they will be a great addition to our band.
This
4 December 10th. Alas! we are detained at Fut-
tehpore; however, there is no fighting going on now
at Cawnpore, so matters might be much worse.
place is distant from Allahabad seventy miles, and
from Cawnpore fifty.
© December 13th.-Cawnpore. We marched in here
yesterday at noon; on the road I purchased a bottle of
brandy for one pound, thinking myself most fortunate
1857.
CHARACTER OF THE NATIVES.
41
in being able to do so: not half an hour afterwards
Captain Oliver Jones rode up and presented me with
another bottle; I do not remember to have ever re-
ceived a more valuable present, or one for which I felt
more gratitude. Now we have arrived we find that
there are not tents for us, so we sleep in the tents of
those who were here before, and spend the greater part
of our time in the open air. Although I know that
the opinion is not generally entertained, I give the
result of my own short experience when I say that
I find the natives of India tractable, and the better
classes, such as servants, &c., grateful and honest. The
English residents generally appear to me very pre-
judiced against the natives, and show this in their
behaviour; for my own part, I must say that I re-
ceive many marks of attachment from my servants, in
return for the trifling acts of kindness which I en-
deavour to do them. Contrary to the advice which
was given me, I have treated my kitmagar kindly, and
have reposed confidence in him; I try to gain his
good-will, and he has amply repaid me by following
me up here when he had a very bad foot; he said
that I was a good master, and he knew I depended
on his coming up, and would not disappoint me. As
for the abject tillers of the soil, I fear they are so
stupid, so ignorant, so wanting in the characteristics
which distinguish
distinguish the man from the brute, that
I could quite understand instinct leading them to
murder a sleeping man for the sake of the piece.
42
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. IV.
!
of bread in his hand. I think that a cause of the
mutiny may be that in every British mind in India
contempt for the natives is deeply rooted. When a
kindness is done to a native by an Englishman, it is
often accompanied by a contemptuous thought which
appears only too clearly in the countenance; the terms
in which I have heard even clergymen and others,
who would desire to do good to the Hindoos, speak
of them, convinces me that this is the case; it must
be most trying to a people who consider us as outcasts.
‹ December 14th.-To-day we have shifted camp
to a plain two miles further from Cawnpore.
↑ December 15th.-Lieut. Vaughan and Lord Walter
Kerr have started with a party of blue jackets for
Bithoor, where Nana Sahib had his palace: they are
gone to assist in pumping out some wells, at the bottom
of which treasure is said to lie, as a silver cup was
fished out of one with a spear.
ş December 18th. - Lieut. Vaughan returned with
his party, but had been unsuccessful in making any head
against the springs supplying the wells at Bithoor.
• December 20th.-We are now encamped about
three miles from Cawnpore. Ever since our arrival
I have suffered from extreme lassitude attended with
weakness, giddiness, and loss appetite, which renders
me totally unequal to any exertion of mind or body,
although up to the present time my name has not ap-
peared on the sick list. I have been taking a mixture
of quinine which has done me much good, and I hope
1857
METEOROLOGY IN CHINA.
43
it may now please God that I may recover. We have
two pieces of news this morning; one is that all the
rest of the Naval Brigade are coming up from Allaha-
bad; the other that a large force of the rebels, with
fifteen guns, refused to believe that Delhi had fallen,
and advanced towards it: the British officer in com-
mand came out to meet them, utterly routed them and
captured the fifteen guns. The chaplain here, the
Rev. T. Moore, who came up with us in the "Benares "
to Allahabad is the most hard-working man possible :
hospitable and generous almost to excess, he spends a
great portion of his time, often twelve hours out of the
twenty-four, among the sick in the hospitals: he is at
present laid up from over-work, but I trust will be
about again in a day or two: he has hired a large
house which, with the exception of one room, he has
turned into a private hospital for wounded officers:
under fire he has proved himself among the coolest and
the bravest; he is a man of about five and thirty,
although he looks ten years younger.
* December 22nd.-Lieut. Wratislaw arrived at
Cawnpore with the last detachment of the Naval
Brigade. We have a most facetious petty officer of
the name of Devereux; he is a good seaman but given
to talking very bad French; one day on the passage
out, when apostrophising the afterguard with even less
politeness than usual, Captain Peel overheard him, and
knowing him for an old offender turned sharply round
on him; "What's that you say, sir ?" said the Captain;
44
CHAP. IV.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
the man looked up scratching his old red head, with a
knowing look on his scarred and wrinkled face, and
with a sly twinkle in his eye replied: "I was making
the remark, sir, as 'ow it blows werry 'ard in the
Chiny seas." Of course this has now passed into a
proverb among the Shannons.
☀ December 23rd.-7 A.M. Exercised the Naval
Brigade together for the first time at company drill.
4 P.M. Exercised the first company at Light Infantry
drill. A day or two ago I visited the "Yellow Bun-
galow," the house in which the barbarous massacres
were committed; it is built in the form of a court; in
the centre stands a tree, and all round is a verandah;
I saw one of the rooms with its floors and walls
covered with blood, although attempts had been made
to whitewash the stains; from the beams of the
verandah hung pieces of cord by which the children
had been hung up, and stabbed by the Sepoys: on
the wall behind a door was written with a pin or some
sharp instrument, "Countrymen and women, remem-
ber 15 July, 1857. Your wives and families are here
in misery, and at the disposal of savages who has
ravished both old and young, and then killed us; oh!
oh! my child, my child! countrymen revenge. it."
Near the house is the well into which the murdered
bodies were thrown, and which has since been filled up.
1857.
CHRISTMAS DAY.
45
CHAP. V.
MARCH FROM CAWNPORE TO FUTTEGURH.
CAMELS AND ELE-
PHANTS. KUNNOJ. ON THE LINE OF MARCH.
THE KALLEE-NUDDEE.
BATTLE OF
4 December 24th. 6 A. M. Struck tents, and pro-
ceeded towards Futtegurh on the Grand Trunk Road.
1.30 P.M. Encamped, having marched thirteen miles.
ş December 25th.- Christmas Day. 8.30 A. M.
General parade; performed divine service. We are
now sixteen or seventeen miles from Cawnpore, where
we have left seventy-eight men and Lord Arthur
Clinton, under the command of Lord Walter Kerr,
midshipman. I soon got knocked up yesterday, as
we marched until nearly noon, and it was one before
the tents were pitched; but my syce led my horse by
my side, and I rode at least four or five miles. We
chummed together for our Christmas dinners, in parties
of five or six, each bringing what he could to the
general stock, and so we spent as merry a day as
possible under the circumstances. Captain Peel has
presented to the Commander-in-Chief, in the name of
the Naval Brigade, as a Christmas present, a small
46
CHAP. IV.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
brass cohorn, captured at Lucknow; it is mounted on
a little carriage, with a suitable inscription, made by
our engineers, assisted by the carpenters and stokers.
Our engineers, Mr. Bone and Mr. Henri, have been of
the greatest possible service, sighting our guns as ac-
curately as rifles, and most zealously giving their whole
energies to promoting the efficiency of our battery.
• December 27th.-I have marched to-day the
whole distance without mounting my horse; our march
was only thirteen miles, so that an old stager would
laugh at my considering it an achievement; but I do
not think I could have marched much further. It is
Sunday, but marching every day, it is difficult to make
a difference between Sundays and week-days; there
is the same routine of washing, feeding, and .sleeping to
be gone through, and it must be done on Sunday
as well as on any other day. I find my horse most
useful; he has such pluck that I know he would run as
long as he could stand. To-day we have halted at a
place called Arrown; and yesterday we encamped at
Poorah, about twenty-six miles from Cawnpore.
morrow General Wyndham is to march with a strong
brigade to a fort about eight miles off; if it is de-
fended, he is to capture and blow it up. Lieut. Young
and Mr. Daniel, midshipman, go in charge of a gun,
which will be sent with two gun's crews. The
country we are marching through is very flat, but
generally well wooded, with a great deal of cultivation;
O
!
1857.
THE CAMEL.
47
and the roads are good but dusty. Yesterday when
we halted, a number of camels went to graze in a
field of young wheat; the owner of the wheat came
out, and called down curses from heaven on the
camel-drivers; they were so appalled at this, that
in three minutes they had driven out every camel:
such is the effect of superstition. I fear that many
of the camels are very badly used, as I sometimes
see their backs bleeding when the pack-saddles are
taken off. Young camels are frequently born on the
march, and their mammas have to carry them for
several days, until they are able to run pretty well;
then a little wooden toggle is passed through the
infant's nose, a piece of string connects it with the
maternal tail, and thus it commences its walk through
life, following in its parent's footsteps. A camel carries
its supply of water in a large bladder; when thirsty, the
animal has the power of bringing this up with a bub-
bling, gurgling sound, until it hangs down some eighteen
inches below his mouth, and, having taken some of the
water, he again swallows it; until one is accustomed to it,
this is a most disagreeable and disgusting sight. When
being laden he will give utterance to dismal moans,
which become more piteous as his load increases; and if
more is placed on his back than he approves of, he will
start up; shake it all off and run "bobbery " through the
camp, perhaps dragging after him, bumping and bound-
ing over earth and stones, some valuable box, which
48
CHAP. V,
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
has therefore been the more securely lashed to his
pack-saddle. When unladen at night, he will some-
times frisk about with most grotesque antics; and
surely, there is no more absurd sight in the world
than a “larky" camel. To ride a camel is at first no
easy matter; when you have climbed on to his hump,
and laid hold of his pack-saddle, the "ont-wallah" gives
the word, and the animal rises on his hind knees, with a
"send" forward that will pitch the rider over his bows
if he does not hold fast; before he has properly re-
covered his seat, the camel rises on his fore-feet, with
a worse struggle than before, that threatens to send
the rider flying over his stern; and a third "pitch"
brings the camel on to all fours.
But now commences
beast begins to trớt,
a most trying discipline, for the
and each step appears to dislocate every bone in your
body, and it is only by practice that you learn to rise
in the rope stirrups with each unexpected motion,
so that at last the riding is even pleasant. The camel
has large pad feet, whose natural cushion prevents this
jarring from damaging the animal himself, and keeps
his feet from sinking in soft sand: camels are at
all times guided by a string attached to a wooden
toggle passed through the nose, which in a caravan is
fastened to his precursor's tail. At night, the camels
of each regiment kneel down in a circle, their young
ones and pack-saddles by their sides, their drivers in
the centre, and thus they sleep on their stomachs:
1
1857..
THE ELEPHANT.
49
many of them are very vicious, and if approached
too closely by strangers, give a nasty tearing bite.
The elephant is a far nobler and more intelligent
creature; viewed as a piece of animal architecture,
he is perhaps the most wonderful on earth. The
largest of living creatures, his enormous proportions
require corresponding support, which is found in his
straight and massive legs; his arched back enables
him to bear heavy burdens; and his strong head, set
close on to his shoulders, enables him to concentrate
his strength into a push. But the absence of a neck
precludes him from putting his head to the ground,
unless he kneels down, and therefore Providence
has given him his marvellous trunk; with this he
will pluck herbage from the ground, or tear down
tender branches of trees for food; when directed
he will pull down a house with it, root up a small
tree, or chastise a bad brother; with this he drinks
water; holding a branch in it he will fan away flies;
or attacked by a tiger, with one blow he will break
its back. At the end of a day's march, one elephant
goes to the nearest jungle, and assists the mahout in
cutting down branches for the food of the others;
when these lie in a heap on the ground, he lifts up
one foot, and so disposes his trunk as to make a stair
for his keeper, who gets on his back with a long
cord; now the beast passes up the branches one by
one to him, and assists in stacking them on his own
•
E
50
CHAP. V.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
back, where they are secured by the mahout. Ele-
phants delight in water, and will stand for hours
squirting it over their own, or each other's backs, and
washing their thick dark skin, and its few coarse
black hairs. They have no front teeth in the lower
jaw, but the under lip protudes, so as to form a sort
of spout, into which they pour water from their trunks
when drinking; the end of the proboscis is exceedingly
sensitive, and affords to this huge beast the power of
great delicacy of manipulation. On a more intimate
acquaintance, he is found to be by no means as awk-
ward or ugly an animal as might be expected; his
large flabby ears are very correct, and can not only
distinguish the various inflections of the human voice,
but also distant sounds which are to us inaudible: his
black eyes, though very small, sparkle with unmis-
takeable intelligence. Many elephants have no tusks,
from some they have been cut off for sale, and the stumps
are tipped with brass to prevent their splitting: in com-
bat with each other, they generally lock their tusks and
push head to head. The motion of riding an elephant
is not unpleasant; their pace is a shambling trot, with
which they get over a good deal of ground, but soon
become footsore if worked too hard. Perhaps, if there
is one way in which an elephant shows its intelligence
more than another, it is in its dislike to gunpowder.
Formerly they were much used in native warfare; but
now, at the scratch of a bullet or sound of a gun, the
1857.
ERAM CUSSERAI.
51
sensible animal, having no Victoria cross to gain, or
spurs to win, starts off in the opposite direction as hard
as he can run, regardless of the tent on his back, or
the 68-pr. in tow. As no tame elephants will breed,
each has to be caught and tamed separately. The
mutual dread that exists between the elephant and
horse is most unaccountable, familiar with each other
as a campaign must make them; they never pass with-
out both exhibiting signs of fear, which the former
sometimes gives vent to in a shrill trumpeting sound.
* December 29th.- Eram Cusserai. Yesterday, at
noon, we arrived at this place and do not march again
to-day, nor, I believe to-morrow, on account of a bridge
ahead of us having been broken down. I cannot suc-
ceed in getting a comfortable saddle, and English sad-
dles are very scarce; my pony is spirited and restless,
and my saddle so uncomfortable that I have several
times been nearly thrown; he never walks quietly over
a little ditch, but clears it with a sudden bound that
nearly unhorses me; he is very clever in scrambling
over the low mud walls of this country; he has learnt
the not very agreeable trick of giving the stirrup a
sharp, vicious ringing kick just as one puts one foot
into it when mounting, so I have to be extremely care-
ful, or I should get my ankle broken. The aspect of
the country through which we have been marching has
not changed; in some places are little brooks, clumps
of nice trees, fields of wheat, tobacco, or cauliflowers;
E 2
52
CHAP. V.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
the country is nearly level with but few undulations;
the trees are well grown, affording delicious shade, and
generally begin to branch out at about ten feet from
the ground; birds are abundant and noisy, especially
green parrots; some of the houses of the natives are

TOMB AT ERAM CUSSERAI.
tastefully adorned with wood carving, and we pass
others with very prettily ornamented porches, the
whole of which on inspection prove to be worked in
dried mud.
After the day's march, as soon as we arrive at our halt-
1857.
ERAM CUSSERAI.
53
ing-place, we pile arms and sit down on the grass to wait
for the elephants with the tents; they generally come in
about twenty minutes, and when we have got our tents
pitched, we go to sleep on the ground inside until the
carts arrive with the baggage, which is sometimes as
long as two or three hours; then we have some break-
fast cooked, perform our respective toilettes, unpack a
few things and spend the rest of the day in walking or

VA
MUD PORCH AT ERAM CUSSERAI.
riding, reading or writing. We go to bed at about
8 P.M., and the next morning rise at about five, pack
up our things, have a cup of coffee, and are off again
before it is light. This afternoon I rode out with
Captain Peel, Captain Oliver Jones, Lieut. Lind, Messrs.
Garvey Watson, and Lascelles. Captain Jones is a
young half-pay captain in the navy; he was formerly
commander of the Hannibal in the Black Sea, and is
E 3
54
CHAP. V.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
now up here for his own pleasure. We went to see
the ruins of an old town, about two miles N.N.E., called
Kunnoj; this town is said to be older than Babylon,
and its ruins larger than London; it was once the chief
city of India, but of the old town nothing now re-
mains but mounds of earth and bricks, which show
that it must have been a place of great magnitude
and importance. These mounds have in many places
been tunnelled by the Hindoos, and treasure has been
found in sufficient quantity to encourage people still
to go on mining in peaceful times. There are many
tombs and temples at Kunnoj of a comparatively
modern date, although still upwards of eight hundred
years old; this we ascertained by the architecture
which was Hindoo, and in some places where it had
been repaired, the alterations were Mussulman: the
Mahommedans came into
came into India about the
the year
A.D. 1000.
December 30th.-This afternoon I went to Kun-
noj to try to make a sketch of a gateway and the-
tombs of two holy men: they were built of old red
sandstone, which is chiefly found at Agra. To-day
Brigadier Adrian Hope's brigade, consisting of the
42nd and 93rd Highlanders and 53rd arrived from
Bithoor.
4 December 31st.-6.15 A.M. Struck tents. 7.30.
Proceeded on the march. P.M. 2. Halted and en-
camped after a march of fourteen miles. To find the
"
C
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1858..
GOOSAI-GUNGE.
55
exact spot where we are now encamped, follow the
trunk road up past Kunnoj until a by-road turns off to
the right, crossing a branch of the Ganges: we are in
the angle between the two roads; the enemy have
broken down the bridge across the river about five
miles off; the by-road leads to Futtegurh, distant
about twenty-four miles. This place is called Goosai-
gunge. "Gurh," as in Futtegurh, means "fort"; "Fut-
teh " means "victory"; "gunge," as in Goosai-gunge,
means “market” or "bazaar"; "pore," as in Berham-
pore, means "city." The ignorance that existed in
England a few years ago about Indian terms, and
indeed everything relating to this country is amus-
ingly illustrated in the following story: it is said
that an English M.P. read an account of a battle in
the Punjaub, in which it was stated that after the
engagement doolies carried off the wounded from the
field. "Picture to yourselves," said the indignant
gentleman, "the feelings of the sick and wounded,
when just as the trumpets were sounding for victory,
the ferocious doolies rushed down from the hills and
carried them off." It is to be hoped that our repre-
sentatives are better informed by this time. An Indian
army on the line of march is a sight affording much
interest and amusement; such a menagerie of men and
beasts, footmen and cavalry, soldiers and sailors, camels
and elephants, white men and black men, horses and
oxen, Marines and Artillery, Sikhs and Highlanders.
!
E 4
56
CHAP. V.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
When we first leave the encampment all is shrouded
in darkness, and everyone naturally feels a little
grumpy, but when the first streaks of dawn appear,
and we have been an hour on the road, the welcome
note is heard in the distance of the bugles sounding
the "halt"; with great rapidity it passes from regiment
to regiment and dies away in the rear; cavalry dis-
mount, infantry pile arms in the middle of the road,
and for a few minutes the whole army disperses on
each side of it; the favourite refreshment of officers
is bread, cold tongue, and “brandy-pawnee," which
find their way out of innocent-looking holsters; and
now we all take off overcoats or monkey-jackets which
were needed when we started in the cold and damp
night; the blue jackets fasten theirs over their shoulders,
and the officers strap theirs to their saddles; the brief
halt is too quickly at an end, and we enjoy a ten minutes'
rest, when the “advance" sounds again down the line
from bugler to bugler; all at once fall in, arms are un-
piled, and enlivened by our band, we again step out;
now feet begin to ache and boots to chafe, but the cheery
music of the bands, bugles, or drums and fifes of the re-
giment marching next to us, generally the Rifles, infuses
energy into the most footsore. We make three halts
in a march of thirteen or fourteen miles, of which the
last is the longest, to allow the quartermaster-general
and his staff to ride on and mark out the camp. A
day or two ago, an officer of a distinguished Highland
|
1857.
LEAVING THE ENCAMPMENT.
57
regiment was observed passing the Naval Brigade on
轟
​a camel; now to ride a camel at all requires some
experience, but to ride one in a kilt can hardly be
accounted among the pleasures of life: the individual
in question, so far from appearing to enjoy himself,
appeared much distressed, and in imminent danger of
slipping over the camel's tail; at last his feelings be-
came too much for him, and letting go his hold, he
fell sprawling on the grass amid shouts of laughter.
As the sun rises, the heat rapidly increases, and the
camels and elephants are seen making short cuts across
the fields, and keeping always clear of the road; when
our bands have blown as much wind as they can spare
into their instruments, our men strike up a song, and
old windlass tunes, forecastle ditties, and many a well-
known old ballad resound through the jungles or on the
fertile plains of Bengal, and serve to animate our sailors
and astonish the natives. The dust now becomes almost
stifling, and rises in a thick cloud for eight or ten feet
above the road; occasionally a staff-officer gallops by,
kicking up a terrible dust; or again, a slight declivity
and slope in the road shows the long and varied line
of march; generally, however, it is very level, with a
broad grassy glade on either side, bounded by hand-
some spreading trees. Our guns and ammunition follow
in rear of the brigade, under the charge of a Lieu-
tenant, with a strong guard; the small-arm ammunition
is carried on camels in charge of a midshipman with a
58
CHAP. V.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
small guard. Perhaps one of the least romantic and
most important offices is that of baggage-master, and
every officer of the Naval Brigade will long remember
the friendly care bestowed on our baggage by the
Hon. Hugh Hare, an officer of the Indian army,
attached to us in that capacity: owing to his exer-
tions, it rarely happened that our baggage was not
among
the first to reach the new camping ground, the
luxury of which will be appreciated by many an old
campaigner.
? January 1st, 1858.—10·30 A.M. Lieuts. Wratis-
law and Lind, and Mr. Garvey, mate, with two 24-prs.
and one 8-in. howitzer, and double gun's crews, under
command of Lieut. Vaughan, have gone to form part
of a small column under Brigadier the Hon. Adrian
Hope, to cover the sappers and miners while repairing
a bridge over the Kallee-Nuddee, four or five miles
distant. Just before Lieut. Vaughan went away, Lieut.
Young and Mr. Daniel returned with the party that
accompanied General Wyndham; they had blown up
a large fort called Detea, shot away five or six Sepoys
from guns, and hung up seventeen or eighteen of the
chief men of the neighbouring villages. I have this
morning bought a goat for three rupees; she will yield
plenty of milk, as I shall feed her in the fields of young
corn which abound; at our last camping-ground, one
regiment was encamped in a potato field. I am learn-
ing to milk a goat, but cannot quite manage it yet;
1858.
BATTLE OF THE KALLEE-NUDDEE.
59
I consider, myself, however, second only to Soyer in
making omelettes. We get plenty of grapes, which
come in caravans from Câbul, packed with cotton in
little round wooden boxes; and very delicious they
are too, on a dry, hot, dusty march.
↳ January 2nd.-At 7.30 A.M., just as the sus-
pension bridge was repaired, the Sepoys opened fire
upon our men, under Lieut. Vaughan, from a small gun
in the opposite village, and our guns returned it,-the
crews who were washing their garments by the river-
side leaving their soap-suds and clothes, never to see
them again. At eight we received orders to strike
tents in half an hour; and the Naval Brigade, with
their guns, the Artillery, Highlanders, Engineers, Pro-
byn's Horse, and other regiments, were ordered to
proceed immediately to the bridge. 11 A.M. Halted
at the bridge. Here we found the village on the
other side of the river occupied by the mutineers, with
two guns. Our three guns, under Lieut. Vaughan,
had crossed over the bridge, which had been repaired
by the Naval Brigade during the night, and were
firing from a yellow bungalow near the northern end
of it, keeping up a heavy fire on the village, distant
about three hundred yards; our guns now took up a
position further to the left, and held in check a body
of the enemy's cavalry visible beyond the village,
behind the crest of some rising ground; the 53rd
were lying behind the yellow bungalow, keeping up
60
CHAP. V.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
!
a withering fire from their skirmishers, for whom the
ground afforded excellent cover from mounds and
ridges of earth, and tufts of tall, coarse grass; and
shortly afterwards the Lancers, and a body of Sikh
cavalry, crossed the bridge and took up a position on
our left; Brigadier Greathed's division then crossed
over, and also formed on the left of our guns. Lieut.
Vaughan now pointed and fired one of our guns at
the small gun of the enemy, which was concealed
behind the corner of a house, and annoying us much :
his first shot struck the roof of the house; his second
struck the angle of the wall about half-way down;
and a third dismounted the gun and destroyed the
carriage. Captain Peel, who was standing by, said,
"Thank you, Mr. Vaughan; perhaps you will now be
so good as to blow up the tumbril." Lieut. Vaughan
fired a fourth shot, which passed near it; and a fifth,
which blew it up, and killed several of the enemy.
"Thank you," said Captain Peel, in his blandest and
most courteous tones; "I will now go and report to
Sir Colin." I was only under fire for a few minutes,
when I took some ammunition over the bridge to our
guns, and Captain Peel then pointed out to me the
remains of the gun and tumbril. The company to
which I belonged was held in reserve; but when we
afterwards marched through the village, we saw the
bodies of Sepoys lying near the remains of the tumbril,
and fearfully burnt. After a good deal of firing, the
1858.
SEPOY TREACHERY.
61
village was stormed and captured by the 53rd, the
enemy making no stand; the cavalry pursued them
for some miles, capturing all their guns, eight in
number, and cutting them up dreadfully. It is said
that a bugler of the 53rd sounded the "advance"
without orders, which excited Sir Colin's displeasure.
The whole army now crossed the bridge, and pro-
ceeded about two miles to the camping-ground, distant
from Futtegurh twelve miles. Casualties in the Naval
Brigade, one officer and two men wounded. Captain
Maxwell, of the Bengal Artillery, was brought in
wounded by a musket ball through the thigh, early in
the action; he was attached to the Naval Brigade as
interpreter, and we shall feel the loss both of his
professional services and of his agreeable society.
Captain Peel met with an adventure after the capture
of the village, which might have been serious; when
passing through a small street, accompanied by Cap-
tain Oliver Jones, three men of the 53rd, and one or
two blue jackets, five Sepoys jumped up out of a ditch
on either side of the road, and rushed on them; they
fought with desperation, but were all killed,-Captain
Jones shooting the last man with his revolver; one man
of the 53rd was dangerously wounded, but no one else
on our side was hurt. Mr. Watson, an officer of the
engineers, had also a narrow escape this morning: last
night he was in the village, and agreed with the head
man for a hundred and fifty coolies to come to assist in
62
CHAP. V.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
!
repairing the bridge; this morning a message came to
him that they were ready, and should be delivered to
any officer who came to fetch them. Watson, having
some suspicions, did not go; and this saved his life,
as the Sepoys were at that time in possession of the
village. We reached our camping-ground at about
9.30 P.M., and parked our battery in a ploughed field,
but no baggage or provisions had arrived, except the
spirits, a cask of which is carried on some old lim-
bers, and, under the charge of two quartermasters,
is always foremost in the field or on the march;
we were each glad to drink our day's double allow-
ance, and even Captain Peel, who rarely drinks
spirits, tossed off with gusto the abominable arrack
that is served out in lieu of rum. Nearly famished,
we ate every crumb in our haversacks; and I deemed
myself lucky when I discovered two or three bile-
wallahs making chupatties, one of which I bought for
a rupee, and halved with a tent-mate. At about
midnight the elephants arrived with the tents, which
were immediately pitched in the total darkness; but
we had not a thing else, not even a candle, till about
four, when the hackeries arrived with the baggage.
Every tent was then illuminated, and roaring fires
blazed in rear of the camp; and at about five, as the
first streaks of dawn hove in sight, we sat down to a
late dinner.
-
• January 3rd. This afternoon we marched to
1857.
THE ENEMY ABANDON FUTTEGURH.
63
Futtegurh, where we arrived at 4 P.M., and encamped
on the parade-ground; the enemy abandoned the
town and fort with the exception of one native officer
and thirty men, with two guns, who surrendered on
our arrival. The road from Kallee-Nuddee to Fut
tegurh, and the fields on each side of it, were strewn
with dead bodies, some of old men, some of young, and
some of even boys, covered with ghastly wounds; and
one could trace the tracks through the fields of the
flying Sepoys pursued by the relentless Sikhs, and see
the trampled ground where the short, final struggle
had taken place, and some of the wells we passed were
choked with corpses. Near Futtegurh the road runs
through groves and thickets, and among fields and
orchards, separated by walls or thick banks of mud,
which might have been obstinately defended.
*
64
CHAP. VI.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. VI.
!
FURRUCKABAD
AND FUTTEGURH.
PICTURE OF CAMP LIFE.
ADVANCE TO THE RAMGUNGA. NATIVE SERVANTS. RETURN
TO CAWNPORE.
« January 4th. -Futtegurh. This morning an
order came out that no officer is to leave the camp
without permission from the general of his division.
The tents now supplied to us are square, and supported
by a single pole, made of coarse canvas, and lined
with blue cotton; the roofs are double, the upper one
spreading out on two opposite sides into large eaves or
wings. One of these is turned towards the south to
keep off the sun, while the other forms the house of
the native servants: on the two remaining sides are
the doors, which, supported on little poles, form porches,
while before the openings hang green blinds of finely-
split bamboo. I have just returned from seeing a
prisoner taken here, Madir Kahn; he remained in the
fort till the last moment and fired a shot at us,
and the Commander-in-Chief declared that if he was
not given up he would burn the town down. He was
at the head of the cavalry, and commanded the day
1858.
A SEPOY PRISONER.
65
I do not.
before yesterday at the Kallee-Nuddee.
know what will be done with him, but I suppose he
will either be blown away from a gun or hanged.
When I saw him there was a crowd round him, some
pulling his hair, and others throwing dirt in his face as
he lay tied to some boards. He was a very handsome,
strong-looking man, with black beard and moustaches,
and richly dressed. I can hardly think it right or
brave to torment a bound prisoner, however heinous
his crimes may be. He lay there quite dignified and
indifferent to the taunts, &c. of the crowd round him:
it is said that he was a chief mover in the atrocities of
Cawnpore.
8 January 5th. I went to-day to see the fort
of Futtegurh, which is not to be despised. The ram-
parts consist of two very high and solid walls of mud
with a deep ditch between; but the houses outside
approach very near, and would afford excellent cover for
riflemen, while there is no protection on the ramparts
for the men working the guns. The fort is not very
large and appeared to be nearly a square, with round
mud towers at the angles, but no redans or scientific
fortifications. I afterwards rode across the bridge of
boats over the Ganges, and about a mile beyond the
videttes into the country. It is very sandy and barren,
and little tributaries cross the road, or rather track,
running into the Ganges, with here and there a quick-
sand. When we leave Futtegurh, there are four roads.
F
66
CHAP. VI.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
open to us; the first, and I think the most probable, is
that back to Cawnpore and thence to Lucknow; se-
condly, that leading across the country straight to
Lucknow, which we are not likely to attempt with
our heavy guns, as I suspect it is not a very good one;
thirdly, the road to Bareilly, which I think we shall
not take, as the rebels do not seem to intend to make
a stand anywhere, and if we go on a wild-goose chase
after them in the north, we shall leave our forces at
Cawnpore and the Alumbagh unsupported. If the
rebels had intended to make a stand anywhere, they
would have done so at Furruckabad, which I hear
is a very strong place. We hear that there are only
about two thousand Sepoys gone to Bareilly, with a
great mob of budmashes and rabble. Our fourth road
would be that to Mynporee and Agra, where it is said
that some rebels are congregated. I saw Ceely of the
42nd to-day, and he presented me with three pairs of
socks, a most acceptable present, although I hear that
socks are to be bought at 16s. a pair. Madir Kahn is
to be seen hanging by the neck from a tree in the prin-
cipal bazaar of Furruckabad; he said, just before he
was executed, that he died with a clear conscience!
*
January 6th.-11.30 A.M. Interred the remains
of Thomas Gregory, R. M. in the station churchyard.
Lieuts. Young and Wilson and Mr. Daniel, midshipman,
an 8-in. howitzer and 24-pr., with a double number of
oxen, proceeded with a force, under Brigadier Adrian
1858.
PEACOCK SHOOTING.
67
Hope, to Mhow, on the Bareilly road, to procure rum,
of which there is a large store here, for the use of the
army. Our chaplain, Mr. Bowman, is a capital shot
with a gun or rifle, and sometimes brings home pea-
cocks from the neighbouring jungle, which when
roasted make no contemptible addition to a camp
repast.
9 January 8th.-P.M. Marched out for exercise;
halted in an open plain, and exercised first, second,
and third companies at light infantry drill. A walk
through the camp in the morning is very amusing;
everybody breakfasts at about nine, and hence at half-
past eight all the world is dressing, &c. ; in front of
every tent door are one or two gallant officers enjoying
their morning's bath, which ceremony is performed
in this wise: the devotee, attired in the lightest con-
ceivable dress, squats on his marrow-bones on a small
board at his tent door, and his bheestie then proceeds
to torture him by first letting the chilly water trickle
slowly over him from the neck of his pig-skin; in
vain does the victim shriek out" geldie, geldie koroo!"
(quicker, quicker!) the bheestie knows his duty, and
will at first only perform it in detail; gradually, how-
ever, the stream increases, and at length the very last
drops are emptied in a deluge over the now shivering
wretch; his bearer then presents him with towels,
slippers, and brushes, and he retires from the chill
morning air into his tent invigorated and refreshed
F 2
68
CHAF. VI.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
cry
as he needs be, who has the duties of a campaign to
perform under an Indian sun. And passing to and
fro among the tents are the charming young "dood-
wallahs," every now and then repeating their musical
"buckrie-dood," (goat's milk); these young ladies,
with brass or silver bangles on their ankles, and brace-
lets on their wrists, contrasting with their polished
black skins, and dressed in white robes with bright-
coloured shawls round their heads, supply the camp
with milk, and their jetty, sparkling eyes, and tall,
graceful figures, surmounted by the shining brass chatty,
form no unattractive addition to camp scenery. And
now while their masters are breakfasting, the syce grooms
and caparisons the horse of the field officer, and the
bearer of the captain or subaltern gives his sword an
extra rub up for the coming parade; the little cooking
fires in rear of the officers quarters send up grateful
odours of curries and omelettes, and little pots hiss and
bubble, slyly lifting their lids, daring you to guess their
contents, and shut up again with a defiant little puff
of steam; and while burning green twigs crackle, subs
and captains prattle, plates and dishes rattle, the bugles
for parade summon all to duty; and now for a time
the camp is quiet; only the native servants are left
cleansing the breakfast things, the maters (sweepers)
sweeping out the tents, the bheesties watering the
floors, and the voices of commanding officers of dif-
ferent regiments break the comparative stillness; now
1858.
PALACE AT FURRUCKABAD.
69
orderly officers proceed to the head-quarters, dis-
tinguished by the union jack floating in front of the
Commander-in-Chief's tent, and the camp seems de-
serted until regiment after regiment is dismissed, and
those who are not on duty spend the heat of the day
under the shadow of their tents.
© January 10th.—8 A. M. Mustered by companies
and performed Divine service. H.M. 9th Lancers,
Carabineers, Royal and Bengal Artillery attended ;
our chaplain, the Rev. E. L. Bowman, officiating. I
have been two or three times to Furruckabad, dis-
tant three miles, and to the splendid palace which
belonged to its Nawab. This is built upon a high
rock, and commands a beautiful view in a northerly
direction; it was intended to blow it all up, but
when the mines were completed, happily the au-
thorities changed their minds, and it is to be left
standing; it is a strong fortress, and must at the same
time have been a most picturesque residence, but the
actual palace has been burnt. I bought from some
soldiers a pair of gold-embroidered drawers, a silk
table-cover, and a turban: I also took a velvet saddle
from the Nawab's coach-house, where were two or
three English barouches and other carriages. I found
in one room a book which I brought away, and which
proved to be the "Little Koran" corresponding in
some degree to our prayer-book. I also inspected the
Nawab's garden, where amongst other things, were
F 3
70
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. VI.
two tigers in cages. The city of Furruckabad is very
picturesque, and fortified in the old fashion with gates
and drawbridges; it is entered through several
fortified gateways from which a street or boulevard
runs right through the centre of the town, with trees
and walks on either side, occasionally opening out into
squares. It is the handsomest Indian town I have
seen, its streets are broader and its houses less squalid
than those we have hitherto passed through.
▷ January 11th.-10 A. M. General parade. P.M.
Exercised first and second companies at gun drill.
Lieutenant Young and
8 January 12th. —A. M.
party returned from Mhow, having hung one hundred
and twenty-seven rebels on one tree at that place.
These dreadful though absolutely necessary severities
are most painful to recollect and to commemorate.
4 P.M. Marched out for exercise, and exercised first,
second, and third companies at light infantry drill.
☀ January 13th.-A party consisting of Lieu-
tenants Hay and Wratislaw, and myself, with fifty-five
men left the camp with a brigade under the command
of Brigadier Walpole.
4 January 14th.-Yesterday morning we marched
away across the Ganges on the road to Shahjehanpore
to the Ramgunga river, a tributary of the Ganges, on
whose banks we encamped yesterday afternoon. The
first part of our march was over very swampy country
near the Ganges, and it was only by putting all
2
1858.
MARCH TO THE RAMGUNGA.
71
hands on to each gun separately that we were able
to proceed. We have sent our 24-pr. and 8-in.
howitzer down to the banks of the Ramgunga. This
river rises in the Himalayas and falls into the Ganges
opposite Kunnoj; the stream here is narrow but
deep, there is no ford near, and four days ago the
enemy burned the bridge of boats, so that we are
puzzled to know how to get over with our guns; there
is talk of bringing boats overland from the Ganges, a
distance of eight miles. The enemy seem to be in
some force on the opposite side, with, I should think,
three guns and about a hundred and fifty cavalry;
they fired at us last night for about an hour, and
although some of their shot pitched over our guns, no
damage was done. Our brigade consists of two thou-
sand five hundred men under command of Brigadier
Walpole; Sappers, Horse Artillery, Rifle Brigade, 23rd,
and detachment of Naval Brigade. Noon. About an
hour ago I went down to the river with fourteen men
to try to raise a sunken boat, but when the enemy saw
us, they opened fire, and one shot plumped into the
water about three yards from where we were all
standing, which, not meeting with the approval of the
engineer officer in command, he sent me and my men
back again. During the night, the sappers have thrown
up a pretty little breastwork in front of our guns, with
the ornamental railing of a neighbouring garden
forming the rear.
A shot has killed three of our gun-
F 4
72
CHAP. VI.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
bullocks, which we have accordingly eaten; rather an
improvement on the inferior beef served out as
rations.
• January 17th.-The day before yesterday Lieut.
Vaughan brought up Lind and Garvey with two 24-prs.
and their crews, so our present force here consists of
six officers, one hundred and sixteen men, three guns
and a howitzer. We have constructed a raft of wood
and casks, under the direction of Captain Peel, who has
ridden over here two or three times, and it now lies on
the bank of the river all ready for launching: there is
a good ford two or three miles farther down, where
a boy of twelve years old could cross without being
wetted above the waist: the raft is rather long and tor-
tuous; there are besides eight boats, three of consider-
able size, protected by three 9-pr. guns and a very strong
picquet. It is said that we are waiting here until Sir
Colin receives further orders from Calcutta. We have
received two elephants to draw one of our guns instead
of bullocks. Yesterday we had a few drops of rain, the
first intimation of the showery week that is generally
met with at this time of year: the cold weather will
now soon be over.
☀ January 20th.-The day before yesterday, a
Sikh belonging to Hodson's Irregular Horse was
severely wounded in the leg, since amputated, by a
round shot, when on parade; in consequence of this,
we shifted camp further back yesterday afternoon.
1858.
HODSON'S HORSE.
73
We are now just waiting for orders from the Com-
mander-in-Chief, and are able to cross at any moment.
We frequently receive visits from our messmates in
camp at Futtegurh, but we are not supposed to go out-
side our own picquets.
? January 22nd.-Yesterday afternoon I rode
down to the ford, and saw the eight boats which we
have there; the river winds a good deal, so that
to go to the ford by water would be a journey of
perhaps five or six miles, while on this side it is only
three. The country seems well cultivated, and in
several places we saw topes of fine trees, but it was
rather marshy. Two bodies of irregular Sikh cavalry
are attached to the main army; one is distinguished
by wearing red turbans, is commanded by Captain
Hodson of the Indian Army, and is known as Hodson's
Horse; the other wears blue turbans, is commanded
by Lieut. Probyn of the Indian Army, and is known as
Probyn's Horse; their dress consists of the whitey-
brown “kharki;" each man is armed with a tulwa and
brace of pistols, and one or two troops with lances.
To command a regiment of these semi-barbarous
troopers requires no small ability, tact, and personal
courage, as well as knowledge of the native character,
and both Probyn and Hodson are beloved by their wild
horsemen. They are generally splendidly mounted, and
each horse is the private property of his rider.
D January 25th.-Yesterday fell the first of the
74
CHAP. VI.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
rain that generally comes at this time of year: to-
day is cloudy, and this morning the rain fell heavily.
Yesterday afternoon I rode over to the camp at
Futtegurh, slept there, and returned this morning.
7
10.
3.
[0]
}

18. D
4.
10.
THE RAMGUNGA.
1. A village whence the enemy fire.
2. 2. Are rifle-pits.
3. A field of sugar-cane.
4. Our rifle-pits.
5. A village where the enemy have
guns, one of which is a 9-pr.
6. Guard-rooms.
7. Naval Brigade Battery.
-8. Horse Artillery Battery.
9. The Ramgunga river.
10. The road to Shajehanpore.
Everything was much the same as usual, only the
camp had been shifted since we left. I had a nice
ride there, but my poor horse had to stand in the rain
1858.
THE RAMGUNGA.
75
all night, and it poured all the way back this morn-
ing. I took a rug with me for the horse, and at
night had a couple of door mats put over him; the
poor fellow has had a bad cold, and his wetting has
made it no better. We are much in want of books to
read, we can carry only a very few, as our baggage
is limited to one camel's load. It is said that the
enemy have got another heavy brass gun, which
I suspect must be an 18- or 24-pr. We have
roofed over a couple of mud houses near our battery
for guard rooms, one for the officers and one for
the blue jackets, and the former has been fitted with
a table against the wall, a bed-place, and a round mud
fire-place, with a hole in the roof to do duty as
chimney. Yesterday a shot grazed along the roof of
the guard-rooms, but did no damage beyond enlarging
the chimney, and covering me with dust. The accom-
panying rough plan will give you some idea of our
position. The enemy generally fire at our reliefs as
they are marched down, but have never hit them.
Yesterday a large quantity of planks and beams came
from Futtegurh, and I believe that it is in contempla-
tion to build a bridge lower down the river, where the
boats are. For the future our baggage is to be carried
on camels instead of in hackeries (waggons). The fol-
lowing is my household, a staff of six servants; first,
one of our bandsmen, who is of course able to do but
little for me, having to look after himself; second, my
76
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. VI.
kitmagar, cook, and valet-de-chambre by name Sularoo,
who receives a salary of ten rupees a month; third,
my syce who looks after the ponies, brings my meals
down to me in battery, cleans my shoes, and receives
a salary of seven rupees a month, by name Ram-
jean; fourthly is my bheestie, who pours a skin full
of water over me every morning, provides water for
cooking, drinking, and for the horses, goat, and dog,
at a salary of five rupees a month, by name Rosun:
fifthly and sixthly are my two grass-cutters, who look
after the ponies under the superintendance of the syce:
the one of most exalted rank, who attends on the black
horse is known as Mongou, and the junior one who
looks after the little white baggage pony is called
Beychou; they each receive a salary of five rupees a
month. A rupee is of nearly the same value as a
florin, and is a most convenient coin for calculations,
being one tenth of a pound.
4 January 28th.-Yesterday evening I was to
have dined with Captain Fremantle of the Rifles, in his
tent, but a couple of hours before dinner time he was
ordered on picquet on the Futtegurh road: I begged
that the invitation might be allowed to hold good to
dine with him on picquet, which he kindly agreed to:
accordingly at about seven in the evening, I started on
my pony through the rear of the camp. Few things
are more puzzling than the geography of a camp, es-
pecially by night: fires and lights are abundant, but
1
1858.
DINNER ON PICQUET.
77
circles of camels, rows of elephants, and streets of tents
are very much alike;. by dint of repeatedly asking my
way, I at last came in sight of the little grove where
the picquet lay; I was challenged by the sentry and led
to the fire by which my friend was sitting; here a few
branches had been cut down, and disposed so as to
form a roof to keep off the dew, and the floor of this
improvised hut was swept and strewn with hay: on this
was placed a knapsack covered with a white napkin;
we each brought our own knife and fork, our own
servants were in attendance, and by the light of the
picquet fires and a small dark lantern, the arms of the
sentries glancing among the trees, the remainder of
the guard sitting round their watch fire with song
and jest, I enjoyed as good a dinner as ever I had
in my life.
8 February 2nd.-Yesterday at 3 A.M. we struck
tents, and at 4 marched for our old camping ground at
Futtegurh, where we now are; and so I
and so I suppose that
the Sepoys will boast that they have driven us off. At
the same time that we left Ramgunga, the main body
of the army marched from this place, and were to
proceed to Cawnpore.
February 3rd.-Futtegurh. My little horse has
at last recovered from the very serious cough that has
laid him up for the last fortnight: I sometimes rig up
a hurdle on the parade ground for him to jump over,
which he does admirably. The Sepoys have crossed
78
CHAP. VI.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
the Ramgunga river on whose bank we were en-
camped, and are now not far from the N. E. bank of
the Ganges: perhaps our late retrograde movement
has increased their confidence, as well as the fact that
the floating bridge has been taken to pieces for the
purpose of moving it lower down the river. The
habits that Europeans acquire in this country are
certainly most luxurious: for instance, even when
campaigning, unless we are actually under weigh, the
first thing that awakens me in the morning is my kit-
magar with a cup of delicious coffee: I drink this,
half awake, and go to sleep again on the other side,
and presently have visions of a warm water lather on
my face, and the light touch of a keen razor, wielded
by a skilful and unerring hand; a soft handkerchief
dipped in warm water seems to be gently passed over
my chin, and when I wake about an hour afterwards,
lo! I am shaved.
4 February 4th.-This morning we left Futtegurh
and marched twelve miles. I saw this afternoon an
enraged elephant, commonly called a "bobbery-
wallah." He walked straight through the two sides of
an uninhabited house, and then with his tusks and trunk
began unroofing and pulling down the next one, throw-
ing the pieces of mud and wood in all directions; the
owner of the house sat on a neighbouring wall wring-
ing his hands, and uttering the most piteous lamen-
tations: the mahout sat quietly on the animal's neck
1858.
A BOBBERY ELEPHANT.
79
kicking its head to make it go away; after some time
this discipline took effect, the animal became more
quiet, and returned by the way that it came.
? February 5th. This morning we passed the
suspension bridge over the Kallee-Nuddee, where we
licked the Sepoys on the 2nd of January. Between
this place and Futtegurh, the sides of the roads were
ornamented with the skeletons of Sepoys, whose grin-
ning skulls were as clean as a knife-handle, having
been skilfully picked by the jackalls. From being
constantly led on the march, and having always to
make his home where I make mine, my horse has
learnt to follow me like a dog; and this tameness
shows itself in most other horses; they do not wish to
run away, because they have nowhere to run to. We
hear of reports circulated of the barbarities practised
by the Sepoys upon our countrymen and women,
which we believe to be greatly exaggerated; this
is a war in which the worst passions are likely to be
excited, and without doubt dreadful scenes have been
enacted; but I have heard of great cruelties being
perpetrated by our own people during some of the
sieges in Spain and elsewhere, yet we claim to be
the most enlightened nation in the world, and the
Sepoys are comparatively savages. It seems to be a
general opinion that in this case a war of extermi-
nation must be carried on, at any rate for the present,
but I feel the greatest compassion for our enemy. It is
80
CHAP. VI.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
idle to speak of the benefits we have heaped upon them;
they regard every Christian as lower than a dog, and
therefore every benefit is an additional insult; if a
European makes use of a native drinking-pot, no Hindoo
will drink out of it again, but will throw it away,
unless it be of brass, and then he will kindle a fire
in it to purify it. The Hindoo is not by nature such
an abject being, but circumstances have made him
simulate it up to the present time, and I regard them
with pity and almost admiration, though this is a
sentiment that I cannot expect to be shared by those
whose dearest friends have been their victims.
D February 8th.-Castor-oil bushes abound on this
road; the nut is by no means of a disagreeable taste,
but rather the reverse, and is, I believe, as efficacious
a medicine as the oil; I wish the doctors would give
us the nut instead of its most nauseous extract. We
halted this afternoon about thirty-one miles from
Cawnpore, and hope to arrive there the day after to-
morrow. We hear that the Sepoys we left at Ram-
gunga have all gone to Lucknow.
8 February 9th.-To-day we passed the ground
where we were encamped on Christmas Day. Nothing
can be more desolate than the appearance of a de-
serted camping-ground; it is astonishing to see the
harm that ten thousand men and their followers can
do in one night; in an old camping-ground one can
trace the lines of the several camps, the places where
1858..
DESERTED CAMPING-GROUND.
81
the horses were picqueted, and where the elephants
slept; the ground is strewn with worn-out shakos and
accoutrements, broken pots and kettles, old boots and
rags, the ashes of camp-fires, and other débris; alto-
gether, I think it is one of the most doleful sights in
the world, calling up, as it often does, a few happy
hours spent there when it was teeming with life, the
camp-fires burning brilliantly, and the merry laugh
and jest passing from tent to tent; perhaps an hour
or two afterwards the spot is peopled with loathsome,
howling jackalls, who have been prowling about wait-
ing to pick up any or all offal that may be left behind.
Shortly after our camp was pitched, a hare started
up and ran through it, and eventually escaped, though
chased by various men and dogs; about half an hour
afterwards, a small deer started up, and, after being
nearly caught, also succeeded in making its escape.
☀ —
February 10th. I rode into Cawnpore this
evening in advance of Brigadier Walpole's brigade, to
announce their vicinity. I dined with Captain Peel,
who showed me a wonderful hen; every evening
she comes into his tent, and cackles until he places
his portmanteau across one corner, when she retires
behind it for the night, and the next morning lays
an egg.
4 February 11th. This morning the whole of
Brigadier Walpole's brigade-i. e. the 2nd and 3rd
battalions of the Rifle Brigade, H.M. 23rd, and de-
G
82
CHAP. VI
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
tachment of the Naval Brigade with four guns, under
command of Lieut. Vaughan-rejoined the main army,
which to-morrow morning starts for Lucknow, towards
which place Mr. Church, with two guns, under the
command of Lieut. Wilson, have gone with an ad-
vanced brigade this evening; we are now encamped
on the south side of Cawnpore.
1
1858.
BRIDGES OF BOATS.
83
CHAP. VII.
MARCH TO UNAO.
NAVAL BRIGADE RACES. BUNTERA.
BREAKING UP THE ENCAMPMENT AT NIGHT. LUCKNOW.
CAPTURE OF THE DILKUSHAH.
ş February 12th.-4.30 A.M. Struck tents and pro-
ceeded across the bridge of boats over the Ganges
towards Lucknow. These bridges of boats over the
Indian rivers are very remarkable, and it is only by
this plan that they can be bridged, except at a very
great expense; they have to be reconstructed every
year. As soon as the floods, brought on by the rains,
begin to fall, a number of large boats, of some fifteen
or twenty tons, are securely moored across the river,
with the exception of two in the middle, which can
be removed to allow trading craft to pass; planks are
laid across from one end to the other, and covered
with straw and earth; large platforms are then laid
down on the soft mud from the bridge to the firm
ground. When the river begins to swell in autumn,
the platforms are floated away and secured for the
succeeding year, and all the barges are moored to-
gether. After marching twelve miles, we encamped
G 2
84
CHAP. VII.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
at Unao. H.M. 53rd accompanied us, also our siege-
train, consisting of six 24-prs., six 8-inch 56-prs., two
8-inch howitzers, and eight rocket tubes.
↳ February 13th. Unao. The right wing of
H.M. 93rd Highlanders arrived in camp. Yesterday
morning, on our arrival here, all the men of the 53rd
left their tents, came out to meet us, and gave us a
cheer; when the 93rd arrived this morning, our men
with one consent ran out to meet them, and as they
approached gave them three cheers; when they passed
our guns, where Captain Peel was standing with his
officers, they carried arms, and our band played "Auld
lang syne."
↳ February 15th.-Unao. To-day the Naval Bri-
▷
gade races took place, and Captain Peel was umpire;
I rode my pony in a steeple-chase, but when going
over the course for the fifth and last time, with both
stirrup-leathers broken, in taking the last hurdle, neck
and neck with the leading horse, my pony fell, and
we rolled over and over in the dust together: I was
stunned but not hurt, but my pony sprained his shoulder
rather severely. Much amusement was created by two
of our blue jackets racing on water-buffaloes, urged on
by half a dozen men before and behind.
February 17th.-Unao. Every evening we have
battery drill, and run our very heavy battery about
near the camp; sometimes we form square to receive
cavalry, with guns on three faces and the limbers in
1858.
要
​MARCH TO UNAO.
85
the rear, and at other times we change the front of
the battery with great rapidity, as in light infantry
drill. The Commander-in-Chief witnessed our parade
this evening, and expressed his approbation of the way
in which our men worked the guns. With drag-ropes,
and eighteen or twenty men to each gun, we run them
about very well, and really Captain Peel has a splendid
command. On the march our guns are each drawn
by twenty-two bullocks, or two elephants; if a gun
sticks in the mud, it becomes a most serious matter,
as it is no easy task to persuade eleven pairs of bul-
locks to pull together; but by taking them out, man-
ning the wheels and drag-ropes with blue jackets, and
having an elephant to push behind with his forehead,
we never fail to extricate a gun from the worst
swamps.
O February 21st.-Unao. The third battalion of
the Rifle Brigade arrived from Cawnpore. Performed
divine service; present the Naval Brigade, Royal
Artillery, and 42nd Highlanders.
‹ February 22nd.-Unao. We are still waiting for
orders to proceed to Lucknow; the usual routine of
the day is a ride before parade; at 9 A.M. parade with
drill, then breakfast, and sedentary employments
throughout the day; at four in the afternoon, parade
followed by battery drill, and this succeeded by dinner
finishes up the day. Lieut. Vaughan has been promoted
to the rank of commander.
G 3
86
CHAF. V11.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
Struck tents and
4 February 25th.-4.30. A.M.
proceeded on the march, twelve miles, to Buntera: at
Bunny Bridge, Lieut. Wilson, with his detachment,
joined us, and proceeded with the 79th Highlanders
and ourselves to the camping ground. The march of
an army at four o'clock in the morning is a very pic-
turesque sight. At about three you are awakened by
your servant bringing in a cup of hot coffee and a chu-
pattie, a sort of cake, and then you perceive that every-
thing in the tent has been packed up, except the clothes
about to be put on the carpets lie rolled up in a
corner; the tables and their folding legs are tied
together, ready to be placed on the elephant that
carries the tent; all the tent pegs have been knocked
out except four which just keep the pole from falling;
and as we wish each other good morning and sip our
coffee, the boatswain's mates pipe "down tents;" we
hurry on our things, but before we are dressed our
charpoys (light bedsteads) are carried out, and the bed-
ding rolled up, and as the last of us steps out of the
door, the calassies (tent-men) drive out the remaining
pegs, and down falls the tent: now all appears to be
chaos: large fires are burning, consuming the refuse of
the encampment; their fitful lurid glare distorts all
shadows, and only seems to make darkness visible;
the cries of the natives, the moanings and gurglings
of camels, the trumpetings of elephants, the buglings
of neighbouring regiments, and the shrill pipe of our
}
1858.
—
BREAKING UP CAMP AT NIGHT.
87
boatswain's mate add to the confusion: and occasion-
ally a frightened bobbery elephant rushes past in the
darkness, regardless of the sharp iron point which the
mahout is driving into the back of his neck; presently
a few lances glimmer in the fire-light; we hear the
jingling of accoutrements, and the Commander-in-Chief
rides swiftly by, attended by his staff and a small
cavalry escort. At last the boatswain's mates pipe all
together a pause and we hear "Hands fall in :"
immediately everything must be left, baggage, tents,
or breakfasts, and we all find our respective companies
in the darkness. Captain Vaughan's clear voice rings
out: "Naval Brigade, attention!"" Fours right,” “ By
your left, quick march!" and away we go, our band
playing the Rifle Brigade March "I'm ninety-five."
News have arrived that Brigadier Grant, with a force,
went out from Buntera and attacked the rebels at a
place about twelve miles off, called Meangunge, taking
four guns, and killing four hundred and fifty Sepoys.
The Queen's Bays have to-day joined the army; as
they passed our tents, one horse reared, and rising
perpendicularly on his hind legs, overbalanced him-
self and fell back on his rider; to my astonishment
both got up and shook themselves, the trooper re-
mounted and took up his place again in the troop.
The breech-loading carbine, with which this regiment
is armed, is very heavy even if held with both hands
but yet is intended to be fired with one hand only.
G 4
88
CHAP. VII
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
Buntera.
9 February 26th. Buntera. The great question
in England now seems to be "How are we to govern
India?" Ought it not rather to be "What sort of
people are now thrown upon our hands to be
governed?" There seems to be some idea that,
since we have shown our military superiority, we
can govern India as we like; but this is far from
being the case; the rebellion, except. in Oude, has
been confined entirely to the one class, the Sepoys;
over them only have we shown our superiority, and
not over the mass of the Hindoos. I do not believe
that the mutiny has been caused, by the Civil Govern-
ment, though that may also have been defective, but
by military misrule, and the contempt for the natives
so universal among the English in the country. If
any
indiscreet measures are introduced by the new form of
government, whatever that may be, I should not be
surprised if they were followed by a revolt more
serious than the present mutiny. Some few Hindoos -
have commanded my respect and sympathy, for all
I feel much pity. They contain the elements of a fine
and noble people, and it remains to be seen whether
religion and civilisation will precipitate the dross, or
whether harsh measures are indispensable. The ac-
counts we hear of the fertility of India, its aptness
for railroads, the abundance of water for agricultural
purposes, and its various climates suitable for the pro-
duction of every tree, vegetable, or flower in the
?
1858.
THE PRESENT OF INDIA.
89
world, are in no degree exaggerated. The governing
of such an invaluable country as India might become,
is a subject which cannot receive too much considera-
tion, and so inexhaustible that a life-time would not be
thrown away upon it.
I think that much harm is
done in this country by Englishmen who have made
a good deal of money out here, and encourage a feel-
ing of contempt for the natives. It is indeed a great
puzzle how India is to be governed; at present, the
English in the country are all gentlemen; there is no
class that is considered as the aristocracy, except a few
officials at Calcutta ; there is no lower class, except a
very few English servants; the country is therefore
ruled by the magistrates and a few of the richer
natives, while all the labouring work is done by the
Hindoos: from all which I gather that the simplest
way to rule India would be to colonise it; to make
a lower class who would farm and cultivate the land
themselves, which in many parts might be done, ex-
cept perhaps during the three hottest months. I can
see too that the English in the country despise the
Hindoos, especially since the mutiny, quite as much
as the Hindoos despise them: one great difficulty with
which the government has to grapple is the attach-
ment to caste.
• February 28th.
To-day the sacrament was
administered by the Rev. Mr. Ross, in the mess-tent
of the 42nd Highlanders, and amongst others present
:.
90
CHAP. VII.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
was Brigadier Adrian Hope. This holy rite, per-
formed in a foreign land, amid the bustle and hurry
of a camp, on the bare earth, with a few yards of
canvas for a covering, was most impressive, and con-
veyed a lesson of the omnipresence of the Almighty,
which will long be remembered by the few who knelt
together on that day. This morning, Sir Colin Camp-
bell left Cawnpore, and passed us on his way to Alum-
bagh, returning here in the evening, a ride of upwards
of sixty miles. The activity of our veteran chief, tires,
out many younger members of his Staff.
3 March 2nd.-Yesterday I went to see the Alum-
bagh, and paid a visit to my friend Major Guise of the
90th. The Alumbagh was formerly the residence of
the queen-mother. For a palace the house is rather
small; it is at present surmounted by a telegraph and
surrounded by a walled garden: the latter has been
almost completely destroyed, and is cut up in all
directions by zig-zags leading to batteries at its angles.
There is also a battery in front of the main gate.
The Alumbagh is about three miles from Lucknow,
and from the top of the house the beautiful domes and
minarets of the city are plainly visible. No firing, ex-
cept from small arms, was going on during my visit.
The palace must formerly have been beautifully orna-
mented, as the walls are still prettily painted. After-
wards we rode to Jellalabad, which is about one mile
distant from the Alumbagh; it is a curious old fort, with
1858.
THE ALUMBAGH.
91
very strong thick mud walls, which we are now putting
into a tolerable state of defence, to be used as a large
depository for all sorts of commissariat stores.
On my
return to camp, the news arrived of Captain Peel's
appointment as A.D.C. to Her Majesty, and receiving the
decoration of K.C.B. Yesterday morning, there was an
alarm that the Sepoys were attacking us, and the whole
army got under arms; but it turned out to be all a mis-
take. Captain Peel went away this morning at four
o'clock, with two guns and two howitzers, under com-
mand of Lieut. Young, and I believe that he is gone
with Sir Colin and other troops to occupy the Dil-
kushah, which will probably give them a little fighting.
•
* March 3rd. Last night, at half-past ten, just
as we had all comfortably turned into bed and were
enjoying our first doze, orders arrived to strike tents
and proceed on the march; so there was no help for
it but to turn out again. We marched the whole
night in company with the 93rd and 42nd Highlanders,
and did not reach our camping-ground, in rear of the
Dilkushah, until 10.30 A.M. Our march was only seven
miles, but it lasted twelve hours, on account of the
narrowness and bad state of the roads, losing our way
in the dark, and the difficulty we experienced in getting
our guns through the tortuous approaches of the ancient
fortress of Jellalabad. The Dilkushah was taken yes-
terday afternoon, with but little loss; we had two men
mortally wounded. I went there to-day; it is a fine-
92.
CHAP. VII.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
looking old house, commanding a splendid view from the
upper balconies. On the right is the blue winding river
Goomtee, an inconsiderable stream at this time of year,
with fertile plains stretching beyond it. On the right
front is that splendid building the Martinière College,
having two guns at one corner doing a good deal of
mischief to our battery of four guns. In front of the
Martinière is a loop-holed wall, used by the Sepoys
as a rifle-pit, and opposed by a similiar one for our
riflemen. In front of the Dilkushah is another gun,
partially concealed by trees; in the distance are seen
the domes and minarets of Lucknow, looking not un-
like a view of Stamboul from the land side: on the
left stands our camp. I remained in our battery for
about an hour, the firing not being very heavy, or the
enemy's guns particularly well aimed.
i
1858.
!
A VAGRANT BEE.
CHAP. VIII.
SIEGE OF LUCKNOW.-
.-SIR JAMES OUTRAM CROSSES THE GOOMTEE.
CAPTURES OF THE MARTINIÈRE, BEGUM KOTHEE, LITTLE
IMAUM-BARAH, AND KAISER-BAGH.
4 March 4th.-To-day our guns all came into
park, being replaced by four artillery guns, which
took up the position. We have buried one of our
petty officers, named Terry, who had been doing duty
as sergeant-major; he was severely wounded by a
round shot in the upper part of the leg; the same
shot wounded another man, who still survives, carry-
ing away a portion of his skull and brain. Captain
Oliver Jones, who is serving as a volunteer with H. M.
53rd, has distinguished himself, being the second to
mount a breach at the capture of a neighbouring fort;
he received a wound on the knuckles, but cut down
the fellow who gave it to him. A bee has made her-
self a nest in a hole in our bamboo tent-pole, and
there she lives as snug as possible; in the day time she
comes out and flies about, at night creeps into her nest,
and on the march travels in her tent-pole; I am not
sure that we have not got a pair; we frequently see
-93
94
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. VIII.
one passing in or out, the hole being of about this
size and shape. I hear that we have
with us pontoons, and when at Jel-
lalabad the other day I saw a portable
raft on empty casks floating on a pond with a gun on it.
? March 5th.-Here is a rough plan to give some
idea of our battery. a, is the river Goomtee; b, is the

c.
想
​b.
in th
ม
f.
PLAN OF THE SHANNON'S NAVAL BRIGADE BATTERY.
PP
g.
サ
​Martinière; c, the Dilkushah; d, is the battery I visited
the day before yesterday, which was then held by our
guns, but is now in charge of the siege-train. e, is the
!
1858.
A NARROW ESCAPE.
95
position of Lucknow; f, of our camp; g, represents
two bridges across the Goomtee, only one of which is
as yet finished. The artillery guns are marked ††
those of the Naval Brigade, and the enemy's guns,
as near as I could guess, *. We left camp this
morning at half-past nine, with two guns and four
guns crews under the command of Lieut. Wilson,
with Lieut. Wratislaw and Mr. Richards, who passed
for a midshipman about a fortnight ago: we had not
brought our guns into position ten minutes, before the
Sepoys opened fire on us from their two guns at the
corner of the Martinière, and the second or third shot
struck the ground within six feet of where I stood
and enveloped me in a cloud of dust; my comrades
thought I was killed, and were surprised to see me
standing in the same place when the dust cleared
away. I should not wonder if an attack were made
on the bridge to-night; it is constructed of wood
lashed on empty casks, and appears to be well and
strongly put together: the enemy are keeping up an
occasional fire of round shot on it, but are doing
no damage, as it is protected by the banks of the
Goomtee. At 8 P.M. the enemy opened fire with
shells made of brass, which we did not return, and
they were then quiet for the remainder of the night.
↳ March 6th.-Here is another rough outline of
our position: a, is the Dilkushah; b, the Martinière ;
c, is Lucknow; and d, the Goomtee; e, shows the
96
CHAP. VIII.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
position of the two bridges, and f, of the guns which
annoyed us yesterday; this morning at 2 A.M. thirty
guns of Horse Artillery, H. M. 23rd Fusileers, and 79th
Highlanders, the 1st Bengal Fusileers, and Cavalry,
under command of Sir James Outram, began crossing
C.

b.
d.
e.
f.
d.
OUTLINE OF THE SHANNON'S NAVAL BRIGADE POSITION.
the river, and, proceeding by the track I have marked
g, took in rear the guns marked f, and are now march-
ing towards where the old cantonments stood. While
the troops were crossing, I observed a young man in
spectacles on a small pony, riding unobtrusively about,
1858.
GENERAL MANSFIELD.
97
giving a quiet order here and stopping a dispute
there, always listened to with respect; I inquired
who he was, and learned that it was General Mans-
field, the Chief of the Staff. At daylight the enemy
opened fire upon the troops crossing, which we re-
turned, and then changed the position of our guns
further to the left. At 10 A.M. we observed the
Horse Artillery and Cavalry engaging the enemy
among the topes of trees on the other side of the river
from which they were effectually driven and their guns
captured. Sir James Outram has siege guns with him,
so Lucknow will be threatened from three points-the
Alumbagh, the Dilkushah, and the cantonments where
Sir James is in force. We slept very comfortably in
battery last night, except when a little rain fell.
O March 7th.-This day has been comparatively
quiet, an occasional fire only being kept up on the
Martinière.
« March 8th.-This afternoon we withdrew our
guns from the river, so now all our battery is together
in park.
8 March 9th.-At 3 A.M. our six 8-in. guns and
two 24-prs. went down in front of the Dilkushah, with
four rocket hackeries, the whole under command
of Captain Vaughan, accompanied by Lieuts. Young,
Salmon, and Wratislaw, Mr. Daniel, and Lords Walter
Kerr and Arthur Clinton, midshipmen; Captain Peel
is also down there with his two A.D.C.'s Watson
H
98
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. VIII.
and Lascelles. In giving the strength of the Naval
Brigade, I have heretofore forgotten to mention two
brass field-pieces, a 6-pr. and a 24-pr. howitzer, also eight
rocket tubes mounted on hackeries. When General
Grant was away with his brigade, and took the fort of
Meangunge, about seven hundred mutineers were exe-
cuted, and to save ammunition five were placed one
behind the other; it was then found that a Minié bullet
passed through the bodies of the first four and killed
the fifth. Yesterday I rode over the Goorkahs' camp,
but did not find them such short men as I had been led
to expect. With their celebrated knives, they are said
to cut off a bullock's head with one blow. Even now,
as I am writing, Watson, Captain Peel's A.D.C. arrives
with the news that he has been wounded; he went
out with his usual nonchalance to find a suitable place
for some guns to be posted to breach the outer wall of
the Martinière, when he was shot in the thigh by a
musket ball; he was taken to the Dilkushah, and the
bullet extracted by the surgeon of the 93rd Highlanders.
The wound is dangerous, it having been necessary to
cut the ball out from the opposite side of the leg to
that at which it entered: this news causes us all the
deepest concern, as we have such great admiration and
regard for him. At 2 P.M. several regiments marched
to the Dilkushah to be ready to storm the Martinière :
at 3, the 42nd and 93rd Highlanders with some
artillery and Sikhs left the Dilkushah and got under
1858.
SIR W. PEEL WOUNDED.
99
cover of a wall two or three hundred yards from
the Martinière; a heavy fire of musketry was kept
up by the enemy as the troops marched down,
but no casualties occurred: after a short time the
Highlanders rushed into the open and crossed the
field to the Martinière, hardly a shot being fired: as
soon as the enemy saw us preparing to storm they
withdrew their guns, evacuated their trenches, and fled
to the rear of the Martinière, leaving that building
in our possession without the loss of a man.
As soon
as we had occupied it, a heavy fire was opened upon
us from the first line of defences in its rear, but this,
being enfiladed by Sir James Outram from the opposite
side of the river was stormed and captured by the
Highlanders on the same evening.
☀ March 10th.-This morning one of our men
was slightly wounded in the lower part of the leg;
this is our first casualty, with the exception of Captain
Peel's wound of yesterday, and the two men mortally
wounded at the capture of the Dilkushah. We know
very little of what goes on in the front, as we are
obliged to remain in camp in case we are wanted,
and we cannot believe all the reports that reach us. To-
morrow I am ordered down to relieve the battery with
Richards, midshipman, and the whole of the first com-
pany under command of Lieut. Wilson: our guns have
now pushed on to Banks's bungalow. I went this after-
H 2
100 THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. VIII.
noon to see that palatial building the Martinière; it is
indeed splendid in design and perfect in execution, and
the view from the top is very extensive and magni-
ficent. Captain Peel is going on as well as can be
expected. Several regiments have moved to-day into
the park in front of the palace of the Dilkushah, which,
as well as the Martinière, will be used as a hospital. I
went to the corner of the latter where the enemy had
those two guns that did them such good service: a
bank rising on one side afforded good natural protec-
tion, and accounts for our having been unable to dis-
mount their guns with our shot. In front of the college
is an artificial lake from the centre of which rises a
single column on an arched foundation, water in this
climate being an essential in a "parterre.
1 P.M.
""
4 March 11th.-Opened fire on the Begum's
palace, and advanced an 8-inch howitzer on the right.
Advanced two guns on the right front to
within about a hundred and fifty yards of the Begum
Kothee. 4.30. The Begum Kothee stormed and сар-
tured by H.M. 90th and the 93rd Highlanders, and
regiment of Feroozepore, supported by H. M. 38th and
the 42nd Highlanders.
? March 12th.-Yesterday, about the middle of
the day, I came down with the first company to relieve
battery. We found our men at (1), where we had
three guns; we had also guns at Banks's Bungalow (2);
at the same time Captain Vaughan commanded another
=
1858.
STORMING THE BEGUM KOTHEE.
101
battery at about (4); while we were busily employed
breaching the wall of the Begum's palace at (6) from (1),
10.
5.
14.
1.

2.
12.
11.
15.
师
​3.
19.
&
7.
7.
7.
PLAN OF ATTACK ON THE BEGUM'S PALACE.
13.
6.
and Captain Vaughan was breaching another wall at
(5) from (4), we heard the sad news that poor Garvey
H 3
102
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. VIII.
had just been killed by a shell from one of our own
mortars at (15). He was riding very fast to deliver a
message, and had occasion to pass before a row of
cohorns; he did not see that the quick-matches were
alight until too late to stop, and the charges igniting,
one shell struck him on the head, causing of course
instantaneous death; the horse on which he was riding
escaped unhurt. Thus for the second time we have
lost one of our most promising young officers, and I
have lost an intimate friend and affectionate messmate.
Poor Garvey! he had a warm heart. At about 5 P.M.
the breach was considered practicable; General Sir
Robert Napier decided on the precise moment when the
firing should cease; officers commanding batteries, and
those told off to lead the storming parties compared their
watches. At this moment an officer, in a half-Oriental
half-European uniform, mounted on a magnificent Arab,
galloped up, followed by half-a-dozen native officers
gorgeously dressed and also mounted on Arabs;
it was Captain Hodson of Hodson's Horse, and this
was the last time we were to behold the gallant fellow.
It was a sight worth seeing that Englishman command-
ing and holding in check such a wild body of Sikhs,
and yet beloved by them and admired by all who
knew him; and even his dress was striking, the red
turban on his head, and the cashmere scarf round his
waist showing his connection with his wild horsemen.
He dismounted, and leaving his horse in our battery,
1
1858.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN HODSON.
103
exchanged a few pleasant words with us, and walked
cheerily down to where the storming party were
anxiously awaiting the agreed-on moment. A few
seconds before their time, the storming party of the
gallant 93rd rushed from their cover, led several yards
ahead by their noble commander Captain Clarke, who
ran up to the breach waving his sword and shouting
out "Come on, 93rd!" His men gave one loud and
continuous cheer, some hoisting their bonnets on the
points of their bayonets, and in a few moments the
space between our battery and the breach was swarm-
ing with kilted Highlanders. Suddenly, however, came
a check, as they found that a deep trench had been
cut in front of the wall: this however had been
foreseen by Sir Robert Napier who had ordered a
house to be knocked into where he supposed it would
be (13); to this point the troops now swarmed, and
crossing the ditch disappeared behind the wall.
From this time little more could be seen from our
battery; occasionally a few Sepoys would be observed
clambering over a wall or along the roof of a house,
and one would make good his escape, and another
would fall back shot through; and occasionally a
soldier appearing on the wall, perhaps in pursuit of a
fugitive, would be greeted with a sailor's cheer;
the air resounded with the cries of the wounded and
dying, the cheers of our soldiers, and the echoes of a
R 4
104 THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. VIII.
dropping fire, it was at this time that Captain Hodson
was mortally wounded. Gradually, as all became still,
we knew that the enemy's second line of defence was
captured, and the Begum Kothee was in our hands;
at the same time that the 93rd stormed at (6), another
party stormed opposite Captain Vaughan's battery at (5),
and were equally victorious. A gun from our battery,
and a gun from the battery at (4), then advanced down
the road to (3), Captain Vaughan coming by the road
marked (12), and we by that marked (11); thence we
began firing over the Sepoys' earthwork at (8), back
through their own embrasures, at a confused multitude
of them retreating down the road, (14) to (10), where
they had a semi-circular battery: once safe in this they
opened a smart fire on us, which would have done
much harm, as they knew our distance so accurately,
had we not been protected by their own earthwork:
we could not see over it to point our guns, but Captain
Oliver Jones, at no small personal risk, planted himself
on the top and directed our fire. We took the Sepoy
moved our two guns
guns at (8), and during last night
round to a breastwork we had thrown up at (9), where
they now are, and the rest of them into park in a
neighbouring garden. The Sepoys in derision have
hoisted the union jack over their circular battery.
Last night I went into the breach that we had made,
and found the courts and gardens covered with
the bodies of slain Sepoys: I went there again this
1858.
CAPTURE OF THE BEGUM KOTHEE.
105
morning, and saw a deep ditch full of them. At the
back of the palace was a small chapel, full of Korans
and chandeliers, such as are to be seen in every
mosque. The palace had been fitted up beautifully,
the walls ornamented with splendid mirrors and the
ceilings with chandeliers; everything of this kind was
of course smashed, but those men who first got in
found numbers of cashmere shawls, valuable silks, &c.,
and even a few gold mohurs. Last night we slept at
our guns, which we did not find unpleasant, the
weather being quite warm, but the flies and mosquitoes
rather uncourteous.
•
↳ March 13th.-This afternoon I went down to
our guns, and found that they had advanced, as in the
plan: a is the advanced wall of the Begum's palace
which was taken on the 11th; b is an entrance we
made in it for our guns to advance to the court c,
having a mosque in the centre; they then passed
through the wall by a hole d into the yard m, and
thence by a breach at e, through a long shed ƒ, to
a gate g, where a breastwork was thrown up for them;
our troops then took possession of the houses and the
garden n, and commenced a withering fire upon the
Sepoys who were in the house i, and all along the
opposite side of the street h, which is about twenty
yards wide; k is the small Imaum-barah, the im-
mediate object of attack, to reach which it is first
necessary to breach two walls. The Imaum-barah
106
CHAP. VIII.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.

}
f
K.
l.
C.
h.
i.
j.
m.
d.
歹​。
9.
m.
j.
h.
a.
j.
Z
MORE EXTENDED PLAN OF ATTACK ON THE BEGUM'S PALACE.
WINA B
α
1858.
GALLANTRY OF A BLUE JACKET.
107
is a large square building, containing but one room,
which is used as a sort of mosque, and is profusely
decorated with gilding and enormous coloured glass
chandeliers is a Sepoy semi-circular battery, and
o is the battery we took possession of yesterday. I
was not on duty, so I went with Kerr into the house
j, nearest to k, to reconnoitre; suddenly we heard a
yell and a cheer, and the Sepoy bugles from two dif-
ferent quarters sound successively the alarm, the as-
sembly, the advance, and the double; Kerr and I
rushed back to our guns at g, the skirmishers evacuated
their advanced post, and also fell back upon the guns,
where we found all the troops drawn up under arms,
the officers with swords drawn and pistols in hand;
we waited for a few minutes in breathless anxiety, but
the Sepoys only set on fire the house i, and then re-
tired. I waited until our guns again opened fire, and
was then compelled to return into camp; immediately
after my departure, some sand-bags, forming the front
of our battery, caught fire. A coloured man, of the
name of Hall, a Canadian, gallantly jumped out and
extinguished some, and threw far away others that
were burning; in the performance of this exploit,
under a heavy fire of bullets from loopholes not forty
yards distant, he was severely wounded, and Her
Majesty has since been pleased to award to him the
Victoria Cross; he was always a man remarkable for
his steady, good conduct, and his athletic frame; at a
108 THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. VIII.
foot-race in camp, he had distanced by far all com-
petitors, and I have never seen his superior either as.
a swimmer or diver. This evening we buried poor
Garvey under some cypress trees in the garden of the
Dilkushah; all the brigade in camp attended the
funeral, and many military officers to whom he had
endeared himself by his frank and affectionate cha-
racter.
• March 14th.-This morning, having advanced
our guns to within fifty yards of the Imaum-barah, it
was captured with very little loss. At about noon I
rode down towards our guns with Captain Vaughan,
Kerr, and Lascelles, when we saw two or three officers
on horseback, apparently unable to find their way
across the canal; Kerr suddenly called out, "Why
that is Sir James Outram," and so indeed it proved to
be; he had crossed the lower bridge over the Goom-
tee, ridden past the Residency and through the Kaiser
Bagh into our lines; we directed him to the head-
quarters, and rode on.
The rebels had only prepared
for the attack on the town from the direction of the
Dilkushah, and had thrown up three strong lines of
defence in that direction; but Sir James Outram,
crossing the river, not only attacked the town on the
side on which it was almost totally undefended, but
enfiladed the defensive works, one after the other. On
arriving at our guns we dismounted, and proceeded on
foot, leaving our horses to the care of our syces; we
-
+
1858.
CAPTURE OF THE KAISER BAGH.
109
passed through the court of the Imaum-barah, which
was strewn with the dead and dying, through breaches
in walls and fortifications, through the remains of
Oriental gardens, and through all the horrible indica-
tions of the recent skirmishing, until, on nearing the
Kaiser Bagh, we met Sir Colin Campbell; he desired
Captain Vaughan to bring up a gun's crew of blue-
jackets to man an abandoned gun, which was to be
turned against the retreating enemy; Kerr was sent
back for the gun's crew, and we proceeded on to the
gun itself, which was at a gate of an outer court of
the Kaiser Bagh. We found that a body of Sepoys
were defending themselves in an adjoining court, and
it was necessary to blow away the gate of it that the
troops might storm, and it was for this object that Sir
Colin ordered the guns to be turned against them; in
the meanwhile, however, they kept up a continual fire
on us from the walls over and round the gate when
we approached the gun. Captain Vaughan then fired
a few rounds at the gate, I sponging and loading, three
of the Shannon's bandsmen bringing up the powder
and shot, and some men of the 38th, under command
of Lieut. Elles, running the gun up after every round;
our position at this time was very hazardous, as on
our right was a house containing very large quantities
of gunpowder, in some rooms lying in loose heaps on
the floor three or four feet high, and in others con-
tained in huge earthen chatties; moreover, the ad-
110
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. VIII.
joining house to this was in flames, probably purposely
kindled by the Sepoys; a sentry was, however, posted
to give warning in time, if the flames approached the
loose powder. Captain Vaughan now went back to
meet the gun's crew that had been sent for, and to
show them the way, leaving orders with me to keep
up the fire; the Sepoy charges were so heavy that the
shot went clean through the solid gate every time we
fired, merely leaving a small loophole, through which
the enemy fired at us; by reducing the charges with
every shot, the firing at last began to tell; when the
party of blue jackets came up, under command of
Lieut. Hay, the gate was blown open, and the court
captured by the company of the 38th. I then pro-
ceeded further to explore the palace: I forced open
the large door of a building, which I discovered to be
the King of Oude's coach-house; this was full of car-
riages, some of which were very curious; one was a
long car, a sort of roofless omnibus, with gaudy de-
corations, very like the car drawn by an elephant, a
cameleopard, and a pair of ostriches, which heads the
procession of a travelling menagerie making its trium-
phal entry into a quiet country town. But there was
one carriage, evidently the work of European hands,
of a style of magnificence that I have never beheld
before or since: all parts of the carriage, the wheels,
the springs, and the frame, that are usually painted
and varnished, were covered with thick plates of solid
A
1858,
THE ROYAL COACH-HOUSE.
111
silver, and the appearance of the whole was perfectly
dazzling, as the brilliant sunlight of an Indian spring
poured upon it; the inside and the cushions were
covered with the richest white silk, and in the box
stuck a silver whip, with a lash of silver wire, of which
I possessed myself. About an hour afterwards, I
again passed this coach-house; the white silk had all
been cut or torn off and carried away, nearly all the
silver had disappeared, with the exception of one or
two places where men were busily engaged hammer-
ing it off. I now climbed on to the roof of a neigh-
bouring house to try and gain some idea of the
geography of the palace: at my feet was a garden, on
the opposite side of which stood another house; four
or five men were running among the bushes, exchang-
ing shots with men in the opposite house; at first it
was difficult to tell which were English and which
Sepoys, but the men in the garden soon came di-
rectly under me; they did not perceive me looking
down on them, but I saw that they were Sepoys,
and could easily have shot one had I had my re-
volver, but I carried only my sword; at last two of
them were shot, and the remainder escaped through a
side door.
After this I went over some portions of the Kaiser
Bagh, but really an attempt to describe it would be
vain my wildest dreams of Oriental splendour were
more than realised: I saw luxury, wealth, priceless
:
112
CHAP. VIII.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
silks, cashmeres, pictures, gilding, glass, and china, to
an extent I hardly believed to have existed, and room
after room was fitted up in a style of lavish magnifi-
cence devoid of taste: the principal court of the palace
was of very great extent, containing gardens, aviaries,
and conservatories; in the centre was an artificial lake
spanned by a bridge of white marble, and lined all
round with the same; at one end stood a pavilion of
the most beautiful coloured marbles, and at the other
a white marble mosque, much discoloured, however,
by fire. I entered a detached building in flames,
which had been used as an armoury, and in spite of the
great heat, succeeded in bringing out a helmet of
Damascus steel inlaid with gold, and having Persian
characters worked on various parts of it; hence also I
brought away a tulwa, some bows and arrows, a
powder-horn of inlaid mother-of-pearl, and two
standards: I also found a long straight sword of very
curious workmanship, and meeting my servant I gave
it him to carry up to camp for me; a quarter of an
hour later he was walking with another man, when
three Sepoys attacked him; they had no arms but this
sword, and with it they killed one Sepoy and put the
the others to flight; my sword, however, was broken,
and my servant severely wounded in the hand.
Shortly afterwards I met a doolie-wallah carrying a
red standard with the King of Oude's arms embroidered
on it in gold now I thought that this being a trophy
:
1858.
AN ORIENTAL CROWN.
113
of war, was hardly a proper possession for a non-
combattant, and I suggested this to him; as he
made no opposition he apparently viewed the matter
in the same light, so, with as little discourtesy as
possible, I seized it. In another part of the garden,
I saw a crown lying on the ground; it was made
of cardboard and red satin, stiffened with rusty iron
wire, and sewn all over with dull white beads; it
appeared to have been used either for private the-
atricals or for a child's toy: I tore off half a dozen
of the beads which I put into my pocket as mementos
of the day.
I saw a room full of little cabinets,
every cabinet was full of little drawers, and every
drawer was full of little bottles containing scents and
spices, some were liquid and some solid; some agree-
able and some very nasty, some like pills and others
like their concomitants, but as there were none that
I liked, I left them for the next comer. I met a


FAC-SIMILE OF GOLD COIN.
man with a little bag full of gold coins, which he had
just found and bought one for half a sovereign; at last,
thoroughly wearied out, I returned to camp, and gave
I
114
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. VIII.
away the beads I had plucked off the tawdry crown;
but imagine my astonishment, when I was told that
they were most beautiful pearls. I afterwards received
one of them back, and estimated, at a rough guess,
that the whole crown must have been worth two
thousand pounds.
1858.
CAPTURE OF THE GREAT IMAUM-BARAH.
115
CHAP. IX.
SIEGE OF LUCKNOW. THE KAISER-BAGH.
THE RESIDENCY.
THE GREAT IMAUM-BARAH. STORY OF MRS. ORR.
> March 15th.-Two guns were advanced up to
the mess-house, which was stormed and taken by the
42nd Highlanders. We hear that many lives have
been lost by powder blowing up, which was left about
loose in large quantities by the Sepoys, probably on
purpose. One of our engineers, Henri, purchased a
sword and belt from a Sikh for 1l.; the knowing Sikh
had touched the hilt with a file to see if it was silver
gilt, but finding it the same colour throughout, sold it :
Henri was much astonished to find that the hilt and
mountings of the scabbard and belt were all of solid
gold; some jewels which had been inlaid in the hilt
were extracted before he bought it.
8 March 16th.-3. P. M. Four guns were advanced
and got into position in the Residency, and the Great
Imaum-barah was captured. 7. Opened fire on the
city with shells and rockets. This afternoon I went to
the Kaiser Bagh with Lieut. Young, and we climbed to
the top of a large building containing a throne room
I 2
116
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. IX.
and hall of audience. Here was a gallery which had
been used as a look-out place; but before we had been
there many minutes, we found ourselves the centre of
general attention; a number of Sepoys who were still
hanging about the palace opened fire upon us of
course at that great elevation, and from their rude match-
locks, the shot were very erratic, but still on the whole
we deemed it prudent to descend: in some store-
houses at the base of the building we found large crates
of crockery emblazoned with the King of Oude's arms,
which had never been opened, and were evidently of
French manufacture: we sent into camp as much as we
needed for our own use; a day or two later I passed
the same spot, and saw that the whole of this beautiful
china had been wantonly smashed. From one of the
rooms, I cut a couple of pictures out of their frames, but
almost all of them had been destroyed or defaced by
swords and bayonets. In one of the courts I picked up
a plated bit mounted with the royal arms of Oude.
* March 17th. Yesterday evening six of our guns
were advanced to the Residency, where they now are,
occasionally firing a shot over the town: all seems
quiet, and there is a report that the inhabitants are
going to ransom their city, and turn the Sepoys out. I
have purchased several arms that have been looted in
the city; amongst others an old flint lock fowling-piece
the stock and barrel of which are most beautifully inlaid
with silver and gold, the sights and flash-pan being of
1858.
LUCKNOW LOOT.
117
pure gold. I have been into the Dilkushah to see
Captain Peel and to give him a tulwa which he asked
me to procure for him; the halls of that palace were
crowded with sick soldiers, most of whom were burnt
all over from head to foot by the dreadful explosions
that have taken place in the city; they were covered
with cotton wadding, and by the side of each sat a native
with a paper fan to keep off the flies: the sighs and
groans of these poor fellows, reduced to mere pieces of
burnt flesh, were those of men who literally felt life to
be a burden, men without hope of recovery to whom
death could be but a relief: the scene was most harrow-
ing. Yesterday morning I went down from our battery
in the Residency to the Goomtee with Lieut. Wilson, to
have a bathe, but the river was so choked with Sepoy
corpses that we could not make up our minds to jump
in. Some of our men caught a goat, milked her and
drank all the milk; I then asked for some, but they had
none left; however they took her down to the Goomtee,
where she drank her fill; they then passed a bowline
round her horns, ran her up and down the battery half
a dozen times, milked her again, and brought me the
milk, which I drank; it was rather watery, but pass-
able under the circumstances. In battery in the
Residency we have suffered from a plague of flies; I
never before appreciated how terrible a thing a plague
of flies could be; they have been bred by the innume-
rable dead bodies of men and animals; the moment
1 3
118
CHAP. IX.
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
one sits down they settle on every exposed part of the
body; they drown themselves in tea and gravy, immo-
late themselves on the end of cigars, accompany to one's
mouth all one's food, and render sleep next to impossible:
indeed the only way to obtain any rest is to get under
a mosquito curtain; at about sunset the mosquitoes
relieve guard, and the flies have their watch below. I
was sent down to the Great Imaum-barah this afternoon
to bring up a prisoner from the guard-room. Instead of
going through the main street, I tried a short cut through
the native town; I had not ridden five hundred yards
from the Residency before I found myself an object of
great attraction to numbers of budmashes who were
skulking about the deserted town, and amused them-
selves by firing at me from every available window or
door. This was not pleasant; so with my revolver in my
hand I put my horse into a gallop and dashed along
considerably at random, as in those narrow and tortuous
streets it was not easy to keep one's dead reckoning;
no one attempted to stop me, and I was considerably
relieved when I saw the tall minarets of the Great
Imaum-barah towering over my head, and heard the
sentry's challenge. From these minarets a beautiful
view of the city can be obtained, and its appearance is
very picturesque from every house being built round
a court containing trees, gardens, and sometimes foun-
tains and greenhouses; thus, when viewed from any
height, it looks like succession of gardens. The body of

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1
1858.
119
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET.
1
the building of the Great Imaum-barah, which is now
used as a barrack, is of white stone, and remarkable
for the extreme beauty of its architecture and the
delicate tracery of its adornments; it contains a high
pulpit covered with exquisitely embossed plates of
silver, which is fortunately under the charge of a sentry.
O March 21st.We have now in the Residency,
four guns and eighty men, who are relieved every
forty-eight hours: the town is all apparently quiet, but
we know there are still many rebels about. Since we
left Calcutta, a drill-sergeant of the 78th Highlanders
has been attached to us; yesterday he was sent to
rejoin his regiment, with a camel to carry his traps
:
&c. passing through a portion of the native town, at
some distance from our guards, about a dozen Sepoys
suddenly rushed out, killed the camel and its driver,
and took his things: providentially he was following a
little distance astern, and just escaped with his life.
> March 22nd.-The last body of rebels evacuated
the town. I have visited the Shah Nujeef, and seen
the spot where poor Daniel fell and was buried. The
Sikhs are very knowing fellows: a Sikh serjeant will
will watch a party of Europeans enter a house for the
purpose of plundering, and immediately plant sentries
all round, and as each man comes out, he is told that
there are strict orders against looting, and that he
must disgorge his plunder; this of course he does with
a very bad grace, and walks away looking sadly crest-
I 4
120
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. IX.
1
fallen as soon as the whole party have thus gone off,
the sergeant calls in his sentries, divides the loot,
keeping the lion's share for himself, and they all go on
their way rejoicing.
4 March 25.-Captain Peel's wound is still going
on favourably. To-day I visited the observatory, which
was formerly one of the best in India: it is now little
better than an empty house, a few rooms of which have
been furnished for the use of General Sir Edward Lugard.
When returning to camp, I passed two ladies in a car-
riage drawn by a pair of oxen; these were Mrs. Orr
and Miss Jackson. Mrs. Orr saw her husband, Captain
Orr, and Miss Jackson her brother, Sir Mountstuart
Jackson, murdered by the Sepoys at the outbreak of
the mutiny. These two ladies were then carried into
Lucknow, where they have been kept until a few days
ago when they were discovered and released by some
English soldiers. The cruelties to which they have been
subjected, are enough to extinguish any feeling of pity
that one may retain for the rebels: at one time they were
confined in a mud hut containing two rooms, in one of
which they were placed while their guards occupied
the other; they overheard the wretches talking and
agreeing that it was quite right they should be killed,
but neither was willing to do the deed: at last one of
them got up and went away saying that he would
leave the other to do it, and while they sat momen-
tarily expecting their death, the other man arose and
}
1858.
121
MRS. ORR'S STORY.
also departed, and thus at this time their lives were
spared. When they were first made prisoners Mrs. Orr
had a little daughter with her, in connection with
whom occurred a remarkable manifestation of Divine
Providence. Mrs. Orr first gave out that her child was
sick and afterwards that it was dead, and it was then
conveyed in a bundle of dirty linen to her brother-in-
law in the Alumbagh by a faithful native; when she
stated that it was sick, some medicine was given her for
it, wrapped up in a piece of torn paper: on examining
this, it proved to be a piece of the leaf of a large Bible,
and on one side was written, "I, even I, am he that
comforteth you; who art thou that thou shouldest be
afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man
which shall be made as grass: and forgettest the Lord
thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and
laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared
continually every day because of the fury of the op-
pressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is
the fury of the oppressor ?" and on the other side was
written, "Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord, and thy God
that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have
taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the
dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink
it again: but I will put it into the hand of them that
afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down,
that we may go over; and thou hast laid thy body as
the ground, and as the street to them that went over.”
122
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA, CHAP. IX.
Surely it is not presumption to regard this as a direct
message of consolation from our Heavenly Father to
one of His afflicted children.
? March 26th. I rode down to the Residency
to-day. A palace stands on the banks of the Goomtee
called the Chutta Munzil, consisting of the usual con-
glomeration of courts, gardens, and rooms full of chan-
deliers; and through this a straight road has been cut
to the Bailey Guard Gate of the Residency. I rode
first through a court, then a hall, a throne-room, a
garden, an artificial pond partially filled up, through
more rooms, and at last out through a court and gate-
way, and it was by this road that our guns were
brought up, and all subsequent supplies of ammunition,
&c. When I returned, I rode along the banks of the
Goomtee; the river was full of dead bodies that had
caught among the weeds, and swamped near the Chutta
Munzil was a miniature frigate, the ruined houses and
palaces gave the city altogether a melancholy air of
desolation.
↳ March 27th. There is a wonderful rhinoceros
in the camp, the property of the 53rd; he was found
in Lucknow and is very tame; every day he is driven
to a well to drink, guided by little taps from a twig
which one would have thought could hardly have been
felt through his thick hide: if, however, any one ven-
tures to do more than touch him very lightly with it,
he at once gets angry. He is very old, poor fellow,
1
1858.
123
A TAME RHINOCEROS.
and suffers from some sort of ophthalmia, which has
rendered him all but blind.
• March 28th. Last night our four guns were
withdrawn into park from the Residency. This morn-
ing Captain Peel has been out for a little exercise in a
doolie, and is considerably better. One of our men,
who was wounded in the thigh by a musket-ball, died
last night of disease of the heart. Poor fellow! he
was just recovering from his wound.
< March 29th.-Amongst other souvenirs of Luck-
now, I have got from the palace a very handsome
glass chandelier, with four branches; for each branch
are two shades, one red and the other clear. We
always use two branches; and when we have company
to dinner four, which make our tent look very handsome.
We hear that Captain Peel is going on as well as can
be expected, but his severe wound will take some time
to heal. To-day we have sent our two 8-in. howitzers
and six 8-in. guns into park in the small Imaum-
barah; the latter are the guns we brought from the
Shannon, and we have now handed them over to the
Artillery; and here they will remain, may I say it with
pardonable pride, a memorial of what sailors can do
on land. The word "Shannon" is cut deeply into each
carriage, and must last as long as the wood does.
✔ March 30th.-A few days ago I was sent in to
the Kaiser Bagh with ten men to bring out one of the
King of Oude's carriages for Captain Peel's conveyance
1
124
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. IX.
""
to Cawnpore. I selected the best I could find; and,
having brought it into camp, our carpenters padded it,
lined it with blue cotton, made a rest for his feet, and
painted "H. M. S. Shannon over the royal arms of
Lucknow: when, however, he saw it to-day, he de-
clined making use of it, saying that he would prefer
to travel in a doolie like one of his blue jackets.
·
1858.
FATE OF A ROYAL CARRIAGE.
125
CHAP. X.
RETURN OF THE NAVAL BRIGADE.
BULLOCK-TRAIN TRAVELLING
IN BENGAL.
→
DEATH OF SIR WILLIAM PEEL.-PUBLIC RECEP-
TION OF THE NAVAL BRIGADE AT CALCUTTA.
4 April 1st. This morning at 2 A.M. we struck
tents, and passing in the dark through the sleeping
camp commenced our march to Cawnpore. Yester-
day, in the Kaiser-Bagh, I got a two-wheeled vehicle
called a buggy out of the King of Oude's stables, em-
blazoned with his arms. I have harnessed one of my
ponies to it, and it does capitally for carrying crockery
and light baggage.
? April 2nd. At 2 A.M. struck tents and pro-
ceeded on the march, encamping again at 6.30 on the
Lucknow side of Bunny Bridge, which spans the only
river between Lucknow and the Ganges. We have
this morning had our first taste of the hot winds, and
most remarkably like the continued blast of a furnace
do they feel.
O April 4th.
‹
April 5th.
Encamped at Unao.
This morning Captain Vaughan
went away with two companies and two guns to see
126
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. X.
after some rebels in a neighbouring village. In the
meantime we are encamped under the trees of a snug
little garden, whose walls afford some protection from
the dust and hot winds. At night we have to send
out picquets, which is rather dull work.
↑ April 6th. This morning we marched into
Cawnpore. A general order of this evening directs
that arrangements be made for sending the Naval
Brigade down to Calcutta by bullock-train, which will
probably be a journey of about three weeks. Our two
guns which left Unao yesterday morning found that the
rebels had fled, so they had merely a man-of-war's
cruise "there and back again;" the Sepoys were, how-
ever, chased by some Sikh cavalry, who cut them up
a good deal. We are to leave here all the remainder
of our battery. I have seen the monument erected
over the well into which the bodies of the murdered
women and children were thrown. This plain and
beautiful memorial consists of a stone cross bearing the
inscription: "In memory of the women and children of
the 32nd Regiment, who were slaughtered near this
spot 16th July, A.D. 1857. This memorial was raised
by thirty men of the same regiment who were passing
through Cawnpore, Nov. 21st, 1857." Round the circle
by which the cross is connected is written: "I believe
in the resurrection of the body."
* April 7th.-To-morrow at 3 A.M. we leave Cawn-
pore for Calcutta ; we depart in three detachments: the
1858.
127
DEPARTURE FOR CALCUTTA,
first company and the Marines go to-morrow, under
command of Lieut. Young; the officers are Captain Gray
and Lieut. Stirling, R.M., Lieuts. Wilson and Wratis-
law; Way and Richards, midshipmen, and myself. I
am sorry to say that one of our midshipmen, Lord
Arthur Clinton, is lying dangerously ill at the house of
the Rev. T. Moore, the excellent chaplain of this
station; another midshipman, Way, is, and has been
for a long time very unwell. Among the arms I have
brought from Lucknow is a tulwa of Damascus steel
inlaid with a verse of the Koran in gold; a native
gentleman here assures me that it must have cost
at least 2000 rupees (2007.); I have also a cashmere
dressing-gown, which must have been once worth a
hundred pounds, although it is now old, worn out, and
moth-eaten.
4 April 8th. This afternoon we have halted for
dinner about twelve miles from Cawnpore, which,
we left at 3 A.M.; we have drawn up the officers bul-
lock waggons a little on one side of the road, among
some trees; we have spread out our dinner-table on
the altar of a picturesque little road-side temple, while
a stream running close by furnishes us with water
for cooking or bathing, and is most grateful to the
eye and ear; we tarry here until the great heat of
the day is passed.
↳ April 10th.-Allahabad. We arrived here
yesterday evening at about nine, and took up our
?
128
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. X.
quarters at the permanent camp; our tents are wonder-
fully different to what we have been accustomed to up
country, far more luxurious: the one in which I am is
divided by a curtain into a dressing and sleeping
room, and is double all round; the air between the
inner and outer tent, being most efficacious in keeping
us cool. Yesterday we had a specimen of how things
are managed in India; we reached Futtehpore at
about 10 A.M., and immediately an officer was sent to
the railway station to report our arrival, with the
number of men and amount of baggage requiring con-
veyance; in the meantime a letter came, ordering us to
be there by three, to go down to Allahabad in the same
train with Sir Colin Campbell; accordingly at about half-
past two we arrived at the terminus, and found a small
train near the platform capable of containing one hun-
dred and twelve men; there was also a long train of
trucks containing guns and ammunition waggons which
a very stupid baboo was landing with a few coolies,
and a great deal of noise, at the rate of one in twenty
minutes: our commanding officer went from one
railway official to another, but nobody seemed to know
anything about us, or care whether we reached Allah-
abad or not; he went to the military and commissariat
authorities, but they seemed afflicted with the same
inertia as everyone else, and said that if there was not
room for us all in this train, they supposed we must
leave an officer behind to bring the rest of the men on
1858.
129
THE DOAB RAILWAY.
in some other; so when Lieut. Young saw we could get
no satisfaction out of any of them he set all our blue
jackets to work, and in less than half an hour they had
cleared every gun and ammunition waggon from the
long train, and stowed all our own baggage in the
trucks, and thus we all got down to Allahabad
together. Sir Colin Campbell came down in the same
train with us, and made a very complimentary speech
to our men, who cheered him heartily. To-day the
second detachment of the Naval Brigade arrived under
command of Capt. Vaughan. Lord Canning, the
Governor-General, is here.
• April 11th.-5.30 P.M. The third detachment
arrived under command of Lieut. Hay. 6. The first
detachment started by bullock-train for Benares.
3 April 13th. — 8 A.M. Halted for breakfast under
a tope of trees. 1 P.M. Proceeded. 7.30. Arrived at
Benares, and took up our quarters at the Mint.
4 April 15th. 6 A.M. The second detachment,
under Captain Vaughan, arrived by bullock-train. I
have seen a field devoted to what in England would
be considered a very extraordinary purpose, namely,
the manufacture of ice. The whole field was full of
square holes about six inches deep, and between every
two was an earthen jar; in the winter, commencing in
November, these holes are filled with straw, covered
with about fifty shallow earthen-ware saucers; the
jars are then filled with water, from which the saucers
K
130
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. X.
are filled with a large ladle; the water in the saucers
will not freeze unless the straw is kept perfectly dry;
early in the morning, the ice is taken out, pounded into
lumps, and then put into the ice-houses; if a small
piece of pottery accidentally gets in with it, it will eat
its way to the bottom of the pit. It freezes at Benares
about ten nights in the year, during which time, suf-
ficient ice is made to last the inhabitants all the hot
season.
? April 16th. The building in which we are
quartered was formerly the Mint, and still retains its
name though now converted into barracks. We are
waiting here for conveyance, all the bullock-waggons
being detained somewhere between this and Ranee-
gunge. The day before yesterday, we had a specimen
of a real dust-storm; in the evening we first saw a
thick brown cloud advancing from the north. Im-
mediately every window was closed and door shut,
and presently the air was so darkened that it was
impossible to see the road; clouds of dust were
whirled round and round, and the ground was
soon covered with leaves torn from the trees. At
length the storm seemed to abate a little, when sud-
denly a rushing sound was heard, and the ground
became perfectly white with hailstones, many of them
as large as a good-sized marble; after a time it all
subsided, leaving the air clear, calm, and deliciously
cool.
1858.
131
MARCHING BY BULLOCK-TRAIN.
↳ April 17th.-9 A.M.
April-17th.
Lieut. Hay arrived.
• April 18th. -4
P.M.
The detachment under
-4 P.M. Proceeded by bullock-
train across the bridge of boats over the Ganges to-
wards Calcutta.
↑
3 April 20th.-8 A.M.
Arrived at Sasseram, a
large but squalid village containing one or two in-
teresting ruins of mosques. 4 P.M. Half the detach-
ment, under command of Lieut. Young, proceeded by
bullock-train.
4 April 22nd.-This morning at 6 A.M. we arrived
at Shergotty: a telegraph has arrived directing us all
to rendezvous at Raneegunge, as the council at Calcutta
desire to give us a public reception. It is very grati-
fying that the services of the Naval Brigade, especially
at the relief of Lucknow, are to be publicly recognised.
Marching by bullock-train is not bad fun when one gets
used to it, although bullock-waggons are not provided
with springs. Carriage is provided for only two-thirds
of the men, but for all the officers; one waggon drawn
by two bullocks is allowed for every fifteen men; into
this their bags and traps are put and ten men get in;
the remaining five march as a van and rear-guard and
are relieved every four hours; the bullocks are changed
about every ten miles. There is one waggon for every
two officers, and all are supplied with roofs and curtains
at the sides. The perils and dangers of bullock-train
travelling are as follows: between two stages a bullock
K 2
132
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. X.
may take it into his head to lie down, and thus he
will insist on remaining, regardless of pricks, blows, or
blandishments until such time as he sees fit to get up;
the consequence is that the unfortunate inhabitants of
the waggon are deprived of their rest, and do not
reach the next station until it is time to leave it again.
Or a bullock may be frightened or pretend to be
frightened at anything or nothing, and will rush vio-
lently off the road, in spite of all the "bile-wallah "
can do to stop him, down an embankment, into a
river or swamp, sometimes overturning the waggon;
such an animal becomes known as a "bobbery-bile,"
one of our men lost his life in consequence of an
accident of this kind: on these occasions the whole
train has to be stopped, the guards assemble and
drag the waggon or what is left of it on to the road
again. Or a wheel or pole may break, and then the
contents of that waggon have to be transferred to some
other, until some place is reached where one may be
procured. Or a bile-wallah may fall asleep, and this may
lead to any of the afore-mentioned calamities. A bul-
lock-train generally starts at about 4 P.M. and averages
two miles an hour. Half an hour before sunset, a
couple of servants descend from the waggons, and run
on ahead with a bundle of wood and a large kettle;
they select a snug spot by the road side near a stream,
light the fire, fill the kettle, and put it on; when the
last waggon of the train reaches them, the "halt" is
1858.
133
TRAVELLING BY BULLOCK-TRAIN.
sounded, and grog served out to the men; the moment
the water boils, perhaps in ten minutes or a quarter of
an hour, the "advance" is sounded, the waggons move
on, and the officers remain behind to drink their tea;
then the servants gather up the traps, and run after
and catch up the train. The van and rear guards are
now told off for the night, and the men and officers
walk by their waggons smoking and yarning, or at
once turn in. The first attempt to sleep in a bullock-
waggon is rarely successful, for once or twice during
the night the bullocks are changed, and it requires
practice to sleep through the shouts of the "bile-wal-
lahs," the glaring of the torches, the bellowing of oxen,
or occasional anathema of a blue jacket whose temper
is put to a more than usually severe test. But all wel-
come the first rays of dawn, the singing of birds, and
the delicious feeling of the fresh morning air, to which
many a man passes his whole life a stranger; there is no
more exhilarating hour of the four-and-twenty than this,
when all nature around seems bounding with life and
enjoyment of the mere act of living, and at no time
is the heart more filled with gratitude to the great
Creator for the bountiful provision He has made, not
only for man's necessities, but for his enjoyment, in
clothing this earth with such all-pervading beauty.
Now beds are rolled up and stowed, and we stop be-
hind at any brook we pass to enjoy a hasty wash,
catch the train up again, and so proceed joyfully on
1
K 3
絮
​134
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. X.
our way, until we reach a station about noon; here
sheds, erected on purpose, receive the men, and the
dâk-bungalow the officers, and after due attention to
the toilette we assemble for the one meal of the day,
and four hours welcome rest. This is bullock-train
travelling in Bengal.
4 April 23rd.-Chumparun. We arrived here this
morning; the last part of our journey has been through
very hilly country, and we had great difficulty in get-
ting the heavy bullock-waggons up the hills, some parts
of which, covered with thick jungle, were very pic-
turesque; they form part of the Rajmahal range. The
day before yesterday we saw a few hills, but were not
in a hilly country; it appeared more like a plain with
hills stuck on afterwards.
↑ April 27th.—Burkutta. We are now about sixty
miles from Shergotty, on the road to Calcutta, from
which last place we are distant two hundred and
thirty-three miles. Yesterday we had a sudden whirl-
wind of rain, dust, and hail, which blew away my
writing portfolio, and scattered its contents far and
wide. We arrived here on Saturday, and on Sunday
proceeded forty miles further to a place called Nimiah
Ghaut, where we received an express, ordering us to
return to this place. We hear that Koor Sing has
crossed the Ganges with a force of four thousand five
hundred men; five hundred men of the Indian Navy
were sent against him, but were entirely cut to pieces
لت
1858.
ADVANCE OF KOOR SING.
135
and their guns captured. We have, therefore, been
ordered to remain here until the whole of the 6th shall
have passed up, and then we are to return to Shergotty.
We are now in three detachments: this one is under
the command of Lieut. Young; Captain Vaughan
commands another at Gyah; and the third is at
Shergotty, under the command of Lieut. Wilson. The
aspect of the country has entirely changed since we
left Shergotty, having become picturesque and hilly.
☀ April 28th.—To-day we have had another storm
and whirlwind, but not such a bad one as the last.
The first detachment of the 6th Regiment arrived by
bullock-train from Calcutta this morning, and will
proceed in the evening; we have no proper barracks
here, but our men have to put up in open sheds, while
we live in the public room of the dâk-bungalow; at
about 10 A.M. every day, a detachment arrives by
bullock-train on its way up country, with perhaps four
or five officers; to these we, of course, show all the
hospitality in our power, and they remain with us
until about 4 P.M., when they take their departure, and
we are alone until the following forenoon. We live
in a delicious air among the hills, and, though far
from cool, have not the oppressive heat that we have
elsewhere experienced; if the sun was a little less
hot and burning, we might enjoy expeditions and
pic-nics among the hills. I heard a reason assigned
for the mutiny the other day, which was new to me;
K 4
i
136
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP X.
two or
the King of Oude was in the habit of keeping all men
in his employ-soldiers, officers, or civilians
three years in arrears of pay; but when Oude was
annexed, the king declared that he had no money
wherewith to pay these arrears, and the Company
refused to do so, on the ground that they had not
contracted the debt, and so it remained unpaid. Now
all these creditors had brothers, cousins, or near re-
lations in the Sepoy regiments, and some of the Sepoys
themselves were amongst the creditors; this gave rise
to a feeling of discontent, which, if it did not cause the
mutiny, at least exercised no small influence over the
excited minds of the mutineers; the rebels thought
they had a better chance of revenge against the Com-
pany than against the ex-king of Oude snugly en-
sconced at Calcutta.
4 April 29th.-To-day another detachment of the
6th has passed up, and we hope to get away on Sunday
evening. Although we shall only go as far as Sher-
gotty, we shall be sixty miles nearer to the actual seat
of war. It is curious to see how independent the
Naval Brigade is, compared with infantry regiments;
the Naval Brigade can be sent anywhere with a small
body of cavalry, but an infantry regiment must be
accompanied by detachments of artillery, cavalry, and
sappers and miners. Now, with all humility, I would
venture to suggest that the following staff of ten men
might with advantage be attached to every regiment of
1
1858.
137
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
foot, as every man-of-war carries a certain complement
of artificers; and as, when any heavy work is to be done
on board of a particular ship, all the artificers of other
ships in company are sent to her, so, when three
regiments are brigaded together, they might have a
superior staff of thirty skilled artificers for employment
in building bridges, pontoons, temporary barracks, &c. :
1. There might be a serjeant, understanding something
of the trades of each of the nine men under his orders,
and receiving good pay. 2. There should be a wheel-
wright, who in a few hours might build up some sort
of waggon for conveying materiel, and, besides having
the general supervision of all vehicles attached to the
regiment, would be always able to assist other car-
penters. 3. A shipwright, who could construct punts
for a bridge of boats, have some sort of idea of sailor-
ising, and be able to assist other carpenters. 4. A
cabinet-maker, understanding fine work, who might be
of great use in keeping barrack furniture in repair, and
store-chests in the field, but able to assist in heavier
work if required. 5. A caulker and cooper, who
would assist in making pontoon bridges. 6. A house-
carpenter, who would help the cabinet-maker, and
might add much to the comfort of men in barracks by
making rough articles of furniture. 7. A mason, who
could use a spade and assist in throwing up an earth-
work. 8, 9. An armourer and blacksmith, men whose
trades are perhaps more different than is generally
138
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. X.
supposed, and without whose assistance carpenters
would make but slow progress; the former of these
would, of course, have the care of all spare arms, &c.
10. A painter, whose trade is quite as useful as orna-
mental, as no permanent woodwork ought to be ex-
posed to the weather without a coat of paint. Major
Guise, of the 90th, bought a very good double-tent,
but the piece of wood which kept the two roofs apart
was accidentally broken; so the tent became very
hot, indeed, quite unbearable, and no one was able to
repair it until Captain Vaughan sent one of our car-
penters, who fitted another piece of wood, and put it
all to rights in an hour. A sovereign was considered
a fit recompense for this hour's work.
↑ April 30th.-To-day we have been much dis-
tressed to learn the death of our noble captain. He
fell a victim to small-pox on the 27th, when just re-
covering from his wound; he refused to go from Luck-
now to Cawnpore in the carriage that was prepared
for him, saying that he would sooner travel in a doolie
like one of his blue jackets, and it is supposed that his
doolie must have been previously used for a small-pox
patient. The information was brought by Lieut.-Col.
Wells, V. C., of the 23rd, as he passed us on his way down
to Calcutta. I cannot say what a sad loss we all feel
this to be, and how deeply his death is felt and re-
gretted by every officer and man; the mainspring that
worked the machinery is gone. We never felt our-
1858.
139
DEATH OF CAPTAIN PEEL.
selves to be the Shannon's Naval Brigade or even the
Admiralty Naval Brigade, but always Peel's Naval
Brigade. He it was who first originated the idea of
sailors going one thousand four hundred miles away
from the sea, and afterwards carried it out in such
an able and judicious manner. I do not doubt that
his worth will be appreciated and his death deeply
lamented by the people of England.
Burkutta is the most retired, out-of-the-way place it
is possible to imagine. It is true that troops arrive
day after day; but, as they have been perhaps a
week on the road, they look to us for news. Occa-
sionally some one, travelling down rapidly by horse-
dâk, flashes upon us like a meteor, perhaps leaving
behind him some shadowy scattered piece of news,
delivered with an air of the most vital importance, such
as "Koor Sing has crossed the river; good bye,” and
instantly the carriage dashes on again. What river?
when? who heard him say so? Nobody knows. It
may be that he has crossed back again to the east
side of the Ganges; or our informant may have only
just become aware of his having crossed at all; or it
may be that he has crossed the Soane, coming south,
or going north; or it may be that the eyes of all
India are fixed (metaphorically) on the banks of some
river of which we have as yet heard nothing: so we
shut out the big world altogether, as being, under the
circumstances, beyond our comprehension; and we
}
140
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. X.
concentrate our hopes and fears on the few sheds con-
taining the little garrison of Burkutta. This place
is really so small, that the post-office authorities will
not even recognise its existence; the one European
resident has his letters directed to a friend at Sher-
gotty, who kindly sends them back in a waggon.
By the following method we keep our rooms tolerably
cool:-The wind blows steadily all day with scorching
heat from one point of the compass: the windward
door is stopped up by a thick mat called a "tatty,"
made from the root of the "cuscus" grass, strengthened
with bamboo. Outside sits a native with a large tub
of water by his side, and from this he continually
sprinkles the mat, keeping it always wet.
wind blowing through it is effectually cooled by the
evaporation; and, by using a punkah at the same
time, a room may be made almost cold.
The hot
From this date my continuous journals of the pro-
ceedings of the Shannon's Naval Brigade cease. On
the 4th of May the detachment with which I was
serving left Burkutta, arriving at Shergotty on the 6th.
On that same evening I again left for Calcutta with a
arge party of sick and invalids, and returned to the
Shannon on the 12th of May.
↳ June 13th.-Lieut. Young, writing from Sher-
gotty, says: "They are at last building barracks for
us here, but they cannot be finished for a month. The
1858.
141
ARRIVAL AT BURKUTTA.
heat has been excessive, 102° at night in the coolest
bungalow in the place. One of our poor fellows,
Flynn, a foretopman, actually died of the heat; he
went to bed all right and sober, and by all accounts
had not been in the sun, but was found a few hours
afterwards in a dying state, with the symptoms of sun-
stroke.
* June 30th. This evening Captain Marten, who
has been appointed acting captain of the Shannon,
went up country to take command of the Naval Bri-
gade, taking with him Mr. Digby, naval cadet, as his
A.D.C.
8 July 27th. This morning I left the Shannon
with Mr. L. P. Willan, naval cadet and thirty-five men,
as a reinforcement to our Brigade at Gyah, and in the
afternoon reached Raneegunge by rail.
☀ July 28th. This afternoon left Raneegunge by
bullock-train.
4 July 29th. 5 A. M. Arrived at Toldangah.
We are most thankful for fine weather, but the river
Burâka, which I passed as an insignificant stream on
my way, was this morning so swollen by the rains, that
we had to cross it in ferry-boats. The stages have
been shortened, so that now seven days are allowed
for performing a distance, for which only five were
previously granted; this makes our travelling more
agreeable.
• August 1st.—At 5 A.M. we arrived at Burkutta,
#
142
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. X.
and a note was put into my hand from Lieut. Young,
ordering me to return to the ship, as the whole brigade
is on its way down country, so this afternoon I start
again for Calcutta.
(August 2nd.-Arrived at Doomree. A dog
belonging to Captain Dansey, commissariat officer here,
who showed us such cordial hospitality when we were
at Burkutta in April, was killed last night by a leopard,
it was therefore left in a field for bait, and when the
animal came to devour it, he was shot by a native: he
must have been a very fine fellow indeed, with enor-
mous fangs and claws.
4 August 5th.-Arrived on board the Shannon, in
the middle of a shower of rain.
4 August 12th-At 3 P.M. I crossed the Hooghly
with all the Shannon's men, who served in the interior,
to the railway station, to meet the Brigade coming down
country: at five they arrived, we all formed together
on the railway platform, and then embarked on board
the steamer; a detachment under command of Lieut.
Young was still in the interior, but altogether we num-
bered about two hundred and twenty: as we steamed
across the Hooghly, all the ships in that mighty stream
dressed with flags, some bearing the word "Welcome;"
on reaching the opposite pier we were enthusiastically
cheered, the wharves were decorated with flowers, flags,
and evergreens, surmounted by the inscription " Wel-
come, hearts of oak," all the houses on the Strand, as far
1858.
143
· RECEPTION AT CALCUTTA.
as the Shannon, a distance of about a mile were simi-
larly decorated, the road was lined by almost the entire
population of Calcutta, European and native: all the
thoroughfares leading to the Strand were blocked up
and a double row of native policemen, dressed in white
with red turbans and cummerbunds, kept the road.
We landed on the pier, and passing between two rows
of ladies, formed on the road; the order "fours right,"
was then given, and we marched off, our band leading,
escorted in front and rear by the Calcutta Volun-
teer Cavalry: Fort William saluted with twenty-one
guns, and the people all cheered as we passed, the
ladies showering down flowers and bouquets on us at
length we emerged on the Maidân, the public prome-
nade, where the road on each side was lined with
carriages, the horses unharnessed, and troops who
presented arms as we passed; amongst others were the
77th, the Calcutta Volunteer Guards, the Calcutta
Volunteer Artillery, the Calcutta Volunteer Rifles, the
Indian Naval Brigade, the ship's company of H.M.S.
Pylades, Captain M. de Courcy and small remnant
of the crew of H.M.S. Pearl, who were still serving
in the interior under Captain Sotheby. A bridge
of boats had been constructed from the shore to the
Shannon's gangway, and each company marched on
board and fell in on the quarter-deck as if they
had been on shore for a day's drill instead of a
144
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. X.
""
-
year's service. The order was given to "ground
arms and then the pipe rang through the decks,
"hands cheer ship;" in a moment our lower and
topmast rigging were swarming with men and three
such mighty English cheers rolled over that old
Maidân, as the Indian soil had never echoed to before,
and probably never will again. And where all this
time was our old companion in arms who had planned
our enthusiastic reception, Sir James Outram, well
named the Bayard of India? As we stepped over
the gangway of the Shannon, perhaps we hardly
noticed a figure dressed in the plainest of plain
clothes, whose eagle eye scanned every bronzed face
as it appeared, welcoming one with a nod, and
another with a cordial shake of the hand; yet this
was Sir James Outram,and in this simple way did
he welcome us all.
3 August 24th.-This evening Sir James and Lady
Outram gave a grand ball to the officers of the
Shannon, at which almost the whole of Calcutta society
was present.
☀ August 25th.-Lieut. Young returned on board
with the remaining detachment of the Shannon's Naval
Brigade.
☀ September 1st.-This evening a banquet was
given in the Town Hall, to the seamen of the Shannon's
Naval Brigade; it was attended by a large number of
1858.
145
THE SHANNON SAILS FROM CALCUTTA.
people, and several very fair speeches were made by
our chief petty officers referring to the transfer of the
government of India to the Crown, which took place
to-day.
September 15th.-H.M.S. Shannon sailed from
Calcutta.
L
146
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
CHAP. XI.
CHAP. XI.
THE RETURN OF H. M. S. SHANNON TO ENGLAND.
PROMOTIONS
AND DECORATIONS BESTOWED UPON HER OFFICERS AND BLUE
JACKETS.
EARLY in the morning of the 15th of January 1858,
H.M.S. Shannon sailed from Calcutta, under the
command of Captain Marten. She touched at Trin-
comalee, and reached the Cape of Good Hope on the
6th of November: on the 13th she left the Cape, and
touching at St. Helena and Ascension, anchored at
Spithead on the 29th of December. The behaviour of
her ship's company on the passage home was what
might have been expected as the result of the fellow-
feeling and mutual esteem engendered by the vicissi-
tudes of an arduous campaign: and indeed it was no
easy matter for her varied crew, many of whom had
been merchant seamen, to fall in at once to the routine
of a man-of-war; the ship was inspected in Portsmouth
harbour by Sir George Seymour, the Port Admiral,
the Naval Brigade passed before him in review order,
and he addressed them in a short but hearty speech.
The officers of H.M.S. Excellent entertained the officers
of the Naval Brigade at dinner, on the 15th of January
1
1858.
"6
147
RELIEF OF LUCKNOW" CLASP.
1859, at 3.30 P. M. the last man of the Shannon's crew
was paid off.
The officers of H.M.S. Shannon received the follow-
ing promotions:-Lieut. Vaughan was promoted to
the rank of commander, and after serving for one
year, to that of captain; Lieuts. Young, Wilson, Hay,
Salmon, and Wratislaw were promoted to the rank of
commander; Dr. Flanagan, assistant-surgeon, was pro-
moted to the rank of surgeon; Mr. Verney, mate, was
promoted to the rank of lieutenant; Mr. Comerford,
assistant-paymaster, was promoted to the rank of pay-
master; and each of the engineers and warrant-officers
received a step. To the midshipmen and naval cadets
were promised their promotions to the rank of lieu-
tenants on their passing the requisite examinations,
which has in each instance been performed.
The Victoria Cross was presented to Lieuts. Young
and Salmon and three blue jackets "for valour" at
the relief of Lucknow, mentioned in despatches by
Sir William Peel. Commander Vaughan received
the order of C.B., an honour never before accorded
to any naval officer below the rank of captain.
The Indian medal, with the Lucknow clasp, was
presented to each officer and man who formed part
of the Naval Brigade. The following officers, who
were present at the relief of Lucknow, on the 17th of
November, received also the "Relief of Lucknow "
clasp Lieuts. Vaughan, Young, and Salmon; Capt.
: —
L 2
148
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. CHAP. XI.
Gray, R.M.; Rev. E. L. Bowman; Dr. Flanagan; Mr.
Comerford, assistant paymaster; Messrs. M. A. Daniel,
E. St. J. Daniel; Lord Walter Kerr, Lord Arthur
Clinton, and Mr. Church, midshipmen: Messrs. Bone
and Henri, engineers, and Mr. Bryce, carpenter. Never
was medal more highly prized, or clasp more nobly
won.
1
APPENDIX.
"Camp, Futtehpore,
“SIR,
"3rd November, 1857.
"I have the honor to lay before His Excellency the
Commander-in-Chief the details of the battle of Khujwa
with the circumstances that preceded it.
“Detachments amounting to 700 men under the com-
mand of Lieut.-Col. Powell, of H.M. 53rd Regiment, in
charge of siege-train guns and a large convoy were pro-
ceeding from Allahabad to Cawnpore, and had arrived on-
the 31st of October, after a march of twelve miles, at the
camping-ground of Thurrea. The same afternoon intel-
ligence was received from Futtehpore that the sepoy
mutineers of the Dinapore Regiment with three guns had
passed the Jumna with the intention of either attacking
Futtehpore or crossing over into Oude. The camp was
immediately struck, and we arrived at the camping-ground
of Futtehpore at midnight.
“Colonel Powell then made arrangements for marching at
daylight upon the enemy, who were reported to be about.
twenty-four miles distant at Khujwa beyond the village of
Binkee. The column of attack consisted of 162 men of
H.M. 53rd Regiment under Major Clarke; 68 of the
Royal Engineers under Captain Clarke; 70 of a depôt
L 3
150
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
detachment under Lieutenant Fanning of H.M. 64th Regi-
ment, and 103 of the Naval Brigade under Captain Peel.
It marched at daylight and was joined from the garrison
of Futtehpore by a company of the 93rd Highlanders, 100
in number, under Captain Cornwall, and two 9-pr. guns
under Lieutenant Anderson, Bengal Artillery. After march-
ing for sixteen miles, the column halted for refreshment
and then resumed the march at a rapid pace passing
the village of Binkee at about 1.30 P.M., when the intel-
ligence was confirmed that the enemy was at hand.
"The troops pressed on without interruption, the High-
landers advancing in skirmishing order supported by the
Royal Engineers and followed by the 53rd in column, and
then by the Naval Brigade; the depôt detachment was with
the baggage. We advanced along the road which led straight
for the village of Khujwa and saw that the enemy's right
occupied a long line of high embankments on our left of
the road, which embankment, screened by a grove, continued
towards the village, and that their left was higher upon
the other side with their guns posted in the centre on the
road, two of them in advance and one on a bridge near
the village.
I
"A round shot coming down the road opened the battle
at about 2.20 P.M. and the column was ordered to edge to
the right and advance on the guns through the corn-fields.
The skirmishers of the 93rd and the Royal Engineers
pushing on both sides of the road. The enemy's artillery
was well served and did great execution, and the flank fire
of musketry was very severe. The gallant Colonel Powell
himself on the left of the road, pressed on the attack, and
had just secured two guns of the enemy when he fell dead
with a bullet through his forehead.
"In the meantime the Naval Brigade had advanced on
the right of the 53rd, and carried the enemy's position in
their front. It was then that the death of Colonel Powell
1
APPENDIX.
151
was reported to me, and I was requested to assume the
command. The great force of the enemy, the long line of
their defences, and the exhaustion of both officers and men
after such long marches rendered our position truly critical.
The front of the battle had become changed to the line of
the road, and the enemy with all their force behind their
embankments threatened to intercept our rear. I left
Lieutenant Hay, R.N., supported by two 9-pr. guns to
hold the position which his party had gallantly carried,
and which secured our flank, and collecting as many fresh
troops as were available, assisted principally by Lieutenant
Lennox, Royal Engineers (Captain Clarke being unfortu-
nately severely wounded), and by Ensign Small of the 53rd
we marched across the road, and passing round the uppe
end of the embankment divided the enemy's force and drove
them successively from all their positions. The enemy then
retired in confusion, leaving us masters of their camp and
with two of their guns and a tumbril in our possession.
"The late hour of the evening (it was half-past four when
the enemy fired their last shot), and the excessive fatigue of
the troops prevented any pursuit; we therefore spoiled their
camp, and leaving it with cheers, formed on the road by the
bridge near the village, and sent out parties to collect our
dead and wounded.
"With the body of the colonel on the limber of the gun he
had so gallantly captured, we then returned and encamped
near the village of Binkee. Our loss in the action was very
severe, amounting to ninety-five killed and wounded. En-
closed are the returns of the column of attack.
"The behaviour of the troops and of the Naval Brigade was
admirable, and all vied with each other and showed equal
courage in the field. The marching of the 53rd, and the
accurate firing of the Highlanders, deserved especial com-
mendation.
"I received the greatest assistance from Captain Cox, H.M.
152
THE SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA.
75th Regiment, whom I wish to bring to the favourable
notice of H.E. the Commander-in-Chief; and the arrange-
ments of the field-hospital, under Dr. Grant H.M. 53rd;
and those of the Quarter-Master's department under Captain
Marshall, were everything I could wish. The total number
of the enemy was reported to be about 4000 men, 2000 of
whom were sepoys, who fought in their uniform. Their
loss was estimated at above 300 killed.
"I have the honour to be, Sir,
"Your very obedient servant,
(Signed)
"WILLIAM PEEL, Capt., R.N., Commanding.
"I have the pleasure to inform His Excellency that the
remaining gun of the enemy with three tumbrils was brought
in this evening by the police, having been abandoned by the
rebels in their flight about eight miles beyond Khujwa; and
that the sepoys have dispersed in all directions pursued by
the villagers."
153
EXTRACT FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE, May 25, 1858.
No. 17.- Nominal Roll of Officers of Her Majesty's ship
Shannon's Brigade serving under Captain Peel, K.C.B.,
who are deemed worthy of promotion, or of honourable
mention, for their services during the campaign, and
in the capture of Lucknow, March 1858.
LIEUTENANT THOMAS J. YOUNG, gunnery officer of Her
Majesty's ship Shannon.-This officer has been distinguished
in every engagement by his cool courage and admirable skill
as a gunnery officer: has been specially employed on all
critical occasions, and has been named for the Victoria Cross.
-Recommended for promotion,
Lieutenant NOWELL SALMON. An excellent officer; dis-
tinguished himself in the Shannon's Brigade at the relief of
Lucknow, was severely wounded, and named for the Victoria
Cross.—Recommended for promotion.
Mr. EDMUND H. VERNEY, senior acting mate, zealous and
well-conducted. Recommended for promotion.
Officers not eligible for promotion, but worthy of honourable
mention:
Lord WALTER T. KERR, midshipman.- Has had an inde-
pendent command. — Is very highly recommended.
Lord A. P. CLINTON, and Mr. E. J. CHURCH, midshipmen.
Have behaved admirably, and are very promising officers.
Lucknow, March 31, 1858.
WILLIAM PEEL, Captain, R.N.,
Commanding Shannon's Naval Brigade.
THE END.
LONDON
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