V.
1857–1860.—DELHI. ROHILKUND. PEKIN.
The outbreak of the Great Mutiny of the Native Army in India began on the 10th of May, 1857, at Meerut, where the 1st Battalion was at that time quartered under the command of Lieut.-Colonel John Jones.[30] The Battalion at the moment was mustering for evening church parade. On hearing the news it immediately fell in, and Captain Muter,[31] the senior officer present, with great promptitude instantly despatched a company to secure the Treasury. The Battalion thereupon marched towards the city, when being joined by the 6th Carabiniers and a Battery of Horse Artillery (all the European troops available), it proceeded to occupy the lines of the Native troops, thus effectually preventing the mutineers from establishing themselves in the city, so that they were forced forthwith to retreat towards Delhi. The story is told that while hurrying to the native lines the Battalion came upon the body of a lady lying dead and mutilated by the roadside. This lady was well known both to the officers and men for her devotion and care for the women and children of the Battalion, and the men as they passed—exasperated at the sight—raised their rifles in the air and swore to avenge her death. It is not too much to say that the Battalion, and their leader known later as “Jones the Avenger,” made good their oath.
[Sidenote: May 30th and 31st, 1857, HINDUN.]
Marching in pursuit, under _Brigadier Archdale Wilson_, the Meerut troops fought two successful actions upon the Hindun River, in which the 1st Battalion took a prominent part, and on the 7th of June it joined the army under _Major-General Sir Henry Barnard_ at Alighur.
[Sidenote: June 8th to Sept. 20th, 1857, DELHI.]
At one o’clock on the following morning the whole of _Barnard’s_ force moved against Delhi. On reaching Badlee-ke-Serai it was found that the mutineers were strongly posted in an entrenched position along the ridge from the flagstaff to Hindoo Rao’s house, overlooking the cantonments and city, but after a sharp engagement of about three quarters of an hour the ridge was cleared of the enemy and occupied by our troops. Thus began the famous siege of DELHI—a period full of glorious memories to all Sixtieth Riflemen. From then on to the final assault on the city (June the 8th to September the 20th) the Battalion was constantly employed either as outposts near Hindoo Rao’s house, or with the various columns which were sent forward to drive the mutineers back into the city, when, emboldened by the strength of overwhelming numbers, they made repeated assaults upon our position on the ridge. It is recorded that the Regiment was during this period engaged in twenty-four separate
## actions.
On the morning of September the 14th, after six days of bombardment, two breaches were considered practicable in the walls of the city, one in the curtain to the right of the Cashmere Gate, the other to the left of the water bastion. The assault was delivered at three points, namely upon the two breaches and the Cashmere Gate, while a fourth column followed as reserve. The whole of the Battalion was split up in skirmishing order to cover the advance of the assaulting columns, and in this appropriate and congenial duty they greatly distinguished themselves.
The assaults were successful, and after an heroic struggle the city was
## partially occupied by night-fall. But it was not until September the
20th that the place and its defences were completely in the hands of our troops, and then only after continuous and desperate hand to hand fighting in the streets. Nothing could exceed the determined valour of the Regiment, and every Rifleman will remember with justifiable pride and pleasure that, having joined the army before Delhi, its services were officially pronounced to be “preeminent in the memorable siege and capture.”[32]
“All behaved nobly,” writes Lord Canning, the Governor-General of India in his final despatch upon the siege and capture of Delhi (dated November the 9th, 1857), “but I may be permitted to allude somewhat to those Corps most constantly engaged from the beginning, the 60th Rifles, the Sirmoor Battalion,[33] and the Guides. Probably not one day throughout the siege passed without a casualty in one of these Corps; placed in the very front of our position, they were ever under fire. Their courage, their high qualifications as skirmishers, their cheerfulness, their steadiness were beyond commendation. Their losses in
## action show the nature of the service. The Rifles commenced with 440 of
all ranks; a few days before the storm they received a reinforcement of nearly 200 men; their total casualties were 389.”
We may conclude this page of the Regiment’s history by citing the judgment of the General under whom they served, who described the Battalion as “a glorious example both in its daring gallantry and its perfect discipline.”[34]
[Sidenote: 1858, ROHILKUND OUDH.]
In the following year the 1st Battalion formed part of the Roorkee Field Force under Jones, now promoted Brigadier-General, which operated against the rebels from the 11th of April until the 24th of May, 1858.
During this short campaign Jones’ force swept through the whole Province of Rohilkund from north to south; fought one battle (Nugeenah, 21st of April); defeated the enemy in three actions (Bagawalla, 17th of April, Dojura, and Bareilly, 3rd of May); assaulted and captured one city (Bareilly, 6th of May); and relieved two others (Moradabad, 18th of April, and Shahjehanpore, 11th of May); destroyed two forts (Bunnai, 24th of May, and Mahomdee, 25th of May); and took thirty-seven guns. It was said of the gallant Jones that “he never assaulted a position that he did not take, nor attacked a gun that he did not capture.”
The 1st Battalion again took part in operations in Oudh, under Brigadier _Sir Thomas Seaton_ and _Brigadier Colin Troup_, from the 8th of October until the 31st of December, 1858. Four successful actions were fought with the rebels (Bunkagaon, 8th of October; Pusgaon, 19th of October; Rissoolpur, 25th of October; and Baragoan, 23rd of November); and the Fort of Mittowlis captured (10th of November); thence the Battalion formed part of a flying column, which cleared the rebels out of the Khyreeghur jungles.
A wing of the 2nd Battalion, which had been ordered from the Cape, also took part in the final stages of the operations against the mutineers.
In March, 1860, the 1st Battalion embarked for England, and in a General Order Lord Canning, Governor-General of India, bore further testimony to the services of the Battalion in eloquent and unprecedented terms, concluding with the following memorable tribute:
“It is not more by the valour of its officers and men, conspicuous as that has been on every occasion, than by the discipline and excellent conduct of all ranks during the whole of their service in India, that this Regiment has distinguished itself. The Governor-General tenders to the Battalion his warmest acknowledgments for the high example it has set in every respect to the troops with which it has been associated in quarters as well as in the field; and he assures its officers and men that the estimation in which their services are held by the Government of India confirms to the full the respect and admiration with which they are universally regarded.”[35]
[Illustration:
MAP III
NORTH-WEST INDIA & PUNJAUB
Illustrating the area of Operations referred to in Part II, Sections 4 and 5, also Part III, Sections 7 and 9.
_Stanford’s Geog^l. Estab^t. London._ ]
The splendid services rendered by the Regiment in the period in its history above briefly recorded may perhaps be equalled, but can hardly be surpassed by future generations of Riflemen. The good conduct, sound discipline, and unflinching courage of the 1st Battalion during its service in India (1845–1860) will always be regarded by the Regiment as marking a Golden Age in its history and a landmark in its traditions.
[Sidenote: Aug. 21st, 1860, TAKU FORTS.]
[Sidenote: PEKIN.]
On the 28th of February, 1860, the 2nd Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer,[36] embarked at Calcutta to join the Franco-British Expedition to China under _General Sir Hope Grant_. Six months later the Battalion took a vigorous part in the assault and capture of the TAKU FORTS on the Peiho River (August the 21st), and thence marched to and occupied PEKIN on the 13th of September.
In September, 1861, the Battalion returned to England.
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Footnote 30:
Afterwards Major-General Sir John Jones, K.C.B.
Footnote 31:
Colonel Dunbar Douglas Muter, who greatly distinguished himself, obtaining two brevets during the siege and subsequent operations. He was afterwards a Military Knight of Windsor; and died in 1909.
Footnote 32:
Governor-General’s despatch, _London Gazette_, May 18th, 1860, upon the departure of the Regiment from India.
Footnote 33:
Now the 2nd King Edward’s Own Gurkha Rifles (the Sirmoor Rifles). It is stated of this gallant Regiment that, when asked what reward they would like, they begged for and were granted the red facings of the 60th to be added to their Rifle uniform.
Footnote 34:
Despatch, General Sir Archdale Wilson, 22nd September, 1857.
Footnote 35:
_London Gazette_, May 18th, 1860.
Footnote 36:
Afterwards Colonel and C.B.