Part 11

=Medals for Meeanee and Hyderabad.=--The medal for the war in Scinde in 1843 was the only war medal given by the Home Government to the troops employed in India during the period of the East India Company's rule. The medal is practically the same as that described and illustrated as given for Candahar, Ghuznee, and Cabul in the 1842 campaign, the name of the battle--MEEANEE or HYDERABAD--and date, 1843, being arranged inside a wreath surmounted by the royal crown. A third medal given to those who were present in both actions has MEEANEE-HYDERABAD within laurel wreaths tied together, the whole surmounted by the royal crown. A medal for the battle of Meeanee, awarded to the 22nd, has realised from £7 to £9. The steel suspender, as in the Cabul medal illustrated, was issued with the medal given to non-commissioned officers and privates, but those with the officers' medals were of silver; the Colonel, however, of the only English regiment present--the 22nd--had, at his own expense, silver suspenders made for his men in place of the steel ones. The 22nd were present at both battles, also detachments of royal and horse artillery. Some of these medals have the names of the recipients, etc., engraved in script; others are mostly impressed in Roman capitals. Those to the 22nd were generally engraved in block lettering. The ribbon used is the "rainbow" or Army of India type.

THE GWALIOR CAMPAIGN

The year 1843 also saw the Gwalior campaign, in which the two decisive battles of Maharajpoor and Punniar were fought on the same day, December 29th. "The Army of Exercise" had been assembled at Agra owing to troubles following the death of the Maharajah. Tyajee Rao Scindiah had been acknowledged by the British Government, and Mama Sahib was appointed Regent. He was, however, expatriated, and an attempt made to undermine the position of the young Maharajah. His authority was, however, re-established, and the British army prepared to leave the country under the command of Major-General Sir Hugh Gough.

=Maharajpoor.=--They crossed the Koharee River on the morning of December 29th, to find about 18,000 Mahrattas with 100 guns strongly entrenched at the village of Maharajpoor. The British army consisted of 14,000 men with 40 guns. A terrific conflict ensued owing to the superiority of the enemy in artillery, but attacked on all sides by the British force they were routed, despite the splendid determination of the Mahratta gunners, who were bayoneted at their guns, and the gallantry of the infantry, who discarding their matchlocks stubbornly fought hand to hand with the British soldiers.

The regiments engaged were the 39th and 40th Foot and the 16th Lancers. The H.E.I. Co.'s troops were the 2nd, 14th, 16th, 31st, 43rd, and 56th Bengal Native Infantry; 1st Bengal Light Cavalry; 4th, section of the 5th, 8th Bengal Light Cavalry; 10th Bengal Light Cavalry; 2nd Skinner's Horse; 4th Irregular Cavalry (in reserve); 2 companies of Bengal Foot Artillery (3 companies and 4 of natives in reserve); 3 troops of Bengal Horse Artillery and 3rd, 4th, and 7th companies Bengal Sappers and Miners.

=Punniar.=--On the afternoon of the 29th the left wing of the army, under Major-General Grey, discovered about 1,200 of the enemy in position on a range of hills near Punniar, and by a brilliant attack carried every position, and routed the enemy with considerable loss. These two victories which terminated the war were dearly bought, over 1,000 men being placed _hors de combat_.

The Queen's Regiments at Punniar were the 3rd Buffs, 50th, Queen's Own, and 2 squadrons 9th Lancers; 5 companies of the 39th, 50th, and 51st Native Infantry; 2 squadrons 5th Bengal Light Cavalry; 8th Bengal and 8th Irregular Cavalry; 2 squadrons 11th Bengal Light Cavalry; 1st Company Bengal Sappers and Miners; 2 troops Bengal Horse Artillery and 1 company Bengal Foot Artillery.

=Maharajpoor and Punniar Stars.=--For these fights the victorious Britishers and native troops were awarded bronze six-pointed stars, 1⁷⁄₁₀ in. in diameter (as illustrated facing pages 108 and 112), made from the captured cannon, having in the centre a small silver star bearing the words PUNNIAR or MAHARAJPOOR, 1843, in a circle, and in the centre the date of the action, ~29ᵗʰ· DECʳ·~ The star worn by Lord Gough had a silver elephant on the obverse instead of the silver star. These stars were originally fitted with broad brass hooks for attachment to a loop on the coat, but in some instances a steel ring was run through it, so as to allow for suspension by the rainbow ribbon used at the time with other Indian war medals, as illustrated in the pair for Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul, and Maharajpoor, or a silver, or German-silver, suspender was attached, as shown in the Punniar star. The name, number, and regiment of the soldier were engraven on the back, at either side of the hook, in a light, slanting script.

THE SIKH WARS

The Sikh wars of 1845-6 and 1848-9, which concluded with the annexation of the Punjab, and the Koh-i-noor diamond being presented to Queen Victoria, were particularly hard-fought campaigns; and Lord Gough--one of the famous fighting Goughs--whom Wellington thought unworthy to continue the command in the second campaign, which, however, he successfully closed, is depicted on the medal for the Punjab campaign receiving from the defeated Sikhs the arms they were no longer allowed to bear against us. Some state that the mounted soldier depicted on the medal is Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert.

Runjeet Singh, who died in 1839, left an army trained by Europeans and a young son, Dhuleep Singh. The former, numbering 60,000, inspired by the ambitious Ministers of the infant Maharajah, crossed the Sutlej and invested Ferozepore with the object of expelling the British from Hindoostan, but was encountered at Moodkee on December 18th by the "Army of the Sutlej," consisting of 3,850 Europeans and 8,500 natives, which with 42 guns had made a tiring march of 22 miles to relieve Ferozepore.

=Moodkee.=--It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon when the alarm was given that the Sikhs were to give battle. The fatigued and famished soldiers abandoned the meal they were preparing, and, many coatless, rushed to their arms and to meet the Sikh army, the strength of which was so great that it outflanked the British, which practically only formed a single line to oppose it. The infantry meeting them in front gave a brilliant account of itself with the bayonet. The second brigade of cavalry, with the 3rd Light Dragoons, swept the enemy's left, while the rest of the British cavalry turned their right, but the fight continued until darkness, aided by the great clouds of dust from the sandy desert, came to the aid of the Sikhs, who sullenly retired to their camp at Ferozeshuhur after the loss of 17 guns, while the British rested on the battlefield for a few hours and then returned to their camp. In this battle, Colonel James Robertson, C.B., relates, Captain (afterwards Lord) Napier had a remarkable escape with his life; when riding armed merely with a walking-stick several of the enemy rushed at him, but he escaped unscathed. He had ridden from Umballa alone and straight into the battle when it was at its height! In this battle, Colonel Robertson states, the Sikh gunners "were conspicuous for their reckless bravery and devotion to their guns." They "died rather than yield; and there were no white flags, and no quarter asked or given on either side, so we had just to fight it out," and these were the men with whom we had fought side by side in the advance on Cabul but three years before! In this encounter 84 officers and 800 men were placed _hors de combat_, and the hero of Jellalabad, Major-General Sir Robert Sale, mortally wounded, Sir John McGaskill killed, and 4 brigadiers wounded.

[Illustration: MEDAL FOR SUTLEJ, 1845.]

[Illustration: BRONZE STAR FOR PUNNIAR, 1843.]

[Illustration: MEDAL FOR PUNJAB, 1849.]

At Moodkee H.M.'s 9th, 31st, 50th, and 80th Regiments and the 3rd Light Dragoons were present, also the 2nd, 16th, 24th, 26th, 42nd, 45th, 47th, 48th, and 73rd Bengal Native Infantry; 4th and 5th Bengal Light Cavalry, 9th Irregular Cavalry; 4 troops of Horse Artillery and 2 companies of Foot Artillery. On the day following the battle H.M.'s 26th Foot, the 1st Bengal European Regiment, 11th and 41st Bengal Native Infantry, and 2 companies of Bengal Artillery joined the force.

=Ferozeshuhur.=--The Sikhs strengthened their position at "Ferushahr" and entrenched themselves with 120 guns; meanwhile the British army had been reinforced with heavy guns and a number of troops, while Major-General Sir John Littler had brought his division of 5,000 men from Ferozepore, making a total of about 5,674 Europeans and 12,053 native troops, with 65 guns, to be ranged against 25,000 Regulars and 10,000 Irregular Sikhs, with 83 guns, strengthened by an army of about 23,000, with 67 guns, under Tej Singh, encamped only ten miles away. The battle of Ferushahr, or Ferozeshuhur, as it is officially spelt, opened on December 21st, with a terrific cannonade by the Sikhs, under which the British infantry advanced, stormed the entrenchments, and took a number of the enemy's guns. So hardly did the Sikhs fight that they could not be forced from the whole of their entrenchments; indeed, so stubborn was the battle of Ferozeshuhur that it lasted for two days, while the intervening night was also kept lively by the Sikh artillery playing on to the ground gained by the British. The 80th Regiment was sent with the 1st European Light Infantry to silence the guns, and the 80th was successful in capturing three. "A more wonderful battle never was. Within 150 yards of one another were 8,000 British troops against an unknown number of enemies yet unbroken." All the Governor-General's staff were killed or wounded before the day of retribution arrived. The Commander-in-Chief and the Governor-General of India, Sir Henry Hardinge, placed themselves in front of the two wings of the army "to prevent the troops from firing" until they closed! Unchecked by the enemy's fire, the line advanced, dislodged the enemy and swept everything before it. Halting, as on the parade ground, the army vociferously cheered its leaders, for they were masters of the field. Sirdar Tej Singh, however, brought up his army of over 30,000 men, with a large field of artillery, and endeavoured to retrieve the day; but despite the fact that the British artillery had already expended its ammunition, he was compelled to retire, and the day was won. On the field, however, were 2,415 dead or wounded soldiers, and 115 officers, which the victorious army had lost. The men who fought and won this protracted and sanguinary battle had mostly been without food or water for forty-eight hours.

The Queen's Regiments present at Ferozeshuhur were the 9th, 29th, 31st, 50th, 62nd, and 80th; 3rd Light Dragoons; 1st and 3rd Brigades Bengal Horse Artillery, and the 4th, 6th, and 7th Batteries of Artillery; the 2nd, 12th, 14th, 16th, 24th, 26th, 33rd, 42nd, 44th, 45th, 47th, 48th, 54th, and 73rd Native Infantry; Royal Bengal Fusiliers; No. 6 Company Bengal Sappers and Miners; 4th, 5th, and 8th Bengal Light Cavalry; 3rd and 9th Bengal Irregular Cavalry; 2nd Skinner's Horse, and the Governor-General's Bodyguard. The 11th and 41st Bengal Native Infantry guarding the wounded at Moodkee and the men of the 27th and 63rd Bengal Native Infantry, Bengal Artillery, and Sappers who garrisoned Ferozepore were also granted the medal or the bar for Ferozeshuhur.

=Aliwal.=--Within a month the battle of Aliwal was fought. The Sikh Sirdars having effected a passage of the Sutlej near Loodiana, likewise at Ferozeshuhur near Sobraon, and threatened the garrison at the former place, the first brigade under Sir Harry Smith--a Peninsular veteran who bore twelve clasps to his medal--was ordered to make a forced march to relieve it. At Budiwal the enemy had prepared to intercept the British force by strongly entrenching the range of sand-hills and the villages. Sir Harry Smith, however, refusing to take any risks with his army of footsore and fatigued men, decided to make a flank movement by the right, although it would mean running the gauntlet of a heavy fire from the forty guns which was opened upon his columns. The British troops passed through the ordeal with remarkable discipline, but with a loss (this was on January 21st, 1846) far greater than was sustained later at Aliwal.

Colonel Godby, who commanded the garrison, on observing the approach of the British force, moved out from Loodiana and joined the relieving force. General Wheeler's brigade also arrived, and on January 28th the battle of Aliwal was fought. About 10,000 men against 20,000 with 68 guns, Sir Harry Smith boldly advanced upon the Sikh position held by the flower of that fine army. The British cavalry drove the Sikh horsemen on their own infantry, and captured several guns, while the British infantry made terrible havoc with the bayonet. The battle commenced at 10 a.m., and by 1 o'clock the Sikh army was flying in disorder, the whole of their artillery being left in possession of the victors. In this action the British losses were 151 killed, 413 wounded, and 25 missing. The 16th Lancers, who had greatly distinguished themselves, lost 8 officers and 100 men. Colonel Robertson, who was present with the 31st, records a "magnificent charge of the 16th Lancers, who rode right through one of the enemy's squares. As they (the Lancers) came round our right flank a regiment of sepoys, our own men, opened fire upon them!" The gallant Colonel, however, at the risk of his life, ran along the line knocking up their muskets with his sword as he shouted in Hindustani, "Our men, our own men!"

The following regiments were engaged at Aliwal: H.M.'s 31st, 50th, and 53rd Foot and 16th Lancers. The H.E.I. Co.'s troops were the 1st and 2nd Goorkas, 30th, 36th, 47th, and 48th Bengal Native Infantry and a wing of the 24th; 1st, 3rd, and 5th Bengal Light Cavalry; 4th Irregular Cavalry and the Bodyguard; Bengal Horse and Foot Artillery; Bengal Sappers and Miners.

=Sobraon.=--The completeness of the victory at Aliwal did not utterly dispirit the Sikhs, for they made a bold stand at Sobraon, where, on February 10th, they desperately disputed the day with the army composed of the combined forces of Sir Hugh Gough and Sir Harry Smith. The Sikhs held their 3,500 yards of entrenchments, shielding 70 guns, with 34,000 men, while on the other bank of the Sutlej 20,000 more were ready for battle. Sir Hugh Gough's army of 16,224 men--6,533 Europeans and 9,691 native troops--prepared for battle at sunrise, when the British batteries opened fire, but with little effect upon the enemy's guns in the strong redoubts. At 9 o'clock the European infantry advanced to attack, and then, without firing a shot, under a galling fire rushed upon the Sikhs, while the cavalry, passing in single files through the gaps in the entrenchments made by the sappers, re-formed and sabred the stubborn Sikh artillerymen at their posts. Those who fled were drowned in thousands in the waters of the Sutlej, which was red in places with the blood of men and horses, and the fine army of Sikhs (Khalsas) melted away, after leaving about 8,000 on the field of battle. No longer was there any doubt as to the determination of the British to maintain their prestige and possessions, and the haughty chieftains sought peace from their conquerors. The youthful Maharajah Dhuleep Singh was, however, compelled to treat in person. As a result the victors occupied the rich district between the Sutlej and the Beeas, and he was allowed to nominally rule the Punjab until the war indemnity of £1,500,000 was paid. It was a dear victory for the British: the 10th lost 3 officers and 130 men; the 29th Regiment lost 13 officers and 135 men; the 31st, 7 officers and 147 men, two of the officers--Ensign Tritton and Jones--being killed while bearing the regimental colours, which were ultimately planted on the highest point of the enemy's entrenchments by Sergeant Bernard McCabe, who as Captain McCabe was mortally wounded when leading a fourth sortie from Lucknow on October 1st, 1857. The 50th lost 12 officers and 227 men. Generals McLaren and Cyril Taylor were among the dead, also Major-General Sir Robert Dick, who gained considerable fame as leader of the 42nd Highlanders during the Peninsular War and at Waterloo, and who fell at the moment of victory.

The regiments engaged at Sobraon were: H.M.'s 9th, 10th, 29th, 31st, 50th, 53rd, and 62nd Infantry Regiments; 3rd Light Dragoons; 9th and 16th Lancers; 1st Bengal Europeans; 1st and 2nd Goorkas; 1 company 12th, 16th, wing of 24th, 26th, 33rd, some of the 38th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 47th, 59th, 63rd, and 68th Bengal Native Infantry; with the 45th and 59th in reserve; 3rd, 4th, and 5th Bengal Light Cavalry; 2nd, 8th, and 9th Irregular Cavalry; 10 troops of Horse Artillery; 11 companies Foot Artillery. The 73rd Bengal Native Infantry stationed at Rhodawalla also received the medal. It should be noted that the record of regiments engaged does not necessarily represent all the units taking part. Details and drafts from various corps were often present through one cause or another, or by accident. This should be borne in mind whenever a medal comes under notice. The medal rolls will generally assist, but there have been instances, and very serious ones for the collector, where the want of accuracy in a medal roll has cost him very dearly. Dr. Payne gives an instance of this on page 74 of "British and Foreign Orders, War Medals and Decorations," a bar for Corygaum being on a medal awarded to a man of the 65th Foot, as well as the bar for Poona. The first-named bar made the medal one of the rarest of the series issued to a British soldier, but the medal roll led Dr. Payne to think it a fraud, which later evidence demonstrated was not the case.

=The Sutlej Medal.=--The first, or Sutlej medal, 1¼ in. in diameter, bearing the legend "ARMY OF THE SUTLEJ," was given with three bars for four battles; that is to say, that those who fought through all the battles had their record on the medal and three bars. A soldier taking part in the battle of MOODKEE would have the name impressed in raised letters, with the date, 1845, in the exergue of the medal, and the succeeding battles on the bars, as in the illustration facing page 112, of a medal awarded to a man of the 31st Royal East Surrey Regiment--this and the 50th Royal West Kent Regiment being the only two British regiments to receive the three bars, for FEROZESHUHUR, ALIWAL, and for SOBRAON, the battle which determined the first campaign. This was the first Indian medal issued with bars. The ribbon is dark blue, edged with dark crimson. The medal, with W. WYON, R.A., on the truncation of the Queen's head and W.W. above the left-hand corner of the exergue, is generally considered a good one, and certainly it does stand out among the many issued during the reign of Queen Victoria as symbolic and suited for its purpose. The names of the recipients are impressed in Roman capitals on the edges. The medal is attached to the ribbon by means of a scroll bar fixed to the medal by a claw clip acting on a swivel, so that the medal may be turned about when fixed on the breast.

SECOND PUNJAB CAMPAIGN

This originated in a murderous assault made upon the British officials accompanying the Sirdar Khan Singh, who was deputed to take over the charge of the fortress of Mooltan (Multan) and province from the native Governor Dewan Moolraj, who had resigned. On arriving at the gate of the fortress the officers and their escort were attacked and killed by some of the Governor's men. A punitive force, including a body of 1,400 Sikhs, was consequently sent to punish the city, but the Sikhs went over to the rebels, and it was found necessary to send a strong force to reduce the mutineers who had been excited by Moolraj. Mooltan, a city three miles in circumference, is of considerable antiquity; it was taken by Alexander the Great, and at the beginning of the eleventh century by Mahmud of Ghazni, and by Tamerlane at the end of the fourteenth century; besieged by Ranjit Singh in 1810, he was bought off by the Afghan Governor, but it fell in 1818, and was annexed to the Punjab.

General Whish marched upon the city from Lahore with a force which included H.M.'s 10th and 32nd Regiments, and concentrated at Mooltan in the middle of August; but he had realised, after the desertion of 5,000 Sikhs under Sheer Ali, that it was fruitless to maintain the siege, and therefore raised it on September 15th. Lieutenant Edwardes, however, had by superhuman energy and indomitable pluck raised a force of Sikhs and Mahommedans, which was of the greatest possible assistance in holding Moolraj and his army of about 8,800 infantry and 1,200 cavalry, with 54 guns, in check, twice defeating him in battle at Kineyree and Suddoosam.

=Edwardes's Medal.=--For his splendid services the H.E.I. Co. presented him with a gold medal designed by W. Wyon, R.A., bearing on the obverse the bust of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and on the reverse, resting upon a lotus flower, the figures of Valour and Victory, crowning the arms of Major (afterwards Sir Herbert) Edwardes; beneath, in allusion to the youthfulness of the hero, the infant Hercules strangling serpents. Within the border is the inscription, FROM THE EAST INDIA COMPANY TO LIEUTENANT AND BREVET-MAJOR H. B. EDWARDES, C.B., FOR HIS SERVICES IN THE PUNJAB A.D. MDCCCXLVIII.