Part 15

=The Order of the Medjidie.=--The Sultan of Turkey rather profusely awarded the newly established Order of the Medjidie to officers in the British Army and Navy for services rendered in the Crimean War. Field Marshal Sir Evelyn Wood was awarded the fifth class. He was then a midshipman of seventeen. Five classes were given, and the recipients exceeded 1,000. The size of the decorations gradually decreased according to grade. The centre of the Badge of the first four classes is gold, and that of the fifth silver; the first three classes wear the Badge round the neck, suspended by a crimson ribbon with green edges, whilst the other two classes suspend the Badge from the left breast by a similar ribbon. The Badge or Cross is of silver, with seven triple points or rays, between which are disposed seven small crescents and stars of five points. On a red enamelled band in Arabic characters are the words "Loyalty--Patriotism--Zeal" and the year of the Hegira "1268" (1852, when the order was founded) around the cypher of the Sultan. The badge is suspended from a red enamelled crescent and star.

=Persia.=--The Persian War followed in 1856-7; it was brought about by the intimate relations of the Persian Government with Russia. A rebellion broke out in Herat, "the Gate of Persia," and the place was besieged by the aid of Russia; as this was contrary to the provisions of a convention made between the Shah and the British Minister in 1853, an expedition under General Outram was dispatched. It landed near Bushire, and on December 9th, 1856, a battle was fought at Reshire, and the next day another at Bushire. Conflicts also took place at Kooshab--where the 3rd Bombay Cavalry broke a Persian square--Barajoom, Mohummerah and Ahaz, before the "King of Kings" sued for peace.

The following regiments were engaged: 64th and 78th Foot, and 14th Light Dragoons; and the regiments in the H.E.I. Co.'s service: 2nd Bombay European Fusiliers; Bombay Sappers and Miners; 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 26th, 28th, and 29th Bombay Infantry; 1st Scinde Horse; 3rd Bombay Cavalry and Poona Horse.

The India General Service medal, illustrated facing page 120, was awarded with the clasp for PERSIA, or the clasp was added to the medal of the soldier who had taken part in the second Burmese War; indeed, the medal was instituted to obviate the necessity for designing medals for each campaign, and multiplying the number which might adorn the soldier's breast.

THE INDIAN MUTINY

On Sunday, May 10th, 1857, the native soldiers in Meerut openly mutinied. It was not the fat used in the making of cartridges which caused the outbreak; that was merely the ostensible reason, for there can be little doubt that a section of the natives, failing to understand European institutions and principles, were easily led by political agitators to take the desperate step of rebellion. The Kings of Oude and Delhi had been practically deposed by the Indian Government, and it was the effort to restore the Mogul dynasty, engineered by those who for political reasons wished to see the English expelled from India, that had much to do with the mutiny--for mutiny it certainly was, bred among men who had gathered extravagant notions of their own importance and their ruler's weaknesses. The common people were hardly affected--indeed, the princes were also, with the exception of the Ranee of Jhansi and the Náná Sáhib, loyal to the British. The arch-fiend of the mutiny was the Náná Sáhib, who had been quietly waiting his opportunity for revenge upon the British for refusing to continue the pension granted to his foster-father. The cartridge incident merely helped him in his nefarious designs, and forwarded the efforts of our external enemies. It was not, however, expected that the mass of the people of India, with their princes, would remain loyal as they did. At the time the mutiny broke out, in a population of 18,000,000, 200,000 of whom were sepoys, there were only 38,000 British soldiers, so that it is quite evident that the outbreak was not national, but military, otherwise they would have been swallowed up in the tempest. Disaffection had occurred at two or three stations, and the 19th and 34th Native Infantry had to be disbanded, the latter after Mangul Pandy had shot two officers at Barrackpore. Then the more determined outbreak occurred at Oude and Meerut; the English officers were murdered, and the European civilians slaughtered before the two regiments of mutineers marched off to join others in Delhi, which became the centre of mutinous activity. They proclaimed as king a descendant of the great Mogul, and attempted to capture the magazine, but, as we shall see hereafter, ten Britishers gallantly defended it, and ultimately blew it up. At this time the 8th were at Jallundur, the 32nd at Lucknow, the 60th and 6th Carabineers, with a troop of horse artillery and details of other regiments, at Meerut. The 61st at Ferozepore, the 75th at Umballah, the 81st at Meeau Meer, the 37th were called up from Ceylon, and the Madras Fusiliers from Madras. The 64th and 78th hurried from Persia, and the 84th were recalled from Burmah. The troops, which included the 93rd Highlanders, _en route_ for China were ordered to India, and Sir Colin Campbell hurried off from England to take command of the operations. Meanwhile the insurrection spread, until the whole region between the Punjab and Lower Bengal was in revolt, a district as great as Austria, France, and Prussia combined. Within six weeks of the murder of Colonel Finnis at Meerut, of the 120 sepoy regiments only 25 had not mutinied, and of these only 5 could be relied upon.

[Illustration: MEDAL FOR AFGHAN WAR.]

[Illustration: ROBERTS STAR FOR MARCH TO KANDAHAR.]

=Cawnpore.=--Náná Sáhib took his opportunity directly the news of the rebellion at Meerut and Delhi became known. Placing himself at the head of the rebels, he proclaimed himself Peshwa of the Mahrattas, and on June 6th informed General Sir Hugh Wheeler that he was about to attack the position held by him, a miserably slight fortification within which he had gathered about 1,000 souls, of whom only 465 were males of all ages and classes. How bravely they fought, despite hunger, thirst, and disease, for twenty days, and only surrendered when a safe passage to Allahabad had been guaranteed by the bloodthirsty Náná, and how by his treachery they were butchered by gunshot and sword, or burnt to death, is one of those heroic episodes which will live for ever; while the butchery of the women and children also by order of the Náná Sáhib will blot the pages of Indian history for all time. On July 16th General Havelock, who had hastened to the relief, defeated the Náná with 7,000 men and powerful artillery, a few miles south of the city, and he fled during the night. Next morning the British soldiers entered Cawnpore, too late to save the unfortunate captives. Havelock's little army, which had marched 126 miles in eight days and captured 24 guns, consisted of 435 men of the 64th, about 300 78th Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs), 190 of the 84th, 400 of the 1st Madras Fusiliers, 20 Volunteer Cavalry, 76 Royal Artillery, 450 Sikhs, and 50 Irregular Native Horse. "Better soldiers have never trod the earth," states Archibald Forbes; and when we consider the sweltering heat of the Indian summer, the men wading "in a sea of slush ... while the flood of tropical rain beat down," and fighting against overwhelming odds, we may heartily endorse Dr. Fitchett when he says, "In the whole history of war, men have seldom dared, and endured, and achieved more than did Havelock's column in the gallant but vain struggle to relieve Cawnpore"; and of the "Ironsides" who were to press on to relieve and reinforce Lucknow, only 250 remained to participate in the glorious march.

=Delhi.=--On May 11, 1857, the 3rd Native Cavalry, who had outstripped their infantry companions in revolt on the long march of 38 miles from Meerut, appeared before the King's palace at Delhi, and declared they had "slain all the English at Meerut, and had come to fight for the faith." The old King had no desire to become embroiled in the tumult that had begun to rage around him, but his guards, sympathising with the mutineers, opened the gates and stood by while the miscreants murdered the English officers and officials, and their families, and any white person they could find. Lieutenant Willoughby, with 2 other officers and 7 British soldiers, determined not only to sell their lives dearly, but to do as much hurt to the rebels as possible, before they accepted their fate. Their daring exploit of keeping nearly 2,000 mutineers at bay as long as they could serve the 10 guns, and coolly taking their chance of life and death as they blew the magazine and the surging masses of sepoys into the air, is one of the most brilliant in history. Brave Conductor Scully, who fired the train, and four of his companions heroically met their death, but the three officers, Willoughby (who was captured later and killed), Raynor, and Forrest, and Conductor Buckley, miraculously escaped for the time being.

Meanwhile the Commander-in-Chief, General Anson, had collected all the available troops and marched upon Delhi, but dying of cholera at Kurnaul, the command devolved upon Major-General Reed. Major-General Sir Henry Barnard had collected a number of men at Aleepore, and Brigadier-General Archdale Wilson had quitted Meerut with about 700 men in order to join forces with the Commander-in-Chief. On May 30th he was attacked by the mutineers at Ghazee-ood-deen-nuggur, but drove off his assailants numbering over 4,000. They returned to the attack on the following day (Whit-Sunday), but the 6th Carabineers and the Rifles drove them off with considerable slaughter, and captured 26 guns.

Then commenced the siege of Delhi, but for three and a half months the ancient city withstood the assaults of the besiegers. First Badlee-ke-Serai was taken, the 75th particularly distinguishing itself in the valiant fight which the English troops made in acquiring it, and then, after the Delhi cantonments had been taken and burned, the Goorkas giving splendid evidence of their loyalty and gallantry, the army sat down before the city, and the British lines were slowly but deliberately pushed forward. On June 17th one of the enemy's positions near the Ajmeer gate was taken; and on June 23rd, the fatal day of prophecy when British rule was to cease, the mutineers made a determined advance from the city, but after a hard day's fighting, in which they had charged the Rifles, the Guides, and the Goorkas again and again, they were compelled to retire.

In June cholera broke out in the camp, and early in July Sir Henry Barnard was among its victims, while the 8th and 61st regiments suffered considerably. Again and again the rebels sallied forth, only to be beaten back, and the fighting proceeded gallantly week after week, during which time Major Tombs, Lieutenant Hill, and a number of men gained the V.C. Then Brigadier-General John Nicholson, having gained a brilliant victory at Nujjuffhur, and prevented an attack upon the rear of the British camp, rode in on August 7th. Shortly after his little army marched in; it comprised 680 men of the 52nd, a wing of the 61st, the 2nd Punjab Infantry, and a field battery with detachments of Beloochees and military police.

The besiegers were waiting for the siege train with which to breach the walls, and the mutineers having learned that it was _en route_, sallied forth in considerable numbers to intercept it; but Nicholson, with 1,600 infantry, 400 cavalry, and a battery of field guns, set out on August 25th to save the train. The troops had to cross the swamps, made more difficult by the ceaseless rain; but after wading through them, the water sometimes over the horses' backs, and along the rain-drenched roads, they came up with the enemy at Nujutgurh after a march of twelve hours. The mutineers numbered 6,000, but the tired and drenched soldiers of Britain, led by the daring Nicholson, charged the enemy, placed 800 of them _hors de combat_, captured 13 guns, and sent the sepoys flying back to Delhi. Retracing their steps, the little force, having lost 60 men, arrived back in camp, having in forty hours, during twenty-four of which they were foodless, marched 35 miles and beaten and dispersed an army of well-trained men.

[Illustration: HONG-KONG PLAGUE MEDAL.

Awarded to about 350 of the Shropshire Light Infantry, Engineers, and men of the R.N.]

[Illustration: (Obverse.)

EGYPTIAN MEDAL FOR 1882.]

[Illustration: (Obverse.)

KHEDIVE'S BRONZE STAR FOR 1882.]

The siege train arrived on September 4th, together with a wing of the 8th Detachment of the 9th and 60th, and a battalion of Beloochees. The guns were mounted, and by the 11th ready for action, when fire was opened and incessantly sustained against the Cashmere and Watergates until breaches had been made, and then it was determined to assault the city.

=Blowing in the Cashmere Gate.=--It was found necessary, however, to blow up the Cashmere Gate, and a party of twenty men under Lieutenants Home and Salkeld of the Engineers were detailed for the purpose. They effected their object, but Salkeld was mortally wounded and many of the men killed and wounded in their gallant effort. Bugler Robert Hawthorne of the 52nd, having thrice sounded the regimental call of the 52nd for the column to advance, took charge of the wounded lieutenant, and having bound up his wounds, removed him to a place of comparative safety. The bugler was decorated with the V.C. for "as noble a deed as any that has ever graced the annals of war." In the assault on September 14th the gallant Irishman John Nicholson fell, mortally wounded while leading his men near the Lahore Gate, and 1,169 officers and men were killed, wounded, or missing, but the whole of the outer parts of the city were in possession of the British. On the 16th the magazine which Willoughby had, it was found, only partially blown up was captured by the 61st, but desultory fighting was continued until the 20th, when the Lahore Gate and the palatial Jumma Musjid were captured. Then the gates of the palace were blown in, and the 60th Rifles led the way into the ancient home of the Mogul Kings, and Delhi was in the hands of the British Army. In the grand assault upon Delhi 8 European officers and 162 men were killed, 52 officers and 510 men wounded, and 103 sepoys killed and 310 wounded. It is estimated that over 5,000 mutineers perished in the defence of the city.

=Hodson's Daring Feat.=--But the king and his family had taken refuge in Humayon's Tomb, about 7 miles from the city, and Hodson, the daring Captain of the Light Horse bearing his name, determined to capture him. Taking only fifty men, he essayed one of the most daring feats on record. With his little band he rode along the rebel-infested road to the tomb where, in the gigantic marble dome, the King and his two sons had concealed themselves; for two hours he parleyed with the intermediaries of the decrepit King, undismayed by the thousands of retainers who guarded him. At last the old man, on promise of his life, surrendered, and Hodson marched off before the wondering natives with his royal prisoner. There yet remained the two sons of the King, whose conduct in torturing English prisoners had made them notorious. They had barbarously slaughtered innocent women and hapless children, and Hodson determined that they should also become his prisoners. On September 21st he and his second in command, Macdowell, with 100 men rode off to effect the capture of the princes, who had 6,000 or 7,000 armed followers at their command. Reaching Humayon's Tomb, he demanded their surrender, but they at first refused to submit unless their lives were promised. Hodson calmly refused, and then they came forth with 3,000 armed men. But the daring Hodson interposed his troopers between the bullock-cart in which the princes were riding and the armed men, sent forward the princes with an escort of troopers, and then--calmly ordered the retainers to lay down their arms! Having collected them, Hodson quickly said to Macdowell "We'll go now," and then rode off with his troop. Overtaking the princes, he found that a crowd appeared to be threatening the troopers in charge of the cart, and fearing that he might lose them and that the ends of justice would be defeated, he ordered the princes to strip, and, after stating the nature of the crimes they had committed, shot them with his own hand. Brave, gallant, and daring Hodson was prepared to take the consequences which he fully appreciated, and, convinced that he was right, did not flinch from moral censure any more than he had from physical consequences when he sallied forth with a handful of men to capture the King and his bloodthirsty sons. With the fall of Delhi the back of the mutiny was broken, but it had cost the besiegers a loss of 3,854 killed, wounded, and missing.

=Defence of Lucknow.=--The neighbourhood of Lucknow, however, remained in possession of the mutineers, although over the Residency

"Ever upon the topmost wall our banner of England flew."

For several weeks Lucknow had been in a state of unrest, and then at 9 o'clock on the night of May 30th, 1857, the smouldering fire broke into flame. Sir Henry Lawrence, that stalwart, cool northern Irishman, as just and firm as he was unselfish, had but 700 Europeans in a city of 700,000, of whom 7,000 were sepoys. He did not lose heart, but quickly and steadily made preparations for the defence of the place; he knew he could rely upon the Sikhs and a small number of the sepoys--700 actually remained true to their salt during the siege; he made no error in his calculations, and took few chances. He turned the Residency into a fortress, and generally prepared for the worst, while his sense of humour and his smiling face gave no sign of the stern practical heart within him. He was, as he said, "virtually besieging four regiments--in a quiet way--with 300 Europeans," while he resided "in cantonments guarded by the gentlemen" he was besieging!

On June 30th he decided to "blood" the native troops, and he accordingly sent half a dozen guns with sepoy artillerymen in the little force of just over 800, of whom only 336 were Europeans, to meet the mutinous regiments which were marching upon the city from Eastern Oude. The estimated force was 5,000; it turned out to be 15,000, and when they were encountered at Chinhut the Sikh horsemen bolted, and the artillerymen disabled and deserted their guns. The fates generally went against the bold step that Lawrence had taken. The remnants of the little band had to retire in face of the great moving mass of mutineers; "regiment after regiment of sepoys steadily pursued towards us," and the 32nd who had gone into battle--300 foodless and badly armed men--were reduced to a skeleton, 5 of their officers and 112 men being killed. Lawrence returned with his straggling men to Lucknow; it was one of the few mistakes which the hero of Lucknow made, but he saved the survivors of the desperate fight by a masterly stroke in placing empty guns upon the iron bridge (the ammunition was exhausted), and with gunners standing beside them with lighted port-fires stayed the advance of the victorious sepoys. The time for desperate action had arrived. On July 1st he blew up the Mutchee Bhawan with its 1,000,000 cartridges and 250 barrels of gunpowder, and concentrated upon the Residency, and there for eighty-eight days, with a force of 927 Europeans and 700 sepoys, made one of the most famous defences in history. And there, despite the supreme efforts of the mutineers to shoot it down, the British flag was only temporarily out of position when the staff was shot away, and so

"Ever aloft on the palace roof the old banner of England blew."

On July 2nd Sir Henry Lawrence was mortally wounded, and died on the 4th; then Brigadier Inglis took command of the troops. During the defence the populace of 3,000 and the troops were harassed by cholera, smallpox, and an indefinable disease, but the spirit of the troops remained undaunted until Jessie Brown's keen Scots ears heard the far-off skirl of the bagpipes of the 78th, Outram's Highlanders--"the saviours of India"--and Havelock, marching into Lucknow on September 25th, reinforced, as well as relieved, the brave garrison which still had, for another six weeks, to hold the Residency against 60,000 mutineers.

[Illustration: EGYPTIAN MEDAL FOR THREE CAMPAIGNS. (Reverse.)]

[Illustration: INDIA MEDAL FOR FOUR CAMPAIGNS. (Reverse.)]

[Illustration: EAST AND WEST AFRICA MEDAL FOR FIVE EXPEDITIONS. (Reverse.)]

The original defenders of the Residency were 535 men of the 32nd, 50 of the 84th, with 89 artillerymen, and 100 British officers whose native regiments had mutinied, and 153 civilians who took up arms to assist the regulars; and these, with 700 sepoys, undeterred by "the terrific and incessant fire by day and night," had for eighty-eight days defied not less than "8,000 men firing at one time into the position."

=Relief of Lucknow.=--Havelock, having rested his men after the advance on Cawnpore, followed up the Náná Sáhib, destroyed his palace and stronghold at Bithoor, and then with his tiny force, which was daily lessening through wounds and disease, marched towards Lucknow. He attacked Oonas _en route_, and passed through it, despite the 15 rebel guns which guarded the only road; pushed past the opposition at Busserut Gunge, but with a loss of 88 officers and men killed and wounded; then in despair, owing to his enfeebled force, Havelock started to return to Cawnpore. On reaching the Ganges the mutineers made a determined attack upon the little force, but the 78th, Ross-shire Buffs, dashed at the enemy's guns, and, as Havelock said, saved themselves and their comrades. Retracing his footsteps, Havelock was not aware that he had unconsciously helped the besieged in Lucknow by drawing off the rebel force to meet him, thus giving the garrison breathing-space in which to strengthen the fortifications and increase its stock of provisions. After a four-days rest the undaunted Havelock again set out for Lucknow with 1,300 men, but again meeting with opposition at Bithoor, and although the enemy was defeated, he decided to return to Cawnpore and await reinforcements. The 5th and 90th Regiments arrived early in September, five companies of men came in to make up for the terrible losses of the 78th, and then Sir James Outram, the "Bayard of India," arrived to take command of the Cawnpore and Dinapore divisions, but chivalrously delegated the command to Havelock "in gratitude for the brilliant deeds of arms achieved by General Havelock and his gallant troops." The relieving force consisted of the 1st Brigade--5th Fusiliers, 84th, and 100 men of the 64th under Brigadier-General Neill; 2nd Brigade--78th Highlanders, 90th (Perthshire) Light Infantry, and Brasyer's Sikhs under Colonel Walter Hamilton of the 78th; 3 batteries of artillery under the dauntless Maude, "Hell-fire Jack" Olpherts, and brave Vincent Eyre; 109 volunteer cavalry and 59 native cavalry under the dashing Barrow.