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Chapter 7

Nature without and within – To the rescue – Casualties at the battle of Futteypoor – The enemy would let no one go near them – Kanhpur – The valiant slow, and cowards fast runners – Bithur twice occupied – A lucky return – Advance to Lucknow – City forced – Enemy drowned – The garrison saved by gallant soldiers – Dear Old England! – An impartial estimate of General Havelock’s services – Brigadier Neill as good as him, and Sir James Outram better than either

The dark heavy clouds vanished which had shaded us from the fierce sun of September, and regularly poured down showers of rain to refresh us, and to revive all nature without, where the fields and groves were clothed in their rich autumnal vestments. Our longing and admiring eyes were often turned towards them: for nature is never so lovely as when the enjoyment of it is denied. The offensive odours which had sickened us for two months diminished under the influence of heat, while we grew weary of the dull monotony of our lives, and tired of watching for the relief promised by the beginning of August. The enemy remained sheltered in the buildings around us, awaiting the starvation of the garrison, depriving us of the little time left for repose by false attacks preceded by the noise of bugles and trumpets. Occasionally, we were enlivened by their musicians playing in the afternoon, Marlbrook,

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Will you have me now? and such like airs, when drums and fifes would be added to the musical clatter, which always concluded with the National Anthem.

But relief was at hand. The army of the perfidious Nana of Bithur had been impulsively carried off the proposed field of battle at Fatehpur: General Havelock’s tired and hungry little force did all they could to catch them, after a march of twenty-four miles under a scorching sun. This spirited affair was accomplished without a casualty among the Europeans, excepting an officer of the 60th Rifles, who was overcome in an encounter with an ox, and a private of the 78th Highlanders, who intrepidly flew to the rescue, and got kicked for his trouble.

The indefatigable General, after a short rest, pursued the enemy up to the Pandoo Nuddee Bridge, where they only stayed to effect that most skilful manoeuvre of getting away from a force that was thirsting for every drop of blood in their bodies. Here the casualties were twenty-five killed and wounded, and the enemy suffered little, as they engaged at a distance, and would let no one overtake them, but “the indomitable energy of the British troops rose superior to every trial, – instinct with the dignity of manhood, they uttered no complaint, but bore on nobly under the scorching sun, which glared down its unpitying rays upon their arms, which glittered with intolerable radiance, till the brain reeled and the eyeballs ached with the intensity of that dazzling sheen9.”

The following day Kanhpur was entered, and the enemy again skilfully manoeuvred themselves out of the

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way, although those distinguished regiments, the 64th, the 78th, the 84th, and Rough Brayser’s Sikhs, went in hot pursuit, and General Havelock himself led his successful flank movement, which is said to have completely surprised the mutineers. You will wonder, reader, that such surprising running should overtake no one, if you have never been in action and seen that troops go slower after danger than from it. There is this distinction, too, cowards are carried off the field, whereas the valiant have to carry themselves; which makes an important difference in the speed of each. For example, if you and I were to race for a wager from Temple Bar to that very remarkable National Gallery in Trafalgar Square that was built in the dark, perhaps you would win: but if you were to pursue me back, armed with an Enfield rifle and bayonet, I should undoubtedly recover the lost wager by a great many lengths.

The town of Bithur was next entered, without a shot being fired, and then the devoted little force crossed into Oudh, where, notwithstanding that it encountered the most “obstinate resistance,” and “suffered severely from a most withering fire10,” it lost only one hundred and forty men, many of whom where struck down by disease and exposure. The retrograde movement, afterwards made to Kanhpur, cannot be overrated, for it assuredly saved that important position and preserved General Havelock’s small army from destruction in the streets of Lucknow. Bithur was once more entered; the troops this time encountering some opposition, in which they lost a few men

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killed and wounded, and had several disabled by the heat.

At Kanhpur the fatigued and reduced force reposed till joined by fresh troops under General Sir James Outram, who chivalrously left it to General Havelock to relieve the garrison of Lucknow, (wrongly said to be in a deplorable state,) and attached himself to the volunteer cavalry. At Mungurwar the enemy were dislodged with a trifling loss to ourselves. Midway to Lucknow a royal salute was fired, but the garrison did not hear it. The Alum Bagh, on the verge of the city was reached, through a deluge of rain, after a little opposition; and during the halt the leaders were rejoiced by the sound of artillery, which gave them tidings of the existence of their suffering brethren.

On the morning of the 25th September, the final effort was made to reach the Residency, and in the afternoon we had the gratification of seeing our deliverers forcing their way to us in the direction of the Kaisarbagh Palace. Our garrison was intensely eager to see even the smoke of that devoted band, and crowded to the roofs of the buildings, where they ardently listened to the booming artillery, and painfully strained their eyes for a sight of the contending troops. We turned occasionally to observe the streets of the city, which seemed to be agitated by the fears of the populace, and the preparations of the rebels, who ran from place to place, apparently appalled by the steady advance of our army. A peculiar buzz mingled with the incessant discharge of musketry and roar of artillery, upon the terrible effects of which we speculated with savage joy. At last the enemy came before us, retreating in the utmost disorder towards the bridge of boats, over the

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Gumti, which was beyond the range of our guns. Horses, camels, elephants, carts, carriages, and citizens and soldiers commingled, eagerly pressed on to the weak and narrow raft. Our troops seemed to be quickly pursuing, for the dense mass suddenly pressed forward – the bridge parted in the middle – the whole body violently struggled for a while – and then went down! Oh! how exultingly we saw their despairing efforts, and watched for the avenging artillery. Several of the rebels and mutineers, divested of their arms, plunged into the rapid stream for safety, while thousands ran up and down the bank, making frantic gestures for boats from the opposite side. The cavalry leaped into the stream on their horses, who, in most instances dipped their riders off, and left them to perish, while they returned to shore to graze on the green grass close by.

We were disappointed! The host of fugitives, whom we would gladly have seen helplessly floating down the river, were needlessly alarmed. General Havelock’s operations being necessarily confined to a narrow line, the panic on his right escaped observation, and he passed on to the RED GATE, through which it was his evil destiny to force his way. Up to this spot he had penetrated through the enemy at considerable sacrifice; but now the advance column had to run through a close rapid fire of small arms, which, in its effects, practically illustrated the selfish aphorism of Every one for himself, and God for us all. No one stopped to pick up the weary and the wounded, who were butchered by the mutineers as they closed in upon the rear. Over two hundred heads were afterwards paid for, and paraded by our dastardly foe as trophies of victory!

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The heroic little column was now in view. The anxious defenders of the Residency outpoured, in screams and gesticulations, their frenzy at the sight of the noble men, who dared do so much for their sakes, and for the glory of their country. From my elevated place on the roof of the Post Office, I cheered and waved my hat till tired, and sobbed as I rushed down to welcome our deliverers at the gateway. I ran from one to another, pressing the exhausted men and officers to drink my last three bottles of liquor; which they readily did, overpowering me with profuse thanks and blessings. Dear old England you are just, generous, and mighty: it is an honour to be associated in your fame: may you always have such intrepid and enduring sons to confound your enemies

General Havelock entered the Army in 1815. When war was declared against the Burmese, in 1825, he was appointed to the general staff of Sir Archibald Campbell, and published a simple history of the war. In 1838 he joined the Arly of Cabool, as Aide-de-Camp to Sir Willoughby Cotton. In 1840 he published an account of this distant expedition, and, although his biographer states it will “long remain a lasting monument of the military science and brilliant genius of its author11,” the memoir has hitherto obtained little commendation, and does not seem to deserve such extravagant praise. He was in Jalalabad during the siege of 1842, and with Sir Hugh Gough, as Persian interpreter, throughout the Sikh campaign of 1846. Eleven years later he commanded a Brigade of the Persian expedition. General Havelock, up to that date, had served forty-three years without attaining a greater reputation than his contemporaries.

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Indeed, he had no opportunity of displaying his military talents. and it is doubtful whether they were so great as the public in their haste, and his friends in their generous zeal, have since attributed to him. He had always been known as an earnest student of his profession, as a chivalrous soldier, and as a man of the highest integrity, who did not fear to avow his religious convictions.

The advance for the relief of Kanhpur and Lucknow was only remarkable for the dastardly conduct of the enemy, and for the patience and spirit with which General Havelock, and his small army, endured fatigue and exposure at a season of the year when the weather is most trying to the European constitution. It is perfectly absurd to mention the engagements of Havelock, up to the Alum Bagh, as pitched battles, for the enemy invariably broke ground the moment he seriously threatened them; and, that the fighting was not sanguinary, may be inferred from the very small number of men killed and disabled on either side. With a despicable foe there was no need of great skill, nor was much applied to vanquish the disorganized rebels and mutineers, who invariably vanished of their own accord when encountered on the plains.

The passage through the city to the beleaguered garrison of Lucknow was as daring and as hazardous an enterprize as could have been attempted, but much of the credit of its success is due to the subordinate officer and to the common soldier, for it was accomplished by indomitable courage alone. It is far from my wish to detract from the merit of so good an officer as the late Sir Henry Havelock; but I, for one, respectfully venture to pronounce against ranking him with the

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Great Commanders of England. If so little will place a man there AT ANY OTHER TIME, there will be no knowing, by-and-bye, which are the illustrious Chiefs of the country. Had the late Brigadier Neill commanded the force, he would have accomplished as much. His death in the Red Gate was sincerely deplored by the troops, who esteemed him highly, for he had shown ability, courage, and decision, of a kind that eminently fitted him for the hard emergency of the time.

The public were ungenerous to one, who, more than any other General, merited their applause. The fame of the man of many deeds, who, for his manly and chivalrous bearing, had years ago been styled the Bayard of the Indian Army, was forgotten when England was convulsed with joy at the success of Havelock’s exaggerated battles. The greatest achievement was the reinforcement of the garrison of Lucknow, and Sir James Outram was the most forward man in accomplishing it. With rare generosity he accorded the honour to another.

Footnotes

9. The “Journal of an English Officer in India,” by Major North, of the 60th Rifles.

10. The “Journal of an English Officer in India,” by Major North, of the 60th Rifles.

11. “Biographical Sketch of Sir Henry Lawrence,” by the Rev. Wm. Brock.

This collection transcribed by Chris Gage
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