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Chapter 12

A British picquet surprised – Goldie, and brandy – Dick and his pony – Lieut. Vaughan puzzled – Dialogue with Sir Colin Campbell – A useful note of recommendation – Thanks to the Almighty and to the guide – Modern heroes better than old ones – Arrival announced to Residency – Knights of chivalry and the ladies – A hearty meal and a strange story, in good company – What Sir Colin Campbell is like – An attempt to see a Review from the back of a horse – Advance to the Alum Bagh, and a little battle – An unintelligible telegram – Advance to the Martinière College – A dangerous look at a bridge – A bonfire for the Residency – The grave of Claude Martin – The enemy wide-awake, and Sir Colin asleep

Kunoujee Lal started too on hearing the challenge, for we had not the remotest idea of there being a guard within a few paces of us. I listened attentively to catch the words that fell from the sentry and the replies of my companion, who adroitly tried to discover to which army the picquet belonged, without compromising his own safety. The entire guard turned out, and so many voices soon disclosed to him that we had reached the British lines! He informed them that he was accompanied by an English officer, which increased their suspicion; and it was not till I shook the Sikh commander heartily by the hand that Kunoujee Lal was believed. I could scarcely realize the fact that I was safe, for my mind having been at full stretch and tuned, as it were, to a particular chord the whole night, it could not readily resume its usual tone.

The native officer gave me an escort of two Sowars, after many expressions of wonder at my temerity, and

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I started for the advance guard. Midway a horseman, who rode at full speed, turned to stop us; and I had the pleasure of making myself known to Lieutenant Goldie, of the 9th Lancers, who took me to his tent, gave me dry stockings and trousers, and a glass of brandy, which my shivering body greatly needed. Cold and fatigue vanished under its generous warmth, but it did not compose my thoughts, which ran wild in and out of the mazes of fancy, still striking on the night strings. Captain Dick, of the 29th Foot, (who commanded the infantry of the advance guard,) was roused from a delicious slumber, and, on learning the cause of the intrusion, at once put me on his fine Burmah pony, and walked by my side to within a quarter of a mile of the camp, where I dismounted.

It was five o’clock, and the sun rose majestically into a beautiful blue, clear, sky. It shone that morning on as strange-looking a creature as ever met the eye of a naval officer; and it was not singular that Lieutenant Vaughan should stare at him through his glass as he asked the way to the tent of the Commander-in-Chief. That officer, besides being very clever and very fearless, is very civil; and on hearing from whence I came, he unhesitatingly stepped before me, as I often afterwards saw him step before the enemy, and in a couple of minutes the tent was reached. As I approached the door an elderly gentleman with a stern face came out, and going up to him, I asked for Sir Colin Campbell.

“I am Sir Colin Campbell!” was the sharp reply, “and who are you?”

I pulled off my turban, and, opening the folds, took out a short note of introduction from Sir James Outram.

“This, sir, will explain who I am, and from whence

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I came.” It was impetuously read, his piercing eyes being raised to my face almost at, every line.

“Is it true?” he asked.

“I hope, sir, you do not doubt the authenticity of the note?”

“No! – I do not! – but it is surprising! How did you do it?”

I was tired, and anxious to be left alone to my thoughts, and I begged of Sir Colin to excuse my telling the story then, and to put me to bed.

I was put into the bed of Sir David Baird; the tent was carefully darkened; and, away from all but the eye of the Almighty, I knelt and returned most heart-felt thanks for my escape from the dreadful perils of the night. I was greatly indebted to my intelligent guide, who let me speak as seldom as possible, and throughout evinced amazing wit and courage. I should not have succeeded without the assistance of this faithful man; and I grieve to say that his good services upon this and upon several other occasions have been inadequately rewarded.

The most delicious visions of the future lingered in my mind as I thought of the success of the enterprize. For less than this, names have descended from age to age as if never to be obliterated from the heroic pages of history.

Aristomenes ventured alone, at night, to the city of Sparta, in a spirit of defiance, and fixed a shield on the temple of Minerva, with an inscription that he dedicated it to the goddess from the spoils of the Spartans. The renown of Horatius is greater now than when he defended the passage against the Etruscans, whilst the last beams of the bridge fell clashing into the river, to save

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his friends. The Romans nobly honoured him with a statue, and as much land as he could plough round in a day; and every Roman subscribed the cost of a day’s food to reward him. The noble Mucius, to deliver his country of a dangerous enemy, passed into the camp of Porsena to kill him, and when brought before the king he thrust his hand into the fire, and held it in the flame with unmoved countenance, exclaiming, – “ See how little thy tortures can avail to make a brave man tell the secrets committed to him!” The world has not yet forgotten the wild devotion of Decius and his son, who, owing to the issue of an ominous dream, devoted themselves to the gods of death, and dashed into the ranks of the enemy, to be slain for the salvation of their country.

Aristomenes did a mere act of bravado. The desperate courage and devotion of Horatius Codes were excited in the heat of battle. The noble Mucius was one of three hundred who vowed to kill Porsena and the lot fell to him. The extravagant zeal of Decius and his son was provoked by shame and superstition. Yet the fame of their deeds has reached through the ruin of ages to excite us to similar daring. Should I be remembered when the records of centuries are condensed for the instruction of youth? Should I be honoured with a statue, and would every Englishman subscribe the cost of a day’s food to reward me?

Before quitting Sir James Outram it was agreed that my arrival should be announced by hoisting the flag of the semaphore in the Alum Bagh. When retiring to the bed of the aide-de-camp, I prayed Sir Colin Campbell to have that done, as soon as possible, lest my wife should hear of my absence before the intelligence

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of my safety, which would have endangered her health, if the discovery did not destroy her affectionate heart. The fear that she and my children might be left destitute by my death had distressed me throughout the night, and it was a relief to know, now, that if killed in the hazardous duty of guiding the troops to the relief of the garrison, I had done enough to secure a provision for them.

The old Knights of Chivalry despised every thing sordid and mean, and deemed nothing so glorious as recovering virtuous and beautiful females from wicked monsters. Would the good, the patient, and the lovely women of Lucknow, remember one who had ventured so much to deliver them from the dark-skinned monsters? I hoped so; for few favors please so much as those which come in enchanting showers from the soft lips and brilliant eyes of women: than whom no one is better suited for soothing the timid and encouraging the brave.

Sir Colin Campbell good naturedly took so much trouble to keep out the light from my tent, that I could not have slept even if sufficiently composed to do so. Between ten and eleven o’clock I breakfasted with him and his staff, who attentively listened to my story while I greedily devoured a large share of everything on a plentiful table, now and then parenthetically observing that there was nothing comparable to bread and butter; that eggs and bacon was a fit dish for a king; Scotch marmalade food for gods; and coffee, with milk and sugar, a most refreshing beverage. Picture to yourself, reader, a sweep who had made an attempt to wipe himself clean, and you will have an idea of the hideous creature who sat before Sir Colin and his laughing

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staff of young scamps, swallowing all the delicacies before him.

His Excellency kept me shut up with himself; repeatedly enjoining me to say nothing on the subject of the relief to the officers of the camp, who he observed would endeavour to extract all I knew, and then form their notions of what was right and wrong, and spread injurious stories of his own projects. The power of secrecy did not escape the acuteness of Sir Colin Campbell, who enforced it on all admitted to his confidence; and, when it was his wish to do so, he succeeded, more than most men, in artfully misleading persons as to his designs. He did me the honour of freely discussing with me the scheme forwarded to him by Sir James Outram for his consideration; and I was particularly struck by his quick perception of everything, and the promptitude with which he mastered the strong and assailable points of the city.

I am no great authority, but I may venture to state that the whole bias of his mind seemed to me to be essentially martial, and on that subject remarkably discursive. He is shrewd in his perception of character; unmercifully rejects all silliness and imbecility; quickly recognises the meritorious, but slowly rewards them. He is active and ardent, and perhaps too vehement under excitement, when he says rather disorderly things for small faults, and only makes amends by quickly forgetting them. When he chooses, he can enchant by his agreeable frankness and familiarity, and the most interesting anecdotal conversation, when his sharp and severe features relax into unaffected sweetness, and his piercing eyes sparkle with humour. In the field of action he is seen to perfection, for his ruling passion is

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aroused. He is there ubiquitous, and his quick eye seems to see everything, and his intrepid heart to be unmoved by the dangers into which his impetuous will recklessly leads it.

The following afternoon the Commander-in-Chief reviewed the troops, and being anxious to see the gallant little force, I accompanied him on a young untrained horse that flew about the plain as if I were a stinging fly on his back. I ineffectually made several desperate efforts to stay with the cavalcade of staff officers, and catch the harangues which His Excellency screamed out to each regiment as he stopped before it. The provoking beast started and wriggled at the sight of every one of the fine fellows, who were rending the air with hurrahs at the close of those martial orations, which made little of the enemy, and much of themselves; and, at last growing impatient of the whole thing, he snorted at a couple of hamlets in the distance, and scampered home, quite careless of the vicious exertions I made to prevent him. That was, indeed, a fit horse for a Commander-in-Chief, who did not care whither he went, and was as intractable as itself

There were over four thousand troops on the ground, and as I surveyed the whole line, I felt that the difficult and dangerous task before them would be accomplished, and reflected with pride that I was to guide them. The following morning the first movement was made to the Alum Bagh. The 93rd Highlanders had the post of honour at the head of the column, and were marching joyously to the charming Scotch tune of Castles in the Air, when two shots from guns on our right disabled six of them. Sir Colin was instantly out with cavalry and horse artillery, and rapidly advanced

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upon the enemy, who limbered up and attempted to escape, as Lieutenant Gough fell upon them with his Sikh horse; and, after a sharp conflict, in which he greatly distinguished himself, captured the guns. Sir Colin crossed a morass to the dilapidated fort of Jalalabad, (where the enemy were supposed to have their powder manufactory), and, whilst he examined the place through his glass, a musketry fire, from an incredible distance, fell harmlessly hundreds of yards from us. The column meanwhile went on, and we rejoined it as it neared the Alum Bagh, without further hindrance.

Before the arrival of Colonel Little, of the 9th Lancers, (who had been sent in on the morning of the 10th November with the message announcing my safety), Sir James Outram had signalled “Has Kavanagh arrived?” and been answered “Unintelligible,” which occasioned intense anxiety in the garrison, till the welcome news was telegraphed about twelve o’clock A.M., when my wife was informed of my adventure, and felt – as every good woman feels when her husband does his duty. The enormity of the danger I had encountered – the fearful fate which might have befallen her and the children – the ecstatic feeling that her husband had ventured so much for the public weal, stupefied her as the sensations of each crowded into her suffering mind, for her health was bad. She had only a few days previously been almost frightened out of her wits by a severe round shot wound in the leg12.

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On the morning of the 14th November, the second move for the relief of the garrison was made from the Alum Bagh, to the Dilkusha Park, through highly cultivated fields, and numerous groves of trees; which would have afforded excellent shelter to the sharpshooters of the enemy, had they ventured to do more than eye our compact little force from the roofs of distant houses in the suburbs of the city. At the palace in the park, a few mutineers and matchlock-men showed themselves, and kept up a desultory fire. Our artillery opened upon them, and the glorious 53rd regiment started in pursuit, and followed till they reached the slope leading to the Martinière College, where they were stopped by a well-directed fire from three or four guns. Sir Colin only stayed till I described the features of the ground, when he descended upon the enemy occupying the intervening space, despite of a heavy fire from the Martinière as our skirmishers issued from the bushy cover on to the plateau. The mutineers retreated across the canal, and made a strong demonstration of assailing us over the bridge. They were checked by the rifles of the Highlanders, and the fire of a battery of heavy guns, and soon after were disconcerted by an unpremeditated rush over the canal by the 53rd regiment, who were most difficult to hold, and the Punjab Infantry, under the gallant Green, who were very impetuous.

Sir Colin had previously reconnoitred the left end of the canal, where there was a large masonry bridge; and, as I could not tell whether it was entire, I rode under the shelter of a ravine within a hundred yards of the bridge, and brought back intelligence that it seemed to be so Sir Colin, who had examined it through his

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glass from the other side, remarked that it looked to him to be broken; whereupon I observed that not having seen the roadway, I could not be sure. “ Why not assure yourself of it?” inconsiderately spoke General Mansfield, for the enemy were posted behind it. “I can do that too,” I replied, and rode over to the bridge, in the face of a close fire, and returned with my horse severely wounded. Two arches of the bridge were broken, and, on the left, the canal was dammed up, so as to make it unfordable under Banks’s Bungalow, the direction the enemy expected us to go.

The Commander-in-Chief himself saw, before it was dark, that the troops were properly disposed, and they passed the night tentless, with their arms by their side. Captain Alison and myself lit a bonfire upon the highest point of the College, to announce the arrival of Sir Colin, and to signal to Sir James Outram to sally out the following morning and occupy some of the intervening buildings, so as to facilitate the relief. Sir David Baird afterwards descended with me to the vault containing the remains of Claude Martin, the remarkable founder of the College, in order to learn whether the tomb had been respected. We found broken in two pieces the marble slab with the modest epitaph “Here lie the remains of Claude Martin, who came to India a private soldier, in 1760, and died a Major-General in 1800, A.D.” The marble bust of him when he was old, and a plaster bust of Martin, when he was a young man, were scattered in pieces with his bones, which had been disinterred. We respectfully buried them, and Sir David carried away the face of the second bust.

It was a cold, dark, night. Our wretched foe did nothing to disturb the repose we greatly needed, and

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they doubtless spent the whole time in vowing to each other that we should not do it! Sir Colin lay on the cold floor, dreaming of the coming battle, and the voice of the “people of England,” which was to point to him as the man who did it! I humbly lay by his side, and dreamt too.

Footnotes

12. Mrs. Kavanagh was severely wounded, during the siege of Lucknow, in the leg, by a round shot, which produced a very serious contusion. Mrs. Kavanagh also suffered severely from the hardships of the siege, and I had occasion to attend her for several attacks. – Certificate by Dr. H. M. Greenhow, Assistant Surgeon, H.M. Bengal Army.

This collection transcribed by Chris Gage
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