How I Won the Victoria Cross

by T. Henry Kavanagh, Esq

Assistant Commissioner in Oudh

1860

“What is it that you would impart to me?

If it be aught towards the general good,

Set honour in one eye, and death i’ the other,

And I will look on both indifferently:

For, let the gods so speed me, as I love

The name of honour more than I fear death.”

JULIUS CAESAR, Act I

Front cover of the first edition

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1

Englishmen not easily frightened, and disregarded first signs of Mutiny – Sir Henry Lawrence came to Oudh – Nana of Bithur nearly rode over me – Troops in Oudh excited by placards – Irregular and regular troops mutiny at Lucknow – Night ride alone to the conflict – An &mute of the citizens suppressed by Captain Carnegie – Residency defences began and indifferently done – Volunteers ought to be better than regular troops when better educated – Military Police mutinied, and were attacked by Thornhill, McRae, and two noble Pathans – Executions did no good, and in my opinion never will

Chapter 2

Civil and military officers die at their posts – Nearly shot by refugees from Sitapur massacre – Volunteers sent to rescue Europeans at Sikrora – Captain H. Forbes a good soldier – Civilians drilled, and Captain R. P. Anderson is rebuked for laughing at them – Martinière school boys saved – Captain Radcliffe and volunteer horse – Remember the brave I – The volunteers fine fellows – Kanhpur – Mutineers chase us back to our defences from Chinhat

Chapter 3

Confusion within doors and without – Sick and helpless – Nothing to eat from the Commissariat – Thanks for kindness – Get worse health – Everybody makes a noise – Frenzied by glory – The works of nature most charming – Great people will let little folks walk to fame through the Vale of Death – Affairs improve and the defenders are cheerful – Mr. Alexander Bryson, my brother-in-law, a hero, and his wife and children paupers

Chapter 4

Sir Henry Lawrence one of the few good men in India – His charity, endurance, and earnest honesty – The garrison of Lucknow preserved by his forethought – May God have mercy on him who tried to do his duty

Chapter 5

Stores of English merchants plundered, and private supplies squandered – Cholera, fever, and small-pox – Garland and McGrennan save me – A wretched hospital – Sisters of charity, Polehampton, Barbor, Birch, Gall, Parry, Erith, Alone, and a good soldier’s wife – The Report of the Defence not impartial – Captain McCabe – Under Arrest – A good soldier killed in his fourth sortie – Lieutenant Bonham, gentle, skilful, and devoted – Look out – Processions of the enemy – Jolly companions every one – Bad rhymes, but good verses

Chapter 6

The spirit of the garrison fluctuates – Servants despair and run away – Fidelity of Natives inexplicable – Good servants badly treated – Wounded in the Kanhpur battery – Mr. Gubbins unfairly abused – Innes’s garrison saved by civilians – Captain Waterman wounded, and is run after by a frightened man – The famous Redan Battery – The 82nd Foot – Good troops and better officers – Sir John Inglis earned his honours – Kind, gentle, patient, generous woman – Captain Fulton, the ablest man of the garrison, not sufficiently praised

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

Chapter 8

Guide Havelock’s heavy guns and wounded – A shameful failure – Nine heroes – First sortie, and a hasty return home – A brave Pandi rewarded – Sepoys behaved well with us, and mutineers would have done better with good leaders – Second sortie more successful – Feeble attempt to open a road to Alum Bagh – Captain Wade – Pickles and preserves the death of Major Haliburton – A house taken, retaken, and not taken – Alum Bagh project abandoned – Volunteer Engineers – First crawl through the mines – First encounter in the bowels of the earth, a Sepoy wounded – Second Adventure, two mortally wounded – Brasyer a good soldier – Sikhs ought to be brought to England and exhibited: an idea for the wise

Chapter 9

Champions of the people – A promise to go down to the sea more than fulfilled – The warriors of Oudh see the defences and blow alarming sounds – A Council wants two hundred thousand pounds, and cannot get it – A crockery room and British bayonets – Colonel Furnell – Havelock’s troops, trumps, and smokers – Captain Crommelin – Sir Robert Napier – A great adventure in the mines, two men shot – Familiar talk with the enemy – Greased cartridges provoked a mutiny – Lieutenant Grant – Somebody to be hung – Good news

Chapter 10

Mutiny remarkable for deeds of individual daring – A spy from Sir Colin Campbell – Arguments for despatching a European to guide the relieving force – A struggle for life – Proposal to Colonel Napier – Sir James Outram’s reasons for consenting – A painful parting, and an affectionate heart – Disguise – Denied by Friends – A black painting, by General Outram – A brave parting – Captain Hardinge – You WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!

Chapter 11

Courage chilled in the water – A shivering matchlockman – Examined by a native officer – Too much light, and dangerous jostling – A watchman’s challenge – No one talks of the English! – Everything wrong in the dark – A walk round the enemy – A gallant guide frightened – An old cultivator, and a young one – The dogs bark – Skinned toes – Hide and go seek – A young woman’s thigh squeezed in the dark – A careless Sepoy guard questioned by its enemy – Alum Bagh avoided – A dreadful surprise – Sepoys tell us the way to a swamp, and we go into it – A fatiguing struggle to keep two heads above water – An angry man – Passing between two fires – Villagers flying for safety – A topographical sketch on the sands all wrong – A sleeper disturbed

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

Chapter 13

Sir Colin’s look at Lucknow – A new route proposed – A dangerous passage passed – Saved a wounded soldier – Chivalry of Lord Seymour – In at the roof Highlanders! – Assault on the Sikandarbagh – Captains Cooper and Burroughs – The 53rd Foot would go in – Frightful slaughter – Colonel Ewart and the enemy’s damned colours – The Shah Najaf Mausoleum – Peel and Middleton knock for admittance – First assault repulsed – Major Alison – Captured by Adrian Hope – A glorious old soldier surrounded by his fine staff – General Mansfield

Chapter 14

Naval Brigades’ missives to the enemy – The D. D. Bungalows – Ordered to be shot as a spy! – A false colour cut down by Peel – Attack on the Mess House, Observatory, and Moti Mahal Palace – The gallant Worseley of the 90th Foot – Abused by Sir Colin Campbell for a Hibernicism – Worseley and the British banner – A dangerous run to Sir James Outram – A hearty welcome home – Race back to Sir Colin – An unexpected introduction, and a glorious meeting of the Chiefs Outram, Havelock and Campbell – Grand objects of my escape effected – Generous reception by my comrades – A mean reward – Retreat to Kanhpur – General Wyndham surprised by men on a dog-cart – Reception of the Lucknow refugees at Calcutta

Chapter 15

The dark side of the picture – Europeans, Christians, and servants murdered – Captain Savory – Citizens plundered – Maulavi Ahmud-oola interferes and is disgraced – Election of a King – Appointment of Commanders – Civil officers – 100,000 assailants – Efforts made to obtain money – Jealousy in the Palace – False reports – The Nana – Havelock’s progress – Captives slaughtered – Mutineers pray to be led to Kanhpur – Subterranean passages to the granaries of the city – Envoy to Delhi Emperor – Havelock’s advance to Lucknow – Citizens excited by proclamations – Retreat of the enemy, and panic – Maulavi all-powerful – Relief by Sir Colin Campbell, and rejoicing thereat

Chapter 16

Sir James Outram at the Alum Bagh – Great rejoicing at the departure of the Heroes of Lucknow – An Army of Donkies led into danger by a King of Monkeys – Sir Colin Campbell’s host – Journey from Calcutta with a gentle jeweller and a cunning gold digger – The great William Howard Russell and his wicked mare – Sir Hugh Rose did well – Siege of Lucknow – Ordered to be shot for going over to the enemy – A dangerous development disliked by Adrian Hope – Sir James Outram across the river – The Martinière captured – The gallant Anson – Jang Bahadur and his odoriferous Goorkhas – Begum’s Palace captured – Captain Macbean’s eleven heads – A terrible storm in the Kaisarbagh – My good guide Kunoujee Lal

Chapter 17

Naval guns and Lieutenant Young – A woman’s appeal of no avail – Assault led by Captain Da Costa – Da Costa killed – Impromptu seizure of the Kaisarbagh – British pluck under a steam engine – A Christian captive released – My plunder – The Palace sacked – The famed Residency captured – Reflections therein – Horse wounded – A frightened family saved from drowning – Captured an English gun – Sack of the City begun – Mrs. Orr and Miss Jackson rescued – Captain F. Middleton and Lord Clinton are shown some “fun” – Sir James Outram disapproved of the sport – The Maulavi attacked by, and escaped from, Sir Edward Lugard – Murder of the Prime Minister – The last fight for the City

Chapter 18

Ancient and modern Oudh – The City deserted – The Goorkhas carried away all the rags – Citizens returned and were plundered – Fell from the top of a house – Streets cleared of the dead – Talukdars of Oudh – General Walpole buried Adrian Hope at Ruiya – An awful fall down a well – Another fall from a dog-cart – Belief in a a good destiny useful – Nawab Mosim-ood-dowlah, uncle of the Ex-King of Oudh – New fortifications, and the demolition of the City – Greedy Prize Agents – Colonel Abbott and his embellishments – Administrative Reforms by Sir Robert Montgomery: and Mr. George Campbell – Sir Hope Grant at Nawabganj – Volunteered to go over to the enemy to explain the pacific intentions of Government

Chapter 19

The City – Ordered to Maliabad – Troops without ammunition – An angry officer – Police posted at Rahimabad and surrounded by the enemy – Attacked and defeated by Lieutenant Ffrench – Police re- warded for gallant defence – A brave native collector – The enemy frightened by a road – Agriculture unaffected by the war – Land- holders assembled for sports at Rahimabad – Talukdars backward – Policy to Talukdars reversed – People should be taxed – Oudh Military Police – Town of Sandela attacked by Captain Dawson – Prince Firuzshah, of Delhi, with 600 cavalry, defeated by fifty Sikhs

Chapter 20

Captain Dawson’s assault on the City – Spirited conduct of Military Police – An Irishman’s honour proved by surrendering to the enemy – The leader’s charger captured – A loyal Talukdar hastens the retreat of Prince Firuzshah – Chowdry Hashmat Ali left in Sandela with 700 matchlock-men – Return to Munched – Thanks for ow victory – Revenue settlements – Dawson reinforced – Troops remove to Sandela – A hasty assault repulsed – Wounded in two places – Bharat Singh Talukdar – Removed to Lucknow – Dawson besieged in Sandela – Relieved by Brigadier Sir George Barker, who gained a signal victory

Chapter 21

Engineer Hospitality – Banquet to commemorate the Relief of Lucknow by Outram and Havelock – Col. Bulwer going to the war – Fort of Seelimpoor surprised by Bulwer, and Simon Martin – The people unfriendly – The monster Munsub Ali – The courage of a loyal native severely tried – His revenge at Seelimpoor – A hot ride through neutral ground, – Night incursions of the enemy – Return to Lucknow to meet my family – Beni Madhu, and Colonel Bulwer’s three victories – Ordered to Sandela – Forts dismantled, and Chiefs humbled – An old man, with an old retrospect

Chapter 22

Operations for the complete conquest of Oudh begun – Reconnaissance – Fort of Birwa – The “ould Eighty-eight” won’t stay behind – Gallant assault of the Rifles, the Sikhs, and the “wild Irish” – A flock of geese overpowered by the 88th – Assault on the centre building and slaughter of the rebels – Moral effect of the capture – Narpat Singh prepares his fort for resistance – Advance of Brigadiers Hale and Barker to attack him – Fort evacuated – Colonel Seymour’s pursuit – Walpole and the Ghost of Adrian Hope – Return to Lucknow

Chapter 23

Fort of Mithauli and its infamous Chief – Heroic death of Captain P. Orr – Ordered to Nawabganj-Burabunkee – The enemy frightened – A fortunate General terrifies Beni Madhu from his Fort – Beni Madhu puzzled – Major Gall’s attempt to escape with a despatch – Beni Madhu’s defeat and invisible flight – No more fighting – Wonderful escape of Prince Firuzshah – Lord Clyde and the end of the War – Adieu!

This collection transcribed by Chris Gage
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