Persian War

Summary

Persian War
1856-57
Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns
Location: Persia
Combatants:
East India Company	Persia
Result: British victory
Medals: India General Service Medal 1854 Clasp: Persia
Links:
Category: Persian War

	See our interactive map of Persian War locations and routes on Google Maps

Persia's expansion on its eastern frontier culminated in the occupation of Herat in Afghanistan on 25 October 1856. Britain responded by declaring war on 1 November. The British under Commodore Young occupied Kharg Island and an advance division under Maj-Gen Stalker took Bushire in December. Reinforcements under Sir James Outram arrived from Bombay in January 1857. After a series of British victories the Treaty of Paris was signed on 4 March 1857 and the Persians withdrew from Herat.

Expeditionary Force

First Division
Maj-Gen Foster Stalker CB

Artillery under Brig H W Trevelyan

• 3rd Troop Horse Artillery
• 1st Company 1st Battalion European Foot Artillery
• 4th Company 1st Battalion European Foot Artillery
• Reserve European Foot Artillery
  

Cavalry Brigade under Brig T Tapp

• Two squadrons 3rd Regiment Light Cavalry (243 troopers) under Capt Forbes
• Two troops of Poona Irregular Horse (176 troopers)
  

1st Infantry Brigade under Brig J Stopford CB

• HM 64th Regiment of Foot under Maj Sterling
• 20th Native Infantry under Capt Macleod
  

2nd Infantry Brigade under Brig R W Honner

• 2nd Bombay European Light Infantry under Lt-Col Ramsay
• 4th Bombay Native Infantry (Rifle Corps) under Maj Manson
• 2nd Belooch Battalion under Capt Hough
  

Engineer Department under Brevet Maj J Hill

• Two Companies of Sappers & Miners under Capt Dickinson
  

Total 4234

Second Division
Brig-Gen Havelock CB

First Brigade under Brig Hamilton

• 78th HighLanders
• 26th Native Infantry

Second Brigade under Brig Hale

• 23rd Native Light Infantry
• 14th Light Dragoons
• No 3 Light Field Battery (6 guns) under Capt Hatch
• No 5 Light Field Battery (6 guns) under Capt Gibbard
• 4th troop of Horse Artillery (6 guns) under Maj Blake

External Links

• Persian War 1856-57 Wikipedia
  

Historical Books on-line

• Outram & Havelock's Persian Campaign Google Books
  
• Outram's Despatches Google Books
  
• Persian War- Blackwoods Magazine Google Books
  
• Maj-Gen Stalker's Suicide Google Books
  
• Stalker's Obituary Google Books
  
• Correspondence respecting relations with Persia. Presented to both Houses of Parliament 1857 1857 Archive.org
• Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India Vol VI - Persian War 1856-57 archive.org
• From Bombay to Bushire, and Bussora; including an Account of the Present State of Persia and Notes on the Persian War by William Ashton Shepherd 1857 Google Books
• "The Persian War" page 231 Memoirs of Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, K. C. B. by John Clark Marshman 1860 Google Books
• "Havelock’s Persian Campaign" page 221 The Life of General H. Havelock KCB by Joel Tyler Headley 1861 Google Books
• "The Persian Expedition 1856-7", page 577 The history of the Indian revolt and of the expeditions to Persia, China and Japan by George Dodd 1859 Google Books
• "Chapter III: The War with Persia" page 13 My Life As A Soldier by Captain Thomas McKenzie, formerly Sergeant, Her Majesty’s 64th Regiment 1898 Archive.org.
• "The Persian Campaign", page 135 Oriental campaigns and European furloughs: the autobiography of a veteran of the Indian Mutiny by Colonel E. Maude 1908 Archive.org
• General John Jacob by Alexander Innes Shand 1901 Archive.org This book is in DjVu format and may require a plug-in. Contains references to the Persian War.
• The Life Of General Sir Harry N.D. Prendergast by Henry M. Vibart 1914 may be read online on the Digital Library of India website. It contains a short section on the Persian War.