John Nicholson

Brigadier-General John Nicholson.

Brigadier-General John Nicholson (1822-1857) was a British soldier who went to India in 1839 to join the 41st Bengal Native Infantry. He transferred to the 27th Bengal Native Infantry and served in the 1st Afghan War when he was taken prisoner following the Siege of Ghazni. He also served in the 1st Sikh War and was a protegé of Henry Lawrence who made him a political officer on the North West Frontier. He was revered by local tribesmen and inspired a cult of 'Nikal Seyn'. He commanded the Punjab Movable Column soon after the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny and carrid out numerous indiscriminate executions of suspected rebels. He was responsible for the destruction of the 46th Bengal Native Infantry at Trimmoo Ghat. He took part in the Recapture of Delhi where he led the 1st Column of the storming parties. He was killed in the assault.

External links

John Nicholson Dictionary of Indian Biography (1906)
John Nicholson Wikipedia
Nicholson's obelisk www.azkhan.de