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Sir Colin Campbell, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief in India, when the 88th reached Calcutta was on his way to Cawnpore to organize the advance for the second relief of Lucknow. He had left orders for the prompt despatch up country of all troops as they arrived, so as to keep up a flow of reinforcements, and consequently Head-quarters of the regiment and three companies were ordered immediately on arrival to proceed to Chinsura by river-steamers. Thence, this detachment, in spite of Colonel G.V. Maxwell's representations as to its unprepared condition in the matter of suitable clothing, etc., was sent on to Ranigunj by rail under the command of Lieut.-Colonel E.H. Maxwell. The detachment was transferred to bullock-carts at Ranigunj and travelled day and night until, on November 21st, Cawnpore was reached. No one in the regiment knew a word of Hindustani. Also the men had with them nothing but their sea-kit and a few necessaries which had been served out to them at Ranigunj - in the dark. The regiment halted one day at Cawnpore, where they received Indian tents "which at first no one knew how to pitch," and were then marched out 3 miles from the city to join Brigadier Carthew's command, under Major-General Windham.
Sir Colin Campbell, on moving forward from [[Cawnpore ]] on November 9th with the troops for the relief of [[Lucknow]], had left General Windham with about 500 European soldiers and a few Sikhs to maintain the post at [[Cawnpore ]] and guard the bridge of boats across the Ganges there, upon which Sir Colin's communications depended. Windham was reinforced a few days later by half a Madras native battalion and a few guns, under Brigadier Carthew, but his position meanwhile was being threatened by the revolted Gwalior Contingent under Tantia Topee from the direction of Kalpee. That was the position when the companies of the 88th were added to Brigadier Carthew's command on November 22nd, the day after their arrival. The force moved forward on the 24th to a bridge on the Kalpee road and encamped. Another portion of the 88th (which Captain Vernor in his diary calls "our detachment of two compaines") joined Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell on the 25th, as did the band, who had to take their places in the ranks and serve as privates. Six companies of the Rangers had now reached the front, of whom four were at Cawnpore and two with Colonel G.V. Maxwell near Futtipore, where they arrived on the 27th.
General Windham having decided to take the offensive, early on the morning of the 26th formed his force into two so-called brigades. Carthew's "brigade" consisted of the half-battalion of the 88th and four companies of the [[2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade]], with four 6-pounder guns in charge of [[Madras ]] artillerymen. The other "brigade," under Colonel Kelly, comprised the 34th Foot and four companies of the 82nd, with four 9-pounder guns. They advanced during the forenoon of the 26th as far as Pandoo Nuddee, driving the rebels before them. The Rifles, who formed the skirmishing line, supported by the 88th, were pushed on through a number of fields of high growing grain till they arrived at a thick tope of trees, at which point the enemy opened a sharp fire of grape and round shot. In clearing the place a number of men were killed. Among them Ensign Mitchell was severely wounded by a round shot and died in hospital a few days afterwards. Captain Day, who rushed forward at the head of his men across a clear space between the tope and the enemy's guns, was killed close to a well. [Footnote: At the time it was not known exactly how Captain Day had fallen, but, on inquiry and search some months later, his body was recovered from the well, and the injury to the skull indicated the effect of a round shot. He was only twenty-one years old. A full account of the discovery of his body is given in J. W. Sherer's Memoirs of the Mutiny.] Captain Henning led his men against the guns. He was joined by the skirmishers of the 34th who were on the left and it became a race to reach the guns first. They were two in number and both were taken: one was an 18-pounder. Captain Baynes, meanwhile, took his men to the right to support the Rifles. Windham, however, though successful at the moment, was in the end obliged to withdraw towards evening to his original position, as being the only one his small force could hold pending Sir Colin Campbell's return from Lucknow. Camp was pitched again and the night passed quietly.
Next morning, November 27th, the regiment paraded before daybreak. General Windham said, in the hearing of the 88th when on parade, "If the enemy has crossed the canal bridge I will attack him: if not we shall have a quiet day." His only cavalry consisted of fifty troopers of a native Police Corps and some of these had been sent out to scout: the sole precaution apparently that was thought necessary. They returned soon, with the English lieutenant in charge, and reported that they had not found any of the enemy, whereupon it was arranged to give up the day for the men to clean themselves and their clothing which they had no opportunity of doing before. The troopers' reconnaissance however had been incomplete, and danger soon proved nearer at hand than was anticipated. Before the morning was far advanced a gun was heard, then another, and quickly afterwards round shot were hurtling through the camp. It was an unpleasant surprise. "What, twelve o'clock so soon!" said some of the men as they heard the first gun. The bugles at once sounded the alarm, and the 88th were quickly under arms. Some of the men, indeed, who were washing, buckled on their belts without waiting to get on their coats. It was a bad surprise and the camp was thrown into confusion at the outset. The camels at once became unmanageable and went off over the plain: the bullocks also ran off: the elephants trumpeted and got unmanageable. Many of the native followers at the same time deserted, making for Cawnpore. The enemy, who were the Gwalior rebels and had forty guns with them, appeared to be firing from in front and also from both flanks. As the men fell in, one party of the Rangers was told off to skirmish together with the Rifles, and another to act as escort to the naval gun, belonging to the Shannon's Naval Brigade accompanying the force, which was posted near the road. Its bullocks had all run away, and the officers and men with the gun had all been either killed or wounded. The skirmishers, under Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell, were sent to its assistance and the gun was dragged away by men of the 88th and Rifle Brigade, with some of the 82nd. The adjutant of the 88th, while keeping the men steady under a severe fire, was wounded in the leg and obliged to retire. Lieutenant Vernor was ordered temporarily to act as adjutant in his place.
Part of the enemy's force had meanwhile entered the town of [[Cawnpore ]] , between the British right and the Ganges, which made the situation awkward. If not checked they might reach the boat bridge upon which everything depended. Brigadier Carthew thereupon received orders to take the 88th and the six Madras field guns in that direction. The Rangers on their way had to march through narrow streets, and several small combats occurred while doing so. One rebel sepoy at one place ran out of a house from a few yards distance and fired at Lieutenant Vernor, who was riding in rear. Luckily the bullet only grazed the officer's head and then the sepoy was bayoneted. In defending himself, he cut off the left thumb of the private who bayoneted him. Then the 88th got more of a chance. Some of the enemy were suddenly discovered in an open space with piled arms and occupied with preparing to cook a meal, under the impression apparently there could be no British near. The leading files of the 88th fired into them, and all then with a cheer charged them. The place was soon cleared, upwards of fifty of the rebels being bayoneted. Brigadier Carthew, after having swept part of the town clear, now advanced towards the old Assembly Rooms, a line of pickets being formed connecting with the 34th on the right and the 82nd on the left. The loss of the 88th, in the two days, was one officer killed (Captain Day), five officers wounded (Lieutenants Gilby and Evans, Ensigns Birch, Austin, and Mitchell), and 100 non-commissioned officers and men killed and wounded.* [Footnote: Ensign Mitchell died of his wound, as already stated. A Lieutenant Clarke, attached to the regiment as interpreter, was also wounded.]
The following night was an anxious one. This is an incident connected with the regiment. One of the pickets of the 88th was posted at a bridge over a small stream which ran into the Ganges a short distance above the canal. It was fired on by a couple of rebel guns on the road, but as the men were lying down on each side of, the bridge, no harm was done. Lieutenant Vernor then took measures. He obtained the colonel's permission to try to seize and disable the guns, which were about a quarter of a mile away. Vernor, in his own reminiscences, compiled in later years, says this: "I took twenty men of my own company (the Grenadiers) with loaded rifles and fixed bayonets. We sneaked up behind any cover we could find and, when within fifty yards, fired a volley and then rushed the guns. With the exception of a few dead gunners, we found the rebels had disappeared. We spiked the guns and returned without having a man of the party killed or wounded." The 88th were fortunate in finding food and drink in a deserted "hotel," as it is called, which had been in enemy occupation the previous morning. Otherwise, most of the men would have had nothing that day since breakfast.
Sir Colin Campbell, with his main force, left Cawnpore for the final relief of Lucknow on December 24th. After his departure three companies of The Connaught Rangers, a company of Royal Engineers, and half a battery of Artillery were sent on the 27th to Bithoor to search for treasure in the ruined palace of Nana Sahib and watch the neighbouring ford of the Ganges. A good deal of treasure was found in a well near the palace. The detachment remained at Bithoor for nearly two months.
'''1858'''
On January 15th 1858 regimental Head-quarters marched from [[Cawnpore ]] to Akbarpore, on the road to Kalpee. Seven companies were at Akbarpore on February 1st, making a strength of 594 of all ranks: three companies were at Bithoor with 216 of all ranks, 29 men were on detachment, and 142 sick; making a total of 981.
The main body of the Rangers marched next day from Akbarpore to Bhognapore, forming, with two Royal Artillery guns and forty-two troopers of native police (Sikhs) under Lieutenant Mowbray Thompson, a column which was under the command of Colonel G.V. Maxwell. It was attacked at daybreak on the 4th by the rebels from Kalpee, to the number of about 1,000, and a sharp little fight ensued. Two companies of the Rangers were first sent out to keep the enemy in check until there was sufficient daylight to ascertain the extent of the attack. They were reinforced by the other companies in succession shortly afterwards and drove back the enemy, whose skirmishers retired in regular order for about 4 miles towards Kalpee. The sepoys then made a stand in broken ground and threatened our left with their cavalry. Major Mauleverer, on that, attacked a village on the right with his own (the Light) company and another, and carried it with some difficulty. The enemy however could not be pursued farther, as the troops would have come within range of the guns of Kalpee: and so the action had to be broken off. One private of the 88th was mortally wounded in the affair, and the lieutenant in charge of the Police Corps and one of his troopers were wounded. These were the only casualties. The rebels on their side suffered a loss of about eighty. The column returned to Akbarpore on February 6th and was joined there two days later by the three companies from Bithoor. On the 13th, the Rangers (now again assembled as a complete battalion) marched from Akbarpore to Shulie and thence on the 18th to Sheorajpore, throwing out two companies with pickets at all fordable points on the Ganges. The move was made in the hope of intercepting Nana Sahib, who was believed to be trying to pass the Ganges, making off north as a fugitive. He was, however, of course never captured and his ultimate fate is unknown, being eventually said to have died of fever in the jungle. The Rangers returned to Akbarpore on the 24th.
Meanwhile, during these two months, Sir Hugh Rose with the "Central India Field Force" was approaching Kalpee from the south-west. After capturing Jhansi on April 4th and Koonch a month later he reached the neighbourhood of Kalpee on May 15th. Colonel Maxwell, who was strengthened about the same time by Major Ross's Camel Corps (nearly 700 strong) and some mortars, advanced towards Kalpee on the 18th and established communication with Sir Hugh Rose, sending on the night of the 20th the whole of the Camel Corps with two companies of the 88th and 124 Sikh infantry across the Jumna. Sir Hugh Rose prepared for battle on the 22nd but was himself attacked that morning. The ensuing fight was one of the fiercest during the Mutiny; indeed the issue was at one time in doubt. The rebels however were in the end decisively defeated, the Camel Corps sent by Colonel Maxwell rendering timely help at the critical point. The rebels at Kalpee were shelled by the mortars on the forenoon of the 23rd, a portion of the 88th lining the river bank and engaging with musketry fire. The enemy, however, soon proved to be so disheartened by their defeat of the previous day that they evacuated the place, which was entered without opposition during the day. At that period the weather was extremely hot, and several of the men died from sunstroke.
Owing to the trials of the hot weather campaign under canvas the Rangers were ordered into cantonments at Cawnpore, arriving there on June 2nd. The cessation of active work, however, with its excitement produced the usual reaction, with the result that, notwithstanding the better protection from the heat, fever and cholera broke out and before long more than half the battalion was on the sick list. The sickness fortunately abated after some weeks, and then, on July 17th, The Connaught Rangers left Cawnpore for Lucknow, once more in British hands. The regiment, after being at first under canvas at Bohura, moved to the "Old Cantonments" at Lucknow on August 5th. Five companies, with the regimental Head-quarters, remained there. The other five companies were attached to the Field Force at Nawabganj, an arrangement that continued with little alteration for about five months. The half-battalion at [[Lucknow ]] was generally over 400 strong, while the five Field Force companies mustered about 350 of all ranks fit for duty. On July 1st, there had been 207 sick. This number decreased to 108 by September 1st, and to 45 only on December 1st. Although drafts were received from home from time to time, the enrolled strength in India between August and December 1858 decreased somewhat, from 917 to 872.
No very active operations were practicable during the rains, until the latter part of September. By that time the Mutiny as an organized rebellion had been suppressed, but there yet remained the task of hunting down and destroying various mutinous bands under arms. Restoring order and authority in so extensive a country was necessarily long and arduous work. Oudh, where the 88th was stationed, had been a principal centre of rebel activity throughout, and was in many parts still infested by rebel sepoys, being even occupied in places by them in force.
In the [[Lucknow ]] district, one pressing need was to dislodge a band under a chief named Moosahib Ali, holding an entrenched position at Selimpore, not many miles from Lucknow. Two converging columns started for this purpose late on the evening of September 22nd, one from Nawabganj, the other from [[Lucknow]]. Both columns included portions of The Connaught Rangers. The Nawabganj column, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Pratt, consisted of 200 of the 23rd Foot, 200 of the 88th under Major Bourke, and 200 of the 90th; with 133 sabres (British and Native cavalry) and six guns. They marched about midnight and a little before seven next morning found the enemy, 2,000 men or more, posted on each bank of the Goomtee. Selimpore is on the farther side of the river, approaching from Nawabganj. The British infantry advanced in line, with the guns in the intervals, and in the course of an hour drove the enemy into broken ground by the river, where they dispersed. The day however as the sun got higher became excessively hot and several of the 88th and 90th were struck down by sunstroke. Lieut.-Colonel Pratt in consequence halted for the day after his attack in the last tope of trees; having previously ascertained that the other column had also been successful and required no assistance. He began the return march to Nawabganj at 7 p.m., after burning the enemy's huts.
The [[Lucknow ]] column comprised 180 of the 23rd Foot, 120 of the 88th (under Captain Delme Radcliffe), 400 Native Police Infantry, and 800 Native Police Cavalry with four guns. Major Bulwer of the 23rd (Welch Fusiliers) was in command. Selimpore was to have been reached by these at daybreak, but, owing to delay in starting and a bad road for the guns, Major Bulwer was still 2 miles away when he heard the firing of the Nawabganj column on the opposite side of the Goomtee. Pushing forward the cavalry, however, he succeeded in surrounding the rebels' entrenched position, after which he brought up his guns, covered by the 23rd and 88th, and soon afterwards stormed the place. As Major Bulwer stated in his despatch, "Captain Radcliffe led the assault on the fort most gallantly." One private of the 88th was killed and one officer (Lieutenant Moore) and two rank and file were wounded. Captain Radcliffe in the following spring was gazetted to a Brevet-Majority for his services on this occasion.
Then followed another expedition. On the afternoon of October 4th Brigadier J. Chute, commanding at [[Lucknow]], received information that the Police force at Sundeela, a town some 30 miles north-west of Lucknow, was being threatened by a large body of rebels under a leader named Hurrichund and in need of assistance. He despatched to the rescue the same night a mixed force under Major E. G. Maynard of The Connaught Rangers, consisting of two guns, two mortars, a company of the 88th (about 130 strong), 278 of the 5th Oudh Police Cavalry and 600 of the 7th Oudh Police Infantry. Major Maynard reached Mulleabad about seven next morning and was joined there by 460 of the 2nd Oudh Police Cavalry. The march was resumed at 3 p.m. to Ruheemabad, where the force halted for the night. That however was not all.
The authorities at [[Lucknow]], on the morning of the 5th, received intelligence that Captain Dawson, commanding the Police at Sundeela, had now been surrounded by, as it was stated, about 12,000 of the enemy. Fearing that Major Maynard's column would be insufficient against this superiority, Brigadier Chute on that arranged with Brigadier Barker, C.B., to follow Maynard at once with two more guns, 200 of the 2nd Dragoon Guards, twenty-five of Hodson's Horse, also 200 more of the 88th and 100 of the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade. The reinforcement started at nine that night.
Maynard for his part moved forward from Ruheemabad at dawn on October 6th and soon discovered hostile mounted pickets in front. He threw forward his cavalry in skirmishing order and followed with the infantry and guns in line, showing as strong and extensive a front as possible. Approaching the town of Sundeela, he found the enemy's infantry and artillery in position among topes and gardens on the western and northern sides and was met by heavy fire, while his left flank was threatened by cavalry. The mounted Police charged twice with success, but the rebel cavalry re-formed in "extensive masses." Maynard then pushed forward the guns, supporting them on either side by the detachment of the 88th in extended order. The Rangers' fire proved effective, the new Enfield rifle doing considerable execution, and in the result the enemy were driven back in disorder. The Native Police Infantry, it should be said, behaved very well. Owing, however, to the obstacles of thick topes and bad ground, neither the cavalry nor artillery could follow up the advantage, and in the outcome, as the troops had been fighting from 6 a.m. until noon immediately after a march of 8 miles, Maynard felt it prudent not to push his success farther, seeing that the town had been relieved and the Sikh police in it set free. While halting, Maynard during the afternoon received a despatch informing him of Brigadier Barker's approach with his reinforcing force (already detailed). On their joining it was arranged to make a further attack, all together, on the 7th. The first part of the work, the relief of Sundeela, had been accomplished at a cost of three killed and seventeen wounded. None of the casualties however were in the 88th.
This was certainly one of the hardest fights of the last phases of the Mutiny. It lasted more than thirteen hours and the British loss was heavy. Among the Europeans nine were killed and seventy-four wounded, besides the losses in the native troops. The Connaught Rangers were the heaviest sufferers, having six killed outright and forty-one wounded, one of whom died within a few hours. The wounded included one officer (Lieutenant Moore, again slightly wounded), and four sergeants. Brigadier Barker in his despatch said this: "Major Maynard made all his arrangements in a most perfect manner and greatly contributed to our success: this officer speaks in the highest terms of Major Mauleverer of the same regiment, who distinguished himself by the cool and fearless manner in which he behaved." The names of Colour-Sergeant Fahey, Sergeant Yates, two corporals, six privates, and one drummer of the 88th were also mentioned for bravery.
Major Maynard marched his men back to Sundeela on the evening of October 22nd. He arrived there between eight and nine, "having been at it for forty-two hours with no rest and little to eat." An order was received next day for the wing of the 88th to return to the Old Cantonments at [[Lucknow]], which were reached on the evening of Sunday the 24th. On November 1st the Queen's Proclamation was issued, taking over the Government of India from the East India Company. A wing of the regiment was again sent out on December 13th under Major Maynard to disarm parties of natives in the districts round Lucknow, from which service it did not return to Head-quarters until February.
Although organized attempts at armed resistance had ceased in Oudh, after the decisive defeat at Jummoo, and the storming of Birwah Fort, there were yet numbers of fugitive rebel sepoys in hiding in various lurking places or sheltering in villages. Refugees for the most part from broken-up details of former Bengal Army battalions who had managed to get away from Lucknow and elsewhere, they had gone off with their arms and ammunition and were ready for any mischief within their power. Thus a series of clearing-up operations, which involved the searching of villages for hidden weapons, had to be undertaken as the finale in the pacification of that part of the country. Only in the jungle districts of Central India and in Rajputana, where Tantia Topee and Man Singh and bands of their followers were being hunted down by punitive columns, were active hostilities still being carried on. Clearing up, or "mopping up," was practically all that there remained to be done in other parts of India. That work in Oudh had, to all intents, come to an end when in February, 1858, the half-battalion of the Rangers under Major Maynard concluded their part and returned to rejoin Head-quarters at Lucknow.
'''1859 - 1861'''
The 88th marched from [[Cawnpore ]] on January 22nd 1859 and arrived at [[Delhi ]] on February 15th. The march started at 3 a.m. every day. One officer remained with each company. The others were allowed to move from camp to camp at their own hours and in their own manner; thus some obtained good shooting in places near the line of route. At Delhi the regiment had to remain under canvas for awhile, there being no barracks for Europeans. Delhi had not hitherto been considered healthy for Europeans and had always been garrisoned by native troops. Most of the men were then put into the large school buildings, with three companies in the Palace and the officers scattered about in bungalows.
The flank companies of battalions were abolished by an order issued in 1858, when all companies were ordered to be sized and clothed alike. Thus the Grenadier and the Light Company of The Connaught Rangers disappeared; Captain Baynes of the Grenadier and Brevet-Major Mauleverer of the Light Company were the last flank-company commanders. An order of 1862 completed the change by directing that companies should be lettered instead of being numbered, and should stand on parade according to the seniority of their captains.
Three companies were detached to [[Allyghur ]] for a time, the regiment remaining at [[Delhi ]] for two years. Both officers and men seem to have suffered from "Delhi boils," with the result that early in 1861 the Inspector-General of Hospitals recommended the regiment's removal to a healthier station. It was thereupon ordered to Moradabad and Shahjehanpore, exchanging stations with the 82nd. The Left Wing, comprising of B, G, H, I and K Companies,* [Footnote: It is so stated in the original Digest of Services, but the letters must have been given to the companies retrospectively in writing it up, for the Monthly Returns show that the companies continued to be numbered, not lettered, down to the end of 1862.] under Lieut.-Colonel E.H. Maxwell, marched for the former station on March 19th, Head-quarters and the Right Wing, composed of the remaining five companies, under command of Colonel G.V. Maxwell, left [[Delhi ]] for Shahjehanpore on April 2nd. It was inspected on the 28th, a few days after its arrival, and again in October, by Brigadier-General E.A. Holdich, C.B., commanding the Rohilcund Field Force, or Rohilcund District, as the command was subsequently designated.
A Horse Guards Circular of May 3rd 1861 fixed the establishment of battalions serving in the East Indies at ten service companies, with a strength of 958 of all ranks, and two depot companies comprising 120 of all ranks; a total of 1,078.
Colonel G.V. Maxwell, C.B., was appointed a Brigadier-General on the Indian Establishment on January 23rd, and handed over the command of the 88th to Colonel E.H. Maxwell. The regiment was inspected at Cawnpore by Major-General Macduff, C.B., commanding the Oudh Division, on March 8th. On August 10th, Major-General Dalzell was transferred to the 48th Foot, and Major-General M.C. Johnstone appointed Colonel of the 88th.
[[Cawnpore]], in common with many other stations in India, suffered from cholera this year. The troops continued healthy for some time, but after the epidemic had appeared in the native town on August 18th a man of the regiment was attacked and died. The company to which he belonged, then quartered in a detached building 2 miles from the main barracks, was at once sent into camp at Bhuntra, 6 miles away, and no more cases occurred in that company. A week later however a man died of cholera at the main barracks, and thereupon Head-quarters and five companies were moved immediately to the camp at Bhuntra. The rest of the battalion moved at the same time to another camping ground, 5 miles distant, on the Allahabad road. The heat on the day of the march was intense and one man succumbed to sunstroke. Cases of cholera continuing to occur, Head-quarters moved camp to Muggerwara on September 3rd. During the whole period of the epidemic, which ceased at the end of September, eight men and nine women and children fell victims in the regiment. The Head-quarter wing returned to Cawnpore on October 26th and was joined there on the 28th and 29th by the Left Wing. Only one or two of the fatal cases had occurred in the Left Wing.
Major-General Becher, C.B., commanding the Oudh Division, inspected the regiment at Cawnpore on November 24th.
The Cawnpore Brigade was now transferred to the Allahabad Division and the next inspection of the regiment was made on March 15th by the officer commanding that division, Major-General Troup, C.B. The 88th was also inspected later (on October 19th) by Brigadier-General W.C. Forest, commanding the Cawnpore Brigade.
On March 20th a fourth company (H) was sent to join the detachment at Futtegurh. In the annual relief programme of 1866, The Connaught Rangers were destined for Rawal Pindi on the North-West Frontier, some 700 miles from Cawnpore. They were to move by way of [[Agra]], so as to take part in an assembly of troops on the occasion of a Durbar by the Viceroy (Sir John Lawrence) in honour of an installation of the Order of the Star of India. The regiment left [[Cawnpore ]] by rail on November 3rd and reached Agra next morning. They encamped on the edge of the General Parade Ground and were brigaded with the 19th Punjaub Infantry and 41st Bengal Infantry. The force assembled was under the personal command of Lieut. General Sir W.R. Mansfield, K.C.B., who had now become Commander-in-Chief in India. The four companies from Futtegurh joined Head-quarters at [[Agra ]] on November 6th. Colonel E.H. Maxwell had command of a brigade on the occasion. The Durbar was a fine sight, but the gathering was broken up rather sooner than had been intended owing to the appearance of cholera in the camp. The 88th went on to Delhi by rail in two wings, on November 30th and December 1st. The various details - women and children from [[Cawnpore]], a depot from Futtegurh, a draft from home, etc. - were also collected at [[Delhi]], where the regiment encamped in the old cantonments until transport could be supplied for the march to Rawal Pindi. After considerable difficulty in procuring carriage the regiment left Delhi on December 16th.
'''1867'''
The effective strength of the service companies on January 1st was 38 officers, 45 sergeants and 791 drummers and rank and file, making a total of 874.
General Mansfield, the Commander-in-Chief in India, inspected the regiment at [[Peshawar ]] in April and expressed himself as satisfied with it in every respect. The usual half-yearly inspection was made soon afterwards by Brigadier-General H.F. Dunsford, C.B., commanding the Peshawar Brigade. On his report, the Adjutant-General wrote from the Horse Guards to Sir W. Mansfield:
"It has afforded His Royal Highness much gratification to perceive by a perusal of this document, as well as from the assurance contained in your own observations accompanying it, that the state of this corps is very satisfactory."
The 88th was again inspected on October 16th, this time by Major-General Haly, who announced his decision to this effect: "He is much pleased with the regiment and will have the satisfaction of making a favourable report."
On November 8th a detachment of two companies (C and E), under command of Captain Whitla, marched to Fort Attock on the Indus, relieving a similar detachment of the 36th. Head-quarters and the remaining companies moved from [[Peshawar ]] to [[Nowshera]], their next station, on December 74th.
'''1869'''
At Fort Attock C and E Companies were relieved by H and K Companies early in February and rejoined Head-quarters on the 5th.
On March 3rd 1869, Shere Ali, Ameer of Afghanistan, entered British territory on a State visit to the Viceroy. He was received with due ceremony at Peshawar on the 4th, thence proceeding after a few days to meet the Viceroy, the Earl of Mayo, at Umballa. The 88th marched to [[Peshawar ]] on March 1st to take part at the reception of the [[Ameer]], returning to [[Nowshera ]] on the 9th.
There was during that season, it may be mentioned incidentally, a good deal of fever at Nowshera, and a great part of the regiment suffered from it, but the epidemic was not serious.
Capt. H.H. Day, killed in action at Pandoo Nuddee, 26 Novr, 1857, aged 20 years.
Ensign F.M. Mitchell, died at Cawapore[[Cawnpore]], 7 Decr, 1857, of wounds received in action at Pandoo Nuddee, 26 Novr, aged 36 yrs.
Ensign W. King, died at [[Cawnpore]], 20 June, 1858, aged 24 yrs.
Ensign J.R. Perrin, died at [[Lucknow]], 11 Octr, 1858, aged 23 yrs.
Lieut. R. Miller, died at Derha Ghat, 5 Novr, 1860, aged 23 yrs.
Quarter Master M. Evans, died at [[Cawnpore]], 20 June, 1864, aged 32 yrs.
Lieut. F.M.M. Mapleton, died at [[Cawnpore]], 17 Augt, 1865, aged 21 years.
Capt. G.S. Watson, died at Galle, 12 Septr, 1865, aged 33 years.
Capt. L.S. Scott, died at [[Jullunder]], 1 April, 1870, aged 31 years."]
The following table shows the principal changes which had taken place in the constitution of the regiment during its service in India (taken from the detailed statistical return rendered on its departure).
