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The 88th had been put under orders for India in the ordinary course of relief. When they embarked the news of the first outbreak of mutiny among the Sepoys had only just reached England. It was as yet however only vaguely known that "disturbances" had occurred and their extent and character were not realized. As the long voyage in sailing ships round the Cape without touching anywhere brought The Connaught Rangers to Bengal with nothing later than the English information of three and a half months before, they were at the outset somewhat bewildered when the lightship at the mouth of the Hoogly signalled "Delhi is taken." It was in fact only when the pilots came on board that they first heard any account of the great Sepoy mutiny.
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 Headquarters 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.
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."
