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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.
[[Colin Campbell|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 [[Tatya Tope|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.
