15,832
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Add internal link
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.
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 Regiment of Foot]] and four companies of the [[82nd Regiment of Foot]], 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.
