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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 [[Battle of Pandoo Nuddee|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.
**After World War 1, the 1st Battalion served in India, where news of the ‘Black and Tans' atrocities in their native Ireland sparked a mutiny at Jullundur during which two men were killed. 69 mutineers were court martialled and one executed as a result.
====Historical books online====
*[http://www.archive.org/stream/historicalrecord00grea#page/n11/mode/2up ''Historical Record of the Eighty-eighth Regiment of Foot or Connaught Rangers, containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1793, and of its subsequent services to 1837''] 1838 Archive.org
**The Regiment was briefly in India in 1800, [http://www.archive.org/stream/historicalrecord00grea#page/4/mode/2up , page 4], and then took part in the [[Egyptian Campaign 1801| Egyptian Campaign of 1801]]
