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diff --git a/old/55461-h/55461-h.htm b/old/55461-h/55461-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 95caaef..0000000 --- a/old/55461-h/55461-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14528 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Book of the V.C., by A. L. Haydon. - </title> - - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - -<style type="text/css"> - -a { - text-decoration: none; -} - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -h1,h2,h3,h4 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -hr { - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap { - width: 65%; - margin: 2em 17.5%; -} - -ul { - list-style-type: none; - margin: 0; - padding: 0; -} - -li { - margin-top: .5em; - padding-left: 2em; - text-indent: -2em; -} - -p { - margin-top: 0.5em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; - text-indent: 1em; -} - -table { - margin: 1em auto 1em auto; - max-width: 50em; - border-collapse: collapse; -} - -table.full-list { - margin: 1em auto 1em auto; - max-width: 60em; - border-collapse: collapse; -} - -td { - padding: 0.25em 0.25em 0.25em 2.25em; - vertical-align: top; - text-indent: -2em; -} - -.blockquote { - margin: 1.5em 10%; -} - -.bbox { - border: thin solid black; - margin: 2em auto; - max-width: 22em; - padding: 0.5em; -} - -.caption { - text-align: center; - margin-bottom: 1em; - font-size: 90%; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.center { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.ditto { - margin-left: 2.5em; - margin-right: 2.5em; -} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.footnotes { - margin-top: 1em; - border: dashed 1px; -} - -.footnote { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; - font-size: 0.9em; -} - -.footnote .label { - position: absolute; - right: 84%; - text-align: right; -} - -.fnanchor { - vertical-align: super; - font-size: .8em; - text-decoration: none; -} - -.front-matter { - margin: auto; - max-width: 40em; - page-break-before: always; -} - -.new-letter td { - padding-top: 1em; -} - -.noindent { - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.larger { - font-size: 200%; -} - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - right: 4%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; -} - -.poetry-container { - text-align: center; - margin: 1em; -} - -.poetry { - display: inline-block; - text-align: left; -} - -.poetry .stanza { - margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em; -} - -.poetry .verse { - text-indent: -3em; - padding-left: 3em; -} - -.poetry .indent1 { - text-indent: -2em; -} - -.poetry .indent3 { - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.red { - color: red; -} - -.right { - text-align: right; -} - -.smaller { - font-size: 80%; -} - -.smcap { - font-variant: small-caps; -} - -.tb { - margin-top: 2.5em; -} - -.tdc { - text-align: center; -} - -.tdpg { - text-align: right; - vertical-align: bottom; -} - -.tdr { - text-align: right; -} - -.titlepage { - text-align: center; - margin-top: 3em; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.total { - border-top: thin solid black; - border-bottom: double; -} - -@media handheld { - -img { - max-width: 100%; - width: auto; - height: auto; -} - -.poetry { - display: block; - margin-left: 1.5em; -} - -.blockquote { - margin: 1.5em 5%; -} -} - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Book of the V.C., by A. L. Haydon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Book of the V.C. - A record of the deeds of heroism for which the Victoria - Cross has been bestowed, from its institution in 1857 to - the present time - -Author: A. L. Haydon - -Release Date: August 30, 2017 [EBook #55461] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOOK OF THE V.C. *** - - - - -Produced by Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="front-matter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[i]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage larger">THE BOOK OF THE V.C.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[ii]</a></span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="center"><i>BY THE SAME AUTHOR</i></p> - -<hr /> - -<ul> -<li>WITH PIZARRO THE CONQUISTADOR</li> -<li>CANADA: BRITAIN’S LARGEST COLONY</li> -<li>THE EMPIRE ELOCUTIONIST</li> -<li>STORIES OF KING ARTHUR</li> -</ul> - -</div> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[iii]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 385px;" id="frontispiece"> -<img src="images/frontispiece.jpg" width="385" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">HOW LORD ROBERTS WON THE V.C.</p> -<p class="caption">HE OVERTOOK THE PAIR JUST AS THEY WERE ABOUT TO SEEK -REFUGE IN A VILLAGE, AND ENGAGED THEM BOTH AT -ONCE.—<i>Frontispiece.</i>—<i><a href="#Page_75">See p. 75.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="front-matter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[iv]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage larger red">THE BOOK<br /> -<span class="smaller">OF THE</span><br /> -V.C.</p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="noindent"><i>A Record of the Deeds of Heroism for which -the Victoria Cross has been bestowed, from -its Institution in 1857, to the Present Time</i></p> - -</div> - -<p class="center">COMPILED FROM OFFICIAL PAPERS AND<br /> -OTHER AUTHENTIC SOURCES</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smaller">BY</span><br /> -A. L. HAYDON<br /> -<span class="smaller">AUTHOR OF “WITH PIZARRO THE CONQUISTADOR” ETC. ETC.</span></p> - -<p class="titlepage"><i>WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS</i></p> - -<p class="titlepage">NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY<br /> -31 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET. 1907</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="500" height="800" alt="Cover image" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage">TO MY SON<br /> -ARTHUR CECIL HILLYARD</p> - -<p class="center">(“MAC”)</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> - -<table summary="List of illustrations"> - <tr> - <td class="tdr smaller">CHAP.</td> - <td></td> - <td class="tdr smaller">PAGE</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">I.</td> - <td>THE ORIGIN OF THE VICTORIA CROSS AND THE FIRST PRESENTATION</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">II.</td> - <td>THE CRIMEA.—THE BATTLE OF THE ALMA</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">9</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">III.</td> - <td>THE CRIMEA.—IN THE BALACLAVA CHARGES</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">16</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">IV.</td> - <td>THE CRIMEA.—THE HEROES OF INKERMAN</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">27</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">V.</td> - <td>THE CRIMEA.—WITH THE SAPPERS AND MINERS.—IN TRENCH AND RIFLE-PIT</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">34</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">VI.</td> - <td>THE CRIMEAN CROSSES OF THE NAVY</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">45</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">VII.</td> - <td>PERSIA.—HOW THE SQUARE WAS BROKEN</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">57</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">VIII.</td> - <td>INDIA.—THE GALLANT NINE AT DELHI</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">61</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">IX.</td> - <td>INDIA.—WITH SABRE AND GUN AGAINST SEPOY</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">69</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">X.</td> - <td>INDIA.—THE BLOWING UP OF THE CASHMERE GATE</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">78</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XI.</td> - <td>INDIA.—THE STORY OF KOLAPORE KERR</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">84</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XII.</td> - <td>INDIA.—THE DEFENCE OF THE DHOOLIES</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">92</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XIII.</td> - <td>INDIA.—THREE BRAVE CIVILIANS: MANGLES, McDONELL, AND “LUCKNOW” KAVANAGH</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">102</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XIV.</td> - <td>INDIA.—SOME OTHER CROSSES OF THE MUTINY</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">112</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XV.</td> - <td>IN THE SIXTIES.—CHINA, JAPAN, INDIA, WEST AFRICA, AND CANADA</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">124</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XVI.</td> - <td>NEW ZEALAND.—FIGHTING THE MAORIS</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">133</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XVII.</td> - <td>IN ASHANTI BUSH AND MALAY JUNGLE</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">142</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span>XVIII.</td> - <td>HOW SOME AFGHAN CROSSES WERE WON</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">150</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XIX.</td> - <td>MAIWAND.—A GUNNER’S STORY</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">161</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XX.</td> - <td>ZULULAND.—THE DASH WITH THE COLOURS FROM ISANDHLANA</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">168</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XXI.</td> - <td>ZULULAND.—HOW THEY HELD THE POST AT RORKE’S DRIFT</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">178</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XXII.</td> - <td>SOME OTHER ZULU AND SOME OTHER BASUTO CROSSES</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">189</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XXIII.</td> - <td>SOUTH AFRICA.—AGAINST BOERS AND MATABELE</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">198</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XXIV.</td> - <td>IN EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">207</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XXV.</td> - <td>V.C. HEROES OF THE INDIAN FRONTIER</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">216</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XXVI.</td> - <td>HOW SURGEON-CAPTAIN WHITCHURCH WON FAME</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">223</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XXVII.</td> - <td>WHEN THE AFRIDIS WERE UP</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">229</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XXVIII.</td> - <td>SOUTH AFRICA.—THE V.C.’S OF THE SECOND BOER WAR</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">239</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XXIX.</td> - <td>SOMALILAND—NIGERIA—TIBET</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">253</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"></td> - <td>APPENDICES</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#APPENDICES">263-294</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"></td> - <td>APPENDIX A. ROYAL WARRANTS</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#APPENDIX_A">263</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"></td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> B. THE FIRST PRESENTATION OF THE V.C.</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#APPENDIX_B">269</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"></td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> C. WARS AND CAMPAIGNS IN WHICH THE V.C. HAS BEEN WON, FROM 1854 TO 1904</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#APPENDIX_C">272</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"></td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> D. COMPLETE ALPHABETICAL LIST OF RECIPIENTS OF THE V.C.</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#APPENDIX_D">274</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span></p> - -<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> - -<table summary="List of illustrations"> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdr smaller">PAGE</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>HOW LORD ROBERTS WON THE V.C.</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#frontispiece"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>THE VICTORIA CROSS</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus1">3</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>THE FIRST PRESENTATION OF THE V.C., IN HYDE PARK, JUNE 26, 1857</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus2">5</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>“I GOT HIM TO STAND AT THE HORSE’S HEAD WHILST I LIFTED THE CAPTAIN OFF”</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus3">22</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>THE ESCORT CAME SWINGING UP THE ROAD WITHOUT A SUSPICION OF DANGER</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus4">53</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>McMANUS NOW RUSHED OUT, ACCOMPANIED BY PRIVATE JOHN RYAN … AND CARRIED IN CAPTAIN ARNOLD</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus5">98</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>REINING IN HIS HORSE, HE TURNED TO CATCH VOSPER’S … AND HELPED THE ORDERLY TO REMOUNT</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus6">137</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>WITH THE FLAG … FIRMLY GRIPPED IN HIS HAND, MELVILL SPURRED HIS HORSE FOR THE RIVER</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus7">173</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>GRAVE OF MELVILL AND COGHILL</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus8">175</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>THE COLONEL HAD TO RIDE BACK … AND, WHILE ASSEGAIS AND SHOTS SPED PAST HIM, CARRY OFF THE DISMOUNTED MAN UPON HIS HORSE</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus9">193</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>PIPER FINDLATER … PROPPED HIMSELF UP AGAINST A BOULDER AND CONTINUED TO PLAY HIS PIPES</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus10">236</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>THE GUNS WERE REACHED, BUT AT ONCE BOER SHELLS AND BULLETS BEGAN TO DROP THICKLY AROUND</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus11">242</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[x]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[xi]</a></span></p> - -<h2>PREFACE</h2> - -<p>The celebration this year of the Jubilee of the -Victoria Cross may be offered as sufficient excuse -for the appearance of this volume. Such a notable -event deserves to be fittingly commemorated, and it -is in the hope that it will be accepted as a standard -work on the subject that the present book is put -forth. My original intention of telling the stories -of <em>all</em> the V.C. exploits was found to be impracticable -within the limit of space prescribed. A selection, -therefore, has been made, and these instances—a very -large number—have been narrated more or less at -length. The history of the Decoration has been -brought right up to date.</p> - -<p>In such a book as this, accuracy is of course of the -first importance, and in my account of the deeds that -won the Cross I have been at considerable pains to -verify the smallest particulars. To this end the -<cite>London Gazette</cite> and other authentic sources have been -consulted, while in many cases the information has -been obtained from the V.C. men themselves. It is -possible, however, that errors have crept in despite -the care exercised, and I shall be grateful if any -reader who detects a misstatement will notify me of -the fact, that the correction may be made in a future -edition.</p> - -<p class="right">A. L. H.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">London</span>, <i>June 1906</i>.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[xii]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Muscovite metal makes this English Cross,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Won in a rain of blood and wreath of flame;</div> -<div class="verse">The guns that thundered for their brave lives’ loss</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Are worn hence, for their fame!</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse center">…</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">The men of all the army and the fleet,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">The very bravest of the very brave,</div> -<div class="verse">Linesman and Lord—these fought with equal feet</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Firm-planted on the grave.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">The men who, setting light their blood and breath,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">So they might win a victor’s haught renown,</div> -<div class="verse">Held their steel straight against the face of Death,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And frowned his frowning down.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse center">…</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">And some who climbed the deadly glacis-side,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">For all that steel could stay, or savage shell;</div> -<div class="verse">And some, whose blood upon the Colours dried</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Tells if they bore them well.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Some, too, who, gentle-hearted even in strife,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Seeing their fellow or their friend go down,</div> -<div class="verse">Saved his, at peril of their own dear life,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Winning the Civic Crown.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Well done for them; and, fair Isle, well for thee!</div> -<div class="verse indent1">While that thy bosom beareth sons like those,</div> -<div class="verse">“<em>The little gem set in the silver sea</em>”</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Shall never fear her foes!</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse right"><span class="smcap">Sir Edwin Arnold.</span></div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - -<h1>THE BOOK OF THE V.C.</h1> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE ORIGIN OF THE VICTORIA CROSS AND THE -FIRST PRESENTATION.</span></h2> - -<p>Every nation loves to honour the brave deeds of -her sons. We know how in olden times this was -done, how the Romans conferred a “Civic Crown” -upon the hero who saved a citizen’s life, and inscribed -his name in letters of gold upon the marble wall in -the Capitol. In these modern days it is the custom -to bestow a medal or similar decoration upon the -bravest of the brave, as a public mark of appreciation -of their heroism.</p> - -<p>So Russia has its Order of St. George, which is conferred -solely for exceptional gallantry on the field of -battle; Austria its Order of Maria Theresa (so exclusive -that there are not more than twenty living -possessors of its Cross); Prussia its Order “Pour le -Mérite”; France its Legion of Honour and War Medal; -and the United States a “Medal of Honour” which -carries no privileges and confers no rank on the bearer, -and which, curiously enough, is sent to the recipient -through the post.</p> - -<p>Great Britain’s symbol of the grand democracy of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span> -valour is a little Maltese cross of bronze, insignificant -to look at beside many a more showy medal, and -intrinsically worth only fourpence halfpenny, but the -most coveted decoration of all that our soldiers and -sailors can aspire to.</p> - -<p>Somewhat reminiscent of a badge awarded to the -28th Regiment after the siege of Badajoz in the -Peninsular War,—a badge which bore a crown, a star, -and the letters V.S., signifying “Valiant Stormer,”—the -Victoria Cross is adorned with a crown surmounted -by a lion, and a scroll bearing the simple inscription -“For Valour.” On the reverse side of the medal is -given the date or dates of the act of bravery for which -it has been awarded, while the name of the recipient -is inscribed at the back of the bar to which it is -attached by a V. The Cross, which is cast from -cannon that were taken at Sebastopol, is suspended -from its wearer’s left breast by a piece of ribbon, blue -for the Navy and crimson for the Army.</p> - -<p>Such is the world-famed Victoria Cross. What, -then, was its origin? For answer to this we must go -back to the days of the Crimean War, fifty years ago. -Up to this time decorations for distinguished services -in the field were very sparsely distributed. The men -of Wellington’s day were thought to be sufficiently -honoured if they were “mentioned in despatches.” -But after the Crimean campaign, in which British -soldiers did such prodigies of valour, a feeling arose -that some medal should be struck as a reward for -bravery in the face of the enemy.</p> - -<p>Perhaps it was the Charge of the Light Brigade at -Balaclava that inspired the idea, but, however this may -be, a certain Captain Scobell, R.N., sometime M.P. -for Bath, set on foot an agitation which at length drew<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> -the attention of the authorities and led in due course -to the institution of the Victoria Cross. The new -decoration, which by Queen Victoria’s special desire -bore her own name, was first announced in the -<cite>London Gazette</cite> on February 5th, 1856. The present -year, therefore, celebrates its jubilee.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 225px;" id="illus1"> -<img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="225" height="350" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">THE VICTORIA CROSS.</p> -</div> - -<p>As stated in the original Royal Warrant, which is -given in full in the Appendix, the Cross entitles all its -bearers below commissioned rank to a pension of £10 -a year, with an additional £5 for each extra clasp or -bar,<a name="FNanchor_1" id="FNanchor_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> and, by a recent clause, an increase to £50 a year -in cases where the recipient is incapacitated by old age -or ill-health. Another important new alteration in -the rules provides that if a man dies in winning -the V.C. the decoration shall be handed to his relatives.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span></p> - -<p>It is the great distinction of the Victoria Cross -that it may be won by the humblest member of the -services. “Linesman and Lord,” private soldier, -common sailor, Field-Marshal and Admiral, -are all on a level on the Roll of Valour. Out of the 522 -Crosses which have been bestowed up to the present time -(June 1906), it has been, or is still, worn by -three Field-Marshals, six Admirals, one clergyman, -three civilians, and twenty-five Army doctors.</p> - -<p>Furthermore, how truly democratic is the decoration -is shown by the fact that it has been won by three -men of colour—Seaman Hall, a negro serving in -Captain Peel’s Naval Brigade at Lucknow, and -Sergeant Gordon and Private Hodge, both of the -West India Regiment.</p> - -<p>Of the different campaigns in which the Cross -was won the Indian Mutiny yielded the greatest -number, 182. The Crimean War accounted for -111; the recent South African War comes third -with 78; while the Zulu War provided 23; and -the Afghan War of 1870-80, 16. In the list of -V.C. regiments—excepting the Royal Artillery -and the Royal Engineers, which have forty-one and twenty-seven -Crosses to their credit—the South Wales -Borderers top the list with sixteen. Next in order -come the Rifle Brigade (fourteen), the King’s Royal -Rifle Corps, the 9th Lancers, and the Gordon Highlanders -(thirteen each), and the Seaforth Highlanders -(eleven). The Black Watch and the Cameronians -(Scottish Rifles) total ten each.</p> - -<p>It is pleasing to note, too, in this connection how -many V.C.’s have been won by Colonial troopers, for -the most part in the late South African War. -No fewer than twenty-five were awarded to South Africans,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders, showing -of what sterling metal were these Sons of the Empire -who crossed the seas to fight at the call of the Mother -Country.</p> - -<p class="tb">The first presentation of the V.C. took place -on June 26th, 1857, the year after the close of the -Crimean War. The scene of the ceremony was Hyde -Park, and on that beautiful summer morning the -sun shone down upon a brilliant spectacle. A large -body of troops under the command of the veteran -Sir Colin Campbell, comprised of Life Guards, Dragoons, -Hussars, Royal Engineers, Artillery, and other regiments, -together with a detachment of smart-looking Bluejackets, -were drawn up in imposing array, and a vast -number of people of all ranks had assembled to await -the coming of Royalty, for the Queen herself was to -pin the Crosses on to the heroes’ breasts with her own -hand.</p> - -<p>Just before ten o’clock, to the booming of a royal -salute, her Majesty, with the Prince Consort, the -Crown Prince of Prussia, the Prince of Wales and -his brother Prince Alfred (the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha), -all on horseback, rode into the Park -and took their places near the dais that had been -prepared. On a small table near by, showing up -strongly against the scarlet cloth with which it was -covered, lay the Crosses that were to be bestowed -that morning. The little band of sixty-two heroes, -headed by Lieutenant Knox, of the Rifle Brigade, meanwhile -stood at ease a little distance off, the observed -of all observers, until the signal was given, and then -one by one they came forward as Lord Panmure, -the then Secretary for War, read out their names.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span></p> - -<p>As a complete list of these first recipients of the -V.C. is given at the end of this volume I need not -enumerate them here, but there were one or two, -notably Lieutenant (now Rear-Admiral) Lucas, the -first man to be awarded the decoration, Lieutenant -Hewett (“Bully Hewett” as he was popularly known), -the gallant Commander (late Rear-Admiral) Bythesea, -and Lieutenant Knox, whose empty sleeve bore -eloquent witness to his daring bravery at the storming -of the Redan, who stood out from the rest. -And hardly less conspicuous among those present -were Lord Cardigan, at the head of the 11th Hussars -and mounted on the very horse that carried him -through the Balaclava Charge, and Fenwick Williams, -the gallant defender of Kars.</p> - -<p>The presentation, the most historic ceremony that -Hyde Park has ever witnessed, was over in barely -more than ten minutes. After the last Cross had -been pinned on Major Bourchier’s breast the little band -of heroes was drawn up in line again, and a review -of the troops brought the proceedings to a close.</p> - -<p class="tb">A truly glorious and inspiring record is that of the -V.C. The stories of how the Cross was won, though -they cannot be told as fully as one could wish, make -a Golden Book of Valour that every British boy -should be made familiar with, as the sons of the old -Norsemen were made familiar with the sagas of their -heroes. For they tell not merely of physical courage, -which the ancients extolled as the highest of all the -virtues, but of that moral courage which demands -even more fully our admiration.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 410px;" id="illus2"> -<img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="410" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">THE FIRST PRESENTATION OF THE V.C., IN HYDE PARK, -JUNE 26, 1857.—<i><a href="#Page_5">Page 5.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<p>One’s heart warms at the recollection of the giant -M’Bean slaying his eleven sepoys single-handed at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> -Lucknow, but his heroism pales before that of -Kavanagh or of Surgeon Home and the other heroes -of “Dhoolie Square.” Their gallant deeds were not -performed in the fierce heat of battle, when in the -excitement of the moment a man may be so lifted out -of himself as to become unconsciously a veritable -paladin, but done quietly, from a high sense of duty -and in the name of humanity, in the face of what -looked like certain death.</p> - -<p>There is room only in the succeeding chapters for -a recital of a limited number of the deeds that won -the Cross. One would like to tell of all, making -no exceptions, but such a task is beyond the scope of -this volume. The most striking and most notable -acts in the annals of the V.C. have accordingly been -selected, and while keeping strictly to fact the -endeavour has been made to present them in a -worthily attractive setting.</p> - -<p>And in calling to mind the heroism of the brave men -who figure in these pages let us not forget those who -may be said to have equally earned the distinction -but who for some reason or other were passed over. -Of such were Chaplain Smith, who was one of the -heroes of Rorke’s Drift; Gumpunt Rao Deo Ker, the -Mahratta sowar who stood by Lieutenant Kerr’s side -at Kolapore, saving his leader’s life more than once in -that terrible fight; and the gallant little bugler boy, -Tom Keep, of the Grenadier Guards, who, while the -battle of Inkerman was at its height and bullets were -whistling round him (one actually passed through his -jacket), went about tending the wounded on the field. -These are names among many that deserve to be -inscribed high up on the scroll which perpetuates the -memory of our bravest of the brave.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span></p> - -<p>Out of the 522 winners of the V.C. some 200 are -alive at the present time. Death has been busy of -late years in thinning the ranks. Only the other day, -as it seems, we lost Seaman Trewavas, Mr. Ross -Lowis Mangles (one of the few civilians decorated), -General Channer, and Baker Pasha. We have, -however, still with us the senior winner of the -distinction, Rear-Admiral Lucas, whose exploit is -narrated at length in its proper place, Field-Marshals -Lord Roberts, Sir George White, and Sir Evelyn -Wood, Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon, General Sir -Redvers Buller, and many another hero of high rank. -May the day be far distant when their names have -to be erased from the survivors’ roll!</p> - -<div class="footnotes"> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> No such clasp or bar has yet been granted.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE CRIMEA.—THE BATTLE OF THE ALMA.</span></h2> - -<p>It was in the Crimean War, as noted in the preceding -chapter, that the first Victoria Crosses -were won. I do not purpose giving a history of the -war here, for space does not permit of it, nor would -it be altogether in place. But for a proper appreciation -of the incidents which I am about to describe it -is necessary to say something about the events which -led up to the war. The reader who wants to obtain -a completer grasp of the campaign, the first great -European war that our army had been engaged in -since the war against Napoleon, will of course turn to -an authoritative history for information, not forgetting -to keep a map in front of him while he reads.</p> - -<p>The war in the Crimea originated in the aggressive -movements of Russia against her old enemy the Turk. -For centuries the Crimea itself had been the scene -of constant warfare between the two nations, its independence -as a separate state under the rule of its -own Khans being at length secured towards the end -of the eighteenth century, in the hope that peace -would come to the troubled district.</p> - -<p>But it was not to be so. Russia could not keep -her hands off the desired province, the possession of -which meant a step gained in the direction of Constantinople<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -and the conquest of the Ottomans. -Accordingly the treaty with the Turks was violated -by the Empress Catherine, and the Crimea was seized -again by the Russians. Fortresses of formidable -dimensions now sprang up on the borders, the greatest -and most famous of these being the naval arsenal of -Sebastopol, which was built at the southern extremity -of the peninsula, in the Black Sea.</p> - -<p>In due time the Tsar Nicholas I. ascended the -throne of Muscovy, and, believing that the hostility -of France towards England needed little to be fanned -into flame, he thought the time propitious to carry -out his ambitious scheme of conquest. With France -involved in a war with this country he had no reason -to fear interference with his plans. Having picked a -quarrel with the Sultan, therefore, on a matter of -dispute between the Greek and Roman Catholic -Churches, relating to the guardianship of the Holy -Places, especially the Holy Sepulchre in Palestine, -the Tsar flung an army into the provinces of the -Danube.</p> - -<p>But he had reckoned without his host. In the -face of this common danger (for the downfall of the -Turks meant a Russian menace of the whole of -Europe), England and France sank their differences -and joined forces against the Russians. In obstinate -mood, and confident in the strength of his huge army, -the Tsar held on his way, with the result that the -Allies declared war. This was in 1854.</p> - -<p>Contrary to Russian expectations, the war opened -in the Crimea. Here the combined fleets made their -appearance in September of the same year, the troops -landing on the western coast. The English army was -under the command of Lord Raglan, the French<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -commander-in-chief being Marshal St. Arnaud. -Marching southward towards Sebastopol, at which a -blow was aimed, the allied army gained its first -victories at Alma and Balaclava. Then commenced -the long and memorable siege of Sebastopol, which -was not reduced until September of the following -year.</p> - -<p>In the meantime, however, was fought the great -battle of Inkerman, “the soldiers’ battle,” as it has -been called, one of the most terrible fights that -Europe has seen. This took place in November -1854.</p> - -<p>The winter, spring, and summer of the following -year were taken up with the siege operations, which -progressed but slowly owing to the severity of the -winter and the many natural difficulties to be overcome. -Our troops, too, as is now a matter of history, -were scandalously ill-equipped for the campaign, and -when we read of how badly they were clothed and fed, -of what little provision there was for the care of the -wounded, and altogether of the gross mismanagement -that characterised the conduct of the campaign, we -feel all the more pride that our men fought so well -and achieved so much success in the face of such -tremendous odds.</p> - -<p>The tale of those eleven months, from October -1854 to September 1855, is one of sorties, of sapping -and mining, of desperate deeds done in the trenches -in the dead of night, of the gradual reducing of -the Sebastopol outworks. Great things were done by -our men at the attacks on the Mamelon Tower and -the Redan, and by the French at the storming of the -Malakoff, the capture of the last-named giving the -command of the fortress. On the night that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -Malakoff fell the Russians evacuated the town, and -Sebastopol was taken possession of by the Allies.</p> - -<p>By the Peace of Paris, which was concluded on -March 30th, 1856, the war came to an end, and our -army, sadly reduced in numbers by cholera and other -diseases, more than by the enemy’s shells and bullets, -returned home.</p> - -<p>In giving an outline of the Crimean campaign -mention must not be omitted of the British fleet sent -into the Baltic at an early stage in the hostilities. -This fleet was unsuccessful in doing much damage to -the Russian ships which sought refuge behind the -strong fortresses of Cronstadt and Sveaborg, but it -stormed and took Bomarsund and the Äland Islands. -In the following year (1855) it renewed the attack, -and after a determined bombardment succeeded in -partially destroying Sveaborg.</p> - -<p>It was in this naval campaign, and in the operations -in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, that our -Bluejackets and Marines did such signal service, and -that several of them won the right to put V.C. after -their names.</p> - -<p class="tb">Five of the Crosses won at the battle of the Alma -were gained in defence of the colours.</p> - -<p>In the advance on the Russian batteries which -were posted on the heights, the 23rd Royal Welsh -Fusiliers formed one of the regiments on the left wing, -the French attacking on the right. It was a perilous -climb up the precipitous rocky slopes, and particularly -so for a marked man like he who bore the colours. -Young Lieutenant Anstruther, a mere lad of eighteen, -who proudly carried the Queen’s colours, learnt this -to his cost, for when he was within a few yards of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -nearest Russian earthwork a bullet through the heart -laid him low.</p> - -<p>In a moment a private had caught up the silken -banner now sadly stained with blood, but Sergeant -Luke O’Connor, a young Irishman of twenty-four, -who had followed close on poor Anstruther’s heels -and had been himself struck down, regained his feet -although badly wounded in the breast, and claimed -the flag. “Come on, 23rd!” he shouted. “Follow -me!”</p> - -<p>It was in vain that the gallant sergeant was -ordered to the rear to have his wound attended to; -he refused to abandon the colours, and right through -that fierce fight he accompanied the Fusiliers, bearing -a charmed life, as was made evident later. When -the flag was inspected at the close of the action it was -found to be riddled with bullet holes, having been hit -in at least twenty-six places.</p> - -<p>O’Connor received a commission for his bravery on -this occasion in addition to the Cross for Valour, but -he did not exchange from the regiment. Loyal to -the corps he loved, he remained in it, and in time rose -to command it.</p> - -<p>On the same day another Welsh Fusilier, Captain -Bell, distinguished himself by capturing a Russian -gun which was limbered up and being dragged from -the redoubt. Leaving his company and dashing after -it alone, he pointed his revolver at the head of the -driver, who incontinently dismounted and bolted.</p> - -<p>A private then coming to his aid, Captain Bell -turned the gun team round, and was returning in -triumph to his comrades when Sir George Brown, his -superior officer, angrily ordered him back to his -place in the regiment, reprimanding him for having quitted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -it without leave. He had to relinquish the gun forthwith, -but some hours later, when he and his remnant -of men marched in, he learnt to his great satisfaction -that the gun was still in the English lines. The -captured horses, it is recorded, were employed in one -of our batteries for some time afterwards, while the -gun itself was taken to Woolwich, where I believe it -is still to be seen.</p> - -<p>For this action, which had not escaped notice despite -his commander’s rebuke, Captain Bell received -the Cross, but had it not been awarded then he would -have undoubtedly won it later at Inkerman, where he -displayed exceptional gallantry. Both O’Connor and -Captain Bell became Major-Generals in after years; -the ex-sergeant of the Welsh Fusiliers, who is still in -the land of the living, enjoying the distinction of being -one of the two V.C.’s who have risen to that high -grade from the ranks.</p> - -<p>The second of the Crosses bestowed for defending -the colours fell to Lieutenant Lindsay, of the Scots Fusilier -Guards, afterwards well known as Lord Wantage.</p> - -<p>At a critical moment in the battle an order given -to the Royal Welsh to retire was mistaken by the -Scots Guards as meant for them, and they began to -retreat in considerable disorder. Lieutenant Lindsay, -who carried the regimental colours, stood his ground -with his escort, endeavouring in vain to rally the broken -ranks. The tide of men swept past him to the rear, -however, and the little knot of soldiers round the -colours was isolated. In this perilous position they -were fiercely attacked by a body of Russians, the -escort falling almost to a man, and leaving Lindsay -and a fellow-officer to stand back to back and keep off -the enemy with revolvers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p> - -<p>Help was speedily forthcoming, however. Seeing -their officer’s danger, Sergeants Knox and M’Kechnie, -with Private Reynolds, hastened to his side and -successfully held the Russians in check until the -regiment re-formed and advanced again. All three -men, it is satisfactory to add, were similarly -decorated.</p> - -<p>Of Sergeant Knox more was heard later, -especially at the storming of the Redan, where he -lost an arm. By this time he had been promoted to -a lieutenancy and transferred to the Rifle Brigade, -from which he subsequently retired with the rank -of Major.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE CRIMEA.—IN THE BALACLAVA CHARGES.</span></h2> - -<p>It is not remembered as it should be that there -were two brilliant charges made at Balaclava, on -that grey day of October 25th, 1854. Tennyson’s -stirring lines in honour of the Charge of the Light -Brigade have given enduring fame to the “noble Six -Hundred,” but the exploit of the “Three Hundred,” -the Heavy Brigade, should make the name of Balaclava -equally thrilling to us.</p> - -<p>The Heavy Brigade was composed of squadrons of -the 4th and 5th Dragoon Guards, Scots Greys, -Inniskilling Dragoons, and the 1st Royals, under the -command of Brigadier-General Yorke Scarlett. At -an early stage of the fight Scarlett was proceeding -with his brigade to the support of the “thin red line” -which was bearing the brunt of the Russian attack, -when suddenly a huge mass of Russian cavalry, -Cossacks and others, 3000 strong, loomed up on the -heights to their left.</p> - -<p>The situation was a perilous one, as the General saw -in a glance. The launching of that great crowd of -Russians upon the valley below meant annihilation -for his little force. With a quick command to -“wheel into line,” Scarlett gave orders for the brigade -to form up, facing the enemy. By some blunder, -however, the movement was not properly executed,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -and when the Russians flung out in a wide-spreading -crescent to envelop the few hundreds of British redcoats -below them, two squadrons of the Scots Greys with -one of the 6th Inniskillings were left in front to -receive the first shock of the attack.</p> - -<p>With that menacing horde of grey-coated, black-bearded -Russians, poised like a hawk about to swoop -upon its prey, there was no time for pause. Shrill -on the air the “Charge!” rang out, and with Scarlett -leading them, the little advance body of “Heavies”—300 -men of the Scots Greys and Inniskillings—dashed -off to meet the foe.</p> - -<p>We have no such details of the fight as were forthcoming -after the Charge of the Light Brigade, but -we know that it was a most desperate affair. For -every one of that handful of men, flung into a mass of -the enemy that outnumbered them many times over, -it was a hand-to-hand struggle for life of the most -heroic kind. For a few moments they were lost to -sight. Then out of the heaving, surging multitude -the black bearskins and brass helmets of the Scotsmen -and Irishmen broke into view here and there, while -their sabres flashed in the sun as they hewed their -way through.</p> - -<p>It was a battle of giants. What wonder that the -Russians gave for a brief moment under the fierce -onset?</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“There’s fear in their faces; they shrink from the shock;</div> -<div class="verse">They will open the door, only loud enough knock;</div> -<div class="verse">Keep turning the key, lest we stick in the lock!</div> -<div class="verse indent3">Dear England for Ever, Hurrah!”</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse right">“Scarlett’s Three Hundred,” Gerald Massey.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>At this juncture the other squadrons that had been -left behind came galloping to the rescue. Into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -swaying mass they plunged, and soon afterwards -“Cossack and Russian,” reeling from the sabre-stroke -as they did again a little later, fell back in confusion. -The peril was past, the day won.</p> - -<p>Of how Brigadier-General Scarlett, Lieutenant -Elliot, Captain Williams and Major Clarke of the -Scots Greys, and the other officers who led that fierce -charge, bore themselves, the regimental records tell -more than do the history books. Very few escaped -unscathed, and there were many like Elliot, who had -no fewer than fifteen wounds, sword cuts and lance -thrusts. And as with the officers, so was it with the -men. There was not one but proved himself a hero -that day. We can well understand how old Sir -Colin Campbell was for once moved to emotion, as -bareheaded he greeted the victors with the words, -“Greys, gallant Greys! I am an old man, but if I -were young again I would be proud to ride in your -ranks!”</p> - -<p>Where all men are brave it is not easy to single -out any for special distinction. But in that terrible -death-ride there were two who merited honour above -their comrades, Sergeant-Major Grieve and Sergeant -Ramage. The former in the heat of the engagement -saw an officer in imminent danger of being -cut down. Riding to the rescue, he swept like a -whirlwind upon the Russians, cutting off the head -of one at a single blow and scattering the rest by -the fury of his onslaught. For this deed he won a -well-deserved Cross.</p> - -<p>Sergeant Ramage, like Grieve also of the Scots -Greys, saved at least two lives on that day. He -rescued first Private MacPherson, whom a body of -Russians had hemmed in and who was fighting against<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -odds that must have proved too much for him ultimately. -Later on, when the “Heavies” were covering -the retreat of the Light Brigade, a private named -Gardiner was seen to be in a terrible plight. His -horse was lagging behind the others, and one of the -private’s legs had been shattered by a round-shot. -The first to see Gardiner’s situation, Ramage rushed -impetuously to his help, and although exposed to a -cross fire that placed him in momentary danger for -his life, he nobly carried in the wounded soldier to a -place of safety.</p> - -<p>These were the actions that gained the brave -sergeant the V.C., but they do not complete the story -of his exploits that day. After the Charge of the -Heavy Brigade, in which he had borne so distinguished -a part, Ramage’s horse, a stubborn brute, would not -follow the retreating Russians. No amount of spurring -would induce it to go in any direction save that -of home. Nothing daunted, the sergeant dismounted -and, leaving his charger to find its own way back, -actually rushed over on foot to the nearest Russian -lines, collared a man and brought him back prisoner!</p> - -<p>The story of the Charge of the Light Brigade has -been told a score of times. There is nothing to be -added to it now, for the voices of its gallant leaders, -of Cardigan, Morris, and Nolan, are hushed in death, -and we shall never know what were the true facts of -the case. That “someone had blundered” is at -least certain. It is hard to believe that the order -was actually given for such a brilliant but useless -charge.</p> - -<p>Yet so Lord Cardigan interpreted the instructions -brought to him by Captain Nolan, as the Light -Brigade, consisting of the 17th Lancers, the 4th and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -13th Dragoons, and two regiments of Hussars, was -drawn up in the North Valley, on the other side of -those hills whereon the Russian cavalry had been -routed by Scarlett’s brigade. At the other end of the -valley was a strong force of Russians, formed up -behind a formidable battery of some thirty cannon. -The order—wrongly given or misunderstood—was -that the Light Brigade should advance and carry -these guns.</p> - -<p>It was over a mile from the brigade’s position to -that of the Russians. At a trot, then at a gallop, -the Six Hundred, led by Cardigan in his striking -hussar uniform, set off on their death-ride. Tennyson’s -words, “Cannon to right of them, cannon to -left of them, cannon in front of them volley’d and -thunder’d,” are literally true. When the astonished -Russians realised what was happening they opened -a terrible fire with their batteries. Shot and shell -hurtled through the ranks again and again, laying -many a brave fellow low; but without wavering the Six -Hundred closed up the gaps and pressed on to their goal.</p> - -<p>In a very few minutes from the time the fatal -order was received the Light Brigade had disappeared -in the smoke of the Russian batteries, riding clean -over the guns and sabreing the gunners as they stood -linstock in hand at their posts. Then ensued as -terrific a hand-to-hand combat as has ever been -chronicled.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“Plunged in the battery-smoke</div> -<div class="verse">Right thro’ the line they broke;</div> -<div class="verse">Cossack and Russian</div> -<div class="verse">Reel’d from the sabre-stroke</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Shatter’d and sunder’d.</div> -<div class="verse">Then they rode back, but not</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Not the Six Hundred.”</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was in that ride back, when a large body of -grey-coated lancers rode down upon their flank, and -the Russian artillerymen rallying to their guns fired -indiscriminately into the mass of English and Russians, -that the other Balaclava Crosses were won.</p> - -<p>Major John Berryman, the most distinguished of -the seven heroes of the Charge who were awarded the -decoration, has told the story of his exploit himself, -told it modestly and simply as becomes a brave -man, but we can fill in the details of the picture for -ourselves as we read.</p> - -<p>At the time of the Charge Berryman was Troop-Sergeant-Major -in the 17th Lancers, well known as -“the Duke of Cambridge’s Own” and “the Death or -Glory Boys.” In the last mad leap at the guns, the -mare he was riding was badly hit, and he dismounted, -when he found that he too had been wounded in the -leg. As he stood debating in his mind whether or -not to shoot the mare, Captain Webb, on horseback, -came up. He also had been struck in the leg, and to -his query as to what he had better do, Berryman -replied, “Keep to your horse, sir, and get back as -far as you can.”</p> - -<p>Webb thereupon turned and rode back, while the -sergeant-major, catching a loose horse, attempted to -follow suit. But his new steed had its breastplate -driven into its chest, and hardly had he mounted ere -it fell to the ground. Giving up the idea of rejoining -his regiment in the mêlée, he was making his way back -on foot when he caught sight of Captain Webb, who had -halted a little distance off, the acute pain of his wound -preventing him riding farther.</p> - -<p>“Lieutenant George Smith, of my own regiment,” -says Berryman in his account, “coming by, I got him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -to stand at the horse’s head whilst I lifted the captain -off. Having accomplished this, I assisted Smith to -mount Webb’s horse and ride for a stretcher, taking -notice where we were. By this time the Russians -had got back to their guns and reopened fire. I saw -six men of my own regiment get together to recount -to each other their escapes. Seeing their danger, I -called to them to separate, but too late, for a shell -dropped amongst them, and I don’t think one escaped -alive.”</p> - -<p>Hearing him call to the lancers, Captain Webb -asked Berryman what he thought the Russians would -do. Berryman answered that they were sure to -pursue, unless the Heavy Brigade came to the -rescue.</p> - -<p>“Then you had better consult your own safety, and -leave,” said the captain.</p> - -<p>Berryman shook his head. “I shall not leave you -now, sir,” he replied, adding that if they were made -prisoners they would go together.</p> - -<p>Just at this moment Sergeant Farrell hove in sight, -and at Berryman’s call he came over. The retreat of -the Light Brigade from the guns was already beginning, -and the confusion and danger was augmented -by the onslaught of the Russian lancers, who had now -ridden down upon the devoted remnant.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px;" id="illus3"> -<img src="images/illus3.jpg" width="390" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">“I GOT HIM TO STAND AT THE HORSE’S HEAD WHILST I LIFTED -THE CAPTAIN OFF.”—<i><a href="#Page_22">Page 22.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<p>The position of the wounded officer and his helpers -was indeed precarious. Bullets and shells were flying -by them, and at any moment a Cossack lance might -have laid them low. But neither Berryman nor -Farrell hesitated or thought of saving his own skin. -Making a chair of their hands, they raised the captain -from the ground and carried him in this way for some -two hundred yards, until Webb’s leg again became very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -painful. A private of the 13th Dragoons, named -Malone, was requisitioned to support the officer’s -legs, and another start was made.</p> - -<p>The rear of the Greys was at last reached in safety, -and here the sergeant-major procured a tourniquet -which he screwed on to Webb’s right thigh (“I could -not have done it better myself,” said the regimental -doctor afterwards), together with a stretcher.</p> - -<p>We will let Berryman take up the story himself at -this point.</p> - -<p>“I and Farrell now raised the stretcher and carried -it for about fifty yards, and again set it down. I was -made aware of an officer of the Chasseurs d’Afrique -being on my left by his placing his hand upon my -shoulder. I turned and saluted. Pointing to Captain -Webb, but looking at me, he said—</p> - -<p>“‘Your officer?’</p> - -<p>“‘Yes.’</p> - -<p>“‘Ah! and you sergeant?’ looking at the stripes -on my arm.</p> - -<p>“‘Yes.’</p> - -<p>“‘Ah! If you were in French service, I would -make you an officer on the spot.’ Then, standing in -his stirrups and extending his right hand, he said, -‘Oh! it was grand, it was <i lang="fr">magnifique</i>, but it is not -war, it is not war!’”</p> - -<p>This French officer was General Morris.</p> - -<p>Resuming their task, Berryman and Farrell got the -captain to the doctors, who discovered that the shin -bone of his leg had been shattered. Farrell turning -faint at the sight of the terrible wound, the sergeant-major -was instructed to take him away, and this was -the cause of bringing him near enough to the Duke of -Cambridge and Lord Cardigan to hear the former<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -say as he viewed the remnant that had come -“through the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth -of Hell”:—</p> - -<p>“Is that all of them? You have lost the finest -brigade that ever left the shores of England!”</p> - -<p>And to Captain Godfrey Morgan, now Viscount -Tredegar, who had led the 17th Lancers (thirty-four -returned out of one hundred and forty), the Duke -could only say, “My poor regiment! My poor -regiment!”</p> - -<p>Sergeant Farrell and Private Malone, as was only -fitting, also received the Cross for Valour.</p> - -<p>I have given the account of the brave deed of -Berryman and his companions at some length, because -it is, to my mind, one of the most signal acts of -devotion in the chronicles of the V.C. A very large -proportion of those who have won the Cross distinguished -themselves in the attempt, successful or -otherwise, to save life, and there is no act that is more -deserving of our fullest admiration. “Greater love -hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life -for his friends.”</p> - -<p>There were other lives saved in that death-stricken -valley that day besides Webb’s. Captain Morris, who -led a troop of the 17th Lancers, was taken prisoner -by the Russians after a desperate encounter, but -managed to escape in the confusion. Grievously -wounded and on foot, for his second horse had been -shot under him, he struggled towards the British lines, -until from sheer exhaustion he fell beside the dead -body of his brother-officer, Captain Nolan.</p> - -<p>It is stated that the two officers, knowing the peril -that faced them, had each left in his friend’s charge a -letter to be sent home if he fell and the other survived.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -These letters were found in the breasts of the two as -they lay side by side.</p> - -<p>Captain Morris, however, was luckily still alive. To -his assistance promptly came Sergeant-Major Charles -Wooden of his own regiment, who pluckily stood by -his body until he saw a surgeon. The latter, who -proved to be Surgeon Mouat of the 6th Dragoon -Guards (now Sir James Mouat, K.C.B.), promptly went -over to the wounded man, and despite the heavy fire -that was being kept up, dressed his wounds as coolly -as if he had been in the operating-room. His skill -stopped the hemorrhage, which undoubtedly saved the -captain’s life, and for this, as well as for getting the -wounded man back to safety, the brave surgeon in due -course got his V.C. Sergeant-Major Wooden was -decorated at the same time.</p> - -<p>One other man of the 17th Lancers who distinguished -himself in this historic charge was the -regimental butcher, John Veigh. Hearing that the -dash for the Russian guns was to be made, he left his -work in his bloodstained smock without seeking -permission, borrowed a sabre, and rode through the -valley with his comrades. “Butcher Jack” cut down -six gunners and returned unhurt, still smoking the -short black pipe which was in his mouth when he -joined in the ride.</p> - -<p>The two remaining Balaclava Crosses were awarded -to Private Samuel Parkes, a Light Dragoon, and -Lieutenant Alexander Robert Dunn, of the 11th -Hussars.</p> - -<p>Parkes’ exploit was a courageous rescue of Trumpet-Major -Crawford, who, on being thrown helpless to the -ground by his horse, was furiously attacked by a couple -of Cossacks. Himself unhorsed, he fearlessly bore<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -down upon the cowardly Russians, and plied his sword -with such vigour that he sent them flying. The two -were attacked again by a larger party of Cossacks, but -Parkes maintained such a sturdy defence that he was -only subdued when a shot struck his sabre out of his -hand. He and Crawford were made prisoners, and not -released until a year later.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Dunn had the distinction of being the -only officer of the Light Brigade to win the V.C. -When Sergeant Bentley of his regiment fell behind in -the dash back to safety, and was quickly set on by -three Russians, the lieutenant turned his horse and -rode to his comrade’s aid. Dunn was a less powerful -man than Parkes, but he sabred two of the Cossack -lancers clean out of their saddles and put the third -to flight.</p> - -<p>Subsequently Lieutenant Dunn rescued a private of -the Hussars from certain death in similar circumstances. -He survived the Crimean War and rose -to distinction in the service, but his career was cut short -all too soon by an accident in the Abyssinian -campaign.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE CRIMEA.—THE HEROES OF INKERMAN.</span></h2> - -<p>The fierce battle on the plateau of Inkerman, in -the early morning of November 5th, 1854, -was the most desperate engagement of the whole -war. It has, indeed, been described as “the bloodiest -struggle ever witnessed since war cursed the earth.” -The sixty thousand Russians who made a sortie out -of Sebastopol were able through the heavy mists that -hung over the field to take the British force of eight -thousand men by surprise, and the fight at once became -a hand-to-hand encounter rather than a pitched battle.</p> - -<p>To call Inkerman the “soldiers’ battle” is to give -our brave fellows who fought that day no more than -their due. There was scant time for any plan of -operations to be formed; as the guardsmen—Grenadiers, -Coldstreams, and Scots—turned out of -their tents at the warning bugle call it was to face -immediately an enemy already entrenched behind -battery and redoubt which belched forth shell and -grape-shot incessantly. With bayonets fixed they -went forward at the charge to silence those terrible -flame-mouthed cannon and drive the Russians from -battery and rifle-pit, and once among the foe British -pluck could be relied on to carry the day.</p> - -<p>What deeds of daring were done in the mist-shrouded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -glades and dells of Inkerman, in the valley -and on the heights that commanded the British -position, can never be fully chronicled. We know, -however, how some of our gallant soldiers bore -themselves, for in that titanic struggle acts of signal -bravery were performed that were remembered afterwards -and deemed worthy of recognition.</p> - -<p>Charles McDermond and Thomas Beach, privates, -made themselves conspicuous in saving the lives of -two officers who were lying on the ground wounded -and at the mercy of Russians, who never hesitated to -kill a disabled man. So, too, did Sergeant George -Walters of the 49th Regiment, who was more than -a match for half a dozen Russians when Brigadier-General -Adams got cut off. All three won their -V.C.’s that day.</p> - -<p>Of Lieutenant Mark Walker, of the 30th -(Cambridgeshire) Regiment, a striking story is told. -From out of the fog his men saw a great mass of -Russians, two battalions strong, advancing towards -them. They were ordered to open fire, but their -rifles were wet and useless. Seeing this, Walker -called on his men to fix bayonets and follow him, -and, running forward, leaped over the low wall behind -which the regiment had been lying hidden. -This was enough for the 30th. With a wild cheer, -they followed his lead, and flinging themselves impetuously -against the enemy, a mere handful as they -were, they actually sent the greycoats flying.</p> - -<p>For this dashing feat, which turned what must -have been an inevitable defeat into a victory, the -lieutenant was mentioned in despatches and awarded -the Cross. In after years he wrote himself General -Sir Mark Walker, K.C.B.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> - -<p>But it was at the Sandbag Battery, whence the -Russians had directed a deadly fire upon our troops, -that perhaps the most brilliant feat of arms was -performed. The Sandbag had the distinction of being -fought for more than any other battery at Inkerman, -changing hands several times, until at last it was -held by the Grenadiers.</p> - -<p>After the seventh fight round its parapet, the -Russians succeeded in driving back their besiegers, -and, exulting over their achievement, danced and sang -with joy. This exasperated the guardsmen to fresh -fury, and when Sir Charles Russell, their Captain, -called on his men to follow him, the Grenadiers, -followed by some Coldstreams and Fusiliers, sprang -forward to storm the position. This time they were -successful, driving the Russians before them.</p> - -<p>How fierce was the contest will be understood -when I mention that the guardsmen’s ammunition -having run short, the men seized hold of stones and -rocks and hurled these at their foes. The Russians -responded in like manner until, as Sir Charles said -in a letter home to his mother, “the air was thick -with huge stones.”</p> - -<p>Although the British were once more in the -Battery, the worst was not yet over. Many bold -Russians still hung on the parapet wall, or clung to -the embrasures, firing down on those inside. The -guardsmen, indeed, found that they were in a kind of -trap, and cries of “Charge them!” arose. Then a -soldier standing by Sir Charles Russell spoke up.</p> - -<p>“If any officer will lead us, we will charge,” he said.</p> - -<p>Up sprang Sir Charles, revolver in hand. “Come -on, my lads!” he cried. “Come on! Who will follow -me?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span></p> - -<p>The first to respond to their gallant captain’s -call were Sergeant Norman and Privates Palmer and -Bailey. Into the face of the opposing Russians -the four dashed. Sir Charles’ revolver missed fire -the first time, but pulling the trigger again he -shot his man. At that moment a hand fell on his -shoulder and the private behind him said, “You -were nearly done for, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Oh no,” answered the captain; “he was some -way from me.”</p> - -<p>The soldier indicated another Russian who had -come up at Russell’s back. “His bayonet was all -but in you when I clouted him over the head,” he -said grimly.</p> - -<p>Sir Charles saw how close he had been to death’s -door. “What is your name?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Anthony Palmer, sir,” was the reply.</p> - -<p>“Well, if I live through this you shall not be -forgotten,” said Sir Charles; and he duly kept his -promise, Palmer being made a corporal the next -morning. He received the Victoria Cross for this -act later on, when the Order was instituted, his name -being among the first to be submitted.</p> - -<p>Side by side Sir Charles Russell and Palmer (poor -Bailey had already been killed, and of Norman there -is no further mention) fought their way to a part of -the ledge on the right, where they joined a small -company of Grenadiers under Captain Burnaby. Here -the fight waged more fiercely than ever, Burnaby -especially distinguishing himself and winning the V.C. -time and time again, though he never received it. -The rush of the guardsmen was not to be withstood, -and the Russians were eventually forced back.</p> - -<p>Sir Charles was awarded the V.C. for this exploit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -at the Sandbag Battery, receiving it at the hands of -his Queen in Hyde Park, three years later. He -might have treasured another souvenir of the fight, -also, in the shape of a long, black-stocked Russian -rifle, which he tore from the hands of a soldier and -kept until the end of the day.</p> - -<p>Another officer of the Grenadiers who won similar -distinction at the Sandbag Battery was Lieutenant-Colonel -the Honourable Henry Percy (afterwards, -Lord Percy). A number of his men at one time -charged too far and became surrounded by the enemy. -To add to their peril, they were without ammunition. -Colonel Percy, coming to their assistance, successfully -extricated them from this dangerous position and led -them to where they could obtain cartridges. Just -before this he had charged alone into the battery, -only being repulsed by a great stone that struck him -senseless to the ground.</p> - -<p>Other eyes than those of his own men were upon -him, the Duke of Cambridge himself noting the action -and having some warm words of commendation to say -afterwards.</p> - -<p>There are one or two other Inkerman Crosses the -stories of which remain to be told.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Henry Hugh Clifford won the right to -add V.C. to his name by a deed of unusual daring. -While in charge of a company of the Rifle Brigade he -saw that a strong body of Russians was deploying to -take one of our regiments in the rear. Without -waiting to obtain an order to move from his position, -he called to his men to follow him, and charged boldly -into the midst of the Russians.</p> - -<p>Clifford outdistanced his men by several yards, -being mounted while they were on foot, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -consequence was that he found himself alone in the -enemy’s ranks. The fierceness of his onslaught, and -the belief on the Russians’ part that a troop of cavalry -was behind him, gave him momentary advantage. -The enemy wavered, and the Rifle Brigade men coming -up at the charge, they soon after surrendered.</p> - -<p>It was cut and thrust for Clifford while he was -engaged on all hands at once, but in the thick of -the fight he managed to save the life of a private in -addition to protecting his own.</p> - -<p>The exploit of Lieutenant Miller of the Royal -Artillery bears some resemblance to the foregoing. -An advancing body of Russian infantry bore down -upon his gun battery when he was without any -support. One last round was fired, and then bidding -his men “Draw swords and charge!” he rode out -under the hail of bullets straight into the enemy’s -midst. The gunners followed to a man; some armed -with swords, others with ramrods, and one of them—a -famous boxer—relying only on his fists, with which -he was seen to lay many a Russian low!</p> - -<p>The greycoats got possession of the guns, for desperately -as the artillerymen fought they could not stay -the enemy’s advance, but it is satisfactory to know -that the battery was retaken not long after and -fought again by Miller and his gallant men.</p> - -<p>Yet another hard fight at the guns took place at a -battery where Sergeant-Major Henry was in charge. -When the Russians were upon them, he and a private -named Taylor drew their swords and made a desperate -defence. Taylor was soon slain, however, together -with nearly all the other gunners, and Henry badly -wounded. A bayonet pierced his chest, another pinned -him in the back, and he sank to the ground.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p> - -<p>As was their wont, the Russians continued to strike -at the helpless man as he lay at their mercy, the -result being that when some time later Henry was -rescued and found to be alive he had no fewer than -twelve terrible wounds! He lived, however, to wear -his Cross for Valour with his fellow-artilleryman, -Miller, and to rise to the rank of captain.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE CRIMEA.—WITH THE SAPPERS AND MINERS.—IN -TRENCH AND RIFLE-PIT.</span></h2> - -<p>The battle of Inkerman was the last great battle -of the Crimean campaign fought round Sebastopol. -The rest of the story of the long siege is one that deals -with the heroic if unobtrusive work of the “sappers -and miners,” the Royal Engineers, those “handy men” -of the Army; with the tale of the trenches and rifle-pits, -wherein men carried their lives in their hands -night after night; with sudden sorties in the dead -of night or the mists of early dawn; and with -desperate attempts at storming the outworks of the -great Russian fortress, the Redan, the Mamelon Tower, -and the Malakoff.</p> - -<p>Such a siege would have taxed to the utmost the -powers of any army, but when we remember how its -difficulties were added to by the severity of the -Russian winter and the hardships under which our -brave soldiers laboured through sickness and for the -want of clothing and other necessities of life, we must -account it a truly marvellous achievement.</p> - -<p>Sir William Russell, who was the <cite>Times</cite> correspondent -in the war, fearlessly spoke his mind on the -scandalous mismanagement that prevailed, and from -his vivid letters we know how too often the stores ran<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -out, how the hospital accommodation was insufficient, -and how but for the exertions of Florence Nightingale -and her band of devoted nurses we should have lost -far more than the 24,000 men who died from cholera -and other diseases, or were killed by the enemy’s bullets.</p> - -<p>Of those days and nights in the trenches Lord -Wolseley can speak from experience, for as a young -engineering officer he saw some stirring service before -Sebastopol. The loss of his right eye, and a long -scar on his left cheek, bear witness to one thrilling -night’s work in an advance sap. He was out and -about again, however, as soon as possible, for every -man that could stand up was needed.</p> - -<p>It is Lord Wolseley’s boast that, apart from the -time he spent in hospital, he was never absent from -the trenches at night except on one memorable -occasion. This was when he and a brother-officer -made a hasty Christmas pudding together, compounding -it in a hollowed-out shell, with a shot for pestle. -The “very bad suet” which they got from Balaclava, -or the fact that the pudding had to be devoured ere -it was half boiled, may be accounted sufficient -explanation for the young officer’s breakdown. “At -about twelve o’clock,” he says pathetically, “I thought -I was going to expire.”</p> - -<p>In giving the record of the V.C. heroes who won -glory in the long months that elapsed between the -battle of Inkerman and the fall of Sebastopol, we -may well begin with the Royal Engineers, the popular -“Mudlarks,” whose proud mottoes are “Ubique” (everywhere) -and “Quo Fas et Gloria ducunt” (where right -and glory lead). Eight of the many Crosses to their -credit were gained in the Crimea. Let us see in -what manner these were won.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p> - -<p>William J. Lendrim (or Lindrim, for his name is -found spelt both ways), Corporal No. 1078, R.E., had -three dates inscribed on his Cross, February 14th, -April 11th, and April 20th, 1855. On the first -occasion he was sent to do sapper’s work in a -battery that was held by a hundred and fifty French -Chasseurs. A hot fire from the Russian guns had -wrought dreadful havoc among the gabions and raked -the trenches, but Lendrim, assuming command of the -Frenchmen, quickly set to work to repair the damage. -With utter disregard for self, he was here, there, and -everywhere at once, replacing a gabion where it had -been struck down, digging in the trench and shovelling -up earth round the weak places. Lendrim’s -coolness and plucky example saved that battery from -demolition, as the French officer in charge of the -Chasseurs very properly noted in his report.</p> - -<p>His second exploit was to mount the roof of a -powder magazine that had caught fire and, under -a perfect hail of bullets, extinguish the flames. -This was a danger to which batteries were particularly -liable, the live shells and fire-balls that dropped -among them soon setting the basket-work of the -embrasures and other inflammable parts in a blaze. -I shall have something more to say about the “heroes -of the live shell” before this chapter is ended.</p> - -<p>The third date on our brave sapper’s Cross, April -20th, recalls a very daring feat on his part. Out -among the rifle-pits, in the open, some Russians had -erected a screen of brushwood, barrels, and sailcloth, -behind which they thought themselves well secure. -A party of British sappers who lay all night in a -trench thought otherwise. In the darkness, just -before dawn, a dozen of them, prominent among<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -whom was Lendrim, dashed out and with bayonets -fixed charged the rifle-pits and destroyed the -screen.</p> - -<p>We come now to the eventful 18th of June, in the -same year, when a desperate assault was made on the -Redan, the while the French stormed the -Malakoff, some distance to the right. With a column -of sailors and soldiers that formed one of the attacking -parties were Lieutenant Graham and Sapper -John Perie of his own corps. They had scaling-ladders -and sandbags with them, but these were not -wanted after all, for the terrific fire that poured -down on the open ground before the fortress walls -made it impossible for the work to go forward.</p> - -<p>Even then men were found willing, nay anxious -to try, and scores of redcoats dotted the rocky -ground between the last trench and the abattis. -But it was a hopeless task—a wanton waste of -valuable lives. Very reluctantly Graham, who had -taken command, ordered his men to retire.</p> - -<p>While, in the security of the trench, they waited -for the Russian fire to diminish, the lieutenant once -more showed of what stuff he was made. There was -a wounded sailor lying out in front, calling piteously -for help. An officer of the Naval Brigade heard -him first, and asked for another volunteer to assist in -bringing the wounded man in.</p> - -<p>“I’m with you,” cried Graham, springing up -instantly; “And I too,” added John Perie. And -out they ran on their noble errand of mercy, succeeding -in the task without being hit.</p> - -<p>Both the lieutenant and the sapper were awarded -the Cross for their bravery. The former, as everyone -knows who has read the history of the Egyptian War,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -became the famous General Sir Gerald Graham, the -victor of El Teb and Tamai. He died in 1899.</p> - -<p>No reference to that disastrous assault on the -Redan would be complete without mention being -made of Colour-Sergeant Peter Leitch, V.C., also of -the Engineers. Like his fellow-sapper, Perie, he was -attached to a ladder-party which shared the fate of -defeat. At the foot of the fortress the little party -was held in check by the pitiless fire of shot and -shell. Men dropped on all sides, for there was no -cover.</p> - -<p>There were the scaling-ladders to be placed, -however, and Leitch came forward to take the lead. -Leaping into the ditch, he pulled down gabion after -gabion from the enemy’s parapet until sufficient had -been secured to make a <i lang="fr">caponnière</i>, filling them with -earth and placing them to afford shelter to his -comrades. It was a heroic task, and many a wound -did he receive until he was finally disabled, but he -had the satisfaction of knowing that he had done his -duty well.</p> - -<p>Nor does this conclude the record of the gallant -“Mudlarks.” I might tell a stirring story of how -Lieutenant Howard Crauford Elphinstone (afterwards -a Major-General and a K.C.B.) did great deeds in -that same affair of the Redan, rescuing with the party -of volunteers he led no fewer than twenty wounded -men, and winning the French Legion of Honour in -addition to the Cross for Valour. But I have only -room now to speak of one more, John Ross, Corporal -No. 997.</p> - -<p>Of the three acts of gallantry of which the dates -are graven on his Cross, two were performed for -daring sapping operations in what were termed the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -4th and 5th Parallels. In the darkness of night -he and his men worked like moles, quietly but -swiftly, connecting (in the first instance) the 4th -Parallel with a disused Russian rifle-pit, the line of -cover thus formed giving the attacking party a -tremendous advantage when morning broke and the -fight was renewed.</p> - -<p>It was highly dangerous work from first to last. -Every few minutes shells and fire-balls from the -Russian guns, which kept up a constant cannonade -throughout the night, would fall in their midst, and -unless these were promptly extinguished the havoc -wrought was considerable. But through it all they -plied their spades bravely and set their earth-filled -gabions in position, Ross himself doing the greater -part of this latter hazardous work.</p> - -<p>His third notable exploit bears date September -8th, of the same year, 1855. The last assault on -the Redan by the allied troops had been made, but -with what results was not known. Ominous loud -explosions startled the still night air every now and -then, and the British and French troops held back -uncertainly, waiting for the enemy’s next move.</p> - -<p>The cessation of the Russian cannonade and -musketry fire, however, led many to think that the -greycoats had abandoned their position, even if only -temporarily. Among those of this way of thinking -was Corporal Ross. Leaving the trench of the 5th -Parallel, where he was working, he set off alone across -the intervening ground to see if his suspicions were -correct. It was ticklish work, he knew, for the -flashes of the explosions in the huge fortress lit up -the plain vividly, and his figure showed up an easy -mark for any Russian sharpshooter who remained<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -on the watch. But he kept on until he reached the -abattis, when clambering up to the nearest embrasure -he wormed his way in.</p> - -<p>The place was empty. Only a dismantled gun -and the débris caused by a well-aimed shell greeted -his eyes. Having made certain that he had not been -deceived, Ross hastened back to the lines to spread -the news. A party was at once formed to make -another inspection of the Redan, Ross accompanying -it and leading the way into the fortress, which was -found absolutely deserted.</p> - -<p>The Redan was forthwith occupied by our men, -but the siege was now practically over. The Russians -had retired to the north side of the harbour, evacuating -the town.</p> - -<p>So much for the “Royal Sappers and Miners”; we -shall meet them later in a warmer clime, in India, -doing their duty as faithfully and performing deeds -every whit as heroic as any they did in the bleak -wastes of the Crimea.</p> - -<p class="tb">The heroes of the trenches and rifle-pits appeal -especially to the imagination. The long vigil of -the sentries as they paced to and fro while their -comrades slept or worked in the trench at their back -was an ordeal well calculated to try the nerves of even -seasoned soldiers. A goodly proportion of the guardsmen, -riflemen, and others who were detailed for this -hazardous work were under fire in this campaign for -the first time in their lives, but we never read that -they flinched from the task imposed upon them.</p> - -<p>However worn and weary the sentry might be, -after a long day of digging and hauling sandbags, -he knew he had to exert the utmost vigilance while<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -on guard. Under cover of the darkness it was a -favourite pastime with the Russians to make sorties -in little parties of three and four from the fortress, -in the hope of surprising the harassed sappers as they -took a brief and well-earned rest.</p> - -<p>So came three Russians one bitterly cold December -night in 1854 to a small outlying picket of the -7th Royal Fusiliers. Private Norman, on single -sentry-go, caught sight of the grey figures creeping -stealthily towards him. Firing his rifle to sound the -alarm, he rushed forward and leaped boldly into the -trench where the enemy had taken cover. Two he -seized and held prisoner, conducting them back to -the British lines, but the third escaped. The plucky -Fusilier got the Cross for this action when the time -came to reckon up those who were most worthy of -the honour.</p> - -<p>But to narrate the several exploits of the heroes -of the trenches is to tell much the same story over -and over again. A score or more of gallant fellows—Moynihan, -Coleman, Alexander, McWheeney (who was -never absent for a single day from his duties throughout -the war), and others—braved the Russian fire -to dash out into the open and rescue from certain -death some wounded officer or private who lay exposed -on the field. The V.C. was often earned many -times over by these.</p> - -<p>Only a few stand out from the rest by reason of -some special feature, such as Private John Prosser -of the 1st Regiment, who, seeing a rascally soldier -wearing the Queen’s scarlet in the act of deserting -to the Russian lines, jumped out of his trench and -chasing the fugitive under a heavy cross fire collared -him and brought him back to camp—and, let it be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -hoped, swift justice. For this, and for rescuing a -wounded comrade later on, Prosser gained his V.C.</p> - -<p>There were, too, the “heroes of the live shell” to -whom I made reference some pages back. Sergeant -Ablett, of the Grenadiers, with Privates Strong, -Lyons, Coffey, McCorrie, and Wheatley, received the -decoration for this act of valour. Plump into the -trench in which each delved dropped a fizzing shell, -and without a moment’s hesitation the plucky fellow -lifted it up and flung it over the parapet, to burst -more or less harmlessly outside.</p> - -<p>Sergeant Ablett’s shell fell right among some -ammunition cases and powder barrels, and but for his -prompt action a terrible explosion would have taken -place with much loss of life. In Wheatley’s case the -stalwart private attempted first to knock out the -burning fuse, but failing to do this he coolly dropped -his rifle and disposed of the unwelcome intruder with -his hands.</p> - -<p>Of the dashing sorties upon the Russian rifle-pits -pages might be written. I have only space to tell -of one such. It may well serve as characteristic -of all. Privates Robert Humpston, Joseph Bradshaw, -and R. McGregor of the Rifle Brigade are my heroes.</p> - -<p>Far out on the Woronzoff Road, near some -formidable quarries that had served the Russians -well, was a strongly protected rifle-pit whence sharpshooters -directed a deadly fire against a battery in -process of formation by our men. It was essential -that this “wasps’ nest” should be silenced.</p> - -<p>Humpston particularly chafed over the seeming -impossibility of doing this, and at last proposed to -two comrades (Bradshaw and McGregor) that they -should “rush” the pit. The two agreed, being much<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -enraged, it is said, by the recent sniping of a bandsman -who was a special favourite.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, without asking for the leave which -they knew would be denied them, the three stole -out of camp one morning before daybreak, and crept -unobserved towards the death-dealing pit. When -within a few yards of it they gave a wild cheer and -charged straight at the surprised Russians.</p> - -<p>It was bayonet work, stab and thrust wherever -a greycoat showed. How many they killed between -them is not recorded, but the rifle-pit was cleared -once for all and its destruction accomplished.</p> - -<p>All three privates were awarded the Victoria Cross, -and Humpston, as the leader, received prompt -promotion, together with the sum of £5.</p> - -<p class="tb">Before closing this chapter and passing on to tell -of the Crimean naval Crosses, I cannot refrain from -noting just two daring deeds that gained the V.C. -for two gallant gunners during the operations before -Sebastopol. They are written large in the annals -of the Order.</p> - -<p>Gunner and Driver Arthur, of the Royal Artillery, -was in an advanced battery at an engagement near -the Quarries, when the 7th Fusiliers fighting near -by him ran out of ammunition. Arthur promptly -volunteered to supply them, and although he had to -cross repeatedly an open space on which a hot fire -was concentrated, he carried the ammunition stores -to the waiting men. But for his assistance the -Fusiliers must have had to abandon the position -they had captured.</p> - -<p>Equally dashing was Captain Dixon’s defence of -his battery. The latter was wrecked by a shell which,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -bursting in the magazine, blew it up and destroyed -five guns, besides killing nearly all the gunners. It -was a great event for the Russians, who cheered and -danced with joy at the result of the shot.</p> - -<p>But they counted without Dixon. The sixth gun -of the battery, although half buried in earth, was -still workable. With some help he got the gun into -position again, loaded and sent an answering shot -hurtling into the enemy’s battery, much to their -surprise and discomfiture.</p> - -<p>And it is to Dixon’s lasting glory that he worked -that single piece until darkness ended the duel. The -chagrined enemy peppered him without cessation -throughout the rest of that day, but he bore a charmed -life. The artillery captain rose to be a Major-General -in after years, with C.B. after his name -besides the letters V.C., while France honoured him -by creating him a Knight of the Legion of Honour.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE CRIMEAN CROSSES OF THE NAVY.</span></h2> - -<p>The record of our Bluejackets afloat and ashore in -the Crimean War is one of which the senior -service has good reason to be proud. While the siege -of Sebastopol was in its early stages a British fleet -sailed up to the Baltic, but without achieving much -result, though a second expedition succeeded (in 1855) -in doing considerable damage to the fortress of -Sveaborg. At the same time another fleet harassed -the enemy in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. -On land the Naval Brigade did yeoman service at -Inkerman, and in the protracted fighting around -Sebastopol.</p> - -<p>“Handy Man Jack” has never missed an -opportunity of going ashore to have “some shooting -with them redcoats,” in our big and little wars. From -the days of Nelson, when they slung their 24- and -18-pounders on to Diamond Rock, to the recent Boer -War, he has proved himself a rare fighter, quite as -efficient with rifle and bayonet as his brother-in-arms. -And the way he handles his field-guns must be the -envy of the artillery.</p> - -<p>In the history of the V.C. the Navy not only -figures very prominently but enjoys the proud distinction -of having the first Cross for Valour placed to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -its credit. The senior winner of the decoration is -Rear-Admiral C. D. Lucas, R.N., and the scene of his -exploit was Bomarsund, in the Baltic.</p> - -<p>While the bombardment of this port of the Äland -Islands, which are situated just off the coast of Finland, -was being carried on by our warships under Admiral -Napier’s command, a live shell suddenly dropped on -to the deck of H.M.S. <i>Hecla</i>. It was a moment of -frightful suspense for every one on board who watched -the grim messenger of death fizzing there within a -few yards of them. But there was one man on deck -who saw what to do.</p> - -<p>Acting-mate Lucas, on duty near one of the guns, -promptly ran forward and with iron nerve picked up -the shell, dropping it instantly over the ship’s side. -The burning fuse sputtered out in the water, and the -shell sank harmlessly to the bottom.</p> - -<p>Captain Hall, his commander, brought the plucky -deed under the notice of Admiral Napier, who, in -writing to the Admiralty about the young sailor’s -bravery, trusted that “their Lordships would mark -their sense of it by promoting him.” This recommendation -was acted upon, Lucas being at once -raised to the rank of lieutenant. When later on the -Victoria Cross was instituted the young officer’s name -figured duly in the <cite>Gazette</cite>.</p> - -<p>Two other sailors who gained the V.C. for similar -actions were Captain William Peel, the dashing leader -of the Naval Brigade, and Chief Gunner Israel -Harding of H.M.S. <i>Alexandra</i>, also a Crimean veteran.</p> - -<p>Whole pages might be written about Captain Peel’s -exploits. All the time the naval men were engaged -with the troops round Sebastopol he was ever to the -fore, leading forlorn hopes and fighting shoulder to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -shoulder with his soldier comrades whenever -opportunity offered. At Inkerman, at the fierce -attack on the Sandbag Battery, he was in the thick -of it, and again at the Redan assault.</p> - -<p>Peel loved danger for danger’s sake. There was -no risk that daunted him. At the attack on the -impregnable Shah Nujeef, at Lucknow, in the Indian -Mutiny, two years later, he led his gun detachment -right up to the loopholed walls, which were crowded -with rebel sharpshooters. He behaved, said Sir Colin -Campbell, “very much as if he had been laying the -<i>Shannon</i> alongside an enemy’s frigate.”</p> - -<p>It was Peel who first demonstrated the practicability -of fighting with big guns in the skirmishing line. -“It is a truth, and not a jest,” he once wrote home, -“that in battle we are with the skirmishers.” The -way in which the sailors handled their great ship’s -cannon, 8-inch guns, 24-pounders, and the like, was -marvellous. A military officer, in a letter that was -written at the front, gives an interesting reminiscence -of the Naval Brigade. “Sometimes in these early -days of October 1854,” he says, “whilst our soldiery -were lying upon the ground, weary, languid, and silent, -there used to be heard a strange uproar of men -coming nearer and nearer. Soon the comers would -prove to be Peel of the <i>Diamond</i> with a number of -his sailors, all busy in dragging up to the front one of -the ship’s heavy guns.”</p> - -<p>In a future chapter we shall meet again this -intrepid son of Sir Robert Peel, the great statesman, -winning glory and renown under Campbell and -Havelock. For the present I must confine myself to -his career in the Crimea.</p> - -<p>The most notable of the three acts, the dates of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -which are inscribed on his Cross, was performed in -October 1854, at the Diamond Battery which some -of the Naval Brigade were holding. The battery -needing fresh ammunition, this had to be brought in -by volunteers, for the horses of the waggons refused -to approach the earthworks owing to the heavy -Russian fire.</p> - -<p>Case by case it was carried in and stacked in its -place, and right into the midst of it all, like a bolt -from the blue, dropped a shell. Peel jumped for it -like a flash. One heave of his shoulders and away -went the “whistle-neck” to burst in impotent fury -several yards off—outside the battery’s parapet.</p> - -<p>The second date on his Cross notes the affair at -the Sandbag Battery, where he joined the Grenadier -officers and helped to save the colours from capture. -On the third occasion when his bravery was commended -for recognition he headed a ladder-party in -that assault on the Redan in which Graham and -Perie won such distinction.</p> - -<p>In this attack the gallant captain was badly -wounded in the head and arm, a misfortune which -was the means of gaining the V.C. for another brave -young sailor. From the beginning of the war -Midshipman Edward St. John Daniels had attached -himself to Captain Peel, acting as the latter’s -aide-de-camp at Inkerman. During the battle he -was a conspicuous figure, as, mounted on a pony, he -accompanied his leader about the field.</p> - -<p>In the Redan assault he was still by Peel’s side, -and caught him as he fell on the glacis. Then, -heedless of the danger to which he was exposed, -he coolly set to work to bandage the wounded man, -tying a tourniquet on his arm, which is said to have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -saved Peel’s life. This done, he got his chief to a -place of safety.</p> - -<p>Daniels did another plucky action some months -earlier, when he volunteered to bring in ammunition -from a waggon that had broken down outside his -battery. The fact that the waggon became immediately -the target for a murderous fire from the -Russian guns weighed little with him. He brought -in the cartridges and powder without receiving a -scratch, and the battery cheered to a man as the -plucky little chap scrambled over the parapet with his -last armful.</p> - -<p>Along with Peel and Daniels must be named that -popular idol William Nathan Wrighte Hewett, known -to his messmates as “Bully Hewett.” He was nearly -as picturesque a character as his commander.</p> - -<p>At Sebastopol, the day following Balaclava fight, -Hewett (he was acting-mate at the time), fought a -great long-range Lancaster gun that had been hauled -up from his ship, H.M.S. <i>Beagle</i>. The gun drew a -determined attack on its flank from a very large -force of Russians, and orders were sent to Hewett -by a military officer to spike the gun and abandon -his battery. The odds were too overwhelming.</p> - -<p>In emphatic language the young sailor declared -that he’d take no orders from anyone but his own -captain, and was going to stick to his gun.</p> - -<p>The other “Beagles” were quite of his opinion. -In quick time they knocked down a portion of the -parapet that prevented the huge Lancaster bearing -on the flank and slewed the piece round. Then, -loading and firing with sailorly smartness, they -poured such a hot fire into the advancing horde -of Russians that the latter beat a retreat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span></p> - -<p>They used the big gun with great advantage at -Inkerman, but the young mate’s splendid defence of -his battery was enough by itself to win him a well-deserved -V.C. Hewett died eighteen years ago, a -Vice-Admiral and a K.C.B.</p> - -<p>A page or two back I mentioned Israel Harding, -chief gunner, as a third naval hero of the live shell. -It was many years after the Crimean War that his -opportunity came, but his exploit may well be noted -down here.</p> - -<p>Harding was a gunner on board H.M.S. <i>Alexandra</i>, -when, in July 1882, Sir Beauchamp Seymour (afterwards -Lord Alcester) with his fleet bombarded -Alexandria. On the first day of the action (the -11th), a big 10-inch shell from an Egyptian battery -struck the ironclad and lodged on the main deck. -The alarm was raised, and at the cry “Live shell -above the hatchway!” Harding rushed up the -companion. There was luckily a tub of water handy, -and having wetted the fizzing fuse he dumped the -shell into the tub just in the nick of time.</p> - -<p>As in Lucas’s case, promotion quickly followed with -the gunner, while the V.C. was soon after conferred -upon him. The shell, it may be of interest to note, -is now among the treasures of her Majesty the -Queen.</p> - -<p>So many naval heroes call for attention that I -must hurry on to speak of Lucas’s comrades in the -Baltic who also won the coveted decoration.</p> - -<p>There was Captain of the Mast George Ingouville, -serving in the <i>Arrogant</i>. On the 13th of July 1855, -the second cutter of his vessel got into difficulties -while the fleet was bombarding the town of Viborg. -A shell having exploded her magazine, she became<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -half swamped and began to drift quickly to shore. -Observing this, Ingouville dived off into the sea -and swam after the runaway. He was handicapped -with a wounded arm, but being a strong swimmer -he reached the cutter just as it neared a battery. -With the painter over his shoulder he struck out -again for the <i>Arrogant</i>, and towed his prize safely -under her lee.</p> - -<p>At about the same time a gallant lieutenant -of Marines—now Lieut.-Col. George Dare Dowell, -R.M.A.—did much the same thing. When a rocket-boat -of the <i>Arrogant</i> was disabled he lowered the -quarter-boat of his ship the <i>Ruby</i>, and with three -volunteers rowed to the other’s aid. Dowell not -only succeeded in saving some of the <i>Arrogant</i> men, -but on a second journey recaptured the boat.</p> - -<p>It was a lieutenant of the <i>Arrogant</i>, however, -who eclipsed both these deeds, brave as they were. -The exploit of John Bythesea and his ship’s stoker, -William Johnstone, on the Island of Wardo, reads -more like fiction than sober fact. This is the story -of it.</p> - -<p>Early in August of 1854 Lieutenant Bythesea -learned from a reliable source that some highly -important despatches from the Tsar, intended for -the General in charge of the island, were expected -to arrive with a mail then due. At once he conceived -the daring idea of intercepting the despatch-carrier -and securing his valuable documents. His -superior officers thought the project a mad one when -he first broached it, but Bythesea would not be -gainsaid. The thing was worth trying, and he and -Johnstone (who had volunteered his services) were -the men to carry it through with success. In the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -end he had his way, though when the two plucky -fellows quitted the ship on their hazardous errand -their shipmates bade them good-bye with little -expectation of ever seeing them again.</p> - -<p>The lieutenant and the stoker had disguised themselves -very effectively in Russian clothes, and managed -to get to land safely. Here they learned from their -informant, a Swedish farmer, that the mail had not -yet arrived, but was expected at any hour. When -darkness fell, therefore, the two Englishmen found -a good hiding-place down by the shore, and commenced -their vigil.</p> - -<p>This was the evening of the 9th of August. It -was not until the 12th that the long-awaited mail -came to land. For three whole days and nights they -had not ventured from their concealment, save once -or twice when the vigilance of Russian patrols had -forced them to take to a small boat and anchor -about half a mile off the coast.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 12th, Johnstone, who spoke -Swedish fluently, learned from the friendly farmer -that the mail had arrived, and was to be sent to the -fort that night. Great caution was to be observed, -the farmer added, as it was known to the Russians -that someone from the British fleet had landed. At -dark, therefore, the two took up their position at a -convenient spot and awaited the coming of the mail-bags. -In due course they heard the grating of a -boat’s keel on the beach. A few Russian words -of command were given, and then sounded the -tramp of feet on the road that led up to the military -station.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px;" id="illus4"> -<img src="images/illus4.jpg" width="390" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">THE ESCORT CAME SWINGING UP THE ROAD WITHOUT A -SUSPICION OF DANGER.—<i><a href="#Page_53">Page 53.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<p>The lieutenant and his companion were ready at the -instant. A hasty glance at their weapons satisfied<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -them that these were in order, and moving a bit -nearer to the roadway they waited until the escort -approached.</p> - -<p>In the dim light they perceived that the Russian -soldiers in charge of the bags numbered five. It was -heavy odds, but the prize was great. They could not -dream of drawing back. The escort came swinging -up the road without a suspicion of danger, and just -as they passed the spot where a clump of bushes -provided secure shelter out leapt the two Englishmen -with cutlass and revolver.</p> - -<p>The cold steel did the work effectively; a pistol -shot would have raised the alarm. Three of the -soldiers were cut down in the surprise attack, while -the remaining two yielded themselves prisoners to -these redoubtable assailants. As quickly as possible -prisoners and mail-bags were hurried to the water’s -edge, where a boat lay in readiness for them.</p> - -<p>In half an hour’s time the despatches were being -examined in the captain’s cabin on board the <i>Arrogant</i>, -their contents proving to be of the utmost importance. -Bythesea had captured the details of certain extensive -operations planned against the Baltic fleet of the Allies -and the army in the South. Such a service was -worthy of the highest honour, and both the lieutenant -and Stoker Johnstone received the Cross for Valour for -that desperate night’s work.</p> - -<p class="tb">Down in the South, in the Sea of Azov, which the -map shows us to lie just north of the Black Sea, our -Bluejackets were doing splendid service in the latter -months of 1855. The towns of Genitchesk and -Taganrog were shelled with great loss to the Russians, -but as they moved their stores farther inland the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -occasion arose for individual expeditions which aimed -at destroying these. The story of the fleet’s operations -in this quarter, therefore, resolves itself into a relation -of the several attempts, successful and otherwise, to -harass the enemy in this way.</p> - -<p>That the task of setting fire to the store buildings -was attended with tremendous risk was proved over -and over again. One or two daring spirits, including -a French captain, were caught and shot by Cossack -patrols. But there are always men to be found ready—nay, -anxious—to undertake enterprises of so -desperate a nature.</p> - -<p>Wellington had the renowned scout, Major -Colquhoun Grant (whose adventures in the Peninsula -teem with romance), doing wonderful “intelligence” -work for him; and to come to more recent times, we -may call to mind Lord Kitchener’s daring journey -through the Soudan in 1884, disguised as an Arab, -for the purpose of learning what were the intentions -of the various tribes with regard to Egypt.</p> - -<p>In the Crimea such men as Lieutenants Day, -Buckley, Burgoyne, and Commerell acted as the eyes -and ears of their commanders, and volunteered for -those little jobs that so infuriated the Russians when -the red glow in the midnight sky showed them where -stacks of forage and other stores blazed merrily.</p> - -<p>Day’s V.C. was awarded him for a most valuable -piece of work. His ship was stationed off Genitchesk -(frequently spelt Genitchi), in the north-eastern corner -of the Crimea, and it was deemed necessary to -reconnoitre the enemy’s lines to ascertain the full -strength of the Russians. For this dangerous service -the young lieutenant volunteered.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, one night he was landed alone on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -Tongue, or Spit, of Arabat, at the spot he had chosen -whence to start. Cossacks, singly or in small -companies, policed the marshy wastes, but Day -wriggled his way between their posts and eventually -got close to the Russian gunboats. The dead silence -that prevailed misled him as to the numbers thereon, -and convinced that the vessels were deserted he -returned to report the facts to his captain.</p> - -<p>The next day circumstances induced him to suppose -that he had been mistaken. He decided to make -a second journey without loss of time, and one night -very soon afterwards saw him again on the Spit. -Day soon discovered that large reinforcements had -arrived on the mainland, and at once made haste to -return to his ship.</p> - -<p>The long detours he was now obliged to make, -to avoid contact with the Cossack sentries, led him -through quagmires and over sandy stretches that -severely tried his endurance. When he reached the -shore at last, well-nigh exhausted, nearly ten hours -had elapsed since his start, and it is not surprising -that, having heard shots fired, his comrades had -given him up for lost. He got back after a most -providential escape, however, and made his report. -But for his discoveries an attempt would certainly -have been made to seize the Russian boats, in which -case the result must have been disastrous.</p> - -<p>Lieutenants Buckley and Burgoyne distinguished -themselves by landing near Genitchesk at night and -firing some immense supplies of stones. With the -seaman, Robarts, who accompanied them, they were -nearly cut off by Cossacks on their return, and only -a fierce fight enabled them to escape. All three won -the V.C. for this daring piece of work.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p> - -<p>Lieutenant Commerell (afterwards Admiral Sir -J. E. Commerell, G.C.B.) performed a like action -later on the same year, which gained the V.C. for -him and one of his two companions, Quartermaster -Rickard.</p> - -<p>Their objective was the Crimean shore of the -Putrid Sea, on the western side of the Spit of Arabat. -They accomplished their task successfully, setting fire -to 400 tons of Russian corn and forage, but were -chased by Cossacks for a long distance. In the -helter-skelter rush back for the boat, about three -miles away, the third man of the party, Able-Seaman -George Milestone, fell exhausted in a swamp, and but -for Commerell’s and Rickard’s herculean exertions -must have fallen a victim to the enemy.</p> - -<p>Making what is popularly known as a “bandy-chair”, -by clasping each other’s wrists, the two officers -managed to carry their companion a considerable -distance. A party of Cossacks at this juncture had -nearly succeeded in cutting them off, but the sailors in -the boat now opened fire, while Commerell, dropping -his burden for a moment, brought down the leading -horseman by a bullet from his revolver. This fortunately -checked the Cossacks, who were only some -sixty yards away, and by dint of half carrying, half -dragging Milestone, the plucky lieutenant and quartermaster -eventually got him to the boat, and were soon -out of reach of their pursuers.</p> - -<p>The foregoing deeds of derring-do worthily uphold -the finest traditions of the Royal Navy. How more -largely still was the “First Line” to write its name -in the annals of the Victoria Cross will be seen in -the succeeding pages.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">PERSIA.—HOW THE SQUARE WAS BROKEN.</span></h2> - -<p>Among our little wars of the last century that -with Persia must not be passed over here, -inasmuch as it was the means of three distinguished -British officers winning the V.C. These were -Captain John Wood, of the Bombay Native Infantry, -and Lieutenants A. T. Moore and J. G. Malcolmson, -of the Bombay Light Cavalry.</p> - -<p>The war originated in the persistent ill-treatment -of British residents at Teheran, and in the insults -offered to our Minister at the Persian Court, Mr. -Murray. No apologies being forthcoming, diplomatic -relations were broken off early in 1856. In -November of the same year, after fruitless attempts -had been made to patch up the quarrel, Persia -revealed the reason for her hostility by violating her -treaty and capturing Herat, and war was declared.</p> - -<p>Herat from time immemorial had been subject to -Afghanistan, and as, from its position on the high road -from India to Persia, it formed the key of Afghanistan, -it was long coveted by the Shah. He laid violent -hands upon it in 1838, but the British Government -made him withdraw. This second insolent defiance -of our warnings could not be borne with equanimity; -a force comprising two British and three native<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -regiments was despatched from India to read the -Persian monarch a lesson. Sir James Outram commanded -the expedition. The capture of Bushire was -the first success scored by the British troops, and it -was in the attack on this coast town in the Persian -Gulf that Captain Wood gained his Cross.</p> - -<p>At the head of a grenadier company Wood made -a rush for the fort. Persian soldiers were in force -behind the parapet, and a hot rifle-fire was poured -into the advancing infantry, but under the inspiration -of their leader they held bravely on. The captain -was the first to mount the wall, where his tall figure -instantly became a target for the enemy. A score -of rifles were levelled at him, and some six or seven -bullets found their mark in his body.</p> - -<p>Badly wounded as he was, Wood jumped down into -the midst of the enemy, killing their leader and -striking terror into the hearts of the rest. This -desperate charge, completed by his men, who had -quickly swarmed up the parapet after him, carried -the day. The fort was surrendered with little more -opposition.</p> - -<p>The feat of arms, however, which led to Lieutenants -Moore and Malcolmson being decorated, was of even -greater brilliancy. To Moore belongs the almost -unique distinction of having broken a square.</p> - -<p>It was at Khoosh-ab that his act of heroism took -place. Near this village, some way inland behind -Bushire, the Persians were massed about eight -thousand strong. Outram’s little army had made -a successful advance into the interior and routed the -Persian troops with considerable loss on their side, -and was now making its way back to the coast. -Surprise attacks at night had been frequent, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -this was the first attempt to make a determined stand -against our troops.</p> - -<p>It was by a singular irony of fate that in this war -we should have had to fight against soldiers trained -in the art of war by British officers. But so it was. -After Sir John Malcolm’s mission to Persia in 1810, -the Shah set to work to remodel his army among -other institutions, and British officers were borrowed -for the purpose of bringing it to a state of efficiency. -The soldiers who gave battle to our troops at -Khoosh-ab, therefore, on February 8th, 1857, were -not raw levies. But, for all that, when it came to a -pitched battle the Persians showed great pusillanimity. -At the charges of the Bengal Cavalry their horsemen -scattered like chaff before the wind.</p> - -<p>Most of the infantry, too, fled when Forbes’ -turbaned sowars of the 3rd Bengals and Poonah -Horse rode down upon them, as panic-stricken as the -cavalry. But there was one regiment that, to its -honour, stood firm. In proper square formation they -awaited the onset of the charge, the front rank kneeling -with fixed bayonets, and those behind firing in -volleys.</p> - -<p>With his colonel by his side, Lieutenant Moore -led his troop of the Bengals when the order was -given to charge, but Forbes having been hit the -young officer found himself alone. He had doubtless -read of Arnold Winkelried’s brave deed at Sempach, -when “in arms the Austrian phalanx stood,” but -whether this was in his mind or not he resolved on -a bold course. He would “break the square.”</p> - -<p>As he neared the front rank of gleaming steel, -above which, through the curls of smoke, appeared -the dark bearded faces of the Persians, Moore pulled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -his charger’s head straight, drove in his spurs, and -leapt sheer on to the raised bayonets. The splendid -animal fell dead within the square, pinning its rider -beneath its body; but the lieutenant was up and on -his feet in an instant, while through the gap he had -made the sowars charged after him.</p> - -<p>In his fall Moore had the misfortune to break his -sword, and he was now called on to defend himself -with but a few inches of steel and a revolver. Seeing -his predicament, the Persians closed round him, eager -to avenge their defeat on the man who had broken -their square. Against these odds he must inevitably -have gone under had not help been suddenly forthcoming.</p> - -<p>Luckily for him, his brother-officer, Lieutenant -Malcolmson, saw his danger. Spurring his horse, he -dashed through the throng of Persians to his comrade’s -aid, laying a man low with each sweep of his -long sword. Then, bidding Moore grip a stirrup, he -clove a way free for both of them out of the press. -What is certainly a remarkable fact is that neither -of the two received so much as a scratch.</p> - -<p>Malcolmson’s plucky rescue was noted for recognition -when the proper time came, and in due course -he and Moore received their V.C.’s together. The -former died a few years ago, but Moore is still with -us, a Major-General and a C.B.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">INDIA.—THE GALLANT NINE AT DELHI.</span></h2> - -<p>The early part of the year 1857 saw the outburst -of the Indian Mutiny which was to startle the -world by its unparalleled horrors and shake to its -foundations our rule in India. Never before was a -mere handful of white men called upon to face such -a fearful ordeal as fell to the lot of the 38,000 -soldiers who were sprinkled all over the North-West -Provinces, and the record of that splendid struggle for -mastery is one that thrills every Englishman’s heart -with pride.</p> - -<p>There are pages in it that one would willingly blot -out, for from the outset some terrible blunders were -committed. Inaction, smothered in “the regulations, -Section XVII.,” allowed mutiny to rear its head unchecked -and gain strength, until the time had almost -passed when it could be stamped out. But if there -were cowards and worse among the old-school British -officers of that day, there were not wanting those who -knew how to cope with the peril. We are glad to -forget Hewitt and those who erred with him in the -memory of Lawrence, Nicholson, Edwardes, Chamberlain, -and the many other heroes who came to the -front.</p> - -<p>In every great crisis such as that which shook<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -India in 1857 the occasion has always found the -man. The Sepoy revolt was the means of bringing -into prominence hundreds of men unsuspected of -either genius or heroism, and of giving them a high -niche in the temple of fame. Young subalterns -suddenly thrust into positions of command, with the -lives of women and children in their hands, displayed -extraordinary courage and resource, and the annals of -the Victoria Cross bear witness to the magnificent -spirit of devotion which animated every breast.</p> - -<p>One hundred and eighty-two Crosses were awarded -for acts of valour performed in the Mutiny, the list of -recipients including officers of the highest, and privates -of the humblest, rank; doctors and civilians; men -and beardless boys. In the following pages I shall -describe some of the deeds which won the decoration -and which stand out from the rest as especially -notable, beginning with the historic episode of -“the Gallant Nine” at Delhi.</p> - -<p class="tb">The Indian Mutiny was not in its inception the -revolution that some historians have averred it to be. -It was a military mutiny arising from more or less -real grievances of the sepoys, to which the affair of -the “greased” cartridges served as the last straw. -Moreover, it was confined to one Presidency, that -of Bengal, and it is incorrect to say that the conspiracy -was widespread and that a large number of native -princes and rajahs were at the bottom of it.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact only two dynastic rulers—the -execrable Nana Sahib and the Ranee of Jhansi—lent -it their support. The majority of the native -princes, among them being the powerful Maharajah of -Pattiala, sided with the British from the first, and it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -was their fidelity, with their well-trained troops, which -enabled us to keep the flag flying through that awful -time.</p> - -<p>“There were sepoys on both sides of the entrenchments -at Lucknow,” says Dr. Fitchett in his <cite>Tale of -the Great Mutiny</cite>. “Counting camp followers, native -servants, etc., there were two black faces to every -white face under the British flag which fluttered so -proudly over the historic ridge at Delhi. The ‘protected’ -Sikh chiefs kept British authority from -temporary collapse betwixt the Jumna and the Sutlej. -They formed what Sir Richard Temple calls ‘a political -breakwater,’ on which the fury of rebellious Hindustan -broke in vain.” Had the Mutiny indeed been a -<em>national</em> uprising, what chances would the 38,000 -white soldiers have had against the millions of natives -who comprised India’s population?</p> - -<p>It is important to bear all this in mind while -following the course of events which marked the -progress of revolt. We shall not then get such a -distorted picture of the whole as is too frequently -presented to us.</p> - -<p>The Mutiny was a military one, as I have said. -It began prematurely in an outbreak at Barrackpore, -on March 29, 1857. Here a drunken fanatical -sepoy, named Mungul Pandy, shot two British -officers and set light to the “human powder magazine,” -which was all too ready to explode. On the 10th of -May following came the tragedy of Meerut, where -the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry, the 11th and 20th -Regiments of Native Infantry rose and massacred -every European not in the British lines, and this -despite the presence there of a strong troop of horse -artillery and a regiment of rifles, 1000 strong!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span></p> - -<p>After the carnage at Meerut the mutinous sowars -poured out unchecked along the high road to Delhi, -to spread the news of their success and claim in the -old, enfeebled pantaloon Mogul king in that city a -political head to their revolt. Delhi received them -open-armed. There were no British troops there, by -special treaty, only a few Englishmen in charge of -the great magazine and its stores.</p> - -<p>It is quite clear that the 31st of May (a Sunday) -was the day fixed for the sepoy regiments in Bengal -to rise simultaneously. Unforeseen events had precipitated -the catastrophe by a few weeks. In Delhi, -which was a nest of treason and intrigue, arrangements -had been perfected for the outbreak there, one -of the first objects to be attained being the seizure of -its arsenal. Hither, then, the mutineers turned at -once after their triumphant entry.</p> - -<p>The magazine of Delhi was a huge building standing -about six hundred yards from the main-guard of the -Cashmere Gate. Within its four walls were guns, -shells, powder, rifles, and stores of cartridges in vast -quantities, from which the mutineers had relied upon -arming themselves. And to defend this priceless -storehouse there was but a little band of nine Englishmen, -for the score or so of sepoys under their -command could not be depended on.</p> - -<p>The Nine comprised Lieutenant George Willoughby, -Captains Forrest and Raynor, Sergeants Stuart and -Edwards, and four Conductors, Buckley, Shaw, Scully, -and Crowe. Willoughby was in charge, a quiet-mannered, -slow-speaking man, but possessed of that -moral courage which is perhaps the highest of human -attributes. When the shouting horde from Meerut -swarmed in and began to massacre every white person<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -they met, he called his assistants inside the courtyard -and locked the great gates. At all costs the magazine -must be saved from falling into the hands of the -mutineers.</p> - -<p>There was not a man of the eight but shared -his leader’s determination. With set, grim faces -they went about their work, preparing for the attack -which must come sooner or later. There were ten -guns to be placed in position, several gates to be -bolted and barred, and, last of all, the mine to be -laid beneath the magazine. Help would surely come—come -along that very road down which the sowars -of the 3rd Bengal Cavalry had galloped with bloodstained -swords and tunics. But if it did not, the -Nine knew their duty and would not flinch from -doing it.</p> - -<p>With all possible speed the front entrance and -other important vulnerable points were covered with -howitzers, loaded with grape-shot. Arms had been -served out to all, including the native employees, -but the latter only waited the opportunity to escape. -In the meantime Conductor Buckley saw to the -laying of the mine, connecting it with a long thin -line of powder that ran out to the centre of the -courtyard under a little lemon tree.</p> - -<p>Conductor Scully begged for the honour of firing -the train when the fatal moment came, and obtained -his desire. A signal (the raising of a cap) was then -arranged to be given, at which he was to apply his -port-fire to the fuse.</p> - -<p>All being at last in readiness, the Nine stood at -their several posts waiting for the enemy to make -the first move. They had not to wait long. Within -half an hour came an urgent messenger from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -Palace bearing a written summons to Willoughby to -surrender the magazine. The Head of the Nine tore -up the paper and gave his answer.</p> - -<p>Soon after appeared a body of sepoys, men of the -Palace Guard and of the revolted Meerut regiments, -with a rabble of city people.</p> - -<p>“Open the gates!” they cried. “In the name of -the King of Delhi, open the gates!”</p> - -<p>Getting the same curt refusal that had greeted -the previous summons, some went off for scaling-ladders, -and as they heard these being fixed against -the outer wall the Nine knew the moment for action -had come. The sepoy employees of the Arsenal -were in full flight now, but Willoughby let them go. -He had no shot to spare for them. So over the -walls they scrambled, like rats deserting a sinking -ship, to join their compatriots without.</p> - -<p>As the last man of them disappeared the rush of -the mutineers began. Swarming up the ladders -they lined the walls, whence they fired upon the -brave group of defenders, while the more intrepid -among them leapt boldly down into the yard. The -rifles of the Nine rang out sharply; then at the -word “Fire!” the big guns poured their charges of -grape into the huddled mass of rebels.</p> - -<p>By this time a gate had been burst open, and here -the 24-pounder was booming its grim defiance. The -sepoys hung back in check for some minutes before -the rain of shot. Behind them, however, was a -rapidly increasing crowd, filling the air with the -cry of faith—“Deen! Deen!” and calling on their -brothers in the front to kill, and kill quickly. At -this, though the ground was littered with dead, the -rushes became more daring and the yard began to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -fill with dusky forms, driving the Englishmen farther -back.</p> - -<p>The end was very near now. The sepoys were -dangerously close to the guns, and Willoughby realised -that in a few moments he would have to give the -fatal signal. One last quick glance up the white -streak of road showed him no sign of approaching -aid. They were helpless—doomed!</p> - -<p>Willoughby threw a last charge into the gun he -himself worked.</p> - -<p>“One more round, men,” he said, “and then—we’ve -done.”</p> - -<p>The big pieces thundered again in the face of the -dark crowd by the broken gate, and at the groups -along the wall. Then, dropping his fuse, Scully ran -swiftly to the lemon tree where the post of honour -was his.</p> - -<p>It had been arranged that Buckley should give -the signal at a word from Willoughby, but the brave -conductor was bowled over with a ball in his elbow. -It fell to Willoughby himself, therefore, to make the -sign. He raised his cap from his head, as if in -salute, and the same moment Scully bent down with -his port-fire over the powder train.</p> - -<p>There was a flash of flame across the yard to the -door of the big store building, a brief instant of -suspense, and then, with a deafening roar which shook -Delhi from end to end, the great magazine blew up.</p> - -<p>A dense column of smoke and débris shot high up -into the sky, which was lit with crimson glory by -the leaping flames. The smoke hung there for hours, -like a black pall over the city, a sign for all who -could read that the Huzoors, the Masters, had given -their first answer of defiance to Mutiny.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> - -<p>In that tremendous explosion close on a thousand -mutineers perished, crushed by the falling walls and -masonry. Of the devoted Nine five were never seen -again, among them being Conductor Scully. The -four survivors, Willoughby, Buckley, Forrest, and -Raynor, smoke-blackened and unrecognisable, escaped -into the country outside the walls, and set off for -Meerut, the nearest British cantonment.</p> - -<p>Forrest and Buckley, both badly wounded, arrived -safely there with Raynor, to tell the story of their -deed; but Willoughby, who had separated from them, -was less fortunate. His companions learned of their -brave leader’s fate some time after, when a native -brought news of how some five British officers had -been waylaid and cut to pieces near Koomhera. -Willoughby formed one of the doomed party.</p> - -<p>It was a sad ending to a fine career, and throughout -India and England the keenest regret was felt that -he had not lived to receive the V.C. with which, in -due course, each of his three comrades was decorated.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.<br /> -<span class="smaller">INDIA.—WITH SABRE AND GUN AGAINST SEPOY.</span></h2> - -<p>The siege of Delhi, which was begun a month -after the rebellion had broken out, ranks with -the most historic sieges of modern times. In its -course it yielded many notable Crosses.</p> - -<p>Defended by high bastions and walls of solid -masonry, the city proved a hard nut to crack, and -Generals Barnard and Wilson, who conducted the -operations with an army of British, Afghan, Sikh, and -Ghurka troops, spent several months before reducing -the stronghold. Even then its capture was only -made possible by the arrival of a siege train under -Brigadier-General John Nicholson.</p> - -<p>To Nicholson belongs a great share of the credit for -the fall of Delhi. By a series of remarkable forced -marches he brought a strong force of artillery and -British and Sikh soldiers from the Punjab to the -Ridge at Delhi, which added greatly to the strength -of the army there encamped. And by his impetuosity -in council he compelled the wavering General Wilson -to decide on the final assault in September.</p> - -<p>Before I come to this point, however, I have to -tell of some gallant deeds that were performed in the -fighting round Delhi. While the army lay on the -Ridge preparing for its leap upon the rebel city, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -number of engagements with the enemy took place. -These were mostly of a very desperate character, and -the individual deeds of some who distinguished -themselves therein were fittingly rewarded with the -Cross for Valour.</p> - -<p>In one of the sorties made by the sepoys at Delhi -in July of that year, 1857, Lieutenant Hills and -Major Tombs, of the Bengal Horse Artillery, had a -fierce encounter with the rebels, which gained the V.C. -for each of them.</p> - -<p>With a cavalry picket and two guns, Hills was on -outpost duty on the trunk road, near a piece of high -ground called the Mound, when a large body of sepoy -sowars from the city charged upon him. The picket, -taken by surprise, took to flight and left the guns -undefended, but Hills remained at his post. To save -his guns and give the gunners a chance of opening -fire was the plucky lieutenant’s first thought, so -clapping spurs to his horse he bore down alone on -the enemy.</p> - -<p>In narrating the incident himself he says: “I -thought that by charging them I might make a -commotion, and give the guns time to load, so in I -went at the front rank, cut down the first fellow, -slashed the next across the face as hard as I could, -when two sowars charged me. Both their horses -crashed into mine at the same moment, and, of course, -both horse and myself were sent flying. We went -down at such a pace that I escaped the cuts made at -me, one of them giving my jacket an awful slice just -below the left arm—it only, however, cut the jacket.</p> - -<p>“Well, I lay quite snug until all had passed over -me, and then got up and looked about for my sword. -I found it full ten yards off. I had hardly got hold of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -it when these fellows returned, two on horseback. -The first I wounded, and dropped him from his horse. -The second charged me with his lance. I put it -aside, and caught him an awful gash on the head and -face. I thought I had killed him. Apparently -he must have clung to his horse, for he disappeared. -The wounded man then came up, but got his skull -split. Then came on the third man—a young, active -fellow.</p> - -<p>“I found myself getting very weak from want of -breath, the fall from my horse having pumped me -considerably, and my cloak, somehow or other, had -got tightly fixed round my throat, and was actually -choking me. I went, however, at the fellow and cut -him on the shoulder, but some ‘kupra’ (cloth) on it -apparently turned the blow. He managed to seize -the hilt of my sword and twisted it out of my hand, -and then we had a hand-to-hand fight, I punching -his head with my fists, and he trying to cut me, but -I was too close to him.”</p> - -<p>At this critical moment Hills slipped on the wet -ground and fell. He lay at the sowar’s mercy, and -nothing could have saved him from death had not -Major Tombs come within sight of the scene. The -major was some thirty yards away, and had only his -revolver and sword with him. There was no time to -be lost, so resting the former weapon on his arm he -took a quick steady aim and fired. The shot caught -the sepoy in the breast, and as his uplifted arm fell -limply to his side he tumbled dead to the ground.</p> - -<p>Thanking Heaven that his aim had been true, Major -Tombs hastened to assist Hills to his feet and help -him back to camp. But as they stood together a -rebel sowar rode by with the lieutenant’s pistol in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -hand. In a moment Hills, who had regained his -sword, dashed after the man, who proved no mean -adversary.</p> - -<p>They went at it cut and slash for some time; then -a smashing blow from the sowar’s tulwar broke down -the lieutenant’s guard and cut him on the head. -Tombs now received the sepoy’s attack, but the -major was among the best swordsmen in the army, -and closing with his opponent he speedily ran him -through.</p> - -<p>Both the officers had had their fill of fighting for the -day, and fortunately, perhaps, for them, no more rebels -appeared to molest them on their return to the camp. -The lieutenant, I may note in passing, is now the -well-known Lieut.-General Sir J. Hills-Johnes, G.C.B.; -his fellow-hero of the fight died some years ago, a -Major-General and a K.C.B.</p> - -<p>Another veteran of the Indian Mutiny still alive, -who also won his V.C. at Delhi, is Colonel Thomas -Cadell. A lieutenant in the Bengal European -Fusiliers at the time, Cadell figured in a hot affray -between a picket and an overwhelmingly large body -of rebels. In the face of a very severe fire he gallantly -went to the aid of a wounded bugler of his own regiment -and brought him safely in. On the same day, -hearing that another wounded man had been left -behind, he made a dash into the open, accompanied -by three men of his regiment, and succeeded in making -a second rescue.</p> - -<p>The heroes of Delhi are so many that it is difficult -to choose among them. Place must be found, -however, for brief mention of the dashing exploit of -Colour-Sergeant Stephen Garvin of the 60th Rifles. -The Rifles, by the way, now the King’s Royal Rifle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -Corps, have the goodly number of thirteen V.C.’s to -their credit.</p> - -<p>In June 1857 the British army on the Ridge was -greatly harassed by rebel sharpshooters who took up -their position in a building known as the “Sammy -House.” It was essential that this hornet’s nest -should be destroyed, and volunteers were called for. -For this service Colour-Sergeant Garvin promptly -stepped forward and, with a small party of daring -spirits, set out on what looked to most like a forlorn -hope.</p> - -<p>What the rebels thought of this impudent attempt -to oust them from their stronghold we cannot tell, -for but one or two of them escaped to the city with -their lives. Such an onslaught as they received at -the “Sammy House,” when Garvin and his valiant -dozen rushed the place, quite surpassed anything in -their experience. The colour-sergeant is described -as hewing and hacking like a paladin of romance, and -for his bravery and the example he set to his -followers he well deserved the Cross that later -adorned his breast.</p> - -<p>At Bulandshahr, a little to the south of Delhi, -in September of the same year, there was a gallant -action fought by a body of the Bengal Horse Artillery, -which resulted in no fewer than seven V.C.’s being -awarded; but there is, I think, no more heroic act -recorded in the annals of this famous corps than that -of brave Gunner Connolly at Jhelum, two months -previously.</p> - -<p>While working his gun early in the action he -was wounded in the left thigh, but he said nothing -about his wound, mounting his horse in the team -when the battery limbered up to another position.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -After some hours’ hot work at this new post, Connolly -was again hit, and so badly that his superior officer -ordered him to the rear.</p> - -<p>“I gave instructions for his removal out of action,” -says Lieutenant Cookes in his report, “but this brave -man, hearing the order, staggered to his feet and -said, ‘No, sir, I’ll not go there whilst I can work -here,’ and shortly afterwards he again resumed his -post as a spongeman.”</p> - -<p>Throughout the fighting that day Connolly stuck to -his gun, though his wounds caused him great suffering -and loss of blood, and it was not until a third bullet -had ploughed its way through his leg that he gave -up. Then he was carried from the field unconscious. -That was the stuff that our gunners in India were -made of, and we may give Connolly and his fellows -our unstinted admiration. For sheer pluck and devotion -to duty they had no peers.</p> - -<p>A highly distinguished artilleryman, who won his -Cross in a different way, was a young lieutenant -named Frederick Sleigh Roberts, now known to fame -as Field-Marshal Earl Roberts, K.G. The scene of -his valour was Khudaganj, near Fatehgarh, in the -Agra district, and the date the 2nd of January 1858.</p> - -<p>Some five thousand rebels under the Nawab of -Farukhabad being in force in the neighbourhood, Sir -Colin Campbell pushed on with his troops to disperse -the enemy. Lieutenant Roberts was attached to Sir -Hope Grant’s staff, and with his leader came into -contact with the rebels at the village of Khudaganj. -Here a sharp engagement took place, which resulted -in the Nawab’s army being completely routed.</p> - -<p>At the end of the fight, while the mounted men -were following up the fugitives, the young lieutenant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -saw a sowar of the Punjab Cavalry (a loyal native -regiment) in danger of being worsted by a sepoy armed -with fixed bayonet. Wheeling his horse in their -direction, he quickly thrust himself between the two -and, with a terrific sweep of his sword across the -other’s face, laid the sepoy low. A minute or two -later he caught sight of a couple of rebels making off -with a standard. Roberts determined that this should -be captured, so setting spurs to his horse he galloped -after them.</p> - -<p>He overtook the pair just as they were about to -seek refuge in a village close by, and engaged them -both at once. The one who clutched the standard -he cut down, wrenching the trophy out of the other’s -hands, but the second sepoy, ere he could turn, placed -his musket close to the young officer’s body and pulled -the trigger. Fortunately for him, the musket missed -fire (it was in the days of the old percussion caps), -whereupon the sepoy made off, leaving Roberts to -return in triumph.</p> - -<p>In other engagements like those at Bulandshahr and -Khudaganj many young cavalry officers who came to -high honour in later years distinguished themselves by -personal bravery. Prominent among these were -Captain Dighton Probyn and Lieutenant John Watson, -both of the Punjab Cavalry. Their exploits are well -worth narrating.</p> - -<p>At the battle of Agra Probyn at the head of his -squadron charged a body of rebel infantry, and in the -mêlée became separated from his men. Beset as he -was by a crowd of sepoys, he cut his way through them -and engaged in a series of single combats of an Homeric -kind. In one instance he rode down upon a cluster -of sepoys, singled out the standard-bearer, killed him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -on the spot, and dashed off again with the colours. -His gallantry on this and other occasions was, as Sir -Hope Grant said in his despatch, so marked that he -was promptly awarded the V.C.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Watson had a similar heroic encounter -with a rebel on November 14th, 1857, when just -outside Lucknow he and his troop of Punjabis came -into contact with a force of rebel cavalry which far -outnumbered them.</p> - -<p>As they approached the Ressaldar in command of -the rebels rode out in advance of his men with half -a dozen followers. He is described as having been “a -fine specimen of the Hindustani Mussulman,” a stalwart, -black-bearded, fierce-looking man. Here was a foeman -worthy of one’s steel. With all the daring that had -already made him beloved by his sowars and feared by -the enemy, Watson accepted the challenge thus offered, -and rode out to give the other combat.</p> - -<p>He had got within a yard or so of his opponent -when the Ressaldar fired his pistol point blank at him, -but luckily the shot failed to take effect. It can only -be supposed that the bullet had fallen out in the -process of loading, for the two were too close together -for the rebel leader to have missed his mark. Without -hesitating, the lieutenant charged and dismounted the -other, who drew his tulwar and called his followers to -his aid.</p> - -<p>Watson now found himself engaged with seven -opponents, and against their onslaught he had to -defend himself like a lion. It is not recorded that he -slew the Ressaldar, though it is to be hoped that he -did so, but he succeeded in keeping them all at bay -until his own sowars came to the rescue with some of -Probyn’s Horse who had witnessed the combat. And<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -when the rebels were put to flight the brave lieutenant’s -wounds bore evidence of the fierce nature of the combat. -A hideous slash on the head, a cut on the left arm, -another on the right arm that disabled that limb for -some time afterwards, and a sabre cut on the leg which -came near to permanently laming him, were the chief -hurts he had received, while a bullet hole in his coat -showed how nearly a shot had found him.</p> - -<p>There were many tight corners that the young -cavalry leader found himself in before the Mutiny -came to an end, and despatches recorded his name -more than once for distinguished services, but if you -were to ask General Sir John Watson (he is a G.C.B. -now, like his brother-officer, Sir Dighton Probyn) -to-day, I doubt if he could remember another fight -that was so desperate as that hand-to-hand combat -with the mighty Ressaldar.</p> - -<p>And if it should ever come to fade from his memory -he has only to look at a little bronze Maltese cross which -hangs among his other medals on his breast, to remind -himself of a time when it was touch-and-go with -death.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.<br /> -<span class="smaller">INDIA.—THE BLOWING UP OF THE CASHMERE GATE.</span></h2> - -<p>The final assault of Delhi, the leap of a little army -of five thousand British and native soldiers upon -a strongly fortified city held by fifty thousand rebels, -forms one of the most exciting chapters in the history -of the Indian Mutiny, and the blowing up of the -Cashmere Gate one of its most heroic incidents. Once -more did the gallant “sappers and miners,” whom we -last saw doing noble work in the trenches at Sebastopol, -here show themselves ready to face any peril at duty’s -call.</p> - -<p>The decision to make the attack was come to at -that historic council on September 6th, 1857, to which -Nicholson went fully prepared to propose that General -Wilson should be superseded did he hesitate longer. -On the following day the engineers under Baird-Smith -and his able lieutenants set to work to construct the -trenching batteries, and by the 13th enough had been -done to warrant the assault.</p> - -<p>We have a very vivid picture drawn for us by -several writers of how, on the night of the 13th, four -Engineer subalterns stole out of the camp on the -Ridge and crept cautiously up to the walls of the -enemy’s bastions to see what condition they were in. -Greathed, Home, Medley, and Lang were the names<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -of the four; one of them, Lieutenant Home, was to -earn undying fame the next day at the Cashmere -Gate.</p> - -<p>Armed with swords and revolvers, the party—divided -into two sections—slipped into the great -ditch, sixteen feet deep, and made for the top of the -breach. But quiet as they were, the sepoy sentries -on the wall above had heard them. Men were heard -running from point to point. “They conversed in a -low tone,” writes Medley, who was with Lang under -the Cashmere Bastion, “and presently we heard the -ring of their steel ramrods as they loaded.”</p> - -<p>Huddled into the darkest corner of the ditch, the -two officers waited anxiously for the sepoys to go -away, when another attempt might be made; but -the alarmed sentries held their ground. The engineers, -however, had seen that the breach was a good one, -“the slope being easy of ascent and no guns on the -flank,” so the four of them jumped up and made -a bolt for home. Directly they were discovered a -volley rattled out from behind them, and the whizzing -of balls about their ears quickened their steps over the -rough ground. Luckily not one was hit.</p> - -<p>There was one other man engaged in reconnoitring -work that same night of whom little mention is made -in accounts of the siege. This was Bugler William -Sutton, of the 60th Rifles, a very brave fellow, as -had been proved some weeks previously during a -sortie from Delhi. On this occasion he dashed out -from cover and threw himself upon the sepoy bugler -who was about to sound the “advance” for the rebels. -The call never rang out, for Bugler Sutton’s aim was -quick and true, and the rebels, in some disorder, were -driven back.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span></p> - -<p>Volunteering for the dangerous service on which -the four engineers above-named had undertaken, -Sutton ventured forth alone to spy out the breach -at which his regiment was to be hurled next morning, -and succeeded in obtaining some very valuable information -for his superiors. The 60th Rifles gained -no fewer than eight Victoria Crosses during the -Mutiny, and one of them fell to Bugler Sutton, who -was elected unanimously for the honour by his -comrades.</p> - -<p>But it is of the Cashmere Gate and what was done -there that this chapter is mainly to tell. According to -the plans of the council, four columns were to make -the attack simultaneously at four different points -in the walls. The one under Nicholson was to carry -the breach near the Cashmere Bastion, while another -column, under Colonel Campbell, was to blow up the -Cashmere Gate and force its entrance through into -the city. The duty of performing the first part of -this operation fell to Lieutenants Home and Salkeld -of the Engineers.</p> - -<p>There was a little delay on the morning of the -assault, for it was found that the sepoys had been -hard at it in the night blocking up the holes in -the breaches with sandbags, and otherwise repairing -the damage done by our batteries. But at last everything -was in readiness. The signal to advance was -given, and the columns moved eagerly forward.</p> - -<p>At the head of the third column (Campbell’s), -well in front of the rest, ran Home, Salkeld, two -sergeants, also of the Bengal Engineers,—let their -names be given, Smith and Carmichael,—Corporal -Burgess, and Bugler Hawthorne of the 52nd Regiment, -together with Havildar Pelluck Singh and eight sappers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -Salkeld had a slow match in his hand (not a port-fire, -as is often stated); the sergeants and the other men -each carried a 25 lb. bag of powder. Behind, to -cover them, followed close a small firing party.</p> - -<p>It is not difficult to conjure up the scene before -our eyes. As the little company nears the Gate it -sees that the bridge which formerly spanned the -ditch has been broken down. Only a single beam -stretches across. Nothing daunted, Lieutenant Home -leads the way, stepping lightly over the shaking beam -and dropping his powder bag at the foot of the Gate -ere he leaps down into the ditch.</p> - -<p>Peering through the wicket, the sepoys stare in -sheer astonishment at this handful of mad Englishmen -charging at them, and four or five of the party have -got safely across, each depositing his precious bag -in its place, ere the rebel muskets speak out. Then -the slender wooden beam becomes indeed a bridge of -death. A sheet of flame flashes from the wicket of -the Gate, and one man after another falls, wounded -or killed outright. Enough bags, however, have been -flung down into position, and Home calls upon Salkeld -to finish the job.</p> - -<p>With Sergeants Smith and Carmichael, and the -corporal by his side, Salkeld, who has been in waiting, -dashes for the frail bridge. He gains it and is over, -as a volley rattles out from the Gate, but before he -can light the fuse he falls, shot through leg and -arm.</p> - -<p>“Here you are, Burgess!” he cries, holding out the -slow match. “Quick, man!”</p> - -<p>The corporal takes the slow match in turn and bends -low over the powder, only to fall back the next instant -mortally wounded. We have it on Lord Roberts’<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -authority that Burgess actually succeeded in lighting -the fuse, but opinions are at variance on this point. -It seems probable, however, that he did perform -his task, for when Sergeant Smith, seizing the slow -match in his turn, now goes forward to ignite the -powder, he sees that the fuse is fizzling.</p> - -<p>A leap into the ditch, where he lands beside Home -and Bugler Hawthorne, saves him just in time. A -moment later and there is a loud explosion, a cloud -of smoke, and stones, pieces of wood, and other débris -raining down all around. In the noise of the firing -and the confusion that prevails, the bugler is meanwhile -sounding the “advance,” not once but thrice, -though it is extremely doubtful if it is heard -at all.</p> - -<p>Colonel Campbell has seen the explosion, however, -and the storming party, straining like hounds in leash, -are no more to be held back. With a wild cheer -they spring forward, to find—not the big Gate itself -destroyed, but the little wicket, which was all that -had been blown in. One by one they creep through, -stepping over the scorched bodies of the sepoy -wardens within, and form up in the open space by -Skinner’s Church, where all are to meet.</p> - -<p>But what of the survivors of the explosion left -behind in the ditch? Home is alive, and so are -Hawthorne, Smith, Burgess, and Salkeld, though the -two last are grievously wounded. Carmichael and -several others lie still for ever on the damp -ground.</p> - -<p>With some assistance, brave John Smith and Bugler -Hawthorne get Lieutenant Salkeld into the doctor’s -hands, though it is evident nothing can be done for -him. Burgess, too, has a mortal wound, and he is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -dead before friendly hands have carried him a score -of yards. Of the wounded only the havildar, who -had fallen with Carmichael before the deadly rain -of bullets, has any hope of recovery.</p> - -<p class="tb">There is not much more to be said. Lieutenant -Philip Salkeld died a few days later, but not before -he knew that the Cross for Valour had been conferred -upon him. Sergeant Smith and the bugler were the -only two destined to wear the coveted decoration in -memory of that day’s desperate deed.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Duncan Home figures in the list of -V.C. heroes with his brother-lieutenant by reason -of the Cross having been provisionally bestowed -upon him by General Wilson. His end, which came -scarcely three weeks later, was a dramatic one.</p> - -<p>In the attack on Fort Malagarh it was expedient to -lay a mine and make a breach in the wall. Home -superintended this operation, and lit the slow match -himself. The fuse appearing to have gone out, he -went forward to examine it and relight it if necessary, -but at the moment he stooped the light reached the -powder and the mine blew up.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.<br /> -<span class="smaller">INDIA.—THE STORY OF KOLAPORE KERR.</span></h2> - -<p>The scene of the incident which I am about to -narrate was Kolapore (or Kolhapur, as the -modern spelling has it), an important town in the -Bombay Presidency. Even before the Mutiny broke -out there had been no little disaffection among the -people in that quarter of India, and when the news -of the revolt at Meerut and Delhi reached the -Presidency grave fears were entertained lest the -native troops there should join the rebels.</p> - -<p>It was characteristic of most English officers attached -to native regiments in those days that they firmly -believed in the loyalty of their men. Only at the -last moment, when the soldiers they had drilled and -taught broke into open mutiny, could they grasp the -truth, and then it was often too late. But in Bombay -there was one officer whose trust was not belied. -This was Lieutenant William Alexander Kerr, of the -Southern Mahratta Irregular Horse.</p> - -<p>“I know my men,” he would say, when the question -of loyalty was raised, “and I know they are true. -I’ll answer for <em>my</em> troopers at any time.”</p> - -<p>Rather short men were these Mahrattas, but -sturdy, stocky fellows with somewhat flat features, -long jet black hair, and bronze faces, out of which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -small fiery black eyes gleamed at one. They were -excellent fighters, as many a hill fight had proved, -and there were not a few officers in India who would as -soon have had a company of wild Mahratta warriors at -their back as Sikhs or Punjabis, when it came to a -tussle.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Kerr certainly held this opinion. Long -service with them had made him acquainted with -their courage and faithfulness.</p> - -<p>“The Bombay Infantry may rise, but not my -Mahrattas,” he affirmed. “There isn’t a man among -them who wouldn’t follow me to the ends of the -earth!”</p> - -<p>He was stating this fact for the hundredth time at -a memorable council that was held in the officers’ -mess at Satara on the night of July 8th, 1857, when -the startling news was flashed over the wires that -the 27th Bombay Native Infantry had revolted at -Kolapore. The message ran that nearly all their -English officers had been killed, only a few escaping -to find uncertain refuge in the Residency. Help -was needed urgently.</p> - -<p>What was to be done? The officer commanding at -Satara faced his staff with a grave face. Here was -confirmation of their worst fears. The looks that -met his were full of foreboding; all, that is, save -Kerr’s.</p> - -<p>Rising to his feet, the young lieutenant turned -quickly to his superior.</p> - -<p>“Give me leave, sir,” he said, “and I’ll undertake -with a company of our sowars to clear every mutineer -out of Kolapore.”</p> - -<p>It was the chance he longed for, the chance to -prove the loyalty of his troopers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span></p> - -<p>The colonel pondered some moments, for the little -force at Satara was not over strong.</p> - -<p>“I can give you fifty men,” he said at last; “a -troop of fifty, no more. Can you manage with -that?”</p> - -<p>“I can and I will,” answered Kerr tersely. And -half an hour later saw him spurring fast southward -with his Mahrattas behind him, in all the glory of -their gold-braided green coats and scarlet turbans.</p> - -<p>Kolapore lay seventy-five miles due south, as the -crow flies, but their way led through unfrequented -roads and jungle paths, with swollen rivers and flooded -nullahs to swim across, for the rains had been heavy -of late and the fords were gone. Swamps impeded -their progress, clutching at the feet of the wiry hill -horses to drag them down, but they were clear at last, -and galloped breathless into Kolapore in rather less -than six-and-twenty hours from their start.</p> - -<p>The mutineers of the revolted 27th Regiment had -entrenched themselves in a strongly built stone fort -on the outskirts of the town. The main entrance to -this was a massive wooden door which would need to -be forced open, for inside there were heavy bolts and -bars to secure it. So Kerr, choosing the quickest way, -borrowed a couple of antique cannon from the Rajah -of the place and pounded away to break the outer -wall; but the guns turned out to be worthless and -had to be abandoned.</p> - -<p>There now remained the door to be broken open. -That offered the best, indeed the only, means of effecting -an entrance. Night was fast drawing nigh, and -the lieutenant was determined to take action at -once. It would not do to give the rebels breathing -space.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span></p> - -<p>Halting his Mahrattas some distance from the fort, -Kerr picked seventeen of his most trusted men and -bade them dismount and follow him to the attack. -For himself and a trooper whose name, strangely -enough, was Gumpunt Rao Deo Ker, he had obtained -two stout iron crowbars with which to force open -the door, and at a signal from him the little party -dashed eagerly forward.</p> - -<p>From their loopholes and from the top of the wall -the sepoys poured an irregular fire upon the besiegers -below. But Kerr and Gumpunt Rao, working away -desperately with their bars, very soon made a hole -in the door near the ground. A few more blows -enlarged it sufficiently to allow one man to crawl -through on his hands and knees.</p> - -<p>That was enough for Kerr.</p> - -<p>“In we go, men,” he cried; “after me! Have your -swords ready!” And the little fierce-eyed men grinned -with delight as they saw their leader wriggle like a -snake through the hole with the faithful Gumpunt at -his heels. What a fight there was going to be!</p> - -<p>They guessed truly. The instant Kerr showed -himself inside the courtyard he was greeted with a -volley of musketry, but the sepoys aimed too high, -and every bullet crashed harmlessly into the woodwork -over his head. Springing to his feet, the lieutenant -made a rush at his assailants that sent them flying -before him. And then, the scarlet turbans having -followed safely through the aperture one after another, -the mutineers were slowly driven back, leaving several -heaps of dead and wounded in their wake.</p> - -<p>The fighting blood of the wild Mahrattas was up -now. A battalion of rebels could not have stayed -them. Before their fierce onslaught the mutineers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -fled to the refuge of a house that covered the second -entrance to the fort, but the building was set on fire, -and off they scampered again for dear life, though a -few perished in the flames.</p> - -<p>Their next retreat was behind a gateway which led -to the inner portion of the fort. Here the shaken -remnant was joined by the men of the garrison, who -had been spectators of the affray. This reinforcement -gave them renewed confidence, and they opened a fresh -fire upon Kerr and his little band. The Mahrattas -needed no call from their valiant leader. Two or -three of them bit the dust under the hail of bullets, -but the rest leapt to the gate where Lieutenant Kerr -was already at work with his crowbar. Again a hole -was made, and again the plucky officer—always first—crept -through with his followers.</p> - -<p>In the terrible hand-to-hand fight that ensued -within Kerr had the chain of his helmet cut by a -bullet, while another ball struck his sword. A sepoy, -too, thrust his musket almost into the lieutenant’s -face, the discharge blinding him for an instant, but -Kerr ran his sword through the man’s body ere he -could reload.</p> - -<p>The thrust was a mighty one, and the effort to -withdraw his weapon was so great that it gave time -for a watching rebel to deal him a stunning blow on -the head with the butt end of a musket. Down -went Kerr like a felled log, and but for Gumpunt -Rao he would have been shot where he lay. Just in -the nick of time the Mahratta sprang between them -and sent the sepoy to his last account.</p> - -<p>Kerr’s storming party was sadly reduced in -numbers by this time, and of those who had survived -not one had escaped being wounded. But as soon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -as their leader had come to his senses, they went -forward once more, cutting down the mutineers with -their keen-edged curved swords, and striking terror -into the hearts of those who yet again fled before -them.</p> - -<p>In their extremity the rebels made for an empty -disused temple, hastily barricading its door with -stones and anything that would help to keep those -dreaded greencoats at a safe distance. They still -had a good supply of cartridges left, and with these -did such execution that several more of the Mahratta -warriors were laid low.</p> - -<p>But they had to reckon with a man who was bent -on teaching them such a lesson as they and every -mutineer in the Presidency should never forget. -Seven sowars alone were left to Kerr for his last -attack, seven out of the chosen seventeen who had -followed him through that first hole in the outer -door. Yet he did not wait to be reinforced. With -this mere handful of men he flung himself on the -temple door, which at once rang under the quick -blows of his iron bar.</p> - -<p>The entrance to the building, however, was made -of stouter material than the other doors had been. -Neither he nor Gumpunt Rao could burst through -the wood. The lieutenant glanced round for another -weapon, and now to his delight saw a heap of hay -lying by a side wall. Here was the very thing -he wanted.</p> - -<p>“Quick, Gumpunt!” he shouted. “Bring that hay -over here. We’ll burn the door down an’ finish -’em!”</p> - -<p>And finish them they did. As the flames crackled -up and the door fell in, Kerr, Gumpunt Rao, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -other six leapt inside. A grim-looking band they -must have appeared, with their smoke-blackened -faces, their slashed and bloodstained tunics, and -doubly so to the panic-stricken mutineers who -cowered in the dark corners of the temple.</p> - -<p>“No quarter!” the wild Mahrattas had begged of -their “sahib,” while they waited for the fire to do its -work. “Death to every rat caught in the hole!” -But Kerr would not grant them their wish. All who -would yield were to be taken prisoners; he had a -different fate in store for them.</p> - -<p>So when the eight emerged again from the now -silent building, more bloodstained than ever, for a -few of the rats at bay had shown their teeth, they -brought with them a bare dozen of trembling sepoys, -all that remained of the mutinous garrison of Kolapore -Fort. And with these in their midst the little -swarthy hill-men in the green coats some hours later -rode triumphantly back to Satara, with Kerr at their -head, to tell of that grim night’s work.</p> - -<p>The sparks of mutiny that might so easily have -burst into a flame in Bombay may be said to have -been stamped out by Lieutenant Kerr’s prompt and -vigorous action. Subsequent attempts were made to -create a rising, but they were fitful and half-hearted. -The lesson of Kolapore had been a stern one.</p> - -<p>For his dashing exploit Lieutenant Kerr received -the V.C., a decoration which, I am glad to say, he is -still alive to wear. The brave Mahratta, Gumpunt -Rao Deo Ker, though he deserved to share the same -honour, was rewarded in a different fashion.</p> - -<p>That is the story of Kolapore Kerr. It is, to my -mind, a theme every whit as inspiring to a poet’s pen -as the stand of the Guides at Cabul or Gillespie’s ride<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -to “false Vellore.” Perhaps some day a poet will -arise who will commemorate for us in stirring verse -Kerr’s gallant deed, and tell how once and for all -the Southern Mahratta Irregular Horse proved their -loyalty to the British Raj.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">INDIA.—THE DEFENCE OF THE DHOOLIES.</span></h2> - -<p>In the preceding chapters I have told of many -heroes who have won imperishable glory at the -cannon’s mouth, “i’ the imminent deadly breach”; -at the head of charging squadrons; or in Homeric -personal combat. Valiant men were they all, and -worthy of high admiration; but I come now to speak -of other brave men, whose deeds though less ostentatious -should appeal to our imagination no less forcibly—the -devoted surgeons of our Army.</p> - -<p>In the bead-roll of Britain’s heroes there are no more -honoured names than theirs, and very high up among -them I would place those of Surgeons Jee, McMaster, -Home, and Bradshaw. Their work was not to lead -storming parties or join in the press of battle, but -to follow in the wake of the fight, to relieve the -sufferings of the wounded, to bind up shattered limbs -and bandage the ghastly hurts that round-shot, sabre, -and musket had inflicted in the swirl of evil human -passions thus let loose.</p> - -<p>It was work that demanded devotion and courage -of the highest order, for it was carried on mostly -under fire, when bullets rained pitilessly around, and -the very hand that one moment eased a sufferer’s -pain might the next itself be stilled in death. Let<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -the tale of what was done in Lucknow streets on that -historic September day in 1857 when Havelock and -Outram fought their way into the besieged city, testify -to the pluck and noble self-sacrifice of which our -Army doctors are capable at duty’s call.</p> - -<p>Surgeon Joseph Jee was attached to the 78th -Highlanders, the old “Ross-shire Buffs,” now known -(with the 72nd Foot) as the Seaforth Highlanders. He -had followed his regiment to Cawnpore to avenge Nana -Sahib’s ghastly massacre, and thence to Lucknow, -which, under the gallant Henry Lawrence, was holding -out until relief came.</p> - -<p>From the Alumbagh, the pleasure-house that was -built by a Begum of the ex-King of Oudh about two -miles out of the city, and was now garrisoned by some -12,000 sepoys, the relieving force, as is well known, -fought their way steadily across the Charbagh Bridge, -and so on to the Chutter Munzil Palace and the -Bailey Guard Gate, and eventually gained the Residency -itself.</p> - -<p>It was on the morning of the 25th of September -that Lucknow was actually reached. At the Charbagh -Palace, near the bridge, the 78th Highlanders were -left to hold that position, while the main body threaded -its way through the narrow, tortuous lanes leading to -the Residency, and here Surgeon Jee and Assistant-Surgeon -McMaster quickly found work for their -hands. All the streets and houses in the vicinity -were strongly occupied by mutineers. Desperate -charges had to be made to carry the rebel guns which -poured a devastating fire upon our troops, and though -the cannon were captured and toppled over into the -canal, the casualties were exceedingly heavy.</p> - -<p>While the wounded remained to receive attention<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -from the busy doctors, the regiment, following up its -last attack, disappeared round the bend of the canal, -and Jee and his assistants found themselves suddenly -exposed to the enemy’s fire. Having obtained some -men to act as bearers, the surgeon got his patients -lifted up and carried to where a few dhoolies were. -These were filled in no time, one of them by Captain -Havelock, son of the General, who was badly hit in -the arm; the rest of the wounded were placed in -carts drawn by bullocks. The latter, however, met -with a heartrending fate ere they had gone far; -for the sick train coming to a standstill in the -road where it was blocked, all the occupants of the -carts were massacred by sepoys before their comrades’ -eyes.</p> - -<p>The regiment was caught up at last, and a company -under Captain Halliburton detailed to guard the -dhoolies. But misfortune dogged the little party’s -steps. They lost their way in the city, were led by -a blundering guide right into an enemy’s battery, -which shelled them mercilessly, and wandered about -for hours continually under fire, until they took refuge -in the Moti-Mahal (the Pearl Palace). Here was -a square courtyard having sheds all round it and -two gateway entrances. As it was already packed -with soldiers, camp followers and camels, the surgeons -were hard put to it to find accommodation for their -wounded.</p> - -<p>Of the horrors of that night Surgeon Jee has told -us in his own words. The firing was deafening, gongs -were sounding the hours, while there was a hubbub of -shouting through which the groans of the wounded -could nevertheless be heard. An alarming rumour -came that all the 78th had been killed, and, what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -added to the terrors of the situation, no one knew -how far off the Residency was. But Jee stuck to his -post, and many a poor fellow lived through that -inferno to bless the brave, tender-hearted doctor to -whom he owed his life.</p> - -<p>At daylight some tea was made (they had had -neither food nor drink since leaving the Alumbagh -the morning before), and then preparations were made -to defend the place. Loopholes had to be pierced -in the walls, and the best marksmen stationed there -to pick off the sepoys who raked the square from -house and gateway. Jee himself had many a narrow -escape as he dodged about dressing the wounds both -of the artillery and his own men, and he recounts -how Brigadier Cooper was shot through a loophole -close to where he was standing.</p> - -<p>In this extremity Jee boldly volunteered to attempt -to get his wounded into the Residency by taking them -along the river bank, leaving Captain Halliburton to -hold the Moti-Mahal. Nothing could dissuade him -from this course once his mind was made up, so with -his dhoolies he set out to run the gauntlet.</p> - -<p>What the little company of dhoolies passed through -ere it reached its destination we do not know, but we -can picture to ourselves that terrible journey through -the winding tangled streets in which nearly every -house contained sepoy riflemen. There was, too, a -stream to be crossed, and at this spot they were -exposed to the fire of the rebel guns at the Kaiserbagh -Palace.</p> - -<p>They reached the Residency at length, after much -going astray, and reached it sadly depleted in numbers. -As elsewhere in Lucknow that same night, the -cowardly sepoys made a special mark of the dhoolies,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -shooting the defenceless wounded in cold blood. On -their arrival General Havelock warmly congratulated -the plucky surgeon on his success in getting through, -for he had heard that Jee had been killed.</p> - -<p>Honour was slower in coming to the brave Army -doctors than to many others who distinguished -themselves in the Mutiny, for it was not until three -years later that Jee was gazetted V.C. But such -services as his could not be overlooked, and there was -universal satisfaction when his name was added to the -Roll of Valour. He died some years ago, a Deputy -Inspector-General and a C.B.</p> - -<p class="tb">On the night of the same day that Jee was conveying -his wounded to the Residency, a somewhat similar -scene was being enacted in another quarter of Lucknow. -By the Moti Munzil Palace lay a number of wounded -officers and men of the 90th and other regiments in -the charge of Doctors Home and Bradshaw of the -90th. Left behind by the relieving force as it held -straight on to its goal, the dhoolies had to rely for -protection on a small escort of a hundred and fifty men. -By great good fortune they escaped the notice of the -mutineers during the first part of the night, but ere -dawn had broken a fierce attack was made upon -them. Off they started, then, on a slow, laborious -journey, which was to cost many valuable lives before -its end.</p> - -<p>“To the Residency!” was the cry, a young civilian -named Thornhill having undertaken to guide them -thither. But between them and Havelock’s house was -a network of streets and lanes that had to be threaded, -and these were still overrun with sepoys. It was a -true <i lang="it">via dolorosa</i> that lay before them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p> - -<p>The order having been given, the dhoolies were -picked up by very reluctant native bearers, the surgeons -closed in round their charges, and they started off, -while the escort covered their progress as best they -could. After a terrible hour’s journeying, with sepoys -hanging on flank and rear, the little company eventually -reached the Martinière (a building erected by a -French soldier of fortune in the eighteenth century). -Their stay here was short, however, for a well-directed -cannonade drove them once more afield. A flooded -nullah was next crossed, and beyond this seemed -to lie safety, but a fatal blunder on the part of their -guide led them into a veritable death-trap.</p> - -<p>The street into which they filed appeared to be -deserted. As a matter of fact it was full of sepoys, -who were concealed in the houses on either side. This -was the narrow street leading to the Bailey Guard -Gate, the entrance to the Residency; along its three-quarters -of a mile, some hours previously, the 78th -Highlanders and Brasyer’s Sikhs had won their way -through a perfect tempest of shot. A similar reception -awaited the dhoolies.</p> - -<p>As the ill-fated train passed through and gained the -square at the farther end, the storm of musketry broke -into full blast over their heads. In a moment the panic-stricken -bearers dropped the dhoolies and fled for dear -life, leaving the wounded men in the middle of the -square exposed to every sepoy marksman. The fire of -close on a thousand muskets must have been concentrated -on that small enclosure, but Surgeon Home -managed, with nine men of the escort, to get half a dozen -of the wounded within the shelter of a building before -which was a covered archway.</p> - -<p>Surgeon Bradshaw, meanwhile, who had been in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -rear of the train, had collected his dhoolies as soon as -the nature of the trap was disclosed, and turned hastily -back to seek the turning that their guide ought to have -taken. The luckless Thornhill had been killed, having -been one of the first to be shot down. It is satisfactory -to add that Bradshaw was successful in bringing his -dhoolies to safe quarters without further mishap.</p> - -<p>Would that such had been the case with Surgeon -Home! He and his party had gained shelter for the -time, but none could say how long it would be before -the horde of sepoys would storm it. The most daring -of the mutineers had already ventured out into the -square to kill those of the wounded whom they could -reach and to fire through the windows of the house.</p> - -<p>The heroes of what became known afterwards as -Dhoolie Square were, besides Home, Privates McManus, -Ward, Ryan, and Hollowell. These gallant fellows, -but for whom the whole company must have been -massacred, formed part of the military escort. Patrick -McManus, who was an Irishman of the Northumberland -Fusiliers, was a noted shot. Taking up a position -immediately behind one of the pillars of the archway, -he coolly fired shot after shot until a number of sepoys -had fallen victims to his unerring aim. The rest of -the rebels retreated before his rifle and sought shelter -within the houses.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px;" id="illus5"> -<img src="images/illus5.jpg" width="390" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">McMANUS NOW RUSHED OUT, ACCOMPANIED BY PRIVATE JOHN -RYAN … AND CARRIED IN CAPTAIN ARNOLD.—<i><a href="#Page_98">Page 98.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<p>This pause afforded an opportunity for rescuing those -of the wounded who lay within reach. With his deadly -rifle in his hand, McManus now rushed out, accompanied -by Private John Ryan (a Madras European Fusilier), -and carried in Captain Arnold, who had been shot in -both legs. A second time they ventured out, and in the -rain of bullets they drew upon themselves succeeded in -dragging another poor fellow from the slender security<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -of his dhoolie to more certain safety. But their errand -of mercy was in vain: though neither of the rescuers -was hit, Arnold and the other wounded man (a private) -were struck again and again, both dying soon after.</p> - -<p>Private Ward, a 78th Highlander but a Norfolk -man by birth, had a little previously saved the life of -Lieutenant Havelock. The dhoolie in which the young -officer lay would have been abandoned had not Ward, -by force of blows, compelled the native bearers to carry -it behind the pillars of the arch.</p> - -<p>Inside the house that sheltered Home and the others -the surgeon was hard at work attending to his wounded, -most of whom were in worse case than when they -started on their journey. If he stopped in his task it -was only to snatch up a rifle and take a shot at some -sepoy who was within sight. With consummate daring -the rebels braved McManus and crept up to the window -of Home’s room. One man, whom he shot with his -revolver, was no more than three yards away from him -at the time.</p> - -<p>So some hours wore away. Then the sepoys, -furious at their ineffectual attempts to get at their -prey, brought up a large screen on wheels, with thick -planks in front, and with this shut off what was -apparently the little garrison’s only exit. It was their -intention to fire the roof and burn the Englishmen in -their trap.</p> - -<p>There was another door at the side of the house, -however, and while the flames crackled and the choking -smoke filled the rooms, Home and all the able -men with him seized hold of the wounded and made -a dash through this across the square to a small shed -that appeared to be empty. They reached it, but only -half a dozen were in a condition to handle their rifles.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -The remnant that had struggled through with them -could hardly raise themselves from the floor.</p> - -<p>The shed being loopholed, McManus and his -comrades Ward and Ryan, together with another 78th -man, named Hollowell, were able to keep the sepoys -at a distance. They could not prevent, however, the -ghastly murder of the wounded, who still lay in the -dhoolies at the farther end of the square. One after -another the unfortunate men were shot or bayoneted -as they lay, only one (an officer of the 90th), it is -recorded, escaping by a miracle.</p> - -<p>All the rest of that fearful day, and throughout the -night, the brave surgeon and his handful of men held -their fort against the swarms of mutineers who surged -again and again to the attack. In the darkness they -heard the sepoys tramping about on the roof, but a -few well-aimed shots put these daring spirits to flight. -The lack of water was now keenly felt, some of the -wounded suffering terribly for want of it. Moved to -desperation by their piteous cries, and hoping to -secure a safer position, Home and a private at last -stole out into the square and made their way to a -mosque some yards distant. They obtained some -water, but a vigilant sepoy espied their movements, -and the plucky pair only just got back to the shed in -time.</p> - -<p>“The terrors of that awful night,” says Dr. Home -in his account of his experiences, “were almost -maddening: raging thirst, uncertainty as to where the -sepoys would next make an attack; together with the -exhaustion produced by want of food, heat, and anxiety.”</p> - -<p>But morning saw them still alive, and with the -daylight came the welcome sound of rifle volleys,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -unmistakably British. Ryan, who was acting as -sentry at a loophole, sprang excitedly to his feet and -roused his comrades with the shout, “Oh, boys, -them’s our own chaps!”</p> - -<p>And a few minutes later into the corpse-strewn -square swept a column of redcoats, driving the sepoys -before them in wild confusion. With Home leading -them, the heroes of Dhoolie Square gave as loud a -cheer as their feeble voices could raise, and flinging -open the door of their refuge, rushed out to greet -their rescuers.</p> - -<p>Surgeon Home (he is now Sir Anthony Dickson -Home, K.C.B.), and Privates McManus, Ward, Ryan, -and Hollowell, all received the Cross for Valour for -their splendid devotion and bravery; and never, surely, -did men deserve the honour more. To have held -something like a thousand rebels in check for a day -and a night, and to have protected as many of their -wounded as they did, was a feat that they might well -be proud of.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">INDIA.—THREE BRAVE CIVILIANS: MANGLES, MCDONELL, -AND “LUCKNOW” KAVANAGH.</span></h2> - -<p>On the 8th of July 1859 an interesting announcement -appeared in the <cite>London Gazette</cite> to the -effect that her Majesty the Queen had been pleased to -declare that Non-Military Persons who, as Volunteers, -had borne arms against the Mutineers, both at -Lucknow and elsewhere, during the late operations in -India, should be considered as eligible to receive the -decoration of the Victoria Cross, subject to the rules -and ordinances, etc. etc.</p> - -<p>Under this new clause Mr. Ross Lowis Mangles, -of the Bengal Civil Service, Assistant-Magistrate at -Patna; Mr. William Fraser McDonell, Magistrate of -the Saran District; and Mr. Thomas Henry Kavanagh, -Assistant-Commissioner in Oudh, were gazetted, for -distinguished services rendered at Arrah and Lucknow.</p> - -<p>The defence of Arrah, a town in the Shahabad -District of Bengal, about thirty-six miles from Patna, -was one of the most thrilling incidents of the Indian -Mutiny. Here for a whole week a dozen Englishmen -and a small body of Sikhs, shut up in a two-storeyed -house, successfully kept off over two thousand sepoys -until a relief force came to their rescue. One young -lieutenant of the Southern Mahratta Irregular Horse,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -with a few sowars at his back, might storm -a seemingly impregnable fort strongly garrisoned by -mutineers, and kill or capture every man of them, but -reverse the positions and a very different story was -told. The history of the Great Mutiny contains many -instances of a mere handful of Englishmen holding -their own against tremendous odds, as was done at -Arrah.</p> - -<p>When news came of the outbreak at Arrah and the -predicament of the white residents there, a relief -expedition was hastily organised at Dinapur under the -command of Captain Dunbar. It was destined to fail -in its mission, but it was a gallant and notable -attempt. The force comprised four hundred men, -drawn from the 10th and 37th Regiments, with a -sprinkling of volunteers. Among the latter were -Messrs. Ross Mangles and McDonell, whose intimate -knowledge of the district made them invaluable as -guides.</p> - -<p>All went well with the expedition in its journey -up the Ganges and, on landing, it marched several -miles without serious molestation. But when within -a few miles of Arrah it was obliged to pass through a -thick piece of jungle in which the sepoys had laid an -ambuscade. Darkness had fallen as the soldiers -pushed their way through the maze of trees and dense -undergrowth, and the murderous fire that suddenly -broke out threw them into confusion.</p> - -<p>All through the night the unequal fight went on, -but the loss on the British side was so heavy that -when morning dawned the surviving officers saw it -would be impossible, or at least unwise, to continue -the advance. Captain Dunbar, unfortunately, had -been among the first to fall. Very reluctantly, therefore,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -the order to retreat was given, and the little -force, still firing on its foes, slowly fell back. Other -sepoys had arrived on the scene in the meantime, -and the exhausted soldiers now found themselves -compelled to run the gauntlet between two lines of -fire. In these conditions something like a panic at -last set in; the ranks broke up in disorder.</p> - -<p>“But, disastrous as was the retreat,” says one -account, “it was not all disgraceful. There will -always be acts of individual heroism when Englishmen -go out to battle. It may be a soldier or it may be a -civilian, in whom the irrepressible warrior instinct -manifests itself in some act of conspicuous gallantry -and devotion, but it is sure never to be wanting.”</p> - -<p>In this instance it was the civilian who rose to the -occasion. Early in the engagement Mr. Mangles had -been hit by a musket ball, but the shot had luckily -only stunned him. Quickly recovering, he lent a hand -in helping the wounded, and on the retreat commencing -he played an active part in beating off the -sepoys. With a number of men round him to reload -and supply him with muskets, he shot sepoy after -sepoy, the sure eye and hand which had made him a -noted tiger shot not failing him in this hour of need.</p> - -<p>The especial act for which he was awarded the -Cross, however, was the gallant rescue of a wounded -private of the Hampshires (the 37th Foot). At the -man’s piteous appeal to his comrades not to leave him -there helpless to be hacked to pieces by the sepoys, -Mangles nobly rushed to his side, bound up his wounds, -and then lifted him on to his back. With this heavy -burden the brave civilian trudged on among the -others.</p> - -<p>It was rough going for the greater part of the six<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -miles to the river, the ground being very swampy, and -overhead was a broiling July sun. Despite these -disadvantages, and the fact that he had not slept for -forty-eight hours, Mangles bore the helpless private the -whole of the way, only stopping now and then to place -his charge on the ground and take a pot-shot at the -pursuing rebels. “I really never felt so strong in my -life,” he used to say afterwards in referring to this -incident. When the waters of the Ganges were -reached he plunged in and swam out to the boats -with his now unconscious burden. Then, when all -the survivors were aboard, the flotilla started on its -sad return journey.</p> - -<p>Mr. McDonell all this time had been ever to the -front, assisting the officers to keep the men together. -An excellent shot, like his fellow-magistrate, he -accounted for many a rebel ere the river-side was -reached, but he did not escape unscathed. A musket -shot had lodged in his arm.</p> - -<p>In the wild rush for the half-dozen country boats -moored close to the river bank, McDonell gave no -thought to himself. There were several men very -badly hit, and it was not until he had seen these safely -over the thwarts that he jumped in and cast the -mooring adrift. He was the last man aboard his -boat, which was crowded with thirty-five soldiers.</p> - -<p>Out into the stream they floated, but now a fresh -danger faced them. The rebels had removed the oars -from the boat and lashed the rudder tightly, so that -the little craft was helpless. To their horror it began -to drift back again to the southern bank, on which the -sepoys were clustered in joyful expectation of emptying -their muskets into the boatload of sahibs. Something -had to be done at once, or they were doomed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span></p> - -<p>To show his face above the gunwale was to court -instant death, but McDonell took the risk. With a -knife in his hand, he climbed outside on to the canvas -roof, worked his way to the stern and with a few deft -slashes cut the ropes that held the tiller fast. Bullets -pattered all round him as he lay outstretched there, -and one passed clean through his helmet, but he was -otherwise untouched. Having regained his seat -safely, he steered the boat and its precious freight to -the opposite bank, where they landed—three men -short. The sepoys’ fire had not been all in vain.</p> - -<p>While, as I have said, both Mangles and McDonell -received the V.C. for their bravery on this occasion, -it is a remarkable fact that the former’s exploit would -have passed unnoticed by the authorities but for a -happy chance. The private whose life he had saved -and who had passed some months in Dinapur Hospital -before being invalided home, had told the story of his -rescue to a surgeon. This worthy noted it down at the -time in his journal, and just twelve months later made -the true facts public.</p> - -<p>It was only in March of last year that Mr. Ross -Lowis Mangles died at his home in Surrey, where, after -long service in India, he had settled down to spend -the remaining years of his life.</p> - -<p class="tb">Of the three civilians who have won the V.C. -“Lucknow” Kavanagh is the most famous. The -story of his daring journey in disguise through the -rebel lines in order to act as guide to Sir Colin -Campbell’s relief force has been told over and over -again, but one can never tire of hearing it. It thrills -our pulses now as much as ever it did.</p> - -<p>Thomas Henry Kavanagh was an Irishman in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -Indian Civil Service. At the time the Mutiny broke -out he held the post of Superintendent of the office of -the Chief Commissioner of Oudh, and took up his -residence in Lucknow. Here with his wife he played -no mean part in these fateful months before and after -Havelock and Outram had fought their way to the aid -of the Residency garrison, taking his share of work in -the trenches or at the guns as required.</p> - -<p>Early in November 1857, Sir Colin Campbell, -marching with a large army to the relief of Lucknow, -got as far as the Alumbagh. To save the General -from having to make the perilous passage through the -narrow streets and lanes which had cost him so many -men two months earlier, Outram by means of a native -spy sent plans of the city and its approaches to -Campbell, and suggested the best route to be followed. -There was still the danger, however, of some dreadful -blunder being committed, and Outram expressed a wish -that he were able to send a competent guide.</p> - -<p>This coming to Kavanagh’s ears, he promptly went -to Outram’s Chief of Staff, Colonel Robert Napier,<a name="FNanchor_2" id="FNanchor_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> -and volunteered his services in this capacity. The -colonel stared at him in blank astonishment, as well -he might, for of all men in Lucknow Kavanagh -looked to be the one least suited to play the rôle of -spy. He was a tall, big-limbed man, with fair complexion, -“aggressively red hair and beard, and uncompromisingly -blue eyes.” To transform this healthy -specimen of an Irishman into a native seemed an utter -impossibility.</p> - -<p>But Kavanagh persisted that he could get through -to the British lines. He would be disguised, of course -and his knowledge of Hindustani and local dialects<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -was perfect. He persisted more strenuously still -when, on his being ushered into Outram’s presence, the -General refused point blank to consent to his going. -After much arguing, he at length persuaded Outram -to listen to his plan, and extorted a half-hearted -permission to make the attempt. It remained for -him to convince his chief of the impenetrability of -his disguise.</p> - -<p>Kavanagh has told us in his own account of the -adventure, how the same evening (Nov. 9th), with face, -neck, and arms blackened with lamp-black, his red hair -hidden beneath a cream-coloured turban, and the rest -of his person disguised in the silk trousers, yellow -<em>koortah</em>, or jacket, white cummerbund, and chintz -mantle of an irregular native soldier, he sauntered -with sword and shield into Napier’s quarters.</p> - -<p>The experiment was an immense success. Seeing -what was evidently a <em>budmash</em> (a worthless fellow) -thus insolently thrusting himself upon them, the -officers present bade him begone, and a very pretty -squabble in low-class Hindustani ensued. In the -midst of it Sir James Outram entered the room, and -having sufficiently tested his disguise Kavanagh made -himself known. To his joy, no opposition was now -raised to his plan.</p> - -<p>Half an hour later, with the native spy Kunoujee -Lal, who was returning to the Alumbagh with a -letter from Outram, he bade good-bye to his friends, -forded the river Goomtee, and started on his perilous -mission.</p> - -<p>“My courage failed me,” he confesses, “while in -the water, and if my guide had been within my reach -I should perhaps have pulled him back and abandoned -the enterprise. But he waded quickly through the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> -stream, and, reaching the opposite bank, went crouching -up a ditch for three hundred yards to a grove of -low trees on the edge of a pond, where we stopped to -dress.”</p> - -<p>His confidence having returned, Kavanagh went -boldly forward, tulwar on shoulder, and even dared to -accost a matchlock man near a hut with a remark -that the night was cold. A little farther on they -were pulled up by the officer of a native picket, and -Kunoujee Lal, acting as spokesman, explained that -they had come from Mundeon (“our old cantonment”) -and were making their way to their homes in the -city. This satisfied the sepoy officer, and they passed -on with no little relief.</p> - -<p>Recrossing the river by the iron bridge, they safely -negotiated the streets of Lucknow, though the place -swarmed with sentries and armed men, and issuing at -last from the city on the other side, breathed more -freely.</p> - -<p>“I was in great spirits when we reached the green -fields, into which I had not been for five months,” -says Kavanagh. “Everything around us smelt sweet, -and a carrot I took from the roadside was the most -delicious I had ever tasted.”</p> - -<p>A wrong turning now led them astray into the -Dilkusha Park, where the rebels had a battery. Much -against his companion’s will, the daring Irishman -insisted on inspecting these guns, and Kunoujee Lal -was in considerable trepidation until after two hours’ -weary tramping across paddy fields and canal cuttings -they regained the right road.</p> - -<p>At two o’clock in the morning, after several alarms -from suspicious villagers who chased them some -distance, they stumbled upon a picket of twenty-five<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -sepoys on the outskirts of the city. Kavanagh was -for the bold course of going up and questioning the -men, but Kunoujee Lal lost heart and threw away -the letter entrusted to him for Sir Colin Campbell. -Kavanagh kept his still concealed in his turban.</p> - -<p>The picket was in some alarm at their approach, -but it proved to be fear lest the pair were Englishmen -from the Alumbagh camp, only a mile or two in -advance of them! With this cheering news, the two -spies pushed on, a friendly sepoy having put them on -the right road on hearing that they were “walking to -the village of Umroula on a sad errand, namely, to -inform a friend that his brother had been killed -by a ball from the British entrenchments at -Lucknow.”</p> - -<p>A nasty tumble into a swamp, which washed the -black from Kavanagh’s hands, was their next most -serious <i lang="fr">contretemps</i>. For some time they waded -through it waist-deep, having gone too far to recede -before they discovered it was a swamp. An hour -afterwards they stole unobserved through two pickets -of sepoys and gained the shelter of a grove of trees, -where Kavanagh insisted on having a good sleep. -Kunoujee Lal, by no means assured that they were -out of danger, kept a fearful watch, but nobody came -near them save some flying natives, who stated that -they had been pursued by British soldiers.</p> - -<p>Kavanagh having been roused, the two went on -once more. Another mile or so was traversed, and -then (it being about four o’clock in the morning of -the 10th) the welcome challenge “Who goes -there?” rang on their ears. It was a mounted -patrol of Sikhs. They had reached the British -outposts.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span></p> - -<p>Two men of the patrol guided Kavanagh and his -companion to the camp, where they were immediately -conducted into the presence of Sir Colin Campbell. -When he learned that Kavanagh had come through -the rebel lines, the Commander-in-Chief could not find -enough words to express his admiration. “I consider -his escape,” he wrote in his despatch, “at a time -when the entrenchment was closely invested by a -large army, one of the most daring feats ever -attempted.”</p> - -<p>For his part, Kavanagh paid a generous tribute to -his fellow-spy, Kunoujee Lal, who had displayed -wonderful courage and intelligence in their trying -journey. When they were questioned, it was the -native who did most of the speaking, and he always -had a ready answer for the most searching interrogation.</p> - -<p>The news of Kavanagh’s arrival was signalled to -Lucknow by means of a flag from the summit of the -Alumbagh, and Outram’s mind was set at ease. In -due course the plucky Irishman guided Sir Colin into -the city, being present through all the fierce fighting at -the Secunderabagh and the Moti-Mahal, and further -distinguishing himself by saving a wounded soldier’s -life. Nor does this close the tale of his adventures, -for he passed through many exciting experiences in -rebel-hunting ere the Mutiny was suppressed.</p> - -<p>Kavanagh lived to wear the Victoria Cross for -twenty-three years, dying in 1882 at Gibraltar. His -Cross was presented by his son to the N.W.P. and -Oudh Provincial Museum at Lucknow, while the -tulwar, shield and pistol he bore on his journey, -together with other articles of his disguise, are preserved -in the Dublin Museum.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Afterwards Lord Napier of Magdala.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.<br /> -<span class="smaller">INDIA.—SOME OTHER CROSSES OF THE MUTINY.</span></h2> - -<p>The full tale of the Crosses of the Mutiny (do they -not number one hundred and eighty-two in all?) -is a long one, and cannot be told here. But before -bringing this chapter of V.C. history to a close I must -tell of yet a few more and the manner of their winning, -for they call to mind deeds which we ought not willingly -to let fade from our memories.</p> - -<p>I would like much to dwell, did space permit, on -Lawrence’s heroic stand at the Lucknow Residency; -to tell of Lieutenant Robert Aitken of the Bailey -Guard “Post,” who won the V.C. many times over -in that six-months’ siege; of brave Commissioner -Gubbins; and of Captain Fulton, the garrison engineer, -who had a countermine for every mine that the -rebels drove under the British defences, and to whom -the dangerous game of sepoy hunting above and -below earth was “great fun and excitement.” They -were gallant fellows all, and the record of their -exploits is truly an inspiring one; but I must hurry -on to the taking of Lucknow, and to the story of the -V.C.’s gained in that last desperate struggle for -supremacy.</p> - -<p>When Sir Colin Campbell started on his march to -the relief of Havelock and Outram he had an army<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -of only some 4700 men, but in this force were picked -regiments such as the 93rd Highlanders, the 9th -Lancers, Hodson’s Horse, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, -and the 53rd Foot (the “Shropshires”), together with -some squadrons of Sikh cavalry and two regiments -of Punjab infantry. The famous 93rd were Sir -Colin’s special favourites. They had been with him -in the Crimea, and had formed the “thin red line” -which had so successfully routed the Russian cavalry. -“You are my own lads, Ninety-third!” he said, -addressing them at the parade at Buntera, “and I -rely on you to do the work;” to which the stern-faced -Highlanders, mindful of what had been done at -Cawnpore, responded with a mighty shout.</p> - -<p>How well the 93rd acquitted themselves is to -be read in any history; what is of particular interest -here is that they gained no fewer than seven Crosses -in the Lucknow fighting.</p> - -<p>Four of these belong to the fierce assault on the -Secunderabagh, the first and most formidable rebel -position to be attacked. When the artillery had -made a breach in the face of the fortress wall there -was a race between Sikhs and Highlanders to be -the first in. Accounts differ as to the result; some -say a Sikh won the honour, being shot dead instantly; -others a Highlander, who suffered the same fate. -However that may be, it is pretty certain that Lance-Corporal -Dunley of the 93rd (Archibald Forbes writes -him down an Irishman) was the first man of his -regiment to reach the goal and get through alive.</p> - -<p>Behind him streamed Highlanders and Sikhs, -tumbling in with bayonets fixed, before which -the sepoys fell in scores. There were upwards of 2000 -rebels in the Secunderabagh, and but three or four,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -says Lord Roberts, dropped over the wall on the city -side and escaped. Every other man of them was -killed. The carnage that took place within the -courtyard almost passes description.</p> - -<p>In the first terrible rush, which resolved itself into -a series of personal combats, Private P. Grant and -Colour-Sergeant J. Munro distinguished themselves by -saving the lives of two officers. Grant saw his officer -in difficulties with a crowd of sepoys whose colour he -had captured, and rushing up cut down five of the -rebels. That was not the only sepoy ensign taken -that day, for Private D. Mackay secured one after -a fierce contest and bore it triumphantly away.</p> - -<p>Dunley, Grant, Munro, and Mackay were elected -by their comrades as most worthy to be decorated -when their regiment was singled out for distinction, -and each duly received the V.C.</p> - -<p>There was a Punjabi Mahommedan, by the way, -Mukarrab Khan by name, who in this same Secunderabagh -fight earned the V.C. as much as did any -man. Lord Roberts, who was an eye-witness, tells -the story of his bravery. The enemy, he says, having -been driven out of the earthwork, made for the gateway, -which they nearly succeeded in shutting behind -them. But just as the doors were closing Mukarrab -Khan pushed his left arm, on which he bore a shield, -between them. A sword-cut slashed his hand, whereupon -the dauntless Mahommedan, withdrawing his -left arm, thrust in his right, and had his other hand -all but severed at the wrist. He gained his object, -however, for he kept the doors from being closed until -his comrades rushed to his help and forced them open.</p> - -<p>It was an act of heroic devotion, and it is satisfactory -to know that Mukarrab Khan was awarded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -the Order of Merit, which is the Indian equivalent -of the V.C., and carries with it an increase of pay.</p> - -<p>At the taking of the Shah Nujeef, on the same day, -the 16th of November 1857, Sergeant John Paton, -of the 93rd, did a daring thing, which added another -V.C. to the regimental record.</p> - -<p>The Shah Nujeef was a mosque built over the tomb -of an old king of Oudh, a massively built structure -with loopholed walls, and the guns of the Naval -Brigade, under Captain Peel, were unable to make -a breach. As night was fast coming on, Sir Colin -Campbell determined to make a bold effort to carry -the place by storm, and called on the Highlanders to -follow him. That the 93rd would have scaled the -walls of the mosque though half of them fell in the -task need not be doubted, but fortunately they were -not called on to do so.</p> - -<p>Soon after the order to advance had been given, -Sergeant Paton came tearing down the ravine with -the news that he had discovered a breach in the north-east -corner of the rampart, close by the river Goomtee. -“It appears,” says Forbes-Mitchell of the 93rd, who -records the incident, “that our shot and shell had -gone over the first breach, and had blown out the -wall on the other side in this particular spot. Paton -told how he had climbed up to the top of the ramparts -without difficulty, and seen right inside the -place, as the whole defending force had been called -forward to repulse the assault in front.”</p> - -<p>A detachment was promptly sent round to this -point with the sergeant as guide, and an entrance to -the position effected. But the sepoys, finding themselves -thus taken in the rear, gave up the fight and -fled with all speed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span></p> - -<p>The other two V.C. heroes of the Highlanders were -Captain Stewart, who headed a splendid charge -against the rebel guns at the position known as -the Mess-house; and Lieutenant and Adjutant William -M’Bean, who at the onslaught on the Begumbagh -Palace bore himself like a paladin of old, and was -seen to slay eleven sepoys single-handed. M’Bean -was a mighty figure in a corps wherein every man -was a doughty fighter, and the tale of his exploits is -a notable one. An Inverness ploughman before he -enlisted, he rose to command the regiment which he -had entered as a private, and died a Major-General.</p> - -<p>I have mentioned the Naval Brigade in connection -with the attack on the Shah Nujeef. Peel’s gallant -bluejackets, whom we last met doing great things at -Sebastopol, had been hurried to India from their -station at Hong Kong, immediately news arrived of -the outbreak of the Mutiny; and after smelling -powder at Cawnpore and other places they accompanied -the relief army to Lucknow.</p> - -<p>Right up under the frowning walls of the mosque -did they run their useful 24-pounders, as coolly as if -“laying alongside an enemy’s frigate,” to use Sir -Colin’s own words. But the guns were not powerful -enough to break down the masonry. Despite the -obvious hopelessness of the task, however, Lieutenant -Young and Seaman William Hall (a negro, be it noted) -fearlessly stood by their gun, reloading and pounding -away at the wall under a most deadly fire, and only -desisting when the order eventually came to fall -back. They both got the V.C. for that gallant action.</p> - -<p>The other Crosses that fell to the Naval men in -the same fight were won by a young lieutenant whose<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -name still figures on the Active List as Admiral Sir -Nowell Salmon, G.C.B., and Boatswain’s Mate John -Harrison. These two pluckily volunteered to climb -trees that overlooked the mosque walls and reconnoitre -the rebel position, at the same time picking off the -sepoys with their rifles. A mark at once for the rebel -sharpshooters, who quickly espied them, both men -drew upon themselves a heavy fire, but though they -were wounded they accounted for several mutineers -ere clambering down from their perches, and secured -valuable information for their commander.</p> - -<p>In the taking of Lucknow young Lieutenant Henry -Havelock, son of the famous General, played a prominent -part, leading a storming party that captured a -palace close to the rebel citadel, the Kaisarbagh. But -he had won his V.C. before this, at Cawnpore, where -he captured a rebel gun in the face of an appalling -fire; and at the Charbagh Bridge, Lucknow, while -serving under his father.</p> - -<p>His action at the latter place was characteristic -of his impulsive bravery. Neill, who held a position -by the bridge, would not move to “rush” the sepoys -and their guns without orders from Outram. Wheeling -his horse, it is said, young Havelock rode off in -the direction of the General and his staff, but soon -after turning the bend in the road he galloped hastily -back to trick Neill into taking action. Giving a -salute, he said, “You are to carry the bridge at -once, sir!”</p> - -<p>Taking this to be an order from the General, Neill -gave the word to advance, and Arnold of the Madras -Fusiliers led his men forward in a gallant charge, -being shot down almost immediately. A storm of -grape swept the bridge clear, and Havelock found<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -himself the only officer—and almost the only man—standing -there alive. With a wave of his sword and -a shout to the rest of the Fusiliers whom the guns -had checked, he led a second charge, and this time the -bridge was won.</p> - -<p>Young Havelock’s gallantry in the Indian Mutiny -marked him out for a distinguished career, and he did -not disappoint those who prophesied thus concerning -him. As is well known, he became in after -years Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, -Bart., K.C.B.</p> - -<p>Among the many other pictures of the Mutiny -that present themselves vividly to my mind is one -of a young Fusilier officer swimming the river -Goomtee in plain sight of any sepoys who might be -upon the farther bank, and audaciously climbing up -the parapet of a rebel battery. It had been shelled -by our troops, but with what success was not known. -He stands there on the wall signalling to his impatient -comrades that it is abandoned, but it is some time ere -their officers will let them follow where he has led. -The Highlanders and Sikhs get across the river at -last, however, and with a laugh at the discomfited -sepoys who have been vainly trying to “pot” him -from an adjacent battery, the young officer—Butler -by name—hands over his captured position to the -new-comers, and swims back to his own regiment.</p> - -<p>That was a V.C. exploit, and it holds the imagination -as much as does that which won the decoration -for Ensign Patrick Roddy of the Bengal Army. -The scene of Roddy’s achievement was Kuthirga, -and the date September 27, 1858. At the close of -an action with a rebel force at this place some of the -cavalry were kept at bay for some time by a determined<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> -sepoy subadar of a revolted regiment, a tall, -powerful fellow. This man knelt alone in the -middle of the road and with musket at shoulder -covered his enemies.</p> - -<p>While his sowars hung back, afraid to face that -gleaming barrel, young Roddy did not hesitate. -Spurring his horse, he charged straight upon the rebel -subadar, who firing at close range brought down -the ensign’s horse. Roddy had some difficulty in -freeing himself from the stirrups as he lay on the -ground, but ere the sepoy could get really to grips -with him he managed to draw his sword, and in the -tussle ran the fellow through the body. Sir Hope -Grant had had occasion previously to remark on the -young ensign’s conspicuous bravery, and he took care -that this special feat was fittingly rewarded.</p> - -<p>Mention of Roddy’s hand-to-hand combat reminds -me of the great fight between Sapper Sam Shaw, of -the Rifle Brigade, and a white muslin-clad Ghazi, at -Nawabgunge. It was after the sharp action at that -place in June 1858 that the fanatic was seen to -enter a grove of trees. A dozen men hastened in -pursuit, but Shaw was easily the first, and coming up -with his man he engaged him with the short sword -that sappers carry.</p> - -<p>A Ghazi at best is a dangerous fellow to tackle, and -a Ghazi wounded and at bay, as this one was, might -well have made Sam Shaw hesitate before venturing -to attack him alone. But the sapper was not a man -to think twice of danger, and in he went, sword against -tulwar, until after several minutes’ fierce hacking and -thrusting he saw his chance to close, and finished the -affair with a mighty lunge.</p> - -<p>It was a great fight, as I have said, and Sapper<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -Shaw well earned the V.C. he got for it. But against -his decoration he had to put a terrible slashing cut on -the head from that keen-edged tulwar, a wound that -came very near to ending his career then and -there.</p> - -<p>Last on my list of Mutiny V.C.’s come Lance-Corporal -William Goate, of the 9th Lancers, and that popular -hero, Sir Evelyn Wood, whose names still figure in the -list of surviving recipients of the Cross for Valour.</p> - -<p>Goate had just been three years and a half in the -Lancers when the Mutiny broke out. His regiment -was stationed at Umballa at the time, and proceeded -at once to Delhi. After the fall of the old Punjab -capital he was at the second captures of Cawnpore and -Lucknow, taking part in some of the fiercest engagements -of the campaign, and it was here—at Lucknow—that -he performed the deed of valour which won -him the Cross.</p> - -<p>On the 6th of March—a blazing hot day, it is -recorded—there was a bold sortie from the rebel lines -which a British brigade was sent to repulse. The 9th -Lancers was one of the regiments ordered to charge, -and away they went, neck and neck with the 2nd -Dragoons, for the enemy who had taken up their -position on the racecourse. The sepoys broke before -the onset of the cavalrymen, but the latter at length -had to retire owing to a heavy fire from artillery -and battery.</p> - -<p>In the ride back Major Percy Smith, of the Dragoons, -was shot through the body and fell from his horse. -Corporal Goate was close by, and springing to the -ground he quickly lifted the major on to his shoulder -and ran with him thus alongside his horse. The -major was a heavy weight, however; Goate found<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> -himself lagging behind with several of the enemy -close upon him. Clearly he couldn’t get away with -his burden, so he determined to do what he could -for himself and the major. Placing the wounded -officer on the ground, he sprang into his saddle and -rode at his foes.</p> - -<p>“I shot the first sepoy who charged,” he says in his -account of the incident, “and with my empty pistol -felled another. This gave me time to draw my sword, -my lance having been left on the field. The sepoys -were now round me cutting and hacking, but I -managed to parry every slash and deliver many a -fatal thrust. It was parry and thrust, thrust and -parry all through, and I cannot tell you how many -saddles I must have emptied. The enemy didn’t seem -to know how to parry.”</p> - -<p>So our brave corporal (he was only a little more -than twenty, mind you) “settled accounts with a jolly -lot,” and was still hard at it when some of his comrades -came to his assistance. In the fight his horse had -carried him some distance from where the major lay, -and when the rebels had been forced back he went out -again to look for him. Poor Major Smith was found -after a long search, but it was a mutilated corpse -that was brought sadly and reverently back to the -camp.</p> - -<p>Sir Colin Campbell and Sir Hope Grant had seen -Goate’s gallant attempt at rescue, and after the action -there was a cordial handshake for him from both the -veterans, with many compliments upon his pluck that -filled the corporal with just pride.</p> - -<p>The scene of Sir Evelyn Wood’s principal exploit -was the wilds of Sindhora, near Gwalior. It was at -the close of the Mutiny, when the rebels had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> -split up and only kept the fires of rebellion burning -in detached districts. After a fatiguing pursuit of some -mutineers one day, news came to the young officer’s ears -(he was a lieutenant in the 17th Lancers then) that a -potail—a loyal native named Chemmum Singh—had -been carried off by a band of these marauders. With -a duffadar, two or three sowars of Beatson’s Horse, and -half a dozen sepoys of the Bareilly Levy, he started off -promptly in pursuit.</p> - -<p>The mutineers were discovered at night in the -jungle, twelve miles away, preparing to hang their -captive. Creeping up unseen, Lieutenant Wood and -his few followers sprang upon them from several points -at once, firing a volley and shouting as if they had a -whole company behind them. This was enough for -the rebels. They took to their heels incontinently, -and before they could rally and discover the numbers -of their assailants Wood and his men were riding -swiftly back with the released potail.</p> - -<p>That daring adventure, together with a very -notable rout of rebel cavalry at Sindwaho a little -earlier, was sufficient recommendation for the V.C., and -the honour, though slow in coming, was eventually -bestowed upon him.</p> - -<p>It is curious to note how persistently the authorities -refused to recognise Evelyn Wood’s valour. In the -Crimea, where as a middy he served with the Naval -Brigade, he was singled out for distinction for his -bravery at the Redan assault; but his claim was -ignored, despite the strong protests of his commander, -Captain Lushington.</p> - -<p>His subsequent career, after he had abandoned the -Navy for the Army, should be well known to every -British boy. There has not been a war since the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -Mutiny in which he has not played a leading part,—witness -the Ashanti, Zulu, Transvaal, and Egyptian -campaigns,—and to-day there is no finer soldier in the -service than the ex-Sirdar of the Egyptian army, Field-Marshal -Sir Henry Evelyn Wood, G.C.B.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.<br /> -<span class="smaller">IN THE SIXTIES.—CHINA, JAPAN, INDIA, WEST AFRICA, -AND CANADA.</span></h2> - -<p>The principal war in which we were engaged in -the sixties was that waged against the Maoris -in New Zealand, but that demands a chapter to itself. -For the present I will confine myself to some of the -smaller campaigns of the same period which yielded -several notable V.C.’s.</p> - -<p>Towards the end of 1859 trouble broke out afresh -with China, immediately after the conclusion of what -is known as the Second Chinese War. Sir F. Bruce, -the British Commissioner, while sailing up the Pei-ho -to Pekin to ratify the treaty just made with the -Emperor, was fired upon by the Taku Forts at the -mouth of the river. No apologies being forthcoming, -an expedition under General Sir James Hope Grant -was despatched to teach the Chinese a salutary lesson.</p> - -<p>The expedition, which was strengthened by a French -force, was ready to begin operations against the Taku -Forts by July 1860, but owing to the swampy nature -of the country around them a halt had to be called -while the engineers set to work to make roads. These -were completed by the middle of August, and then the -attack commenced in real earnest.</p> - -<p>Under a heavy fire from the Chinese gunners<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> -English and French vied with each other to be the -first to cross the ditches in front of the forts. Scaling-ladders -and pontoon bridges were requisitioned, but -the delay in placing these in position galled a number -of our men to such an extent that privates and officers -alike plunged boldly into the water and swam across. -The first to reach the walls were Lieutenant Robert -Rogers, of the 44th Regiment, two Lieutenants of the -67th, E. H. Lenon and Nathaniel Burslem, with -Privates John M’Dougall and Thomas Lane. Up -through the embrasures they all clambered, Burslem -and Lane being specially noticed as they knocked -away a portion of the wall and enlarged the opening -sufficiently to enable them to scramble through, just -as did Dunley at the Secunderabagh fight.</p> - -<p>Where they showed the way their comrades quickly -followed, the while some of the French with ladders -vainly attempted to climb the walls. At the head of -the 67th Regiment came Ensign Chaplin, bearing -proudly the colour which he was determined to plant -first upon the fort. He had hardly gained the ditch, -however, when a bullet struck him in the arm, -making him drop the standard. There was a brief -pause while he bound a handkerchief tightly round -his wound, then on he went again, colours raised -aloft.</p> - -<p>A French regiment of infantry was pressing forward -at the same time, and Chaplin playfully called to their -colour-bearer to race him to the fort. The challenge -was promptly taken up. As soon as the breach was -clear the ensign dashed for it, and by strenuous effort -forced his way inside. Before him were Chinese riflemen -and pikemen, but he cut his way through them -with his sword, and hurried on to his goal.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span></p> - -<p>Suddenly a second bullet caught him, making him -stagger, at which a private clutched at the swaying -standard pole.</p> - -<p>“Hands off!” cried Chaplin vehemently, for he saw -that the French colour-bearer was now close behind -him. And, pulling himself together gamely, he made -a last spurt for the summit, which he reached well in -advance of all others. In a moment the flag was -planted, amid a ringing British cheer; then the brave -young ensign was seen to fall. A shot in the leg had -brought him down at last.</p> - -<p>Seeing him prone on the ground at their mercy, the -Chinese made a rush for him, but they were luckily -too late. The 67th swarmed up the hill, and Chaplin -was rescued to survive that engagement and many -others, and wear on his breast the Cross for Valour -in token of his gallantry. At the same time that he -was gazetted the names of Rogers, Lenon, Burslem, -M’Dougall, and Lane also appeared, the V.C. having -been bestowed upon them for that bold dash at the -breach.</p> - -<p>The obvious similarity of the incidents makes it unnecessary -for me to more than just refer here to the -deed for which Midshipman D. G. Boyes and Captain -of the After-Guard Thomas Pride, of H.M.S. <i>Euryalus</i>, -won the Cross. Their vessel formed one of the fleet -under Vice-Admiral Kuper which was sent to Japan -in 1863 to demand reparation from the Mikado’s -Government for certain outrages committed. At the -attack on Shimonoseki Boyes carried the colour of the -leading regiment, with Pride as one of his colour-sergeants -(the other fell mortally wounded in the -thick of the fight), and was almost the first to get -inside the enemy’s stockade. That the middy ran a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> -terrible risk is evident from the fact that the colour -he carried was pierced no fewer than six times by -musket balls.</p> - -<p>Out in the Indian state of Bhotan in 1865 an act -of remarkable daring was performed, which brought -the V.C. to two distinguished engineer officers, -Captain (now Major-General) William Spottiswoode -Trevor and Lieutenant James Dundas. In that year -war broke out with the independent Bhotias, originating -in a quarrel over frontier territories in Assam, -and a British force under Major-General Sir Harry -Tombs, V.C., the hero of a little outpost skirmish at -Delhi, already recorded, was despatched to restore -order.</p> - -<p>On the 30th of April a sharp engagement at -Dewangiri, down in the south-east corner of the little -hill-state, resulted in the Bhotias being driven out of -their position; but a remnant of them, some two -hundred in all, obstinately barricaded themselves in a -strongly-built, loopholed blockhouse. This little fortress, -standing at the summit of a rocky path, was the -key to the position, and it was essential that it should -not be held to serve as a rallying-point for the routed -enemy.</p> - -<p>Turning to his Sikhs, General Tombs asked them -to make a dash for the walls and carry the place by -storm, but, courageous fighters though they were, -they looked at the rows of deadly loopholes and -stood still. They only waited for a leader, however. -With an “officer sahib” at their head, the big, black-bearded -Punjabis were ready for the most forlorn -of hopes. And they followed with alacrity when, -at Tombs’ call, Captain Trevor and Lieutenant Dundas -showed them the way.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span></p> - -<p>Taking the path at a rush, the two officers gained -the wall of the blockhouse unscathed, and though -from every loophole came the crackle of a rifle they -began to scramble up the wall. The latter was -fourteen feet high, no mean obstacle to surmount; -but they got up at last, the captain leading, and found -themselves on a level with the roof of the blockhouse. -Between the top of the wall and the roof was an -opening not more than two feet wide. Through this -was their only chance of getting inside, and they -took it.</p> - -<p>Head foremost they wriggled in through the narrow -hole, one after the other, and dropped like snakes -from the thatch into the midst of the surprised -garrison. At the first discharge of muskets both -of the intrepid officers were wounded, but the Sikhs -thronging in behind them quickly finished the -business. Within a few minutes the blockhouse -was swept clear.</p> - -<p>The following year, 1866, saw us involved in -trouble with a West African tribe in the Gambia -district. A punitive expedition having been organised -under the command of Colonel D’Arcy, the Governor -of Gambia, the kingdom of Barra, in which the -turbulent tribe resided, was invaded. One of the -first actions in this campaign was the assault on the -stockaded town of Tubabecolong, and here Private -Samuel Hodge, of the 4th West India Regiment, -behaved with such gallantry that he became the -second man of colour to receive the V.C.</p> - -<p>When the little force reached the town, Colonel -D’Arcy called for volunteers to break down the -stockade with axes. Hodge and another pioneer, who -was afterwards killed, answered the call, and plied<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> -their axes bravely in the face of the negroes’ fire -until a breach had been made. Through this the -regiment struggled, but the negroes had been reinforced, -and so strongly that they were able to beat -the besiegers off for a time.</p> - -<p>Colonel D’Arcy relates that he found himself left -alone in the breach with only Hodge by him. Here -he kept firing at the negroes, while the big West -Indian, standing coolly at his side, conspicuous in -his scarlet uniform with white facings, supplied him -with loaded muskets. After a little time the rest -of the men re-formed and came once more to the -attack, whereupon Hodge went ahead again, breaking -a way for them through the bush-work defences.</p> - -<p>To give his comrades a better chance of storming -the place, he at last ran round to the principal -entrance, drove off such of the negroes as thrust -themselves in his path, and forced open the two -great gates which had been barricaded from within. -Through these the West Indian Regiment charged -with their bayonets, and when they emerged at the -other side of the smoke-enveloped village they left -some hundreds of negroes dead and dying in their -wake.</p> - -<p>Colonel D’Arcy had done great deeds of valour -that day, deeds which were suitably recognised later -by the merchants of Bathurst, who presented him -with a sword of honour, but he modestly disclaimed -the praise due to him. To Private Hodge, he said, -belonged the chief honours of the attack, and at the -close of the action, before the whole regiment, he -saluted the proud pioneer as “the bravest man in the -corps.”</p> - -<p>By a curious coincidence it was in the same<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -quarter of Africa that, twenty-six years later, the -third coloured man to be decorated won his V.C. -This was Corporal William James Gordon, also of -the West Indian Regiment. His act of special -gallantry was to save his officer (Major Madden) -from certain death at the storming of the town of -Toniataba, on the Gambia. Gordon thrust himself -between the major and the enemy’s rifle barrels as -they were suddenly poked out of the loopholes at -the officer’s back, receiving a bullet through his lungs -that went within an ace of killing him.</p> - -<p>The other notable Crosses of the sixties were -awarded for deeds of bravery that necessitated the -issue of an additional Royal Warrant to cover deeds -performed not in action but “under circumstances of -extreme danger, such as the occurrence of a fire -on board ship, or of the foundering of a vessel at -sea, or under any other circumstances in which, -through the courage and devotion displayed, life or -public property may be saved.” By this special -provision a brave Irishman, Timothy O’Hea by name, -a private in the Rifle Brigade, was awarded the -V.C., together with Dr. Campbell Douglas, and four -privates of the South Wales Borderers, then styled -the 24th Regiment.</p> - -<p>O’Hea’s exploit was performed at a railway siding -between Quebec and Montreal in June 1866, while -he was acting as one of an escort in charge of an -ammunition van. To everybody’s alarm a fire broke -out, enveloping the car in flames and smoke. Inside -were kegs of powder and cases of ammunition, which, -did they ignite, would cause a most terrible explosion.</p> - -<p>While the others hesitated O’Hea snatched the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> -keys from the sergeant’s hand, opened the door of -the van and called for volunteers to bring him water -and a ladder. The latter was quickly procured, and -standing on this the plucky private emptied bucketful -after bucketful upon the burning wood. It was -a touch-and-go business, as the tongues of flame -shot out every now and then, coming dangerously -near to the powder kegs, but O’Hea stuck to his -post and he fought the fire under.</p> - -<p>Though the Rifle Brigade has fourteen Crosses to -its credit, won in the Crimea, in India, and in South -Africa, I rather fancy that not one of them was -gained in circumstances of more deadly peril, and -his comrades were well pleased when Private Timothy -O’Hea’s name went to swell the proud list of V.C. -heroes. O’Hea, it may be added, met with a sad -fate in after years. He was lost in the Australian -bush, and never heard of again.</p> - -<p>Dr. Douglas and the four men of the 24th -Regiment referred to—Privates Murphy, Cooper, -Bell, and Griffiths—earned their distinction at the -Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal, in May of -1869.</p> - -<p>A small expedition had been sent thither to -ascertain the fate of the captain and crew of the -<i>Assam Valley</i>, who, it had been reported, had -fallen victims to the natives. The graves of the -unfortunate men were found on the Little Andaman, -but when the search party returned to the shore -they found themselves cut off from their ship by a -tremendous high-running surf.</p> - -<p>Their predicament having been observed, Dr. -Douglas with the four privates named manned a gig -and pulled in to their rescue. The first attempt<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> -to get through the breakers half swamped the boat, -but a second attempt enabled them to save five men. -On the third and last trip the remaining twelve -members of the party were safely got off.</p> - -<p>To read the bare official account of the affair is -to gain but a poor impression of the bravery displayed -by Dr. Douglas and his helpers. For a proper understanding -of the daring nature of the deed one must -have seen the immense surf rollers thundering on -to the beach, and have appreciated the very slender -chances of living through the boiling waters that a -man would have if capsized from a boat. It was -no ordinary rescue, and all five nobly earned their -Crosses.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.<br /> -<span class="smaller">NEW ZEALAND.—FIGHTING THE MAORIS.</span></h2> - -<p>The years 1860 to 1865 witnessed a very -stubborn war in New Zealand between the -British and the Maoris, the original natives of the -country. Many causes combined to make this war -unduly long. In the first place the importance of -the outbreak was underestimated, and the small -force already in the islands was considered strong -enough to cope with it; secondly, it was forgotten, -or overlooked, that the Maoris, although incorrigibly -lazy in times of peace, were a race of born fighters, -to whom war was almost the chief end of existence; -and thirdly, there was the difficult nature of the -country itself, with its many forests and swamps, -and miles on miles of dense, tangled bush. The odds -were all in the Maoris’ favour at the outset.</p> - -<p>For many years we had been at peace with the -natives, a treaty having been signed by which we -bound ourselves to respect the chiefs territorial -rights. By 1860, however, a good deal of friction -had arisen over purchases of land by the colonists, -it being claimed by the Maoris that some of these -transactions took place without the full consent of -all the parties interested.</p> - -<p>Especially was this the case in the transfer of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> -piece of land at Taranaki, in the Northern Island. -It was only a small plot that was in dispute, but -the Waikato tribe who claimed possession would not -be pacified, and made a desperate resistance when -an attempt was made to oust them. Their success -in repulsing the few British troops sent against them -incited the tribe and their friends to proceed still -further. Old feuds were now revived, and the -insurrection at Taranaki quickly spread into a -general movement against the colonists, which in turn -resolved itself into a wholesale rebellion of the Maori -race.</p> - -<p>In the fighting that ensued twelve Victoria -Crosses were gained, mostly for gallant rescues of -wounded men struck down in the bush or in the -pahs, the native palisade-fortified villages. The -Maoris have always been exceptionally cruel to their -prisoners in war, and the knowledge that a fallen -foe would receive no mercy at their hands spurred -our soldiers to make every effort to save a wounded -comrade.</p> - -<p>One of the first Crosses to be won fell to Colour-Sergeant -John Lucas, of the 40th Regiment (the -South Lancashires). Early in 1861 he was fighting -up in the Taranaki district, near to the Huirangi -Bush. During one afternoon, while out skirmishing, -he and his party were suddenly subjected to a terribly -fierce fire from a hidden enemy. Men began to drop -quickly as the bullets pinged across the ravine, and -Lieutenant Rees fell badly wounded.</p> - -<p>The officer having been carried to the rear, Lucas -stood guard over the other wounded, towards whom -the Maoris, breaking cover for the first time, made -an ugly rush. The colour-sergeant had several rifles<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> -at hand, and adopting savage tactics, he got behind -a tree, only showing himself to neatly “pot” an -enemy. It was one man against a hundred; but, like -Private McManus in “Dhoolie Square,” he made himself -properly respected by the natives, and he held his -position until a reinforcement arrived to relieve him -of his charge.</p> - -<p>A more exciting experience fell to the lot of a -sergeant of the York and Lancaster Regiment (the -old 65th) two years later. While in action with -a large body of Maoris both his superior officers, -Captain Swift and Lieutenant Butler, were wounded, -and the duty of withdrawing the little force devolved -upon him.</p> - -<p>Sergeant Edward McKenna, who had a strong -strain of Irish blood in him, showed himself the man -for the occasion. The district was a broken and -rugged piece of country near Camerontown, and -swarmed with Maoris. If he wished to save his -officers’ lives and the lives of the whole detachment, he -had to act boldly.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, leaving Corporal Ryan and three or -four men to protect the wounded captain and lieutenant, -and relying on the main body of the troops -soon finding them, he went slap-dash at the Maoris -on the hill in front of him. The charge scattered -the natives to a safe distance. Then, night coming -on, McKenna and his party camped in a convenient -spot in the bush. Very soon, however, this position -became unsafe. So back along the bush path they -trailed, firing at their invisible enemy as they went, -and having some other wounded now thrown on their -hands.</p> - -<p>Owing to the darkness and the intricacies of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> -bush, the sergeant eventually lost his way, and, as he -said afterwards, there was nothing to do but to sit -down and wait for daylight. So all through the -night they squatted on the ground, McKenna mounting -guard with ears alert for the faintest sound of an -enemy; but fortunately none came. And in the -morning he had the satisfaction of leading his party -back to camp to report that only one was killed and -two were missing out of the thirty-eight men he had -manœuvred so skilfully.</p> - -<p>Sergeant McKenna received a warm word of commendation -in the despatches from General Cameron, -the Commander-in-Chief, for that piece of business, -together with the Victoria Cross, the same honour -falling to Corporal Ryan, whose devotion to Captain -Swift, however, failed to save that gallant officer’s -life. Several of the others who figured prominently -in the affair were rewarded with the Distinguished -Conduct Medal.</p> - -<p>Two very brilliant individual exploits that I may -note here won the V.C. for Major C. Heaphy of the -Auckland Militia, and Lieutenant-Colonel (afterwards -Major-General Sir) John Carstairs McNeill, of the -107th Regiment.</p> - -<p>Major Heaphy was engaged in a skirmish with -Maoris on the banks of the Mangapiko River, Auckland, -when a wounded private tumbled into the midst of a -party of natives concealed in a hollow. Without a -moment’s hesitation the major leaped down after him. -Though wounded himself, with a dozen shot-holes in -his clothes and cap, he stuck by his man, and in time -got him safely away.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px;" id="illus6"> -<img src="images/illus6.jpg" width="390" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">REINING IN HIS HORSE, HE TURNED TO CATCH VOSPER’S … -AND HELPED THE ORDERLY TO REMOUNT.—<i><a href="#Page_137">Page 137.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<p>The story of Colonel McNeill’s rescue is the story -of a ride for life which finds a close parallel in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> -deed for which Lord William Beresford gained the -V.C. in Zululand, as will be told hereafter. The -colonel was returning from Te Awamuta, whither he -had been sent on special duty, with two orderlies, -Privates Gibson and Vosper, both of the Colonial -Defence Force, when a body of the enemy was descried -some distance ahead. Despatching Gibson to the -nearest camp (at Ohanpu) for assistance, he rode a -little way up the road to the summit of a hill to -reconnoitre.</p> - -<p>As McNeill, with Vosper by his side, trotted on, -unsuspecting any ambush, keen eyes watched them -from the thick ferns that bordered the road, and -presently some fifty Maoris sprang out to intercept -them. The moment the natives appeared the two -horsemen wheeled and galloped back down the hill. -They got a flying start, but an unlucky step into a -hole brought Vosper’s horse to his knees, sending his -rider head over heels into the ferns.</p> - -<p>Then the colonel did a plucky thing. Reining in -his horse, he turned to catch Vosper’s, which was -galloping in the opposite direction, and leading it -back helped the orderly to remount. He was just in -the nick of time. A few seconds later, and the Maoris -would have been on them. As it was, only a mad -gallop at top speed carried them clear out of -range of the bullets that whistled round them.</p> - -<p>Vosper spoke nothing but the plain truth when he -said that he owed his life entirely to his colonel; for -he could not have caught his horse, on foot as he was, -and the Maoris would have made short work of him.</p> - -<p>The New Zealand War was brought to a close in -1864 by General Sir Trevor Chute, who broke the -Maori power and stamped out the rebellion. Four or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> -five years later there were renewed disturbances, -massacres of settlers and raids upon outlying farms, -but these were isolated cases. Since 1870 the -natives have been content to live peaceably under the -British rule.</p> - -<p>In 1864, a few months before the Maori chiefs -gave in their submission, a memorable fight took place -near Tauranga, Auckland, memorable for the disgrace -which it brought upon a British regiment, and for the -act of heroism which gained the V.C. for an Army -surgeon and a bluejacket. The story of it is as -follows.</p> - -<p>On the peninsula of Te Papa, in the Poverty Bay -district of East Auckland, the Maoris had entrenched -themselves in a very strong position. They had built -a long stockade along the narrow strip of land connecting -the peninsula with the coast, at Tauranga, -with rifle-pits extending almost the whole length. -This formidable fort was known as the Gate Pah, -because it commanded the entrance to that region.</p> - -<p>The natives chose the place for their stronghold -wisely. The Gate Pah was guarded by great swamps -on both sides, which rendered a flank attack impossible. -The assault must come either from the front or -rear. Fully alive to the difficulties of the task, -General Cameron proceeded to attack this position on -April 28th with a force of infantry (the 68th and -43rd Regiments) and two hundred seamen from the -warships off the coast.</p> - -<p>While some of the Naval Brigade and the 68th -Regiment (the Durham Light Infantry) stole round at -night to the rear of the stockade, the artillery the -next morning opened fire in front, pouring shot and -shell unceasingly for eight and a half hours into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -pah. The Maoris responded at first with a brisk rifle-fire, -but after a time this stopped. Dead silence -reigned over the stockade, as if most of its inmates -had been killed. Believing this to be the case, the -43rd Foot (the Oxfordshire Light Infantry, known -popularly as “the Light Bobs” and “the Fighting -Forty-third”) moved forward with a number of bluejackets -to carry the place by storm.</p> - -<p>That the fight was practically over seemed evident -from the ease with which the troops drove out the few -Maoris remaining in the pah. But the wily natives -had laid a subtle ambush, to the success of which -a regrettable accident contributed. As the Oxfordshires -and the naval men followed up the pursuit in -the gathering darkness, the detachment sent previously -to the rear began firing into the medley of Maoris and -British. Considerable confusion was caused, and both -the 43rd and the sailors were ordered to retire.</p> - -<p>This was done promptly, the troops regaining the -shelter of the stockade. Here they had no fear of -danger, for the place was apparently deserted, and -only the fugitive Maoris, who had rallied, menaced -them. They wandered about the pah in careless -disorder, some even laying aside their rifles, when -suddenly from the ground beneath them a whole host -of native warriors appeared, rising like apparitions in -their midst. In cunningly concealed holes and rifle-pits, -covered over with branches and pieces of turf, -the Maoris had awaited the coming of the <i lang="mi">pakehas</i>.</p> - -<p>Before this mysterious ghostly enemy, who fell upon -them with rifle and war-club, the soldiers and sailors -fled in wild confusion. A perfect panic set in, and -every man sought to save his own skin.</p> - -<p>It is difficult to locate the blame in instances of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> -this kind. British troops and British officers have -been seized with panic before under the stress of -great excitement, and the same thing will probably -happen again. Human courage is, after all, an uncertain -quantity; an admittedly brave man has more -than once failed at a critical moment through lack -of nerve or some less explicable reason and turned -coward. Was there not the well-known case of a -lieutenant-colonel (his name is charitably concealed) -in the Indian Mutiny, whose conduct Sir Colin -Campbell characterised in a vigorous despatch as -“pusillanimous and imbecile to the last degree,” -before dismissing him from the service? This officer -had a distinguished record, but a momentary weakness -led him to surrender an important position without -cause and blasted his whole career.</p> - -<p>In the panic that set in when the hideous tattooed -faces of the Maoris rose up so uncannily from the -depths of the earth the slaughter of our men was -terrific. Officers and privates alike fell easy victims -to the well-armed natives. Then it was that Assistant-Surgeon -William G. N. Manley, R.A., and Samuel -Mitchell, captain of the foretop of H.M.S. <i>Harrier</i>, -won glory for themselves by a gallant rescue.</p> - -<p>Commander Hay, of the Naval Brigade, fell badly -wounded at the first discharge, and lay groaning in -the middle of the pah. All were in full flight, but -seeing his officer helpless on the ground Mitchell ran -to his side, picked him up in his strong arms and bore -him outside the stockade. Here he found Dr. Manley, -who oblivious to the bullets that fell thickly around, -bound up the commander’s wounds. That done, he -and Mitchell conveyed the dying man back to camp.</p> - -<p>Not content with having done that duty, the brave<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> -surgeon returned voluntarily to the pah and coolly -set about tending the wounded. They lay there in -heaps, alas! and he had all his work to do to get them -removed to a place of safety. The fire which swept -the stockade is said to have been terrible, yet not a -scratch did he receive the whole time, and he was the -last to leave the pah. Both Dr. Manley and Mitchell -were awarded the Cross for Valour some months later, -for the heroism that in part redeemed the Gate Pah -disaster.</p> - -<p>As for the Fighting Forty-third, whose colours bore -the names of Corunna, Badajoz, Vittoria, and many -another famous fight of the Peninsular War, the -memory of that night of panic rankled deep in their -minds. They swore a solemn vow that the next time -they came to grips with the Maoris the enemy should -remember it. It was at Tuaranga that they got their -chance, on June 21st of the same year, and on this -day one of their officers, Captain Frederick Augustus -Smith, won the Cross for leaping into a rifle-pit and -routing a number of the Maoris single-handed.</p> - -<p>This made the second V.C. that the 43rd won, by the -way, the first having been given in 1859 to Private -Addison for saving the life of an officer in India.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII<br /> -<span class="smaller">IN ASHANTI BUSH AND MALAY JUNGLE.</span></h2> - -<p>It is a big leap from Maoriland to West Africa, but -it is there, to Ashanti, that we must go to see -how the next Crosses on the roll were won.</p> - -<p>Ashanti, as the map shows, is in the Upper Guinea -district, immediately inland of the Gold Coast. -Seventy thousand square miles in extent, it is thickly -covered with forests of mahogany, ebony, and other -valuable hardwood trees, except where it is given up -to vast mangrove swamps that are no good to anybody. -Its people are pure negroes, thick-lipped, flat-nosed, -with woolly hair and projecting jaws. They are -a savage, cruel race, fetish-worshippers like most of -the tribes in West Africa, who have been notorious -for the revolting form of their religious rites.</p> - -<p>Until the custom of making human sacrifices was -put down with a strong hand by Great Britain, -Coomassie, the capital, was as much a City of Blood as -was the ill-famed Benin, a very different place from -the town of to-day, with its wide, regular streets and -stuccoed houses painted red and white.</p> - -<p>With this country of Ashanti we have come repeatedly -into conflict from the early days of last -century, when trading stations became established on -the coast. The Dutch, too, found their way thither<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> -with the same object in view, and out of the rivalry -between them and us trouble arose that came to a -head in 1872. In that year the Dutch traders who -had established themselves on the Gold Coast were -bought out by us, their possessions being transferred -to this country in return for some land concessions -in the island of Sumatra. To this arrangement King -Coffee of Ashanti took exception, as he lost thereby -certain annual tributes which the Dutch had hitherto -paid him, and by way of showing his resentment he -carried off several missionaries and attacked our allies -the Fantis.</p> - -<p>It was necessary to bring King Coffee and his -turbulent subjects to reason, so in September 1873 -Sir Garnet Wolseley was sent out to Ashanti with -an expedition. The task was no easy one, for before -Coomassie was reached the troops had to fight their -way through the bush, and the African bush is not -to be treated lightly, with its tangled masses of -vegetation, dark belts of forest, rivers and morasses. -Moreover, the campaign had to be completed before -the hot season came on, when the terrors of pestilence -and fever would have to be faced.</p> - -<p>That Sir Garnet Wolseley did accomplish the task -set him is a matter of history. By February of the -following year King Coffee was forced to make peace, -one of the terms being that he should discontinue -human sacrifices.</p> - -<p>In this five months’ campaign four Victoria Crosses -were won, and of these the first two fell to Lieutenant -the Hon. Edric Gifford (the present Lord Gifford) and -Lance-Sergeant Samuel McGaw of the 42nd Regiment. -The latter earned his distinction at the battle of -Amoaful, the first victory of any consequence, when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -the Ashantis were completely routed. At that -engagement McGaw led his company through the -dense bush in splendid style, himself fighting all -through the day, although suffering from a very severe -wound received at the commencement of the battle.</p> - -<p>Lord Gifford’s Cross was won for a long series of -useful services rendered to his commander, though -more particularly for his exceptional bravery at the -taking of the town of Becquah on February 1st, 1874. -At the beginning of the campaign (his first taste of -active service, by the way) he organised a body of -scouts, loyal natives who knew the country well and -could be relied on. With this little band he ranged -ahead of the army, hanging upon the enemy’s skirts, -so to speak, and ferreting out their intentions by -means of his spies. It was dangerous, highly -dangerous, work, for it meant thrusting himself almost -into the very arms of a foe who showed no mercy in -war.</p> - -<p>“It is no exaggeration,” says the official account, -“to say that since the Adansi Hills were passed he -daily carried his life in his hands in the performance -of his most hazardous duty.” With no other white -man by him, Lieutenant Gifford captured many -prisoners, and the information he was able to procure -for his chief was naturally of the utmost value.</p> - -<p>If he carried his life in his hand while out scouting -there is no doubt that he did the same at the taking -of Becquah. Gifford and his scouts were through -the stockade and into the town some time before the -troops stormed it, and were in the thick of the -fighting throughout. Of that day’s work, as well -as of the scouting in the bush, Sir Garnet took full -note when sending his despatches, and the young<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -lieutenant of the South Wales Borderers saw himself -duly gazetted.</p> - -<p>Major Reginald Sartorius (now a Major-General) -is another V.C. man who gained his decoration in -far-off Ashanti. At the attack on Abogoo he bravely -risked his life to save a wounded Haussa sergeant-major -who had fallen under a heavy fire; and he is -also famous for a most plucky ride through the -heart of the enemy’s country to establish connection -between the main body and Captain Glover’s column.</p> - -<p>The name of Sartorius, it may be mentioned, is -like that of Gough in figuring twice in the honoured -list of V.C.’s, and in each case it is two brothers who -have thus won double distinction. Major-General -Euston Henry Sartorius received his Cross for an -exploit in Afghanistan, mention of which will be found -in the next chapter.</p> - -<p>Next on my list of Ashanti heroes comes Colonel -Mark Sever Bell, a distinguished Engineer officer of -many campaigns. The battle at Ordahsu in January -of 1874 saw him in the very fore-front of the British -line alone with a working gang of Fantis, digging a -trench. A severe fire from both front and rear -played upon them, and—what is said to be an almost -unparalleled incident in warfare—they were not -protected by a covering party.</p> - -<p>The Fantis, to whose qualities Miss Kingsley has -paid high tribute, are not warriors of the first order, -however faithful they may be as servants; and that -Lieutenant Bell (to give him the rank he then bore) -got them to work in such circumstances was due -solely to his fearless and courageous bearing. When -he came in from the trench it was to receive the -generous compliments of his chief, Colonel Sir John<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -McLeod, who had considered his chances of getting -back alive extremely slight. The V.C. followed at -the latter officer’s recommendation.</p> - -<p>Although it is not strictly in chronological order, -I may note here that in 1900 there was again trouble -in Ashanti, which resulted in two more V.C.’s being -won. Of these one went to Captain Melliss, of the -Indian Staff Corps, and the other to Sergeant (now -Captain) John Mackenzie, of the Seaforths.</p> - -<p>Mackenzie’s gallantry was most marked. At the -attack on Dompoassi in June he found the fight -progressing too slowly for him. He had been working -two Maxim guns under a hot fire (being wounded -while doing so), but the enemy held their position as -obstinately as ever. So to “finish the business” the -sergeant volunteered to clear the stockades, and at -the head of a body of Haussas he charged boldly -upon them. The blacks followed his lead with -spirit; before their headlong rush the Ashantis fled -into the bush, and shortly after Dompoassi was ours.</p> - -<p class="tb">Just a year after the Ashanti trouble there was an -outbreak in the Malay Peninsula which called for a -punitive expedition. The little brown men of Perak, -own brothers to the head-hunting Dyaks of Borneo, -had to be taught the lesson that Great Britain will -not tolerate outrages upon her subjects.</p> - -<p>With the column that marched up through the -jungle upon the Malay strongholds was Major -George Nicholas Channer, of the Bengal Staff Corps, -who had joined the Indian Army just too late to -take part in the suppression of the Mutiny, but in -time to see service in the Umbeyla campaign of -1863. Both here and in the Looshai country a few<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> -years later he showed himself a dashing leader of -native troops, and the 1st Ghurkas were by no means -ill-pleased when they learned that he was attached -to them for the Perak expedition. Major Channer, -for his part, was glad of the chance of seeing -another fight, though he little guessed that it was to -afford him an opportunity of winning the V.C. and -covering himself with glory. Yet such proved to be -the case.</p> - -<p>On its way northwards the force eventually reached -the Bukit Putus Pass, the most difficult part of the -journey to be traversed. All around was dense -jungle and impenetrable forest, in which a host of -Malays lay in wait to harass the troops. How -numerous were the enemy could not be ascertained, -nor how strong were their defences, and it was -important that information on these points should -be obtained or the column might blunder into an -ambush. Major Channer was selected as the officer -best fitted to procure this intelligence, and with a -small party of his wiry little Ghurkas he struck -off one day into the wilds.</p> - -<p>Making a long detour, he worked his way round to -the rear of the enemy’s position without any mishap. -Here he found that the Malays were strongly posted -in a solid log-fort, loopholed on every side and -surrounded by a formidable bamboo palisade. As he -peered at it through the trees a number of black -forms flitted busily to and fro, showing that the fort -was well garrisoned.</p> - -<p>Channer had learned enough to see that the troops -would have considerable difficulty in carrying the -position, and might well have returned to make his -report. But he was not content with merely having<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> -done so much. He determined to make a closer -inspection to discover, if possible, where was the -weakest spot in the defences.</p> - -<p>At night, therefore, leaving his men hidden within -call in the jungle, he crept stealthily up through the -long grass to the outer stockade. All was still, for -the Malays had mounted no guard on that side of the -fort. Raising himself cautiously to his knees, he -peeped between the bamboo poles and saw that the -garrison was all intent on cooking its supper. At -once a daring idea came into his head. Quickly -dropping back into the long grass, the major -wormed his way towards the spot where his faithful -Ghurkas were waiting and beckoned them to join -him. Then he explained that he intended to take -the Malays by surprise and rush the fort.</p> - -<p>The Ghurkas were gleefully ready for a job like -this, and at the word followed him noiselessly to the -point in the palisade whence he had observed the -unsuspecting Malays. A quick scramble over and -the whole party were inside. The first man who -offered resistance Major Channer shot dead with his -revolver. The rest stood aghast at the unexpected -spectacle of a white officer in their midst, and before -they could recover from their astonishment the -Ghurkas in their neat green uniforms and little round -caps were among them, using their keen <i>kukris</i> with -deadly effect. The surprise was complete. The -Malays, ignorant of the numbers of their assailants, -abandoned the fort and fled precipitately into the -jungle.</p> - -<p>A message to the main body soon brought up the -troops, when the fort was destroyed, leaving the way -clear for the march to be continued. But for Major<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> -Channer’s bold attack the fort would have had to -be carried by a bayonet charge, as it was secure from -the big guns, and much loss of life must have been -caused. His act, therefore, was one of the greatest -service to the expedition.</p> - -<p>The gallant major, who got his Cross a few months -later, afterwards served with considerable distinction -under Lord Roberts in Afghanistan, and commanded -a brigade in the Black Mountain (Hazara) expedition -of 1888. He died at his home in North Devon only -at the end of last year, a General and a C.B.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">HOW SOME AFGHAN CROSSES WERE WON.</span></h2> - -<p>The war which broke out in Afghanistan in 1878 -and lasted two years was of a far more serious -nature than the campaign in Ashanti which I have -just dealt with. It was at bottom a struggle to assert -our supremacy on the Indian frontier, where Russia -was beginning to menace us, and on its result hung -the fortunes of a large part of Asia. Before I tell -of how several notable V.C.’s were gained in the -hill-fighting round Candahar and Cabul it is necessary -to say a few words about the war itself, in order that -we may properly understand the situation.</p> - -<p>Trouble over Afghanistan began very early in the -nineteenth century, but Great Britain maintained a -firm hold over the country and its Amir until the -advent to the throne of Shere Ali Khan. This -turbulent ruler was a very go-ahead monarch indeed. -He organised a splendid army, well-drilled and well-equipped -with modern arms, and spent some years in -military preparations which could have had only -one object—the ultimate overthrow of British influence -in that part of the world.</p> - -<p>That Russia and Russian money was behind all this -has been made very clear. The go-ahead Shere Ali -went ahead so far that he made overtures to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> -Muscovite Government and received a Russian mission -at Cabul. When Lord Roberts reached the capital -after his victorious march he found, he says, “Afghan -Sirdars and officers arrayed in Russian pattern uniforms, -Russian money in the treasury, Russian wares -sold in the bazaars; and, although the roads leading -to Central Asia were certainly no better than -those leading to India, Russia had taken more -advantage of them than we had to carry on commercial -dealings with Afghanistan.”</p> - -<p>Our first move was to establish a British mission -at Cabul, but this met with failure. Then Shere Ali, -after abdicating in favour of his son, Yakoub Khan, -conveniently died, and our prospects improved. A -mission, at the head of which was Sir Louis Cavagnari, -was received at the capital, and all seemed to be going -well when the civilised world was startled by the -news that Cavagnari and all with him had been -massacred.</p> - -<p>Without any loss of time, Lord Roberts (then -Major-General Frederick Sleigh Roberts) started from -India with an army to avenge this atrocity. After -some stiff fighting, he reached Cabul and deposed the -Amir. There were left, however, a number of minor -chiefs who continued to stir up trouble. Of these the -leading spirit was the ex-Amir’s brother, Ayoub Khan, -who inflicted a defeat upon us at the battle of -Maiwand and proceeded to invest Candahar.</p> - -<p>Upon this followed Roberts’ historic march from -Cabul to Candahar which won him a baronetcy and -a G.C.B. In this descent upon Ayoub Khan he -utterly routed the Afghan leader and quieted the -country. A new Amir, Abdur Rahman (nephew of -Shere Ali) was now installed, with the necessary<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -proviso that Afghanistan should have no foreign -relations with any power except the Government of -India, and the British army was withdrawn.</p> - -<p class="tb">The first V.C. of the campaign was gained by -Captain John Cook, of the Bengal Staff Corps, for a -singularly gallant rescue of a brother-officer. It was -during the month of December 1878, while General -Roberts was on his way to Cabul, whither he was -escorting Cavagnari’s mission. There had been -several encounters with the Afghans, for the latter -had shown themselves hostile all along the line -of route, and a decisive engagement was fought at -the Peiwar Kotal, in the Kuram district. (A “kotal,” -it may be explained, is the highest point in a mountain -pass.)</p> - -<p>At this fight a slender column was detached from -the main body and sent round to force a position in -the Spingawi Kotal, where the enemy had entrenched -themselves. The attack was made at night, and -although, through the treachery of some Pathans with -the column, the alarm was given, the Afghans were -driven out.</p> - -<p>Side by side Highlanders and Ghurkas, who had -been good friends ever since they fought together in -the Mutiny, charged up the steep rocky hillside, -through a forest of pines, and carried one stockade -after another. As the enemy broke before them, -Major Galbraith, Assistant-Adjutant-General to the -force, was suddenly attacked by a powerful Afghan. -The major’s revolver missed fire when he aimed, and -it is more than probable that he would have been -shot down at once had not Captain Cook rushed to -his rescue.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span></p> - -<p>A blow from his sword having diverted the -Afghan’s attention, Cook threw himself bodily upon -the man and closed with him. They struggled together -thus for some little time, locked in a deadly -embrace, the Afghan endeavouring vainly to use his -bayonet and the captain his sword. Then, gripping his -opponent by the throat, Cook fell with him to the -ground, only to have his sword-arm seized by the -Afghan’s strong teeth. Another roll over gave the -latter a slight advantage, but only for a moment. -At this critical juncture a little Ghurka ran up and -shot the fellow through the head.</p> - -<p>Captain Cook was decorated for this exploit on the -Queen’s Birthday in the May following, at a grand -parade at Kuram, but he did not live long to wear -his Cross. He died of a severe wound twelve -months later.</p> - -<p>In March of 1879 a gallant little action was -fought near Maidanah of which scant mention is made -outside official records. It may be fittingly recorded -here, as it was the means of bringing distinction to a -young captain of Engineers who now writes himself -Lieut.-General Edward Pemberton Leach, V.C., C.B.</p> - -<p>Leach was out on survey duty in the Maidanah -district with an escort of Rattray’s Sikhs under the -command of Lieutenant Barclay. While thus engaged -a body of Afghans appeared in close proximity and -endeavoured to cut them off. The Sikhs having -fallen slowly back, under orders, the Afghans became -more bold, and in still larger numbers pressed nearer. -Then there was a sudden rush, a volley, and Lieutenant -Barclay fell shot in the breast.</p> - -<p>To get the wounded officer back to camp in safety -was Leach’s first thought. The Afghans must be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -kept at a safe distance. With all the Sikhs, therefore, -save the two or three needed to attend to -Barclay, he formed up and charged with bayonets -fixed straight into the oncoming enemy.</p> - -<p>They were a score or so against a hundred, but -desperate men take desperate risks. Leach himself -was immediately attacked by four Afghans, two of -whom he shot in quick succession. The third -grappled with him, but another shot from the unerring -revolver settled him, and the captain turned -to meet his fourth assailant. He was not a moment -too soon. The Afghan had slipped round to attack -him from the rear, and as Leach’s left arm went up -in defence it received on it the blow from an Afghan -knife that was aimed at his back.</p> - -<p>A slash from his sword laid the Pathan low. Then -wounded as he was, with blood streaming fast from -his arm, the captain dashed on into the mêlée, and -gathering his men together for another fierce charge -sent the enemy tumbling backwards in confusion. -But the little company was not even then out of -danger. The retreat led them along a narrow rocky -road, from the sides of which the Afghans continued -to pepper them, and a last charge was necessary to -scatter them. Fortunately, just after this a cavalry -troop, attracted by the noise of firing, came up and -relieved them.</p> - -<p>Captain Leach was promptly awarded the Cross for -Valour for his bravery, but though he had succeeded -in saving the party from certain annihilation, his -satisfaction was clouded over by one great sorrow. -Poor Lieutenant Barclay died soon afterwards from -his wound.</p> - -<p>The next V.C., the story of which I have to tell,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> -is that of Lieutenant Hamilton,—“Hamilton of the -Guides,”—whose brilliant career was cut all too short -at Cabul in the massacre of Cavagnari’s ill-fated -mission. Having joined Brigadier-General Gough’s -force, which was keeping clear the line of communication -between Jellalabad and Cabul, Lieutenant Hamilton -saw plenty of fighting with the hill-tribes in the -vicinity. At Futtehabad, in April 1879, there was -an engagement with a considerable body of Afghans, -and in this fight he made himself conspicuous.</p> - -<p>At the moment that the scale of victory was -turning in our favour, the Guides, led by their beloved -commander, Major Wigram Battye, charged into the -Afghan ranks. Battye fell shot through the heart at -the first volley, and the leadership devolved on -Hamilton, who led them on, more fierce than ever. -In the mêlée that now ensued Dowlut Ram, a sowar -riding by the lieutenant’s side, was bowled over and -instantly threatened with death from three Afghan -knives. Wheeling his horse, Hamilton cut his way -to the fallen man’s side, dragged him from beneath -his dead horse, and carried him off right under the -enemy’s nose.</p> - -<p>For this act he was recommended for the Cross, -but to everyone’s disappointment it was not awarded -him. Only after he had fallen beneath Afghan -swords at Cabul, five months later, was his heroism -acknowledged. Then followed the tardy announcement -that had he lived her Majesty would have been -pleased to confer the honour of the Victoria Cross -upon him.</p> - -<p>Hamilton’s end was an heroic one. Early one -September morning in 1879 the Residency at Cabul -in which Sir Louis Cavagnari and his staff had taken<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> -up their quarters was attacked and fired by the -Afghans. The only defenders of the place were the -Guides, a mere handful of men under Lieutenant -Hamilton’s command. Soon the building was stormed, -and Cavagnari with his suite brutally massacred. -Hamilton alone remained, the last Englishman left -alive in Cabul.</p> - -<p>Driven from room to room, he and his men at last -reached the courtyard to make their last stand. In -vain did the Afghans call on the Guides to join -them, saying they had no quarrel with men of -their own race. The Guides were loyal to the oath -they had sworn. As one man they formed up -behind their gallant leader, dressed their ranks, -and flung wide</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“The doors not all their valour could longer keep.”</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Then with a cheer out they dashed at the horde -before them, in the mad endeavour to cut their way -through. It was a forlorn hope. The enemy closed -round them like a dark sea,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“And with never a foot lagging or head bent,</div> -<div class="verse">To the clash and clamour and dust of death they went.”</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse right">“The Guides at Cabul,” Henry Newbolt.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>How Hamilton himself fell was learned afterwards -from the Afghans, who could appreciate such dauntless -courage as his. They said he fought like a lion at -bay, sweeping a space clear around him with his -sword; and it was only by the reckless sacrifice of -a few of their number, who threw themselves upon -him and were shot or sabred, that the rest were able -to pull him down. Then a dozen knives buried -themselves in his body, and all was over.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span></p> - -<p>The record of the Afghan War teems with heroic -exploits, but only a few more can be touched on here. -There was, for instance, the gallant rescue of a -wounded Bengal Lancer at Dakka, by Lieutenant -Reginald Clare Hart (now a Lieut.-General and K.C.B.). -“I am going for the V.C. to-day!” he said to his -brother-officers on the morning of the engagement; -and he won it, after running some twelve hundred -yards under the Afghan fire to pull the disabled -sowar out of a river bed.</p> - -<p>At about the same time Captain O’Moor Creagh -with a detachment of one hundred and fifty men held -off fifteen thousand Afghans who attacked him near -the village of Ram Dakka; a brilliant feat that was -only equalled by Captain Vousden, of the 5th Punjab -Cavalry, who some time later charged into a body of -four hundred of the enemy with simply <em>twelve</em> sowars -at his back, and dispersed them!</p> - -<p>There were Crosses for both these brave captains, -just as there was one for Captain E. H. Sartorius -(brother of the Ashanti hero) for a dashing charge -which cleared a strong force of the enemy from the -Shah Juy hill at Tazi.</p> - -<p>Mention of Sartorius recalls the somewhat similar -deeds which gained a V.C. for a distinguished major -of the 92nd Highlanders, who is now the popular -Field-Marshal Sir George Stewart White, G.C.B., etc. -On his Cross two dates figure, October 6, 1879, and -September 1, 1880. The first denotes the action at -Charasiah, where the Afghans were defeated, much to -the chagrin of the treacherous Amir Yakoub Khan, -who had laid plans for the complete annihilation of -the British army.</p> - -<p>There was a hill to be taken, on which the enemy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -had mustered in large numbers, and at the word of -command two companies of the “Gay Gordons,” with -Major White at their head, breasted the slope and -raced up. The major was easily first. Leaving the -rest to follow, he tore ahead and bearded the Afghans -single-handed, shooting their leader dead with his -revolver. This act brought him high praise from -General Roberts, who went over the ground with him -next day and noted the difficulties that had to be -encountered.</p> - -<p>On the second occasion Major White was with his -Gordons at Candahar, assisting in the rout of Ayoub -Khan. At an important stage of the battle a -desperate stand was made by the Afghans at the -Baba Wali Kotal, and it became necessary to storm -the position, or the wavering enemy would have time -to rally.</p> - -<p>“Now, 92nd,” cried their leader, “just one charge -more to close the business!” The Gordons answered -with a shout, and accompanied by the 2nd Ghurkas -and 23rd Pioneers they streamed up the hill to carry -it with bayonets. As always, Major White was well -in front. He was the first to reach the guns, the next -man being Sepoy Inderbir Lama, who placed his rifle -on one of them and exclaimed proudly, “Captured in -the name of the 2nd Ghurkas!”</p> - -<p>That charge did “close the business.” The Afghans -broke and fled, and the troops went on to capture -Ayoub Khan’s enormous camp with his artillery, -thirty-two pieces in all, among them being found two -of our Horse Artillery guns that had been taken at -Maiwand in July.</p> - -<p>I cannot close this chapter without telling how -Padre Adams won his V.C. The only clergyman to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -have received the decoration, he stands in a unique -position, although, as I have said already, at least one -other Army chaplain deserved it.</p> - -<p>The Rev. James William Adams, B.A. (to give him -his full title), was attached to the Cabul Field Force -and marched up to the Amir’s capital with the -troops when they went to avenge Cavagnari’s death. -Liking to be always at the front when any fighting -was going on, he acted as aide-de-camp to General -Roberts on several occasions, making himself very useful. -It was in this capacity that he was accompanying -Roberts when, on December 11th, 1879, the main -body of the force encountered Mahommed Jan’s army -near Sherpur and, owing to a miscarriage of plans, -was obliged to beat a temporary retreat.</p> - -<p>In the retiring movement some of the guns were -in danger of falling into the Afghans’ hands, so a -troop of the 9th Lancers, with a few of the 14th -Bengal Lancers, made a gallant attempt to hold the -enemy in check. The charge was brilliant but -disastrous. Men and horses went down like ninepins, -many of them falling into a deep ditch, or nullah, in -which one or two of the guns had already come to -grief.</p> - -<p>Seeing a wounded, dismounted man of the 9th -staggering towards him, Adams jumped off his charger -and tried to lift the poor fellow into the saddle, but -the animal, a very valuable mare, took fright and -bolted. Still supporting the lancer, the chaplain -helped him on his way to the rear, where some of his -comrades took him in charge.</p> - -<p>Returning at once to the front, Adams observed -two more men of the 9th in the ditch who were in -difficulties. Their horses had rolled over on to them,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -and they were struggling vainly to get free. The -advancing Afghans were now pretty close, and General -Roberts called out to the chaplain to look after himself; -but the “fighting parson,” as his men called him, -was a true hero. Leaping down into the ditch -without a moment’s hesitation, he splashed his way -through the mud and water to the lancers’ rescue. -A few strong pulls of his brawny arms (he was an -unusually powerful man) quickly released the imprisoned -men, and he had them safe on the top of -the bank ere the first of the Afghans had reached the -nullah.</p> - -<p>Padre Adams had long been the idol of the men to -whom he ministered, and there was general rejoicing -in the Army when his name in due course appeared -in the <cite>Gazette</cite>. There was keen regret, too, some -years later when he bade farewell to the service -he loved, and returned home to settle down in a peaceful -Norfolk rectory.</p> - -<p>It seems only the other day that his tall well-built -figure was to be met striding along the lanes round -Stow Bardolph and Downham Market, and it is hard -to realise that nearly three years have now passed -since death took “the V.C. parson” from our midst.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.<br /> -<span class="smaller">MAIWAND.—A GUNNER’S STORY.</span></h2> - -<p>The one disaster of the Afghan campaign of -1878-80 was the defeat of General Burrows’ -force at Maiwand by an army of 25,000 men -under the leadership of Ayoub Khan himself. -It had been expected that the Amir would follow -a certain route on his way to Ghazni and Candahar, -and Burrows had been warned to be on the look-out. -That the British general failed to stay the Amir’s -progress when the two armies came into conflict at -Maiwand was due to the smallness of his force, which -numbered less than 3000 men; to the desertion of -a large number of native levies; and to the fact -that the native portion of the brigade got out of -hand soon after the fight had started, and impeded -the British troops.</p> - -<p>Continuing his march after this signal victory, -Ayoub Khan proceeded to Candahar and commenced -the siege of that city. How he was speedily followed -by General Roberts and in turn defeated has been -already told.</p> - -<p class="tb">The battle of Maiwand was fought on July 27th, -1880. Early on the morning of that day Burrows’ -brigade, including the 66th Regiment, “the Green<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> -Howards,” and some Royal Horse Artillery, and -encumbered with a large number of camels, baggage -waggons, camp followers, etc., moved out from the -camp at Khushk-i-Nakhud. This position was about -forty miles from Candahar. The Afghan army was -to be intercepted at the village of Maiwand, eleven -miles away.</p> - -<p>Riding with the guns of the Horse Artillery that -summer morning were two men, Sergeant Patrick -Mullane and Gunner James Collis, who were destined -to win no little glory in the somewhat inglorious -fight. They were by no means the only heroes of -Maiwand, for many stirring deeds were done that -day; but the slaughter was terrific, and of all who -earned the honour of the V.C. only these two survived.</p> - -<p>As an example of the courage displayed by the -British troops the story may be told of how, when -our native infantry broke and fled before the Afghan -attack, the 66th Regiment was left alone to receive -the onset of the enemy. Such a small body of men -could do nothing, however valiantly they fought, and -very reluctantly they obeyed the order to fall back. -Following up their advantage, the Afghans now -pressed them more closely. In among the doomed -soldiers leapt the white-robed Pathans, stabbing and -slashing with their long knives until they succeeded -in breaking up the men into small parties, who could -be more easily cut down.</p> - -<p>Towards the end of the day a little company of -the 66th, officers and men, gathered together for a -last stand in a little village some distance from -Maiwand. Surrounded by a yelling horde, they fired -volley after volley, but the return fire of the enemy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> -gradually thinned their ranks. At length, so it is -recorded, ten privates and one officer alone remained. -Back to back stood the brave eleven, determined -never to give in, for the honour of the regiment and -their country. And one by one they dropped where -they stood, until, it is related, but one man remained -erect, facing his foes undaunted. One man against -some hundreds. Then the Afghan rifles spoke out -once more, and the last of that stricken remnant fell -with a bullet through his heart.</p> - -<p>But it is of Mullane and Collis that I propose -to speak here, and of how they won their V.C.’s. -After the fortune of the battle was decided and the -stricken British brigade commenced its retreat to -Candahar the Royal Horse Artillery made many -gallant attempts to beat off the pursuing Afghans. -Indeed, but for the masterly way in which they -worked their guns, the losses on our side must have -been considerably greater than they were.</p> - -<p>Sergeant Mullane stood by his gun on one of -these occasions, and after a round or two had been -fired helped to limber up smartly to follow the force. -As the gun moved on a driver was seen to fall. The -Afghans were tearing after the fugitives at full speed, -and the wounded man lay directly in their path.</p> - -<p>Only a daring man would have ventured to turn -and face that fierce oncoming crowd; but “Paddy” -Mullane was that man. Racing back to where the -driver lay, he lifted him up in his arms and, being a -big strong fellow, quickly carried him out of the -enemy’s reach. It was a narrow squeak, however; -as he turned with his burden to make for his comrades, -the nearest Afghans were within a few yards of -him, and one or two wild shots whizzed by his ears.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span></p> - -<p>The next day, while the retreat continued, Mullane -performed another gallant action, which was duly -noted on his Cross. Most of the troops, and -particularly the wounded, suffered terribly from -thirst in the glare of the sun, and it was impossible -to obtain drink from the hostile villages they passed -through.</p> - -<p>At last Sergeant Mullane could stand the cries of -distress no longer. “I’m off to get some water,” he -announced briefly to his comrades, when they neared -another village. And, doubling to the nearest houses, -he managed to procure a good supply, with which -he ran hastily back, while the infuriated villagers -peppered him hotly. Fortunately for him their -marksmanship was none too good, and not a shot -struck him, though several went so close as to -make him realise the risk he had run.</p> - -<p class="tb">Of how Gunner Collis bore himself in that retreat -from Maiwand we have been told in his own words, -and I cannot do better than follow the account he gives. -He was limber gunner, he says, in his battery, and -when an Afghan shell killed four of the gunners and -Sergeant Wood, only three were left to work the -piece. Taking the sergeant’s place, he went on firing, -but was soon almost borne down by panic-stricken -fugitives, who threw themselves both under and on -the gun.</p> - -<p>On the native infantry and cavalry breaking up in -confusion the guns limbered up and fell back at a -gallop for some two thousand yards. Here another -two rounds were fired, but again the order came to -retire, for the enemy were advancing rapidly. A -mounted Afghan even caught up with the gun on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> -which Collis sat and slashed at him fiercely as he -passed. The sword cut the gunner over the left eyebrow. -As the Afghan wheeled and rode at him again -Collis raised his carbine, and at about five yards’ -range let drive. The shot struck the sowar on the -chest, causing him to fall from his horse. In doing -so some money rattled out of his turban, and Collis -relates that Trumpeter Jones, R.H.A., jumped off -his horse and picked it up.</p> - -<p>Dusk now came fast upon the fugitives, and having -stepped aside at a village to try and secure some -water, Collis lost his gun. He accordingly attached -himself to No. 2, sticking to it all the way to -Candahar.</p> - -<p>By the wayside, as they went along, lay many -wounded. As many of these as he could the gallant -gunner picked up and placed on his gun. He -collected ten altogether, every one a 66th man, -except a colonel whom he did not know. Presently -the wounded began to beg for water, and like Mullane, -Collis could not bear to hear their cries without -making an effort to satisfy them.</p> - -<p>At a village near Kokeran, the next day, he made -a dash for some water, which he was successful in -obtaining. Here, he records, he saw Lieutenant -Maclaine, of the Royal Horse Artillery, and he was -almost the last man to see him alive. The lieutenant -was captured immediately afterwards, kept a close -prisoner by Ayoub Khan, and eventually found lying -with his throat cut outside the Amir’s tent at -Candahar, after the Afghan leader’s flight.</p> - -<p>A second journey for water becoming necessary, -Collis set off again for the village. He was returning -with a fresh supply when he beheld some ten or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -twelve of the enemy’s cavalry approaching the gun. -The gun went off, and, throwing himself down in a -little nullah, Collis waited until it passed by. Then, -with a rifle which he had obtained from a 66th -private, he opened fire upon the Afghans, in order -to draw them from the gun and the wounded.</p> - -<p>Not knowing how many were concealed in the -nullah, the Afghans halted and answered his fire. -They fortunately failed to hit the plucky gunner, -but from his vantage he scored heavily against them, -killing two men and a horse. From a distance of -three hundred yards, however, they came pretty close -to him, and he must have been discovered had not -General Nuttall arrived on the scene with some -native cavalry and made them turn tail.</p> - -<p>“You’re a gallant young man,” said the General. -“What is your name?”</p> - -<p>“Gunner Collis, sir, of E. of B., R.H.A.,” answered -the gunner in business-like fashion, and the details -were promptly noted in the General’s pocket-book.</p> - -<p>Then Collis hastened after his gun, which he caught -up with after a five hundred yards’ chase, and after -running the gauntlet of the enemy’s fire for several -miles farther, went safely in with it into Candahar. -He arrived there at seven in the evening, having -been marching for a whole night and day since the -battle.</p> - -<p>There is yet another brave act to be recorded of -Gunner Collis, which contributed to gain him his -well-earned Cross for Valour. While the garrison -under General Primrose were besieged in Candahar, -anxiously awaiting the arrival of General Roberts’ -relief column, various sorties were made upon the -enemy. On one of these occasions, in the middle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> -of August, Collis was standing by his gun on the -rampart of the fort when Generals Primrose and -Nuttall passed in earnest conversation with Colonel -Burnet.</p> - -<p>Hearing one of the former say that he wished he -could send a message to General Dewberry, who was -fighting away out in the village, the gunner stepped -up to Colonel Burnet and touched him on the arm.</p> - -<p>“I think I can take the message, sir,” he said, -giving a salute.</p> - -<p>The officers were doubtful about allowing him to go -on so dangerous an errand, but after a little -hesitation General Primrose wrote a note which Collis -slipped into his pocket. Then, a rope having been -brought, the gunner was lowered over the parapet -into the ditch, about forty feet below. He was fired -at by the enemy’s matchlock men as he slid down, -but luckily they were too far off to aim accurately.</p> - -<p>Reaching the village safely, he delivered his message -to General Dewberry, and, dodging the enemy, -returned to clamber up the rope. While half way -up the Afghans tried to “pot” him again, and this -time a bullet came close enough to cut off the heel -of his left boot.</p> - -<p>At the instance of General Nuttall and Colonel -Burnet, General Roberts recommended the brave -gunner for the V.C., and much to Collis’s surprise -it was presented to him on July 28th, 1881.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX.<br /> -<span class="smaller">ZULULAND.—THE DASH WITH THE COLOURS FROM -ISANDHLANA.</span></h2> - -<p>At the same time that the war in Afghanistan was -being carried to a successful issue serious -trouble was brewing in South Africa. The Zulus -under Cetewayo, who had long been restless, now -threatened to overrun Natal and the Transvaal, and -precipitate a general revolt of the black races against -the white.</p> - -<p>To go into the whole history of the quarrel would -take too long, but it may be said that the grievances -of the natives arose out of long-standing feuds -between them and the Boers over the seizure of land. -The immediate cause of the war was a dispute over -a strip of territory extending along the left bank -of the Tugela River into Zululand. To this piece -of land the Zulus obstinately asserted their right, and -their claim was upheld by a Commission which was -appointed to inquire into the matter.</p> - -<p>After the annexation of the Transvaal by Great -Britain in 1877 Sir Bartle Frere had been sent -out to South Africa as High Commissioner, and -unfortunately for everyone concerned he now strongly -opposed the arbitrators’ award. Regarding Cetewayo -as a dangerous enemy, as a cruel, savage monarch<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -whose power it was necessary to curb, he withheld -the award for several months, in the course of which -time the Zulu king nursed an ever-growing resentment -towards the British.</p> - -<p>In this interval Cetewayo, who set himself to -follow in the steps of his uncle, the famous chief -Dingaan, perpetrated many atrocities which showed -him to be a bloodthirsty tyrant. When he was -remonstrated with for his cruelties he insolently -answered that the killing he had done was nothing -to the killing he intended to do, a reply which was -taken as a warning that the Zulus looked forward to -“washing their spears” in the blood of white men.</p> - -<p>A raid into Natal to recapture some native women -who had fled thither for protection, and the subsequent -murder of the captives, increased Sir Bartle -Frere’s determination to take strong measures against -Cetewayo. Accordingly, when the award was announced -to the king it was accompanied with an -ultimatum that the vast Zulu army must be disbanded -and certain objectionable practices discontinued.</p> - -<p>Cetewayo, looking over his impis, which numbered -some 50,000 warriors—all well drilled and well -armed—laughed at the proposal. His army had -measured itself against the white men already and -with no little success. So the thirty days of grace -allowed him passed unheeded, and, war having been -declared, a British force crossed the Tugela into -Zululand.</p> - -<p>Lord Chelmsford, who commanded the troops, -divided his little army into three main columns. -One marched to an important station in the Transvaal; -another to a position near the mouth of the Tugela; -and the third—the invading force—to Rorke’s Drift,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -on the banks of the Buffalo River, thence to cross -over into Zululand. It was to this last column that -the great defeat at Isandhlana befell, a disaster -which filled all England with consternation when the -news of it arrived. And to it belongs the story of -how Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill made that -desperate dash to escape with the regimental colours -of the 24th that won them everlasting fame.</p> - -<p class="tb">How the disaster occurred is soon told. Although -advised by Boer veterans well versed in Zulu warfare -as to the necessity of laagering his waggons every -evening and of throwing out scouts well in advance, -Lord Chelmsford preferred to adopt his own tactics. -He was an experienced and brave officer, whose -record of active service included the Crimean, Indian -Mutiny, and Abyssinian campaigns, but he now -made the fatal mistake of despising the enemy before -him.</p> - -<p>After one or two successful skirmishes with the -Zulus, the little force of about 1300 men marched -up through the country, crossed the Buffalo River, -and encamped at the foot of a hill known to the -natives as Isandhlana, “the lion’s hill.” Here the -tents were pitched but no laager formed; no proper -precautions taken to guard against an attack.</p> - -<p>This was negligence enough, but worse was to -follow. Two small reconnoitring parties who were -sent out on January 21st were alarmed by the sight -of a large body of Zulus not far away. In some -haste they sent to the camp for reinforcements. On -receipt of this intelligence Lord Chelmsford got -together several companies of the 24th, some mounted -infantry and a few guns, and at a very early<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> -hour the next morning started out to meet, as -he confidently supposed, Cetewayo’s main army. -A body of Zulus was encountered and repulsed, but -they did not form the larger portion of Cetewayo’s -impis. While the British commander-in-chief was -thus decoyed from his base, an army of 20,000 -Zulus was hastening fleet-footed round the hills, to -swoop down upon the doomed camp.</p> - -<p>At Isandhlana only eight hundred men had been -left. These comprised a handful of Mounted Infantry -and Volunteers, seventy of the Royal Artillery with -two guns, and some companies of the 24th Regiment -and the Natal Carabineers. This puny force was -under the command of Colonel Durnford, R.E., who -had been hastily summoned thither from Rorke’s -Drift.</p> - -<p>Lord Chelmsford marched out at about four in the -morning. Five hours later the advancing Zulu impis -were sighted by the watchers at Isandhlana, and an -urgent message was despatched to the front. This -message the General disregarded, his aide-de-camp’s -telescope having assured him that the camp was -unmolested.</p> - -<p>Not everyone, however, shared this optimistic -opinion, for Colonel Harness and Major Black, -believing the messenger’s story to be true, started -back to Isandhlana on their own account, taking four -companies with them. But, to their grief, they were -peremptorily recalled. Had they continued their -journey they would have been in time to witness the -end of the death struggle which was even then in -progress at the camp; though it is doubtful if -they could have done anything to save their -comrades.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span></p> - -<p>Eight hundred against twenty thousand. What -chance had they?</p> - -<p>By noon the crescent of the Zulu army had -enveloped the camp. Drawing closer and still closer -in, the ringed warriors, the cream of Cetewayo’s fighting -men, armed with assegai, knobkerry, and rifle, burst -upon Durnford’s little company as they hastily tried -to form a laager with the waggons. Durnford -himself was in the thick of it, encouraging the -troopers, placing a gun here and ordering a charge -there. But it was all in vain.</p> - -<p>Before the fierce fire of thousands of Zulu rifles, -and before the host of assegais that hurtled through -the air, the redcoats and the Basutos of the Native -Contingent went down like corn under the sickle. -They fought well, as desperate men will when driven -to bay; but while they fired and reloaded and fired -again behind them came the right horn of the overlapping -Zulu army to strike at them in the rear. -<em>That</em>, and not a panic-stricken flight, accounted for -the many assegai wounds which were afterwards -observed in the fallen men’s backs.</p> - -<p>There were numerous deeds of valour performed -that day, of which some account has come down to us -from the Zulus themselves. The 24th, the South -Wales Borderers, a regiment with a famous record, -knew how to die, and officers and men accounted for -many a dusky foe ere they themselves were borne -down.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px;" id="illus7"> -<img src="images/illus7.jpg" width="390" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">WITH THE FLAG … FIRMLY GRIPPED IN HIS HAND, MELVILL -SPURRED HIS HORSE FOR THE RIVER.—<i><a href="#Page_173">Page 173.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<p>We have a picture of little parties of them found -lying with their fifty or sixty rounds of spent -cartridges beside their dead bodies, to give colour to -the Zulus’ story that they “could not make way -against the soldiers until they ceased firing.” Then,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> -and then only, could the deadly assegais finish their -work, as the warriors leapt in with the fierce death-hiss.</p> - -<p>And we have another picture given us of Captain -Younghusband, of the same regiment, standing erect -in an empty waggon with three privates, and keeping -a crowd of the enemy at bay. The others fall at -last, shot or assegaied by the Zulus who clamber up -the sides, but the tall, soldierly figure holds the warriors -off. Then, his last cartridge gone, he leaps down, sword -in hand, to cut his way through to liberty if it be -possible.</p> - -<p>It was not possible. But he died fighting like a -lion. Said a Zulu who took part in the attack, “All -those who tried to stab him were knocked over at -once. He kept his ground for a long time, until -someone shot him.”</p> - -<p>Very few escaped alive from that camp of death. -Of the gallant eight hundred all but six lay stretched -lifeless around the waggons and overturned tents, or -on the rough ground to the rear, where a line of -corpses marked the path to the river.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Teignmouth Melvill, Adjutant of the -1st Battalion of the 24th Regiment, was among -those who got away when all hope of rescue was given -up. To him Colonel Pulleine confided the Queen’s -colours, telling him to make the best of his way back -to safety. For himself, and those with him, said the -colonel, their duty was plain. There was no thought -of flight. “Men, we are here, and here we must -stop!” was his brief address to the remnant of the -1st Battalion; and stop they did, till they and their -brave colonel had fallen.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, with the flag rolled and cased and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -firmly gripped in his hand, Melvill spurred his horse -through the press and dashed for the river. After -him panted a score or more of Zulus, pausing only -in their pursuit to stab any of the other fugitives -whom they passed.</p> - -<p>For six miles the adjutant galloped on his ride for -life, gradually leaving the Zulus behind, though their -shots continued to follow him. He had now been -joined by Lieutenant Nevill Aylmer Coghill, of his -own regiment, who had cut his way through the circle -of Zulus. Then the tossing waters of the Buffalo -came in view, and how the fugitives’ hearts must have -risen at the sight. For on the other side of the river -lay Natal and safety.</p> - -<p>A last desperate spurt and the bank was gained. -Down the steep slope scrambled horses and riders, -and plunged into the swirling stream. The Buffalo -runs swiftly between its high banks, the water being -broken up by large rocks, dotted here and there. -Exhausted after its flight, Melvill’s horse failed to -make headway against the swift current, and in its -struggles the adjutant was swept out of his saddle.</p> - -<p>Not far away from him, on another rock, was an -officer of the Native Contingent, named Higginson.</p> - -<p>“Catch hold of the pole!” cried the adjutant; and -the other, leaning over, made a grab at it as the colours -came within reach. But he, too, was carried away.</p> - -<p>By this time the foremost of the Zulus had come -up, and they at once opened fire upon the helpless men -in the river. Lieutenant Coghill, meanwhile, had -swum his horse across the stream and gained the -opposite bank in safety. Reining up on the top of -the slope, he looked back and saw Melvill struggling -in the water below.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span></p> - -<p>There was a chance of life for him. His horse was -still fresh, and the road to Helpmakaar stretched -away behind him. But Coghill gave no thought to -himself, or if he did he banished it instantly from his -mind. Riding down the bank again, he plunged into -the river with a cheery call to Melvill to “hold on.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;" id="illus8"> -<img src="images/illus8.jpg" width="335" height="450" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">GRAVE OF MELVILL AND COGHILL.</p> -</div> - -<p>Then, just as he reached the other two, his horse -was shot. The current carried it swiftly down the -stream, as a few moments later it bore the colours which -it had wrenched from Melvill’s grasp.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span></p> - -<p>The three were now still more at the Zulus’ mercy. -Bullets splashed the water round them, and several -of the warriors were scrambling down the bank towards -them. By making great efforts, however, Coghill being -hampered by an injured knee, they reached the Natal -side. Here, before they had gone far, the Zulus caught -them up, and the two lieutenants turned to make a -fight for it.</p> - -<p>I need not dwell on the last sad scene. Higginson—and -we may think no shame of him for doing so—had -gone on alone. He had no revolver or weapon -of any kind with which to defend himself. Coghill -and Melvill had their revolvers.</p> - -<p>Standing in front of an enormous rock, the two -officers faced their foes, to sell their lives as dearly as -possible. And when their bodies were discovered -days later the stiffened corpses of a dozen Zulus lying -almost in a circle round them bore eloquent witness -to the gallant stand for life that they had made. -They were buried side by side on the spot where -they had fallen, while a simple granite cross was raised -to mark their grave and tell to future generations the -story of how Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill died to -save the colours of their regiment.</p> - -<p>The flag itself, it may be added, was found by -a search party some distance down the river. It was -brought back to England at the close of the war and -presented to her Majesty the Queen, who tenderly -placed upon it a wreath of immortelles in remembrance -of the gallant pair whose lives had been given -for it.</p> - -<p>At about the same time an announcement appeared -in the <cite>London Gazette</cite> to the effect that had Melvill -and Coghill lived they would have received the V.C.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> -And so their names, too, are added to the glorious roll -of honour.</p> - -<p class="tb">On the same day that Merrill and Coghill won fame, -Samuel Wassall, a private of the 80th Regiment who -had been serving with the Mounted Infantry, earned -the third Cross that is associated with Isandhlana. -Having escaped from the Zulus, he too turned his -horse towards the Buffalo River. He was pursued, but -managed to outdistance his enemies, and gained the -river unharmed at a point farther east than the ford.</p> - -<p>Just as he was about to enter the water Wassall saw -another soldier—Private Westwood—battling vainly -with the current and evidently on the point of being -drowned. To jump from his horse was the work of a -moment. Then, throwing himself into the stream, he -swam to the sinking man’s rescue, brought him out, got -himself and the exhausted Westwood on to the horse, -and plunged once more into the river.</p> - -<p>Some Zulus had appeared on the rocks above him as -he was in the act of mounting, and their bullets came -perilously close, but neither he nor his burden was hit. -The horse needed no urging to get across the stream, -and ere long Wassall was out of reach of his discomfited -pursuers.</p> - -<p>The Staffordshire private takes an honoured place -among the wearers of the Cross for Valour, for his -courage in turning to the rescue of his drowning -comrade stamps him a true hero.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI.<br /> -<span class="smaller">ZULULAND.—HOW THEY HELD THE POST AT -RORKE’S DRIFT.</span></h2> - -<p>The story of Rorke’s Drift is the story of one of -the most heroic defences in our military annals. -At this small post on the Buffalo River one hundred -and thirty-nine men of the 24th (South Wales -Borderers) Regiment, Durnford’s Horse, and the Natal -Mounted Police, kept off a huge army of three -thousand Zulus all through the afternoon and night -following the disaster at Isandhlana.</p> - -<p>Modern history, I believe, contains no parallel to -this brilliant feat of arms, which stands for all time -as an example of the splendid courage and devotion -of which Englishmen are capable when duty calls.</p> - -<p class="tb">At three o’clock in the afternoon of that fateful -January 22nd an officer of the Royal Engineers was -down at the drift watching the working of some -pontoons. This was Lieutenant John Rouse Merriott -Chard, now on active service for the first time after -seven years spent at various dockyard stations. He -had reason enough to be thoughtful, as he paced slowly -along the bank, for the drift was a position of extreme -importance. At this spot, where the river was most -easily fordable, the Zulus might be expected to cross<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span> -if they attempted the invasion of Natal. And to -stay them if they came was only a small garrison of -less than a hundred and fifty men.</p> - -<p>The post itself was about a quarter of a mile -distant, an old Swedish mission-station converted into -a commissariat depôt and hospital for the use of Lord -Chelmsford’s force. From where he stood Lieutenant -Chard could see the two low buildings of which it -consisted, with a small cluster of trees in front and -at one side, and behind the white tents where the -soldiers were. It looked a poor means of defence -indeed.</p> - -<p>From the mission-station his thoughts wandered to -the little force which had crossed by that same ford -eleven days previously and disappeared into the Zulu -country. What had been happening behind those -distant hills? He was not to be left long in doubt. -Suddenly two horsemen appeared in sight on the -other side of the river, spurring furiously towards -the ford. As they dashed up, the pontoon was -pulled across and the two were ferried over to -the Natal bank.</p> - -<p>The new-comers were Lieutenant Adendorff, of -Lonsdale’s corps, and a carabineer who had escaped -with him from the Zulus. The lieutenant was in his -shirt-sleeves and hatless, his only weapon being a -revolver strapped round his breast. As soon as he -reached Chard’s side he poured out his breathless tale -of horror, the tale of the Isandhlana massacre. He -himself had come straight from the camp of death to -tell the news of the disaster and to warn the little -garrison at the drift that a large body of Zulus was -advancing upon it.</p> - -<p>Sending the carabineer on to Helpmakaar, twelve<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> -miles away, where Major Spalding, the commandant -of the post, had gone to fetch another company of the -24th Regiment, Chard proceeded with Adendorff to -the mission-station. Here he found his brother-officer, -Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, who commanded -the company of the 24th, then encamped -close by, already engaged in putting the mission-house, -or store-building as it may more properly be called, -and the hospital in a state of defence. Barricades -were being prepared, and loopholes made in the walls. -Bromhead had a few minutes before received a similar -message of alarm.</p> - -<p>As quickly as possible the tents were struck, and -all who were able were set to work to build up a -wall of mealie-bags, about four feet high, from one -corner of the stone cattle-kraal to the wall of the -hospital building. This afforded a protection to the -front of the post. The waggons, which all the -morning had been unloading the stores they had -brought from Helpmakaar, were called into requisition -and made to form a barricade between the two -buildings.</p> - -<p>Everything that was possible was done to render -the position safe against attack, but the proximity of -a high hill (the Oscarberg), and a large patch of -bushes which there was no time to cut down, gave an -enemy a decided advantage.</p> - -<p>Having seen that his directions were being carried -out, Chard, who succeeded to the command in Major -Spalding’s absence, went back to the drift to bring up -the pontoon guard. To the honour of these brave -fellows, a sergeant and six men, it is said that they -offered to moor the boats in the stream and defend -the ford as long as they could; but the lieutenant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> -would not permit such a sacrifice. So the party went -up the bank together to the station.</p> - -<p>Half an hour had now elapsed. The next thing -to be done was to send out scouts to watch for the -Zulus, and some of Durnford’s Horse rode out on this -duty. Their officer dashed back hastily soon after -four to report that an impi was marching rapidly -towards the drift, and further that his men were -bolting along the road to Helpmakaar.</p> - -<p>With the cowards went a detachment of the Natal -Native Contingent, their “gallant” officer, Captain -Stevenson, flying with them. This desertion so enraged -the others that they fired a round after them, -killing a European non-commissioned officer of the -Native Contingent. The garrison was now sadly -reduced, but there were no more desertions. Every -man at the post was prepared to stand by it to the -last.</p> - -<p>The line of defence appearing to Chard to be too -extended for his few defenders, he constructed an -inner breastwork of—biscuit boxes! “We soon had -completed,” he says in his brief report, “a wall of -about two boxes high.” Behind this frail barrier -was to be fought as fierce a fight as history has ever -recorded.</p> - -<p>At about twenty minutes past four the leading -files of the Zulus hove in sight, and the garrison of -Rorke’s Drift flew to their several stations. Some -went to the rampart of mealie-bags, others to the -windows of the store-building, and others to the -hospital where there had been forty-five men when -the alarm first came, but where only twenty-three -now remained. Among those told off to guard the -wounded were Privates Henry Hook, Robert Jones,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> -William Jones, and John Williams, of whom more -hereafter.</p> - -<p>Following the few hundred Zulus who came leaping -and dancing round the base of the hill came a -host more, their ox-hide shields in different colours -marking the regiments to which they belonged. In -true Zulu fashion they tried to “rush” the place at -once, but a heavy volley drove them back. Then -they began to take up positions on the hillside, -where many rocky ledges and caves afforded them -vantage-points, while others dropped behind ant-hills -and bushes, or sought cover in the two little outhouses -of the hospital.</p> - -<p>“From my loophole,” says Hook, “I saw the Zulus -approaching in thousands. They began to fire, yelling -as they did so, when they were five hundred or -six hundred yards off. More than half of them had -muskets or rifles. I began to fire when they were -six hundred yards distant. I managed to clip several -of them, for I had an excellent rifle, and was a -‘marksman.’”</p> - -<p>Hook in his account recollects particularly one -Zulu whom he “clipped” at four hundred yards -while running from one ant-hill to another. The -warrior made a complete somersault and fell dead. -Another Zulu who sheltered himself behind an ant-hill -gave Hook some trouble, for the Gloucester man -had to sight his rifle three times ere he got his -enemy’s range. The Zulu never showed his head -round the heap again, and when Hook went round -to look at him after the fight was over he found -the warrior lying there with a bullet hole in his -skull.</p> - -<p>The hospital was the first building to receive the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> -attack, but at the outer wall of defence a fierce hand-to-hand -struggle soon ensued. Lieutenants Chard and -Bromhead were fighting hard at the front, the latter -being conspicuous in many a bayonet charge at the -dark-skinned figures that climbed again and again -over the mealie-bags. Prominent, too, in repelling -the Zulus at this position was one Corporal -Schiess, a Swiss, who left the hospital to join in the -fight, and distinguished himself by creeping along a -wall to shoot a Zulu who was firing from the end.</p> - -<p>At last it was recognised that the defenders could -not hope to hold this rampart long. They fell back -accordingly behind the inner defence of biscuit boxes, -after two hours of fighting.</p> - -<p>We may leave them there for a little time while -we take note of what is happening at the hospital. -Here the gallant six defenders have been quickly -reduced to four, two of the number having been -killed out on the verandah. Four men to get the -patients safely out of the building which the Zulus -have rendered untenable by firing the thatch!</p> - -<p>Hook and John Williams come to the front first -with William and Robert Jones (the last two not being -related, by the way). As the Zulus burst in the -outer doors the two Jones guard these entrances with -their bayonets, their cartridges being expended. It -is quick work; stabbing and thrusting until the -pile of corpses in the doorway itself helps to check -the rush. This gives time for Hook and Williams to -carry the patients from the first room to an inner -one.</p> - -<p>There are four apartments to be gone through -before the sick men can be carried out to the shelter -of the barricade, for the inner rooms do not communicate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> -directly with the outside. Holes have to -be made in the partitions, and the poor sufferers -passed through these in turn.</p> - -<p>Driven back and back, Hook finds himself suddenly -in a room where there are several patients. Then a -wounded man comes in with a bullet hole in his arm -which has to be bound up. A minute later John -Williams appears—John Williams who has just seen -his brother Joseph hauled out and assegaied before -his eyes, and who is now a still more dangerous man -to deal with.</p> - -<p>Williams breaks a hole in the partition with his -bayonet, and whilst he does this Hook takes his stand -at the door. A few moments later the rush comes. -There is a fierce hammering at the door, it gives way, -and the sturdy Gloucester private drops the first -man to enter. Shooting and lunging with his bayonet, -he soon accounts for four or five. Assegais fly past, -but only one touches him, inflicting a scalp wound. -One Zulu seizes his rifle and tries to drag it away, -but while they are tussling Hook slips in a cartridge, -pulls the trigger, and another body is added to the -heap at his feet.</p> - -<p>Every now and then a Zulu makes a rush to get -through, for the narrow entrance admits one man -only at a time; but none pass the grim figure on -guard there. And when all the patients have been -got out save one who has a broken leg, Hook makes -a jump for the hole himself, and gets through, dragging -the last wounded man after him—“in doing which,” -he says, “I broke his leg again!”</p> - -<p>From this last room a window opens out on to the -biscuit-box defences. The patients are quickly passed -out to willing hands below, the while Hook with his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> -reddened bayonet stands by the hole in the wall to -see that no Zulu follows. Then, still sticking to his -particular charge, he drags him out and takes up a -position behind the barricade to do some more useful -work there before the morning dawns. Of the -twenty-three wounded who were in the hospital -twenty have been saved. The remaining three are -believed to have wandered back, delirious from fever, -into the rooms that had been cleared.</p> - -<p>Although Hook and Williams have escaped injury -of any serious nature, the gallant Welshman, Robert -Jones, has not been so fortunate. Three assegais have -struck him in the body. He and his namesake -William, as I have said, have been most busy in the -front of the building, and how many Zulus they have -put to their account is not known, but the number is -large judging from the heaps of dead warriors whose -bodies are found in the ruins of the building next -day.</p> - -<p>In this last stage of the rescue of the wounded -William Allen and Frederick Hitch, fellow-soldiers of -the 24th Regiment (to which, by the way, the four -brave privates above-named belong), make good their -claim to glory. Taking up an exposed position on -some steps leading to a granary, these two men keep -the ground clear between the burning hospital and -the barricade, their accurate fire making it certain -death for a Zulu to venture near.</p> - -<p>By their courageous stand, for which they pay -dearly, every one of the rescued twenty is brought -into safety. And even when incapacitated by their -wounds from taking part in the fighting, the two -brave fellows stand by all night to serve out ammunition -to their comrades.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span></p> - -<p>At the rampart of biscuit boxes were several -vacant places ere the first beams of light showed in -the sky. Where Hook knelt three men had previously -been shot. But under the cool direction of Chard, -Bromhead, and Assistant-Commissary Dalton, another -of the garrison, the line of defenders kept up a deadly -fire against the Zulus which stayed the rushes time -and time again, and drove back the picked warriors of -Cetewayo’s army to the shelter of their rocks and ant-heaps. -Thirteen hours in all the fight lasted, until -the Zulus drew off, baffled, beaten.</p> - -<p>Several times they had seemed to be retiring, but -after renewed war-dances and that stamping of the -earth peculiar to Zulu warriors, accompanied with -much shouting and waving of assegais, they came on -again with a fierce yell of “Usutu!” which is a far -more fearsome cry to hear in battle than the war-whoop -of the painted Sioux. At last, just after four -a.m., there was a long pause, and then the impis were -seen to sullenly roll back out of sight behind the -Oscarberg.</p> - -<p>The grim, smoke-blackened defenders peered wonderingly -after them from behind the barricade, hardly -believing that the host was actually in retreat. But -such was the case. After some time, those who went -out to reconnoitre and look for the wounded saw no -signs of the enemy. The Zulus had gone, leaving -some 350 dead behind them. On our side the losses -were but fifteen, though two of the wounded died -afterwards.</p> - -<p>With the fear of a renewed attack later on, the -weary soldiers laid their rifles aside, and at once began -to strengthen the defences where they had been -broken down. Lest the store-building itself should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> -be threatened with fire, they set to work to remove -the thatch from its roof, and while engaged in doing -so the watchers announced that another large body of -Zulus were in sight some distance to the south-west. -Immediately the men flew to their stations, but the -alarm fortunately turned out to be a false one. The -enemy, after advancing a little way, swung round -and disappeared behind the hills. They had seen the -column under Lord Chelmsford marching towards the -drift, and had had their stomachful of fighting.</p> - -<p>A little later the British force, which had seen the -flames of the burning hospital as far off as Isandhlana -and had marched from the fatal camp to relieve their -comrades at Rorke’s Drift, came round the Oscarberg, -to be greeted with wild cheers and waving of helmets.</p> - -<p>“Men,” said the General, as he surveyed the group -before him and heard the story of their great stand, -“I thank you all for your gallant defence.”</p> - -<p>It was not a moment for fine speeches. The hearts -of all present were too full to find utterance in words. -But every man knew what was in Lord Chelmsford’s -heart as he thanked them simply for himself and for -his country.</p> - -<p>For that defence, gallant indeed, eleven Crosses -were awarded, to Lieutenants Chard and Bromhead, -to Assistant-Commissary Dalton, Corporals Allen and -Schiess, Privates Hook, Williams, Hitch, and W. and -R. Jones, and to Surgeon-Major Reynolds, whom I -have not mentioned in my account, but who showed -great devotion to the wounded under fire.</p> - -<p>Private Henry Hook, one of the principal heroes of -the defence, was called up at once before Lord Chelmsford, -just as he was, in shirt sleeves and with his -braces hanging down behind, to receive the General’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -praise for his conduct. He was the only one of the -eleven to receive his V.C. at Rorke’s Drift, on the -very scene of his gallantry, Sir Garnet Wolseley -pinning the little bronze Cross on to Hook’s breast -with his own hands on the following 3rd of August.</p> - -<p>Until a few years ago Hook was a familiar figure -to frequenters of the British Museum Reading Room, -where, on retiring from the service, he obtained an -appointment.</p> - -<p>Of the rest, Lieutenant Bromhead died in 1891, and -Lieutenant (afterwards Colonel) Chard in 1897. I -find only the names of Brigadier-Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel -J. H. Reynolds, and Privates J. Williams, -F. Hitch, and W. Jones, in the list of surviving recipients. -To those who have the opportunity I would -say, seek out these heroes while they are still in the -land of the living and hear from their lips, if they -can be led to speak, the full story of Rorke’s Drift, -which I feel I have told but baldly here.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">SOME OTHER ZULU AND SOME BASUTO CROSSES.</span></h2> - -<p>The progress of the Zulu campaign was marked by -many ups and downs before reinforcements -arrived to strengthen Lord Chelmsford’s force and a -crushing defeat could be inflicted upon the enemy at -Cetewayo’s capital, Ulundi. But, though our troops -sometimes found themselves in a tight corner, the -disaster of Isandhlana was fortunately not repeated. -The lesson of that fatal blunder had been learned.</p> - -<p>Of the columns besides that which Lord Chelmsford -himself led into Zululand, the one commanded by -Colonel Pearson had met with some success. This -officer had been despatched to a post near the mouth -of the Tugela, in the south-east corner of Zululand. -Marching into the country, he fought a decisive action -by the Inyezani River, and occupied Eshowe.</p> - -<p>The remaining column under Colonel Evelyn Wood, -marching to a station on the Upper Blood River, -established its base on the Kambula Hill. From -this force a small garrison was provided for the -town of Luneberg, and it was in connection with -this post that another V.C. was pluckily won on -the 12th of March.</p> - -<p>News coming of a convoy of supplies being on its -way to Luneberg, Captain Moriarty went out to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> -meet it with a detachment of the 80th (2nd Batt. -S. Staffordshire) Regiment. The convoy, or rather -the first part of it, was met by the Intombi River. -Here a laager was formed, and the escort was -divided into two sections, one on each side of the -river. Seventy-one men were on the left bank with -Captain Moriarty, while on the opposite bank were -thirty-five under Lieutenant Harward.</p> - -<p>During the night of the 11th of March, while both -of the little camps were sleeping soundly in their -tents, a thick fog rolled up, and with it came a -Zulu impi. Soon after daybreak a sentry in Moriarty’s -camp gave the alarm. Orders were promptly -given for the soldiers to stand to their arms, but -ere this could be done the Zulus were upon them. -Nearly all the men on the left bank were massacred -as they came flying from their tents, their captain -being almost the first to fall.</p> - -<p>On the other side of the river the soldiers had had -time to arm, and they quickly opened fire upon the -enemy. A number of the Zulus now swam across -the river, although it was much swollen by the -rains, and seeing this Lieutenant Harward did what -has always been characterised as a very cowardly -thing. He left his men to take care of themselves, -and galloped off to Luneberg. His defence at the -court-martial which was subsequently held upon -him was that he rode away for help, and on some -technicality he was acquitted. Lord Chelmsford, -however, plainly showed that he disagreed with the -Court’s decision.</p> - -<p>In the meantime, while their officer took to his -heels, Sergeant Booth rallied the men and assumed -command. For three miles the sergeant fell back<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> -slowly with his little company, fighting the enemy -all the time and keeping them at a respectful -distance. And he brought the whole of the thirty-five -safe into Luneberg, not a single man of them -having been killed! For this conspicuous action -Booth was soon afterwards decorated with the Cross -for Valour.</p> - -<p>At the storming of the Inhlobane Mountain near -Kambula, a fortnight after the above event, several -more V.C.’s were won in an exceptionally gallant -manner. Colonel Wood, as has been said, had his -camp on the Kambula Hill. Anticipating an attack -from the Zulus, who were on the Inhlobane, he -decided to strike first, and despatched a little force -under Colonel Redvers Buller with instructions to -surprise the enemy and dislodge them. The attack -was delivered on the night of the 27th and the -morning of the 28th of March.</p> - -<p>Leading his men, who were mostly colonials of the -Frontier Light Horse, and loyal natives, Buller -climbed up the steep side of the mountain in the -mist, and with a brilliant rush drove the Zulus -from their little stone forts. The stronghold was -captured, but the flying warriors took refuge in -the numerous caves with which the place abounded, -and great difficulty was experienced in routing them -out of these.</p> - -<p>One party, whose fire caused some havoc among -the troops, had found a particularly well-sheltered -position. It was clear that they would have to be -dislodged. Certain orders, it is said, were given for -this cave to be stormed, but, chafing at the delay -that occurred, Captain the Hon. Robert Campbell -of the Coldstreams, with Lieutenant Henry Lysons<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and Private -Edmond Fowler, of the Perthshire Light Infantry, -dashed forward to undertake the difficult task. -Many fallen boulders and thick clumps of bushes -impeded their path, and, to add to the hazard of -the attempt, the approach to the cave led between -two walls of rock where the passage was so narrow -that they had to walk in single file.</p> - -<p>Campbell took the post of honour at the head -of the dauntless three and was shot at the mouth -of the cave. Leaping over his lifeless body, the -Lieutenant and Fowler sprang into the gloomy cavern, -killing several Zulus with their first shots. A number -of subterranean passages opened out from the entrance, -and through these the majority of the cave’s occupants -escaped to a chasm below. Here they found themselves -exposed to the fire of the two marksmen above, -and in quick time retreated down the hill.</p> - -<p>Their mission accomplished, Lysons and Fowler -returned to their comrades to be congratulated on -their success and recommended for the V.C., which -was in due course bestowed upon them.</p> - -<p>While these clearing operations were being performed, -however, the Zulus had received large -reinforcements, and Colonel Buller saw that he was -in danger of being trapped on the mountain top. So -he ordered his force to return down the hillside to -rejoin the main body.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px;" id="illus9"> -<img src="images/illus9.jpg" width="390" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">THE COLONEL HAD TO RIDE BACK… AND, WHILE ASSEGAIS -AND SHOTS SPED PAST HIM, CARRY OFF THE DISMOUNTED -MAN UPON HIS HORSE.—<i><a href="#Page_193">Page 193.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<p>But for their colonel’s exertions and noble disregard -of self, the retreat might soon have become -a rout. As the soldiers fell back, the Zulus swarmed -up and over the top of the mountain and threw themselves -desperately upon the handful of white men in -the endeavour to cut them off. Many deeds of valour<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> -were now performed, Buller himself saving no fewer -than six lives, among those he rescued being Captain -D’Arcy of the Frontier Light Horse, Lieutenant -Everitt, and a trooper of the same company. For -each of these three the brave colonel had to ride -back towards the advancing Zulus, and, while assegais -and shots sped past him, carry off the dismounted man -upon his horse.</p> - -<p>Redvers Buller is “Sir Henry” now, a General and -a G.C.B. among other distinctions, but I think he is -prouder of none of his honours more than the bronze -Maltese Cross which he wears on his breast for his -bravery that day at Inhlobane Mountain. And seldom, -indeed, has the V.C. been better deserved.</p> - -<p>At the same time Lieutenant E. S. Browne (a -South Wales Borderer) and Major William Leet, of -the Somersets, gained the decoration for acts of -heroism of a similar nature, Browne having two lives -placed to his credit.</p> - -<p>The seventh of the Zulu Crosses which I have -space to note in this chapter was awarded to that -truly gallant soldier the late Lord William de la Poer -Beresford. Wherever there was fighting going on -Beresford of the 9th Lancers was bound to be in it. -Only eight months previously, during the Afghan -campaign, he had joined Sir Samuel Browne -(another V.C. hero) in the famous march through -the Khyber Pass, having obtained a month’s leave -from the Viceroy, on whose staff he served as aide-de-camp.</p> - -<p>How he won his Cross in Zululand was characteristic -of Lord William’s impetuous courage. With a -scouting party he had ventured across the White -Umvolosi River to discover what the enemy’s movements<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -were in the neighbourhood of Ulundi. They made their -way safely for some distance through the long grass -when suddenly a number of Zulus, who had been -lying in ambush, sprang to their feet and poured a -deadly volley into the party.</p> - -<p>Two of the troopers were killed instantly, but a -third man who fell (Sergeant Fitzmaurice) was seen -to raise himself up from the ground where he lay by -the side of his dead horse. Of the retreating scouts -Lord William Beresford was the nearest to the Zulus, -and without a moment’s hesitation he turned his horse -and galloped back to the fallen man.</p> - -<p>The story goes—and there is no reason whatever -to disbelieve it—that Beresford flung himself from his -horse and bade Fitzmaurice mount. The sergeant -refused to do so, telling his would-be rescuer to save -himself. Then the plucky Irishman seized Fitzmaurice -by the shoulder and swore that he would punch the -other’s head if he didn’t do as he was told; whereupon -with some difficulty the sergeant was hoisted up into -the saddle, Beresford mounting after him.</p> - -<p>During the altercation the Zulus had come within -a few yards of the couple, and Beresford’s horse only -just managed to get away in time. Even as it was, -it is possible that they would both have been assegaied -had not Sergeant O’Toole, another Irishman, ridden -out towards them and with his revolver checked the -Zulus’ rush.</p> - -<p>When Lord William heard that the V.C. was to -be awarded him for that exploit he asked whether the -sergeant had been recommended for the distinction, -and on learning that this was not the case refused to -accept the honour unless it was also given to the -other. This made due impression at headquarters,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> -and soon after O’Toole’s name appeared in the -<cite>Gazette</cite> together with that of Beresford.</p> - -<p>Lord William met with a sad end to his career. -As may be remembered, he died in 1900 from the -effects of an accident received in the hunting-field.</p> - -<p class="tb">With the V.C.’s won in Zululand I may well couple -those which were gained in the brief Basuto rebellion -of 1879. The Basutos, an offshoot of the Bechuanas -and a very warlike race, believed themselves to be -threatened with a British invasion from Natal, and -took up arms. A punitive force from the colony had -therefore to restore them to order.</p> - -<p>One or two encounters with the rebels taught the -latter a severe lesson, but retreating to the hills they -made a determined stand upon a mountain called after -their chief, Moirosi. This stronghold the Basutos -made almost impregnable by a long series of stockades -on the one side of the mountain that was accessible. -On the other three sides it was perfectly perpendicular.</p> - -<p>After several vain attempts this stronghold was -successfully stormed, Moirosi himself being shot and -large numbers of Basutos captured. What a terrible -task the Colonials had in fighting their way up the -steep slope will be understood when I say that the -troops had to storm some twelve or fourteen of the -high stone walls, or stockades, which the Basutos had -erected, the walls being loopholed for rifles.</p> - -<p>In the ascent Trooper P. Brown and Sergeant -Robert Scott, both of the Cape Mounted Rifles, did -deeds of daring which singled them out from their -comrades for distinction. The former left his cover -under a most heavy fire to carry his water bottle to -some wounded men who were crying piteously for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> -water. He was wounded twice as he was in the act -of stooping over the sufferers, one of the enemy’s -bullets shattering his right arm and rendering -it permanently useless.</p> - -<p>Sergeant Scott was a no less brave man, though his -exploit was of a different kind. At one barricade that -the troops reached the fire was so merciless that it -seemed impossible to advance against it. But the -sergeant thought of a way out of the difficulty. The -enemy must be dislodged from their position by fuse -shells. Volunteering for the dangerous work, he took -some shells and ran swiftly towards the barricade. As -has happened often before when one desperate man -takes his life thus in his hands and braves a hundred, -he escaped being hit. Then, crouching under the wall, -he tried to throw a shell over into the midst of the -Basutos.</p> - -<p>The first attempt failed, but the second succeeded. -Taking a third shell, he flung this after the others, -but owing to some faulty adjustment of the fuse it -burst almost immediately after leaving his hands. -The explosion was terrible. One hand of the sergeant—his -right one—was completely shattered, and he -received a severe wound in his right leg. Fortunately -for his comrades, he had ordered his party to retire -under cover, a precaution which undoubtedly saved -many lives.</p> - -<p>The sergeant’s daring feat enabled the troops to -drive the Basutos from the position without much -further difficulty, and when he recovered from his -wounds the V.C. was awarded him.</p> - -<p>With Scott and Trooper Brown must be bracketed -a third V.C. hero of that attack on Moirosi’s Mountain—brave -Surgeon-Major Edmund Baron Hartley, of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -the same corps. His Cross was won for particular -gallantry in tending the wounded under fire, and in -going out in the open to bring in Corporal Jones, who, -poor fellow, was lying badly hit only a few yards from -the Basutos’ stockade. Surgeon Hartley worthily -upholds the traditions of that noble brotherhood we -have already seen doing their duty in the Crimea, in -India, and elsewhere. All honour to the brave Army -doctors!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">SOUTH AFRICA.—AGAINST BOERS AND MATABELE.</span></h2> - -<p>The first Boer War of 1881 reflected little credit -on the British arms, with its disastrous reverses -at Laing’s Nek and Majuba; but it added some names -to the roll of V.C. heroes which call for special -mention.</p> - -<p>I do not propose to enter into the history of the -war here or discuss its justness. Briefly, it arose from -the refusal of the Boers to surrender the Transvaal as -a part of the projected South African Federation. -Far from being reconciled to British rule, the Boers -were united in wishing to maintain their independence, -and at the end of 1880 they resorted to arms, -proclaiming a Republic.</p> - -<p>The command of the British force which was sent -into the field was given to General Sir George -Pomeroy Colley, a veteran of many wars. On -January 28th, 1881, a large force of Boers invaded -Natal, and were encountered at Laing’s Nek, a frontier -mountain pass some twenty-four miles from Newcastle, -with the result that General Colley was repulsed with -heavy loss.</p> - -<p>Laing’s Nek, which takes its name from a deserted -farm on the heights above the upper stream of the -Buffalo, forms a most important position, a large tableland<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> -at the summit giving the command of the plains -below. It was to this particular point that the -British general advanced. But the Boers had taken -advantage of the mountain spurs and the low hills -which flanked the steep winding road leading to the -summit, and were able to concentrate a murderous fire -upon our troops. Every effort was made to continue -the advance, Major Brownlow leading a splendid -charge of the Mounted Squadron, in which he had his -horse shot under him, but it was in vain. Very -slowly, for the Boers pressed hard upon them, the -troops fell back.</p> - -<p>Then it was that Lieutenant Alan Hill won his -V.C. for a gallant action. Out in the open ground, -knocked over by a Boer bullet, lay Lieutenant Baillie -of his own regiment (the 58th). Running to the -wounded man, Hill tried to lift him into his saddle, -but finding this too difficult a feat he carried him in -his arms along the narrow road, until another bullet -put Baillie out of his misery. A little later the -lieutenant turned to face the heavy fire of the -Boers again, and this time succeeded in bringing -back two wounded privates to safety, himself escaping -as if by a miracle.</p> - -<p>Very cool and brave, too, was Private John Doogan -of the 1st Dragoon Guards. Servant to Major -Brownlow, he rode close to that officer in the charge -of the Mounted Squadron. When the major was -dismounted and almost surrounded by Boers, Doogan -rode up and jumped off his horse.</p> - -<p>“Take my horse, sir,” he said, “and ride off while -there’s time.”</p> - -<p>The major refused, and with still more determination -when Doogan was wounded as he stood urging<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span> -his master to mount; but although the enemy were -close on them both men escaped capture. For that -act of devotion Private Doogan was decorated in -due course.</p> - -<p>Just a month later occurred the fight on Majuba -Hill. Colley’s object in occupying this position was -to render the Boers’ occupation of Laing’s Nek -untenable, but he was again unsuccessful, losing his -own life in the attempt. The story of his night -march up the hill and the death-trap into which he -fell need not be retold. It is a disaster one does not -care to dwell upon.</p> - -<p>Against the gloom, however, one or two isolated -acts of bravery shine out prominently. That gallant -soldier Hector Macdonald, then a sergeant in the -92nd Highlanders, won a commission through his -prowess there, and Lance-Corporal Farmer, of the -Hospital Corps, a V.C.</p> - -<p>When Surgeon Arthur Landon stopped behind the -retreating soldiers to dress the wounds of the fallen -men around him, Corporal Farmer and another -man stood by his side to assist. To their shame, be -it said, the Boers fired upon the little group, -hitting the surgeon, the wounded man, and Farmer’s -comrade.</p> - -<p>Thinking to stop the cowards, the corporal waved a -bandage in the air to show that he was engaged in an -act of mercy. But it had no effect. Their rifles -cracked again, and the bandage fell as Farmer’s right -wrist was struck.</p> - -<p>“I’ve got another arm!” he shouted, stooping to -pick up the bandage with his left hand and raising it -on high. But the Boers shot at him yet once more -and with deadly effect, shattering the elbow joint of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> -his arm. After which the brave fellow gave up trying -to teach humanity to such savages.</p> - -<p class="tb">There were other Crosses gained in that brief but -inglorious campaign against the Transvaal Boers—at -Elandsfontein and at Wesselstroom; but I must pass -on to tell of some acts of valour performed in another -South African war of rather later date. In 1896 -a serious rebellion broke out among the Matabele, -who had been living peaceably under the rule of the -Chartered Company for three years, and but for the -prompt action of the Colonials in Rhodesia the consequences -might have been far more terrible than they were.</p> - -<p>The causes of that rebellion are not hard to seek. -Generally speaking, it is said to have originated in the -stringent measures enforced against the cattle plague, -the rinderpest, which was sweeping through the -country; but there were other and deeper reasons -why the Matabele rose. Since their subjection in -1893, after Lo Bengula was defeated, the natives had -been compelled to perform a certain amount of labour—paid -labour—annually, and had had to pay a very -large fine in cattle. All this bore heavily upon them. -They chafed under the disgrace of being a conquered -people, they who had been a great warlike nation; -and only awaited a favourable opportunity to throw off -the yoke.</p> - -<p>The opportunity came in 1896, after Dr. Jameson, -starting on his famous Raid, had withdrawn the police -force of Rhodesia, with most of the big guns and -munitions of war. Believing the white settlers to -be at their mercy now, the Matabele chiefs, who had -been maturing their plans, gave the signal to rise, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> -immediately the civilised world was horrified by a -series of terrible massacres, far exceeding any that had -taken place in the 1893 rebellion. Within the short -space of a week not a white person was left alive in -the outlying districts of Matabeleland. Men, women, -and children, whole families in some instances, were -wiped out.</p> - -<p>Prompt action was necessary to deal with the rising. -As quickly as possible a strong laager was formed at -Bulawayo, the chief town, and a corps of mounted men -enlisted. The nucleus of this force was a little company -of twenty-three Rhodesians, got together by -Captain Grey and known throughout the war as -Grey’s Scouts. The rest of the body comprised -troopers from the Africander Corps and various -Rhodesia Horse Volunteers.</p> - -<p>Fine fellows were these; hard as nails, and the -best riders and best shots in the colony. For three -months, until the arrival of imperial troops, they -harried the Matabele without mercy, holding their own -against tremendous odds. In this campaign the -fighting was very different from that experienced in -the former war. The natives had learned the futility -of attacking fortified places, and the engagements were -fought out in the bush.</p> - -<p>Many a tale is told of gallant rescues of isolated -settlers who were in danger of being annihilated at -this time, and many an instance is recorded of splendid -devotion shown to each other by the Colonials. “Never -desert your comrade,” was the motto of the troopers, -and faithfully did they live up to it. Witness the -story of Trooper Henderson.</p> - -<p>Hearing that a party of whites at Inyati, about -forty miles from Bulawayo, were in peril, Captain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> -Pittendrigh rode out with a few men to the rescue, -but on their way they learned that their errand was -vain; the party had been massacred. A body of -Matabele having been encountered during the journey, -and news coming of a large impi being in front, the -little force halted at a store by the Impembisi River -near the Shiloh hills. Here they fortified themselves -against attack while two daring despatch riders -hastened back to Bulawayo for reinforcements.</p> - -<p>The much-needed help came. Early the next -morning thirty men of the Bulawayo Field Force -galloped up. They had to report passing through a -number of Matabele at Queen’s Reef, in the vicinity, -and further that two members of their party were -missing, Troopers Celliers and Henderson. The mystery -of their disappearance was not cleared up until three -days later, when both men came into Bulawayo, -Celliers wounded, on horseback, and Henderson, much -travel-stained, on foot.</p> - -<p>Celliers told the story of their adventures. In the -affray with the Matabele at Queen’s Reef his horse had -been shot in five places and he himself badly wounded -in the knee. Becoming separated from their comrades -in the darkness, the two men had hidden in the bush. -Then, Celliers’ horse having dropped dead and his -wound making it impossible for them to think of -following the others, Henderson placed his comrade -on his horse and set off with him for Bulawayo.</p> - -<p>Their way led through a difficult piece of country -which was known to be overrun with Matabele, and -Henderson had to exercise the greatest caution in proceeding. -Long detours had to be made; now and then, -as natives were sighted, they had to conceal themselves -among the hills. But though some parties of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> -Matabele warriors passed unpleasantly close, the two -men escaped discovery. For three whole days they -wandered thus, without food, save a few sour plums, -Celliers’ wound all the time causing him great agony; -and never was sight more welcome than when the -white buildings of Bulawayo greeted their eyes.</p> - -<p>That plucky rescue brought a well-deserved -Victoria Cross to Trooper Herbert J. Henderson, -making him the eighth Colonial to receive the decoration. -Celliers, it is sad to record, died from the effects -of the amputation of his injured leg.</p> - -<p>This affair of the Shiloh patrol occurred in March. -In April there was a brisk action fought on the -Umguza River by Bisset’s Patrol, among whom were -twenty of Grey’s Scouts. Mr. F. C. Selous, who -accompanied this force and had a narrow escape of -being killed by the Matabele, tells the story of how -Trooper Frank Baxter, of the Scouts, here won the -V.C., though he lost his life in doing so.</p> - -<p>The enemy had been driven from their position -with considerable loss, and the troops were retiring -from the Umguza, when a party of Matabele warriors -who had been lying in ambush to the left of the line -of retreat suddenly opened a brisk fire upon them. -The foremost of the Scouts galloped past, while -Captain Grey and a few of those in the rear halted to -return the fire. Trooper Wise was the first to be hit, -a bullet striking him in the back as he was in the act -of mounting. His horse then stumbled, and breaking -away galloped back to town, leaving Wise on the -ground.</p> - -<p>Seeing the other’s peril, Baxter immediately reined in -his horse, sprang down and lifted the wounded man -into the saddle. Captain Grey and Lieutenant Hook<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> -now went to his assistance, and got Baxter along as -fast as they could; but the Matabele came leaping -through the bush and closed in upon them.</p> - -<p>Firing at close range, they wounded the lieutenant -and almost did for Grey, the captain being half stunned -by a bullet. As Baxter, left unprotected for the -moment, ran on, another Scout, with the picturesque -name of “Texas” Long, went to his assistance, bidding -him hold on to the stirrup leather. In this fashion -Baxter was making good progress towards safety when -a bullet struck him in the side, and as he fell to the -ground the savages pounced out upon him with their -assegais. He was killed before Long or any other -could have saved him.</p> - -<p>If to lay down one’s life for a friend is the test of -true heroism, then Trooper Frank Baxter has surely -won a high place in the roll of our honoured dead.</p> - -<p>At this same fight on the Umguza other deeds of -valour were performed of which no official recognition -was taken, but they are enshrined in the memory of -the colonists. John Grootboom, a loyal Xosa Kafir -and a very famous character, did wonders; and -Lieutenant Fred Crewe saved the life of Lieutenant -Hook in a gallant manner.</p> - -<p>Hook’s horse was shot and its rider thrown to the -ground, causing him to lose his rifle.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you pick it up?” asked Crewe, as the -other came hobbling towards him.</p> - -<p>“I can’t; I’m badly wounded,” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“Are you wounded, old chap?” said Crewe. “Then -take my horse, and I’ll try and get out of it on foot.”</p> - -<p>And, having got the lieutenant up into the saddle, -Crewe slowly won his way back through the Matabele,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -keeping them off with his revolver, and being hit only -by a knobkerry which caught him in the back.</p> - -<p>The third V.C. of the campaign was won by Captain -R. C. Nesbitt, during the fighting in Mashonaland. -A party of miners in the Mazoe Valley having been -attacked by the natives, a patrol rode to their relief -from Salisbury, but was unable to bring them away. -On the 19th of June Captain Nesbitt was out with a -patrol of thirteen men when he met a runner from -the leader of the refugees, with a note which stated -that they were in laager and urgently in need of help. -A relief force of a hundred men and a Maxim gun -was asked for. The captain read the message out to -his men and proposed that they should try and rescue -the party, to which the troopers readily agreed. -Sending the runner on to Salisbury, the patrol at -once turned their horses in the direction of the -Mazoe Valley, and fought their way through the -cordon of Mashonas to the laager. Then, with the -three women of the party in an armoured waggon, -they started on the return journey, and after some -desperate fighting brought them all safely in to -Salisbury, with a loss of only three men.</p> - -<p>Of such sons as these, Henderson, Baxter, Crewe, -and Captain Nesbitt, Rhodesia is deservedly proud. -And we “who sit at home at ease” while these outposts -of Empire are being won for us, may well be -proud too, remembering that they are of our own -blood, Britons in that Greater Britain across the -seas.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV.<br /> -<span class="smaller">IN EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.</span></h2> - -<p>Arabi Pasha’s rebellion in Egypt in 1882, which -was quelled by the British army under Sir -Garnet (afterwards Lord) Wolseley, was notable -chiefly for the bombardment of Alexandria and the -battle of Tel-el-Kebir. At Alexandria, as has been -noted in a previous chapter, Gunner Israel Harding -won the Cross for picking up a live shell and immersing -it in water. At Tel-el-Kebir and at Kafrdour -the two other V.C.’s of the campaign were earned in -no less gallant style.</p> - -<p>The Kafrdour hero was Private Frederick Corbett, -of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. During the reconnaissance -upon this village the leader of his company, -Lieutenant Howard-Vyse, was mortally wounded, and -Corbett obtained leave to remain by the officer’s side -while the others went on. The Egyptians were -keeping up a pretty vigorous fire the while, but the -plucky private calmly sat down and bound up the -lieutenant’s wounds as best he could, afterwards -carrying him off the field.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant W. M. M. Edwards’ exploit at Tel-el-Kebir, -where he captured a battery almost single-handed, -is worthy of being related at some length. It -was, perhaps, the most dashing thing done in the war.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> -At this hard-fought battle four miles of earthworks -which the Egyptians had thrown up in front of their -position had to be carried at point of bayonet. To -the Highland Light Infantry and the Royal Irish -Fusiliers was given the post of honour, and as the -word of command rang out both regiments dashed -forward at the charge.</p> - -<p>Determined not to let the “Faugh-a-Ballagh Boys” -be the first in, Lieutenant Edwards of the Highlanders -raced ahead with his storming party towards -the nearest redoubt. He reached the parapet well in -advance of the others, and pulled himself to the top. -Then, jumping down among the Egyptian gunners, -revolver in one hand and sword in the other, he shot -the first who attacked him, an officer, through the -head.</p> - -<p>Another grappled with him, and this man, too, -he shot; but while engaged in this struggle a third -Egyptian ran up and knocked him down with a -rammer. Three Highlanders leapt into the battery -at this critical moment, and Edwards was soon upon -his feet to lead his men in a charge upon the guns. -His scabbard had been shot away in the fight, and -his claymore broken in two, so after emptying his -revolver the lieutenant took the sword of the artillery -officer he had killed and carried on the fight with -that. And in less time than it takes to tell the -battery was captured with its four Krupp guns, all -the Egyptian gunners being slain.</p> - -<p>After which achievement Edwards sat down on -the parapet to bind up the scalp wound he had -received with a towel, in Indian “puggaree” fashion, -afterwards marching to Tel-el-Kebir station, two and -a half miles off, with this decoration on his head. A<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span> -few months later he wore another decoration, the -Victoria Cross having been bestowed upon him for -his gallantry.</p> - -<p>Although it is not a V.C. exploit, I am tempted -to include a remarkable feat performed at Tel-el-Kebir -by Major Dalbiac, of the Royal Artillery, that -Dalbiac who fell at Senekal twenty years later.</p> - -<p>During the battle the battery which he commanded -ran short of ammunition and no more was to be had. -In this dilemma the major resolved that at all events -his guns should not stand idle, so, with a touch of -humour characteristic of him, he ordered them to -be limbered up, and took them forward at a gallop. -One can imagine the surprise of the “Gyppies” -when the entire battery came racing up one side of -the earthworks and down the other into their midst, -putting them fairly to rout!</p> - -<p>In 1883 broke out the Mahdi’s rebellion in the -Soudan, which was to give us endless trouble and to -cost the life of Gordon. After Hicks Pasha had -perished miserably at Shekan, and Colonel Valentine -Baker with his Egyptians had been routed at Tokar, -Gordon was sent out from England to conquer the -Soudan, and with him went Sir Gerald Graham, who -defeated Osman Digna, the Mahdi’s right-hand man, at -El Teb and Tamai.</p> - -<p>In the first of these battles, fought on February 29th, -1884, two V.C.’s were earned; one by a quartermaster-sergeant -of the 19th Hussars, who saved -his colonel’s life; and the other by a naval captain -who is now the well-known Admiral Sir Arthur -Knyvet Wilson, K.C.B. The latter won his Cross for -conspicuous bravery, which his chief, the gallant Sir -William Hewett, V.C., knew well how to appreciate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Naval Brigade contributed to form a huge -square which moved steadily down upon the massed -Arabs, to whom this was a novel form of fighting. -As the troops approached closer little parties of the -enemy dashed out to fling themselves bravely but -vainly upon the bayonets of the front ranks or be shot -down ere they could get so far. The principal Arab -attack was directed against the side on which the -sailors were with their Gardner guns and here Captain -Wilson found his opportunity to distinguish himself.</p> - -<p>So impetuous was the Arabs’ rush at one time that -a slight gap was made in the square. Seeing this, -a fresh party dashed up to break through the opening, -but they had to reckon with Wilson. In a flash he -recognised the danger, and, springing out to meet the -enemy, he engaged them single-handed.</p> - -<p>The first Arab he ran through with his sword, but -with such vigour that the blade broke off at the hilt. -Nothing daunted at being thus left weaponless, the -stalwart captain clenched his fists and, as the other -Arabs ran in upon him brandishing their spears, let -drive right and left at them in true British style. -One after another in quick succession the sons of the -desert were sent rolling over on the ground, and then, -some of the Yorks and Lancasters coming to his -assistance, the enemy were dispersed.</p> - -<p>Wonderful as it may appear, Captain Wilson -received only a few slight wounds in this extraordinary -pugilistic encounter. In all probability the surprising -nature of his attack so disconcerted the Arabs that -they were at a loss to know how to act.</p> - -<p>At Tamai, which was fought on the 13th of the -following month, there were likewise two V.C.’s -gained. The first of these fell to the 60th Rifles.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> -A private of the Royal Sussex having been badly -hit, Lieutenant Percival Marling of the Rifles took -him up on his horse, but the poor fellow fell off -almost immediately. Dismounting, the lieutenant -nobly gave up his horse for the purpose of carrying -the wounded man off the field, and although it was -a critical moment fought his way to safety on foot.</p> - -<p>Private Thomas Edwards, the second hero of the -fight, was a “Black Watch” Highlander who was on -transport service with the Naval men, having in his -charge two mules loaded with ammunition. His -gun of the battery was under the command of Lieutenant -Almack, R.N., “one of the bravest officers on -the field that morning,” to use Edwards’ own words.</p> - -<p>In a sudden rush of the enemy the gun—a Gatling—was -surrounded, and of the three standing by it -one, a sailor, was instantly speared. Two of the -“Fuzzy-Wuzzies” then made for Edwards, who put -his bayonet through both of them. The lieutenant, -however, was less lucky. Attacked by several -Soudanees, he succeeded in disposing of one with his -sword, but before he had time to recover another -nearly sliced his right arm off with a slashing cut.</p> - -<p>In a twinkling Edwards shot the Soudanee dead. -There then ran up, he says in his own account of the -incident, three more Soudanees, who threw themselves -upon the helpless officer as he leant against the gun-carriage -and ran their spears through his body. Seeing -that Almack was killed and that he could do -nothing more, the brave Highlander, who, by the way, -received a wound on the back of his right hand, took -his two mules and retired, keeping up a fire upon -the enemy as he fell back.</p> - -<p>Yet another V.C. hero of the Soudan was Gunner<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> -Albert Smith, of the Royal Artillery, the scene of his -gallantry being Abu Klea.</p> - -<p>The story of this fierce battle makes exciting reading. -Late in December of 1884, Sir Herbert Stewart -with a “flying column” of 1500 men was marching -across the Bayuda Desert to Metemmeh, on his way -to relieve Khartoum and Gordon. He had under him -a picked fighting force, including some of the Guards, -and they started out from Korti with high hopes of -a speedy march to their goal. They little dreamt -of what lay before them.</p> - -<p>The water-bottles of the men were soon emptied, -and when it was necessary to refill them it was found -that the wily Mahdi had dried up the wells along -the line of route. Only after a toilsome journey of -eighty miles was water reached, though even then it -was hardly worth the name. Such as it was, however, -it was priceless to the Tommies, who were half mad -with thirst, and every available receptacle was filled -with water.</p> - -<p>Another march of a hundred and twenty miles -brought the column in sight of the wells at Abu Klea, -and in sight, too, of a strong force of the enemy. All -through the weary night the men waited impatiently -by their arms until morning came to give them a -chance of getting at the wells. Then, in the form -of a hollow square, the column advanced, “like some -huge machine, slow, regular, and compact, despite the -hail of bullets pouring in from front, right, and left, -and ultimately from the rear.”</p> - -<p>Altogether there were over ten thousand Arabs -opposed to the little force, hemming them in all -round. There was no avenue of retreat; the column -had to go forward and cut its way through.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span></p> - -<p>Then it was that for the first time in history a -British square was broken. With the utmost fury -the Soudanees swept down upon a corner of the -phalanx and by sheer weight of numbers forced a -way inside. It was indeed a critical moment. -Colonel Fred Burnaby, of the Royal Horse Guards, -was among the first to be killed, though not before -he had slain several of his assailants; and as more -spearsmen poured in, the slaughter was terrible. But -in time the troops rallied. The square was re-formed, -and not one of those daring black-skinned foemen -who got inside escaped to boast of his valour.</p> - -<p>It was in this desperate struggle of bayonet versus -spear and sword that Gunner Smith saw his officer, -Lieutenant Guthrie, prone on the ground and at the -mercy of the enemy. The gunner had only a handspike -for weapon, but with this he rushed forward, hurling -himself like a thunderbolt upon the Soudanees. He -was in the nick of time. One of the warriors was in -the very act of plunging his spear into Guthrie’s -breast when the handspike crashed upon his head and -stretched him lifeless.</p> - -<p>Standing over the fallen lieutenant’s body, Smith -kept the enemy at bay, and he was still at his post -when the ranks had recovered from the shock of the -onset and filled up the gap in the square. Then he -was relieved of his charge, but unfortunately his -gallantry had not availed to save the lieutenant’s -life. Guthrie had been mortally wounded when -he fell.</p> - -<p class="tb">Taking a leap of several years, I may fittingly tell -here of how some more recent V.C.’s of the Soudan -were won. At Omdurman, where on September 2nd,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> -1898, the Khalifa was finally routed, the 21st -Lancers covered themselves with glory through a -famous charge, and three of their number inscribed -their names on the Roll of Valour.</p> - -<p>It was after the Khalifa’s futile attempt to storm -the zereba where the British troops lay strongly -entrenched that the Lancers’ opportunity to distinguish -themselves came. While the main body -of the army marched steadily forward in the direction -of Omdurman, the 21st, under Colonel R. H. Martin, -were sent to Jebel Surgham to see if any of the -enemy were in hiding there and to prevent any -attempt on their part to occupy that position.</p> - -<p>Away down the bank of the Nile rode the four -squadrons, A, B, C, and D, meeting with scattered -parties of dervishes who fired fitfully at them. Just -south of Surgham, behind the hills, some seven -hundred or more Soudanese cavalry and infantry were -suddenly espied hiding in a khor, or hollow, and -Colonel Martin passed the word that these were to -be cleared out.</p> - -<p>Forming in line, the Lancers galloped forward. -As they neared the khor a sharp musketry fire broke -out, which emptied a few saddles, and then to their -dismay they saw that instead of only a few hundred of -the enemy there were nearly three thousand Mahdists -concealed there. There was no time for hesitation. -Go forward they must. So, rising in his stirrups, -with sword on high, the colonel cried “Charge!” and, -closing in, the squadrons dashed into their foes.</p> - -<p>They went down a drop of three or four feet, -plunging into the thick of the Mahdists. Cutting and -thrusting fiercely, they forged their way through, and -with pennons proudly flying at last gained the steep<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> -ascent beyond. Many men, however, were left behind, -and but for the devotion of some like Private Thomas -Byrne the number must have been still larger. Byrne -saw four dervishes pursuing Lieutenant Molyneux, -who was wounded and on foot, and although he was -himself crippled with a bullet in his right arm he -rode back to the rescue. He tried to use his sword, -but there was no strength in his arm; the weapon -dropped from his limp grasp, and he received a -spear wound in the chest. By this time Lieutenant -Molyneux was out of danger, so Byrne galloped off to -his troop, which he regained without further injury. -The brave Irish private got the Cross for his pluck, -and, as Mr. Winston Churchill comments in his -account of the deed,<a name="FNanchor_3" id="FNanchor_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> Byrne’s wearing it will rather -enhance the value of the Order.</p> - -<p>One of the officers to fall in the charge was -Lieutenant Robert Grenfell. To save him, or at least -recover his body, Captain P. A. Kenna and Lieutenant -de Montmorency, accompanied by Corporal Swarbrick, -dashed back into the midst of the enemy. They were -unsuccessful, De Montmorency’s horse bolting as they -tried to lift poor Grenfell on to it; but the attempt -was a courageous one, and both officers were gazetted -V.C. a little later, Corporal Swarbrick being awarded -the Distinguished Service Medal. Just before this -gallant action, I may mention, Captain Kenna had -distinguished himself by saving the life of Major -Crole Wyndham, whose horse had been shot under -him, an act which alone entitled him to the distinction.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3" id="Footnote_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> <cite>The River War</cite>, vol. ii. p. 141.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV.<br /> -<span class="smaller">V.C. HEROES OF THE INDIAN FRONTIER.</span></h2> - -<p>The closing years of the eighties and the opening -years of the nineties saw a good deal of fighting -at different places on our Indian frontier. Through -internal dissensions or the interference of some -foreign power, some of the turbulent hill tribes -were in a state of continual ferment, and order -had to be restored within their boundaries by force -of arms.</p> - -<p>In 1888 there was trouble in Upper Burmah. -The Karen-ni, or Red Karens, who form a group of -semi-independent tribes down by the Siamese border, -took to dacoiting again in a bold manner. An expedition -was accordingly sent into their district, with -the result that the disturbances were quickly quelled. -This “little war” comes within the scope of this book -for a notable display of devotion on the part of an -Army doctor which gained him a V.C.</p> - -<p>With the Indian troops that went into action -against the Karens near Lwekaw on New Year’s -Day, in 1889, was Surgeon (now Lieutenant-Colonel) -John Crimmin, of the Bombay Medical Service. He -soon had an opportunity for putting his skill to some -use, for several of the Bombay infantrymen were bowled -over by the dacoits. Regardless of his own danger,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span> -the surgeon proceeded to kneel by the fallen men’s -sides and dress their wounds.</p> - -<p>In the bamboo clumps very near to him the Karens -were being chased and cut down by the troops, but -now and then a red-turbaned, red-robed figure would -peep out of a patch and take a flying shot at the -doctor. Luckily for him and his patients, they were -poor marksmen.</p> - -<p>Having joined the firing line again, Crimmin made -himself useful with his revolver. Not for long, however; -the Red Karens are savage fighters, and our -sepoys had to pay for their victory dearly. The -surgeon was very soon busy once more, bandaging -shot wounds and knife cuts.</p> - -<p>A mounted sepoy had been told off to stand by -him, but he was slight protection. At one time the -surgeon was set upon by nearly a dozen of the enemy, -who leapt out of the bamboos upon his right with -wild yells. Dropping his lint and bandages, Crimmin -whipped out his sword, ran the first man through, -and was hard at work with another while the sepoy -dropped a third. This warm reception disheartened -the Karens, and with a parting shot or two they disappeared -as quickly as they came. Then the surgeon -coolly went on with his work, the wounded men -murmuring many a “God bless you, doctor sahib,” as -he bent over them.</p> - -<p>The winter of 1891 is memorable for the brilliant -little Hunza-Nagar campaign, which was brought about -by Russian intrigues with the rulers of some petty -states on the northern frontier of Cashmere. In the -storming of the mountain strongholds in Hunza and -Nagar three V.C.’s were won, by Lieutenant Guy -Boisragon, Lieutenant John Manners Smith, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> -Captain Fenton John Aylmer, while many more were earned.</p> - -<p>The most striking event in Indian history of that -year, however, was the revolt in Manipur, where the -British Resident, Mr. Frank St. Clair Grimwood, and -other Europeans in the capital were brutally murdered. -In connection with this tragedy a young officer attached -to the 2nd Burmah Battalion of the Punjab -Infantry, Lieutenant Charles J. W. Grant, performed -a dashing deed which made him talked of far and -wide as “the hero of Manipur,” and added his name -to the list of those decorated “for Valour.”</p> - -<p>The state of Manipur lies up among the hills -between India and Burma. It is semi-independent, -like many of its neighbours, the Maharajah being -subjected to the control of a British Resident. In -1890 a family quarrel in the Maharajah’s own -household led to his deposition, his brother the -Senaputty (commander-in-chief of the army) placing -another brother on the throne as Regent.</p> - -<p>This turn of affairs was tacitly acquiesced in by -the Indian Government, who recognised that the -change was for the better, but on the late Maharajah, -Soor Chandra Singh, complaining to the authorities -of the bad treatment he had received (and deserved, -by the way), some notice of it had to be taken. So -Mr. Quinton, Chief Commissioner of Assam, was -despatched to Manipur with instructions to arrest -the head and front of the offending, the Senaputty.</p> - -<p>This gentleman, however, firmly declined to comply -with the request that he should surrender himself. -An attempt was then made to seize him in the -palace, but without success, and diplomacy was again -resorted to. A meeting was arranged for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> -discussion of the matter, and one evening Quinton, -Grimwood, and several of the British officers had an -interview with the Regent and the Senaputty. Not -one of them was ever seen again alive. On their -refusal to accept the terms proposed by the Manipuri -chiefs they were all massacred.</p> - -<p>Mrs. St. Clair Grimwood, who was one of those -who escaped from the besieged Residency immediately -after the tragedy, has given us a graphic account of -her experiences. She was ignorant of the real facts -when forced to flee by her companions, the first -news being that her husband had been taken prisoner -with the others. Only at the end of her journey -did she learn the awful truth.</p> - -<p>Down in the cellar of the house Mrs. Grimwood, -like the brave lady she was, carefully tended -the wounded amid the crackle of musketry and the -crash of bursting shells. She was hit in the arm, -though fortunately not seriously, and only desisted -from her task when it became evident that they -must all leave the place. The rebels had set the -Residency on fire.</p> - -<p>With the wounded and an escort of sepoys, Mrs. -Grimwood and the officers who had survived made -a dash for the road, reaching it in safety. “I had -not even a hat,” she remarks, “and only very thin -house-shoes on. One of these dropped off in the -river, where I got wet up to the shoulders. We -were fired at all the way. I lay down in a ditch -about twenty times that night while they were firing, -to try and escape bullets.”</p> - -<p>After ten days’ marching through the jungle-covered -country, fording rivers and scrambling -through swamps, not to mention a sharp encounter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> -with their enemies, the little party reached British -territory. They had just two cartridges left by that -time; one of them being reserved, it is noted, to -save Mrs. Grimwood from falling alive into the hands -of the Manipuris!</p> - -<p>One is tempted to dwell at greater length on the -story of that dramatic flight from the Residency, -but it is with Lieutenant Grant that we are mainly -concerned.</p> - -<p>Grant was at Tammu, a Burma village station -some distance to the south, when word arrived of -the outbreak in Manipur. No details of the massacre -or the escape were known, but in the hope of being -able to effect a rescue the young officer obtained -permission to lead a small force up to Manipur. -He took with him eighty men in all, Punjabis and -Ghurkas, with three elephants as carriers.</p> - -<p>Through the teak forests they marched steadily -though slowly towards their goal, having to constantly -beat off the Manipuris as they approached nearer. -At Palel a sharp engagement took place, in which -the gallant eighty dispersed a large number of the -enemy. From prisoners that were captured here -Grant learned for the first time of how Quinton -and Grimwood had been murdered.</p> - -<p>Believing still that Mrs. Grimwood and several -others were besieged in the Residency, he pushed -on with all speed, and at last reached the town of -Thobal, about half-way between Tammu and the -capital. At this place the Manipuris, a thousand -or more strong, offered a stout resistance to his -progress, but a furious charge at the head of his -followers cleared the entrenchments by the river-side, -leaving them free to be occupied by him.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span></p> -<p>These trenches the lieutenant at once strengthened, -building up the walls with mud, rice-baskets, ration-sacks -and everything that would answer the purpose, -even using his own pillow-case as a sandbag. -Provisions were fortunately to be had with little -difficulty, for behind them, on the other side of the -river, were some paddy fields.</p> - -<p>The siege of his fortified position soon began, and -the enemy’s guns threw shell after shell into the -trenches before the Ghurkas could drive them off. -A brief halt was made in the hostilities while Grant, -as he records, had a lively correspondence with the -Regent and the Senaputty anent certain prisoners -whom they threatened to murder unless he retired. -Negotiations fell through eventually, and the attack -was renewed.</p> - -<p>In all the fighting Grant played a heroic part, -making sallies with a few of his Ghurkas, and -striking terror into the hearts of the Manipuris. -“Found myself in a bit of a hole,” he writes at one -place in his journal; “for thirty or forty were in -a corner behind a wall, six feet high, over which -they were firing at us.” This wall had to be cleared, -so Grant and seven men charged down on it headlong, -and had “the hottest three minutes on record.”</p> - -<p>The Ghurkas had a very proper appreciation of -their leader’s bravery. “How could we be beaten -under Grant Sahib?” they asked, when questioned -about this and similar exploits. “He is a tiger in -fight!”</p> - -<p>The struggle at Thobal lasted a week. At the -end of that time, just as Grant was noting with -dismay that ammunition was running very short, a -summons came to him from Burma to retire.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span></p> -<p>The little force, without any further interference -from the enemy, who had suffered pretty severely, left -their entrenchments one evening during a terrible -thunderstorm, and set off on their return journey. -An advance party of a hundred and eighty men met -them near Palel, at which place some hours later they -fought another brisk action with the Manipuris.</p> - -<p>In all this fighting Grant had escaped unhurt, but -a few weeks afterwards, while again under fire at -Palel, he had a very narrow shave, a bullet passing -through the back of his neck. As he said himself, -his luck all through was marvellous: “Everything -turned up all right.”</p> - -<p>At the same time, making full allowance for the -element of luck, there is much, very much, to be -placed to his credit on the score of pluck and skill. -The difficulties before him when he set out for -Manipur on his gallant attempt at rescue were -tremendous, and only his undaunted courage and -resourcefulness carried him successfully through.</p> - -<p>The young lieutenant is now Major Grant, V.C., -having been gazetted two months after his dashing -exploit; and it is pleasing to note that every one of -his men who survived the march were also decorated, -receiving the Indian Order of Merit for their devotion -and heroism.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI.<br /> -<span class="smaller">HOW SURGEON-CAPTAIN WHITCHURCH WON FAME.</span></h2> - -<p>There was some consternation in the quaint-looking, -five-towered fort at Chitral on the evening -of the 3rd of March 1895. Sher Afzul, the usurping -chief of the little mountainous state in the north-west -of India, was approaching with a large force, and -some two hundred of the 4th Cashmere Rifles had -gone out under Captain Townshend to try conclusions -with the rebels. After several hours’ brisk fighting -in the villages nestling at the foot of the hills, the -troops had withdrawn to the fort, but some men of -one section still remained to be accounted for.</p> - -<p>Captain Baird, with about a dozen Ghurkhas, had -not returned. He was lying somewhere out in the -darkness, on the hillside, where the white-robed -Chitralis were still firing. And with him was -Surgeon-Captain Whitchurch, who had bravely -hastened to his assistance on hearing that the captain -was wounded.</p> - -<p>“Where is Whitchurch? Where is Baird?” -Captain Gurdon and the other members of the little -garrison asked the question of each other anxiously -from time to time, hoping that the missing men had -found their way into the fort. The surgeon especially -was needed, for Captain Townshend’s reconnoitring -party had brought many wounded back with them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> -But the answer still came, with an ominous shake of -the head, “Not in yet.”</p> - -<p>In the meantime, while the occupants of the fort -set about preparing for the expected siege, the few -stars that were beginning to peep out of the clouded -sky looked down upon a strange scene in a little -orchard nearly two miles away from the fort. There, -under the trees, a wounded officer was being bandaged -by the skilful hands of another who bent over him, -a dozen sepoys and four stretcher-bearers standing -patiently by.</p> - -<p>The operation finished, the sufferer was lifted -tenderly into a dhoolie. Then two bearers raised it -from the ground, the escort ranged itself alongside, -and the little party started out for the road leading -to the fort.</p> - -<p>“Feel any easier now, old chap?” asked the -surgeon, who was striding by the dhoolie.</p> - -<p>“Yes, thanks, Whitchurch; much easier,” replied -Captain Baird, suppressing a groan as one of the -bearers stumbled over a stone.</p> - -<p>Contrary to the general opinion expressed at the -fort, neither of the two missing men had been killed -or captured by the enemy. When Baird had fallen -with a bullet in his side, his men had carried him -quickly to the shelter of an orchard close at hand, -and here they had escaped notice. All around them, -however, lurked the Chitralis, on the look-out to cut -off any stragglers from the retreating force.</p> - -<p>In a few minutes Whitchurch’s party had filed -down the hillside and reached the road, but a cry of -warning from the native officer in front pulled them -up short.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span></p> -<p>“We’re cut off, sahib,” he exclaimed, as the surgeon -hastened to his side. “The enemy have got in front -of us!”</p> - -<p>It was, alas! too true. Although he could see -nothing through the gloom, the shouts and occasional -shots that reached his ears told Whitchurch plainly -that the Chitralis were on the road ahead. What was -to be done?</p> - -<p>A sudden thought occurred to him. “Isn’t there -a way round to the fort by the river, Bidrina Singh?” -he asked of the officer.</p> - -<p>The other nodded affirmatively. There was a track -along the river bank, he said, but it would take them -a mile out of their way and across some very difficult -ground.</p> - -<p>“Never mind,” said the surgeon briskly. “We’ve -got to get to the fort to-night. So pull your men -together, Bidrina Singh, and make for the river at -once.”</p> - -<p>From his dhoolie Captain Baird called Whitchurch -over to him, and begged that he would consider his own -safety first. “I’m badly hit, old chap,” he said; “I -know I’m done for——” But Whitchurch shut him -up quickly. While there was breath in his body -he meant to stick to his comrade; there was to be -no talk of running away. So, picking up the wounded -man again, the native bearers took their place in the -middle of the escort, the latter closed up, and on -they moved across the polo ground towards the river -on their left.</p> - -<p>Thanks to the dense darkness, they made good -progress on their way for a quarter of an hour or so. -Then a scouting party of Sher Afzul’s followers -suddenly appeared in front, and with a joyful shout -gathered round them. At Whitchurch’s quick word<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span> -of command the sturdy little Ghurkas closed in and -fired a volley into the midst of their foes. There -were yells of pain which told that some of the shots -had taken effect, but the yells drew other Chitralis -who were prowling near, and the answering shots of -the enemy became more frequent.</p> - -<p>Whitchurch’s revolver spoke more than once with -good effect, and his “Steady, men! Aim low,” rang out -encouragingly above the din. The Chitralis, thank -goodness, were firing somewhat at random, not knowing -the strength of those opposed to them; but one bullet -at last found its mark. A bearer dropped his end of -the stretcher with a cry, and tumbled over backwards, -dead. The jolt of the fall wrung a groan from poor -Baird, in spite of his iron nerve. Then another -stretcher-bearer stepped forward and lifted the -dhoolie, and on the little party pressed again.</p> - -<p>Firing steadily in volleys, the gallant Ghurkas -gradually cleared the way before them. The Chitralis -had no wish to stand in the way of those deadly -levelled barrels, preferring to circle round their prey -and drop in a shot as opportunity offered. Two more -bearers were killed, together with two or three sepoys, -and the surgeon now took one end of the dhoolie -himself.</p> - -<p>They had gone nearly half the distance when the -enemy rallied in stronger force and barred the track -ahead. Things were beginning to look serious. “Fix -bayonets!” Whitchurch called out, and there was a -rattle of steel in the sockets. “Charge!” And with -a cheer the Ghurkas dashed at the cluster of white-robed -figures, sending them scattering right and left, -while a few lay writhing on the ground.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span></p> -<p>That charge taught the Chitralis to keep at a more -respectful distance, but a little later some daring spirits -ventured nearer, and the last of the bearers fell shot -through the body. Whitchurch put the dhoolie down -and lifted up the wounded man in his strong arms. -The Ghurkas were wanted, every man of them, to -protect Baird with their rifles; not one could be spared -for bearer-work.</p> - -<p>Again, it is said, the captain implored Whitchurch -to leave him and make a run for it to the fort. -Perhaps he felt already that his wound was mortal. -But again the brave surgeon refused to hear a word. -With Baird in his embrace, he struggled gamely after -the sepoys.</p> - -<p>Along the rough, rock-strewn path the party -stumbled, working their way ever nearer and nearer -to the fort. A low wall confronted them thrice, a wall -behind which the enemy were quick to post themselves. -But jumping over with the surgeon to lead them, the -nimble Ghurkas swept the way clear each time, and -Whitchurch, having returned to pick up Baird, half -carried and half dragged his weighty burden to the -more open ground.</p> - -<p>At last, after another fifteen minutes’ struggle, a -dark mass of trees loomed up ahead. It was the -grove of cedars by the eastern wall of the fort. They -were within sight of safety now. Still the Chitralis -hovered round, however, and a chance shot hit Baird -as he hung limp in the surgeon’s arms.</p> - -<p>“Make for the garden entrance!” cried Whitchurch; -and the Ghurkas turned to pass through the grove. -On their right, by the main gates, was a confused -sound of shouting and firing. The enemy had already -gathered in force there.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span></p> -<p>As they neared the entrance in the garden and gave -a ringing cheer, the sentries saw them. In a minute -the gate was unbolted, and the little party scrambled -through, but not before Baird was yet a third time hit—on -this occasion in the face, as his head rested on -Whitchurch’s shoulder. How often has it happened -in similar rescues, that the wounded has been the -target for the enemy’s bullets, while the rescuer has -escaped scot free! It was the story of “Dhoolie -Square” repeated again, the story of McManus, Ryan, -and Captain Arnold.</p> - -<p>Inside the fort enclosure the officers gathered quickly -round Whitchurch as the glad cry went up, “They’ve -brought Baird in!” And tenderly, very tenderly, for -he was suffering greatly from his hurts, the wounded -officer was carried to the hospital, where without any -loss of time the surgeon followed to save, if possible, -the life that was so dear to them all.</p> - -<p>I should much like to add that he was successful; -but fate willed otherwise. Captain Baird lived only -a few hours, and the fort that he had helped to defend -so gallantly served as his grave.</p> - -<p>Chitral was relieved about the middle of April, -when a British column succeeded in fighting its way -to the fort through the mountain passes. Three -months later the <cite>London Gazette</cite> contained the welcome -announcement that the Victoria Cross had been awarded -to Surgeon-Captain Harry Frederick Whitchurch, of -the Indian Medical Service.</p> - -<p>Her Majesty Queen Victoria herself pinned the -Cross on the brave surgeon’s breast at Osborne, with -warm words of praise that were echoed by every one -who had heard the story of that plucky night-rescue -in far-off Chitral.</p> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">WHEN THE AFRIDIS WERE UP.</span></h2> - -<p>One hundred and forty miles south of Chitral, as -the crow flies, is the border city of Peshawar, -standing like a sentinel on the north-western frontier -of India. It is, indeed, the guardian of the gate, -for before it winds westward the famous Khyber Pass, -which links Afghanistan with our great Eastern -Empire.</p> - -<p>Peshawar stands almost in the heart of the Afridi -country, surrounded with the hill tribes of Mohmunds, -Swats, Buners, Khels, Afridis and Orakzais. Fierce -warlike races are these, with whom from the beginning -of things we have had trouble. At one time we -thought we had tamed them, and we gave them the -rifles they had hitherto stolen, put them into khaki, -and made them wardens of the passes. But the wild -tribesmen cannot live without fighting; disputes over -boundaries arose, and these eventually culminated in -a rising that threatened to weaken our grip on these -frontier posts. Whence came the Malakand, Swat, -and Tirah campaigns of 1897-98.</p> - -<p>When in 1897 Sir William Lockhart, Commander-in-Chief -in India, moved towards the rebellious tribes -with an army numbering 35,000 men, it was evident -that there was a powerful combination between the -Mohammedan clans in the hills north, west, and south<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> -of Peshawar, against British rule. It was, in a sense, -a Holy War, with Mad Mullahs as instigators, though -behind them was the sinister influence of the Amir -of Afghanistan.</p> - -<p>The campaigns were comparatively brief, but they -must ever rank as among the most difficult in modern -history. The fighting was never in the open. Our -soldiers—Highlanders, Dorsets, and Ghurkas alike—had -to scale precipitous cliffs, worm their way up -tortuous hillside paths, and storm the stone “sangars” -behind which their enemies were strongly posted.</p> - -<p>In the tangle of hills in which the engagements -took place the agile Afridis and their brother-clansmen -were perfectly at home. Rocks, caves, and -bushes afforded them ample shelter, and from the -heights that lined the passes they poured a deadly -fire upon the British troops. The work of dislodging -them, of driving them from their strongholds, taxed -the powers of our men to the utmost.</p> - -<p>Of the several V.C.’s won in this arduous mountain -warfare the first fell to Lieutenant Edward Costello, -of the Indian Staff Corps, for a gallant rescue of a -native lance-havildar at Malakand. The wounded -havildar lay out in the open, exposed to the enemy’s -fire, when the lieutenant saw him, on a piece of -ground, too, that was overrun with swordsmen. But -the young officer with a couple of sepoys ran out to -his assistance, and brought him into the hospital.</p> - -<p>A month later, in the Swat valley beyond the -Malakand Pass, three Crosses were earned for a very -brilliant action. At Landikai, on August 17th, 1897, -the advance guard of Sir Bindon Blood’s brigade -shelled the enemy from their position and drove them -out into the plain. Across this the Swatis retreated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> -at top speed, making for the shelter of the hills on -the other side.</p> - -<p>In pursuit of the flying tribesmen went Colonel -Robert Bellew Adams, Captain Palmer, Lieutenant -Greaves, and Viscount Fincastle, the latter being -present in the capacity of <cite>Times</cite> correspondent. -Palmer’s horse was soon hit, its rider being saved by -some of his men who galloped after him. Greaves’ -horse, becoming restive under the din of the firing, -suddenly bolted, and away went the lieutenant careering -among the enemy.</p> - -<p>Seeing him alone among the Swatis, Colonel Adams -and Viscount Fincastle spurred hastily to his rescue, -but before they could reach him the hapless lieutenant -had been struck down by a swordsman. In the hope -that he was not killed they pushed on, and with a -furious charge swept the ground clear around his -body.</p> - -<p>A well-aimed shot now brought down Fincastle’s -horse, leaving the young war-correspondent to meet -his enemies on foot. He at once endeavoured to -raise Greaves on to Adams’ saddle, but the wounded -man slipped off again, and a rush of Ghazis prevented -a second attempt for the time. Standing over -the lieutenant’s body, Fincastle bravely kept the -enemy at bay, being well aided by Colonel Adams. -Then two sowars rode up to them, and another attempt -was made to lift Greaves to the saddle. They -succeeded in their object, but another bullet hit the -poor fellow again as they raised him and killed him.</p> - -<p>By this time Lieutenant MacLean of the same -squadron had led the rest of the troopers to the cover -of some trees. Leaving them here, he dashed out -with three sowars to the others’ help. Shots fell<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> -thickly among them from the Ghazis on the hillside, -but together they managed to get Greaves’ body on -to a trooper’s horse, and at once made off for shelter. -Fincastle and MacLean were on foot, the latter’s -horse having also been shot; and as they went along -the young lieutenant was hit in both thighs and -mortally wounded. Colonel Adams escaped with a -sword-cut in his right hand.</p> - -<p>Both Adams and Fincastle received the V.C. for -their brave attempt to rescue Greaves, while Lieutenant -Hector Lachlan Stewart MacLean was gazetted at the -same time as one who would have been awarded the -decoration had he lived.</p> - -<p class="tb">There was a sharp piece of fighting in the -Mamund Valley some weeks later, where two young -Engineer officers, Lieutenants Watson and Colvin, -distinguished themselves in driving the enemy from -the burning village of Bilot, and added V.C. to their -names. But I must pass on to tell of the famous -storming of the heights of Dargai and of how the -“gay Gordons” there covered themselves with fresh -glory.</p> - -<p>In the advance of the British troops from Shinwari -towards Karappa a large portion of the division -under Major-General Yeatman-Biggs was ordered to -take the route through the Chagru Kotal. As -soon as this movement was commenced, however, the -Afridis posted themselves in great force in the -Samana Hills along the Khanki Valley, giving them -the command of the track along which the army must -necessarily pass.</p> - -<p>The working parties on the Chagru Kotal were so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -harassed by the Afridi sharpshooters that it became -important that the Dargai and other hills in the -vicinity should be cleared. On October 18th, Sir -Power Palmer, who was entrusted with the conduct -of the operations in place of General Yeatman-Biggs, -who had fallen ill, made a sweeping attack on the -Dargai position. The 3rd Ghurkas, led by Lieutenant -Beynon with a revolver in one hand and an alpenstock -in the other, led the dash up the cliff-side, and -successfully dislodged the enemy.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, for several reasons, the heights could -not be held. The water-supply was difficult of access, -and to have placed a detachment alone on Dargai -while the Afridis were masters of the Khanki Valley -would have been to risk a serious disaster. Under -orders from the Commander-in-Chief, the troops therefore -retired from the position.</p> - -<p>As soon as this retreat was accomplished, the enemy, -who had been greatly reinforced, reoccupied the -heights and set about constructing stone “sangars,” -in anticipation of another assault. This followed two -days later, after fresh preparations had been made. -General Yeatman-Biggs had proposed another route -avoiding the Chagru defile, but Sir William Lockhart -determined to adhere to his original plan, viz. to force -the passage of the Chagru Kotal.</p> - -<p>On Wednesday, October 20th, in the early -morning, the troops, strengthened by the addition of -two battalions and a battery from the first division, -left the Shinwari camp. The honour of carrying the -Dargai heights, which had to be stormed immediately -the Chagru Kotal was reached, was given to the 1st -Battalion of the 2nd Ghurkas, with the Dorset and -Derbyshire Regiments in the second and third lines<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -respectively. Behind these came the 1st Battalion of -the Gordon Highlanders (the old 75th).</p> - -<p>To understand properly the difficult nature of the -task set them, something must be said about Dargai -itself. I cannot do better than quote the description -given by Captain Shadwell in his excellent book on -the campaign.</p> - -<p>“The village of Dargai lies on the northern side of -a small plateau. The eastern edge of this tableland -breaks off, at first, in an almost abrupt cliff; but some -distance lower down the ground, though very steep, -shelves away less precipitously. This slope is thrown -out from the bottom of the cliff in the form of a -narrow and razor-like spur, with the path or track -lying along its northern side, well within view and -range of the cliff-head. But by climbing along the -southern side of this spur, troops can move from -Chagru Kotal, or certainly from Mama Khan, a -village half-way between the former place and the -plateau, unseen by the enemy.</p> - -<p>“Connecting the crest of the spur, however, and -the foot of the cliff, there is a narrow neck or saddle -one hundred yards long by thirty broad, whose sides -are far too precipitous to allow of any movement along -them. Though devoid of all cover and completely -exposed to the heights above, this ridge had to be -crossed, so as to reach the path ascending to the -summit; and here it was that the casualties in the -attack by Brigadier-General Westmacott’s Brigade -(on the 18th) and the heavier losses of the 20th -occurred.”</p> - -<p>This, then, was the dangerous passage to be “rushed” -by our troops. In addition to its exposure to the -enemy’s fire, it may be added that the ground was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> -thickly strewn with rocks and boulders which greatly -impeded progress.</p> - -<p>As on the first assault, the post of honour was -allotted to those game little fighters, the Ghurkas. -The 1st Battalion of the 2nd Ghurkas, with a party -of specially trained scouts from the 3rd, under -Lieutenant Tillard, swarmed up the slope at the word -of command and dashed headlong across the zone of -fire. In the rush through the pitiless rain of bullets -that at once descended two officers fell, one shot dead -and the other mortally wounded, while thirty men bit -the dust, never to rise again; but the rest reached -cover on the opposite side.</p> - -<p>After the brave Ghurkas, the Dorsets and the -Derbys tried time and time again to follow, only to -be mowed down in heaps. All that succeeded in -crossing the ridge were a few who made a dash for it -singly or in small parties. How deadly was the -marksmanship of the Afridis is shown by the fact -that when Lieutenant Hewett, of the Dorsetshire -Regiment, led a section forward, he was <em>the only one</em> to -reach the crouching Ghurkas. Every one of the men -following him was killed.</p> - -<p>It was in a pause at this juncture that Private -Vickery, of the same regiment, made himself conspicuous -by running out repeatedly and at last -succeeding in dragging back to shelter a wounded -comrade who was lying out in the open; this and -several other acts of bravery gaining him a V.C. in -due course.</p> - -<p>For a time it seemed a sheer impossibility that the -position could be carried, though the artillery -was playing upon the enemy’s sangars continually. Noon -came, and still the three companies of Ghurkas were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> -waiting under the cover of the rocks until their -comrades should join them for the final dash up the -heights.</p> - -<p>At last General Yeatman-Biggs ordered that the -position must be taken at all costs. Brigadier-General -Kempster, in command of the brigade, now brought -forward the 1st Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders -and the 3rd Sikhs, and told them they were to make -the assault. Far up on the hillside the jubilant -Afridis were shouting defiance, amid the waving of -standards and beating of drums, confident that their -stronghold was impregnable. They rejoiced too soon.</p> - -<p>Drawing up his men, Colonel Mathias, of the -Gordons, said: “Highlanders! the General says the -position must be taken at all costs. The Gordons -will take it!”</p> - -<p>With their Colonel, Major Forbes Macbean, and -Lieutenant Gordon at their head, and their pipers, -Findlater and Milne, playing the familiar “Cock o’ -the North,” the Gordons dashed over the fiery zone, -with the Derbys, the Dorsets, and the Sikhs pressing -close behind them.</p> - -<p>Almost the first to be hit were Major Macbean, -who cheered on his men as he lay on the ground, -and the two pipers. Milne was shot through the -lung and fell senseless, but Piper “Jock” Findlater, who -was shot in both ankles, propped himself up against -a boulder and continued to play his pipes with -unabated energy. And to the inspiriting strains of -the old regimental air, the Highlanders and the others -got across.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px;" id="illus10"> -<img src="images/illus10.jpg" width="390" height="560" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">PIPER FINDLATER … PROPPED HIMSELF UP AGAINST A BOULDER -AND CONTINUED TO PLAY HIS PIPES.—<i><a href="#Page_236">Page 236.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<p>It was perhaps owing to the suddenness of the -rush after the long wait, and to the renewed artillery -fire, that the Gordons accomplished the task with -fewer losses than had attended the previous attempts;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span> -yet for all that the casualties were heavy. In the -charge up the steep slope, where some of the Afridis -were already turning tail, more men were to fall ere -the heights were won; but won they were, the enemy -being sent flying in all directions.</p> - -<p>It was a grand dash, worthy of the splendid -reputation of the Gordons, and well did they deserve -the burst of cheers with which the other regiments -spontaneously greeted them as they returned. Sir -William Lockhart, too, at a parade two days afterwards, -had a word or two to say about that exploit -which filled the Highlanders with pride.</p> - -<p>For his gallantry in continuing to play his pipes -while wounded “Jock” Findlater in time was awarded -the Victoria Cross. There were many who considered -that Piper Milne also merited the honour, but the -authorities thought differently, and his claim was -passed over.</p> - -<p>Two other Crosses on the same day were gained by -Private Lawson, of the Gordons, for rescuing Lieutenant -Dingwall and a fellow-private under a most -severe fire; and by Lieutenant H. S. Pennell, of the -Derbyshires, for a brave endeavour to save Captain -Smith of the same regiment. Only after a second -attempt, when he discovered that the wounded officer -was dead, did Lieutenant Pennell desist from his -efforts.</p> - -<p>What other gallant deeds were performed equally -deserving of reward it is impossible to say. In the -fierce swirl of the fight many must have passed -unnoticed, and many heroes must have fallen at the -moment of their self-sacrifice. But we do know that -it was not only British officers and men who distinguished -themselves in that memorable fight. For<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> -the record speaks of one Kirpa Ram Thapa, a native -officer of the 2nd Ghurkas, who though badly wounded -in two places refused to fall out, and insisted on -leading his company to the very end.</p> - -<p>One other story that I may note has a humorous -touch about it, and is characteristic of the good terms -on which officers and men are in the Highland -regiments. As the Gordons streamed up the ascent -to the summit of Dargai, after their bold dash, Colonel -Mathias, who was not quite the man he was in his -younger days, showed signs of being winded.</p> - -<p>“Stiff climb, eh, Mackie?” he said, turning to his -colour-sergeant, who was by him; “I’m—not—so -young—as I—was, you know.”</p> - -<p>“Never mind, sir!” the sergeant is said to have -answered, slapping his colonel encouragingly on the -back and nearly knocking the remaining breath out -of him. “<em>Ye’re gaun verra strong for an auld man!</em>”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">SOUTH AFRICA.—THE V.C.’S OF THE SECOND -BOER WAR.</span></h2> - -<p>The late war in South Africa, when—for the last -time, it is to be hoped—Briton and Boer strove -for supremacy, is too recent to need even an outline -of its history being given here. It was a war of -many blunders and disasters, and its record does not -make altogether pleasant reading; yet against the -gloom of it there is not a little to be set of which we -may be proud. After the war had entered upon its -second phase good generalship asserted itself; victory -followed victory in swift succession, and there was no -more looking back.</p> - -<p>Many reputations were lost, while others were -gained, in this difficult campaign, but there was one -person whose prestige from the first suffered no loss. -That was the British soldier. In the face of a foe -remarkable for “slimness” and marksmanship, Tommy -Atkins once more showed himself the splendid fighter -that he always has been. We have only to remember -the fierce battles on the Tugela River, at Colenso, at -Magersfontein, at Paardeberg, and elsewhere, to assure -ourselves on this point. Under the most terrible -fusillade—and how terrible it was at times can hardly -be conveyed in words—our gunners and our infantry<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> -never hesitated or winced. Throughout the ranks -they fought with an indomitable courage that compelled -the admiration of the Boers, and in the pride -we feel at their bravery and devotion we are glad to -forget the incompetency displayed by many of their -leaders.</p> - -<p>Of the acts of individual heroism that were performed -pages and pages might be written without -exhausting the subject. In the leading of forlorn -hopes, and in the succouring of wounded comrades -under fire, officers and privates alike were ever ready -to risk their lives; and the fact that no fewer than -seventy-eight Victoria Crosses were won in the war -speaks for itself. How some of these rewards for -valour were gained it is my purpose to relate in the -present chapter.</p> - -<p>Among the first to be decorated was an Army -surgeon, a worthy successor to Jee, Home, and those -others of whom mention has been made. At the -battle of Colenso, in December 1899, Major William -Babtie, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, received -word that a number of wounded artillerymen were -in need of assistance. They lay in a donga, or hollow, -close by the guns of their batteries (the 14th and -15th), sheltered from the Boer marksmen, but suffering -considerable agony from their wounds.</p> - -<p>Without loss of time, and quite alone, Major Babtie -rode out to them. He knew full well that the -instant he appeared in the open he would become a -target for the enemy’s rifles, and few of those who -watched him go on his errand of mercy expected to -see him alive again. But although his horse was -struck three times, he himself by good fortune escaped -being hit. Reaching the donga, he found a score of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> -poor fellows badly needing attention, and with -wonderful coolness he set about dressing their injuries. -The Boers, who had no scruples about firing upon the -wounded, made repeated attempts to get within range -of the intrepid surgeon and his patients, but with ill-success. -Babtie seemed to bear a charmed life, and -he was able to save many a gunner who but for his -prompt help must have died on the field.</p> - -<p>The Royal Army Medical Corps, it may be mentioned, -won three more Crosses in South Africa, making the -total placed to their credit seven. Lieutenants -Douglas, Nickerson, and Inkson were the other heroes, -the last-named being conspicuous for carrying a -wounded comrade for over three hundred yards under -heavy fire to a place of safety.</p> - -<p>It was at Colenso that the magnificent attempt to -save the guns was made which resulted in the sad -death of Lieutenant the Hon. F. H. S. Roberts, the -only son of Lord Roberts, then Commander-in-Chief. -Colonel Long, with the 14th and 66th Batteries of the -Royal Field Artillery, had pressed forward to drive -the Boers from their trenches along the bank of the -Tugela, expecting to be supported by reinforcements. -But under the deadly fire directed upon him he was -obliged to retire, leaving many dead and wounded -behind him, and leaving, too, twelve guns standing -ready for use, with their breech-blocks still in them.</p> - -<p>For a long time the guns stood deserted thus, -while the battle raged to right and left of them. -Then, as General Hildyard’s infantry, including the -Devons, the Queen’s, and the Scots Fusiliers, made -their dashing advance upon the Boer positions, a trio -of staff officers who were with Generals Buller and -Clery volunteered to save the guns if possible. These<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> -three were Captains Schofield and Congreve, and -Lieutenant Roberts.</p> - -<p>Other volunteers were soon forthcoming when it -was known that the attempt was to be made, and -corporals, linesmen, and some drivers of ammunition -waggons, with two or three spare teams, galloped out -after their leaders. The guns were reached, but at -once Boer shells and bullets began to drop thickly -around. Captain Congreve was almost the first to -be hit, being wounded in the leg. Then young -Roberts was struck, at the same time that a shell -burst under his horse, inflicting severe wounds upon -him. “He was looking over his shoulder at Schofield,” -says an eye-witness, “laughing and working his stick -with a circular motion, like a jockey, to encourage his -horse,” when his first bullet found him, and he fell -mortally wounded. In the meantime the gallant -gunners and drivers were limbering up with all speed, -and thanks to Captain Schofield’s exertions, two of the -guns were hauled back in safety.</p> - -<p>Later on, Captain Reed of the 7th Battery, Royal -Field Artillery, made another and partially successful -effort to rescue some of the remaining ten guns, -receiving a bad wound in his thigh in the attempt; -but almost all of them had to be abandoned. For -their gallantry, however, Captains Schofield, Congreve, -and Reed, with Lieutenant Roberts, were all recommended -for the V.C., the three first-named alone -surviving to receive the decoration. Poor Lieutenant -Roberts, as will be remembered, died at Chievely, two -days later.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;" id="illus11"> -<img src="images/illus11.jpg" width="600" height="365" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">THE GUNS WERE REACHED, BUT AT ONCE BOER SHELLS AND BULLETS -BEGAN TO DROP THICKLY AROUND.—<i><a href="#Page_242">Page 242.</a></i></p> -</div> - -<p>As to the bravery of the men who helped them to -save the guns, both Captain Schofield and Captain -Reed have borne eloquent tribute. “Bosh!” said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> -Reed, when he was complimented on his exploit; “it -was all the drivers.” And if you ask Captain -Schofield, you will find he will make much the same -answer. While the rain of bullets poured on them -the drivers limbered up in a calm, business-like fashion, -as if there wasn’t a Boer within a dozen miles of -them.</p> - -<p>“Just to show you what cool chaps those drivers -were,” says Captain Schofield, “when I was hooking -on one of the guns, one of them said, ‘Elevate the -muzzle a little more, sir.’ That’s a precaution for -galloping in rough country, but I shouldn’t have -thought of it—not just then, at any rate. Pretty -cool, wasn’t it?”</p> - -<p>They were gallant men those drivers without -doubt, as gallant as Colonel Long’s gunners, who fell -one by one by their guns until only two were left, -two who continued the unequal battle alone, and when -the ordinary ammunition was exhausted fired their -last shot, the emergency rounds of case; after which -they stood at attention and waited for the end that -came swiftly. All could not be decorated, however, -though all deserved equal honour, and so Corporal -G. E. Nurse, of the Royal Field Artillery, was elected -to receive the V.C. as the most fitting representative.</p> - -<p>The next heroes on the list are two brave men of -the Protectorate Regiment, Sergeant H. R. Martineau -and Trooper (now Lieutenant) H. E. Ramsden. -During a sortie from besieged Mafeking Sergeant -Martineau’s attention was called to Corporal Le -Camp, who had been struck down by a Boer bullet. -The latter was lying in the open less than a dozen -yards from the enemy’s trenches and bleeding -profusely from his wound. Not far away were some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> -bushes which offered ample shelter, so making a dash -for the corporal, the sergeant carried and dragged him -thither as best he could. Then, kneeling by the -wounded man’s side, he carefully bandaged the gaping -shot-hole and stanched the flow of blood.</p> - -<p>Despite the shelter of the bushes, Martineau did -not escape being hit. He was shot in the side as he -stooped over the corporal, and he was struck yet -twice more when, at the order to retire, he picked up -Le Camp and carried him after his comrades, who -were falling back upon the town. That plucky rescue -cost the sergeant an arm, but it won him—though -small compensation, perhaps—a V.C.</p> - -<p>The same honour fell to Trooper H. E. Ramsden in -this fight, for carrying his brother out of danger in -very similar circumstances. The list of those who -figured in gallant actions of this kind, indeed, is -a long one. There was Second-Lieutenant John -Norwood (now a captain), of the 5th Dragoon Guards, -who while in charge of a small patrol party outside -Ladysmith, in October 1899, was nearly cornered by -the Boers. In retiring one of the troopers fell, -whereupon the lieutenant, galloping back, dismounted, -lifted the wounded man on to his shoulder, and with -his horse’s bridle over his arm walked back to rejoin -his comrades. And there was Lieutenant Sir John -Milbanke of the 10th Hussars, who saved the life of -one of his men while out on a reconnaissance near -Colesberg. The lieutenant himself was badly wounded -with a ball in his thigh, but disregarding this, he -went to the aid of the wounded man, who was exposed -to the Boer fire, and successfully brought him out of -range.</p> - -<p>Both these heroes gained the V.C., as, too, did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> -Private Bisdee and Lieutenant Wylly, of the Tasmanian -Imperial Bushmen, for gallantry of a like order. -Having run into an ambuscade, the scouting party of -which the Tasmanians were members had to get out -of it as best they could. The Boers from their cover -kept up a hot fire, and men and horses dropped -quickly. Out of the eight in the party all but two -were hit, and one of the officers had his horse shot -beneath him. Seeing his predicament, Private Bisdee -offered him a stirrup leather to hold on to, but the -other was more badly wounded than he had supposed. -Jumping off his horse, therefore, he put his officer into -the saddle, and mounting behind him, galloped out of -action. Lieutenant Wylly in his turn gave up his -horse to a wounded private, afterwards taking up a -position behind a rock, and using his rifle to good -purpose to cover the retreat of the little party.</p> - -<p>It does one good to read of heroism such as this, -for it helps to keep alive our faith in those fine -qualities which have made Englishmen what they are. -If we still find something inspiring in the records of -the old sea-dogs, such as Benbow, who was carried on -deck in a basket after he had lost his leg, so that he -might continue to direct the fight, we may treasure in -our memories with no less reverence the deeds of -many humbler heroes. There is about them, too, -often enough, a truly British touch of dare-devilry, -cheek, pluck—call it what you will—that cannot but -strike one’s imagination.</p> - -<p>Take the story of Sergeant T. Lawrence of the 17th -Lancers, the “Death or Glory Boys.” He was in -charge of a patrol in the neighbourhood of Lindley, in -August 1900, while the Lancer Brigade was chasing -De Wet. Suddenly attacked by a body of fourteen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> -Boers, the patrol was obliged to retire. In the -gallop for safety Private Hayman’s horse was bowled -over, and down came its rider to the ground with a -dislocated shoulder and broken collar-bone. In a -twinkling the sergeant saw what had happened. The -Boers were hard upon their heels, but taking his -chance, Lawrence rode back to Hayman’s assistance. -The private’s horse being useless, Lawrence dismounted -and raised the wounded man on to his own steed, a -dun pony, it is recorded. Then, setting the animal’s -head for the picket and bidding Hayman hold on for -his life, the sergeant gave the pony a vigorous kick -and started him off. This done, Lawrence made his -way back on foot, keeping up a warm fire with his -carbine; and for <em>two</em> miles he retired thus, successfully -holding off the Boers, until a party which had -ridden out in search of him brought the plucky -fellow into our lines.</p> - -<p>There is a true British ring about Sergeant -Lawrence’s action which is unmistakable, and few -South African heroes more deserved the V.C. which -was eventually bestowed upon him. He, thanks to -his skill with the carbine, and perhaps owing something -to luck, escaped without a scratch, but not all -were so fortunate. Writing of Lawrence reminds me -of another hero, Lieutenant and Adjutant G. H. B. -Coulson, of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, who -won glory and death at the same time.</p> - -<p>It was during the rearguard action near Lambrecht -Fontein, in May 1901. A corporal of the Mounted -Infantry was wounded and helpless, so the lieutenant -pulled him up on to his own horse. As they rode along -the animal was itself struck, and it became evident -that a double burden was more than it could carry.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span> -There was only one thing to be done. Slipping off -the horse, Coulson told the corporal to “hang on” -and save himself; then, revolver in hand, he stayed -behind, in the faint hope that he might win back to -safety on foot. It was a vain hope. The Boers rode -down upon him, and—one man against a hundred—he -fell riddled with bullets. Afterwards, when the -corporal had told his story, they gazetted Lieutenant -and Adjutant Coulson V.C., as one to -whom the decoration would have been awarded had -he lived.</p> - -<p>Among other dead heroes of the South African -War, place must be found for Lieutenant Parsons of -the Essex Regiment and Sergeant Atkinson of the -Yorkshires. At Paardeberg, where a fierce battle was -fought in February 1900, many poor wounded fellows -lay in the sweltering heat suffering for want of water. -Water there was within reach, in the river that -wound round by the enemy’s trenches, but the task of -fetching it was attended with considerable danger. -Some four or five men made the attempt, only to fall -under the hail of Boer bullets. Nothing daunted, -however, both Parsons and Atkinson made several -dashes for the precious water, the former venturing -twice, and rendering much-needed relief to those -wounded near him.</p> - -<p>Atkinson, who had distinguished himself in the -fight by rescuing Lieutenant Hammick of the Oxfordshire -Light Infantry, went down to the river no fewer -than seven times, being under fire all the while. At -the seventh venture his fate found him. A bullet -struck him in the head, and the brave Yorkshireman -fell mortally wounded. He was a son of Farrier-Major -James Atkinson, of the Royal Artillery, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span> -is stated to have been one of the party who captured -the original Sebastopol cannon from which the -Victoria Crosses are now cast. Although Lieutenant -Parsons survived Paardeberg, he never lived to receive -his Cross, being killed later at Driefontein.</p> - -<p>For bravery that distinguishes itself in the storming -of apparently impregnable positions and in the leading -of forlorn hopes, the Highland regiments perhaps bear -the palm. One remembers their deeds in the Mutiny -days and, more recently, at Dargai. In South Africa -they wrote their names large, at Magersfontein, -Paardeberg, and in many a minor action.</p> - -<p>One of their most dashing exploits was the capture -of Thaba Mountain, in April 1900, by the Gordons. -In this engagement Captain E. B. Towse, with but a -dozen men at his back, charged in the face of a -hundred and fifty Boers, who had climbed the hill -from the opposite side, and routed them. The -position was won and held, for the Highlanders—and -especially the Gordons—are men who like to have -their own way, but their brave leader paid dearly for -his victory. During the brief but fierce encounter -he was shot through both eyes and blinded for life. -This action at Thaba Mountain, together with his well-remembered -gallantry at Magersfontein, where in the -very fore-front of the battle he was seen helping -Colonel Downman, who was mortally wounded, gained -Captain Towse the V.C. Little wonder is it that as -she pinned it on the hero’s breast Queen Victoria was -moved to tears of sympathy and pity.</p> - -<p>There were several V.C.’s gained in and around -Ladysmith during the memorable siege of that town -which well deserve mention. Listen to the story of -how Privates Scott and Pitts of the Manchester<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span> -Regiment won the coveted decoration. In one of the -Boer assaults early in 1900 the Manchesters were -given the task of holding Cæsar’s Camp, a position in -the long ridge of hills to the north-east of the town. -Here they erected circular stone sangars, in each of -which a few men were posted with a plentiful supply -of ammunition.</p> - -<p>When the attack was delivered, Cæsar’s Camp and -Waggon Hill in the vicinity received the brunt of it. -Before the Boer fire the Manchester Regiment in -particular suffered great loss, many of their sangars -being captured and occupied by the enemy; but there -was one spot in the defences that the Boers failed to -carry. In the little sangar where they had been -stationed Privates Scott and Pitts swore an oath that -they would never give up while breath was left in -their bodies, and for fifteen long hours their deadly -rifle fire kept the Boers at bay. In the end, as we -know, the enemy were compelled to withdraw baffled, -whereupon the two plucky privates who had “held -the fort” so manfully returned to camp smoke-blackened -and—in Scott’s case—wounded, to receive -the due reward of their heroism.</p> - -<p>Yet another brave man of Ladysmith fame was -Private J. Barry of the Royal Irish. In the night -attack on Monument Hill in January 1901, he was -helping to work a Maxim when the Boers surrounded -the little party. His comrades having been all shot -down, Private Barry was called on to surrender, but -this word was not in his vocabulary. He neither -intended surrendering nor yielding his gun to the -enemy, so hurling a defiance at the latter, he proceeded -to smash the breech of the Maxim and render -it useless. A few quick blows were sufficient for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span> -purpose, and the work was done ere the infuriated -Boers raised their rifles and shot him dead.</p> - -<p>A distinguished fellow-soldier of Barry’s was -Colour-Sergeant (now Captain) Masterson, the hero -of Waggon Hill. In the furious hand-to-hand fight -on the hill he was a conspicuous figure, only being -overborne at last by sheer force of numbers, and -falling with ten wounds in his body and limbs. -None of his injuries were mortal, however, and he -survived to receive the V.C. and a commission.</p> - -<p>Captain Masterson’s name and rank, by the way, -vividly recall to one’s mind the exploit of a Royal -Irish Fusilier of earlier days, Sergeant Masterton, -the hero of Barossa. Masterton was known as “the -Eagle Taker,” for the dashing capture of a French -Eagle standard after a charge up a hill much in the -fashion of the Fusiliers at Waggon Hill, and he too -was rewarded by promotion.</p> - -<p>With another story of the gallant gunners I must -bring this chapter to a close. The scene is Korn -Spruit, on the road between Thaban’chu and Bloemfontein. -On March 31st, 1900, two batteries of -the Royal Horse Artillery were making their way -to the Orange Free State capital, when they fell -into a Boer ambush. Before the alarm could be -raised five guns of the leading battery and a large -section of the baggage train had been captured.</p> - -<p>Q Battery, under the command of Major Phipps-Hornby, -meanwhile was some three hundred yards -away from the spruit when the Boers opened fire, -and had time to wheel about into position. The -enemy’s force far outnumbered the British column, -but Major Phipps-Hornby and his gunners had no -idea of deserting their comrades. Having gained the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span> -shelter of some railway buildings near at hand, the -battery—minus one gun which had had to be -abandoned—re-formed and at full gallop came again -into action. Within close range of the Boers they -unlimbered and opened fire, while the teams of -horses were taken back to the rear of the buildings -for safety.</p> - -<p>For a long time the gunners served their pieces in -splendid style, but the order came at last to retire. -Realising how difficult it would be to hook the -teams on to the guns under the terrible fusillade -that the Boers were maintaining, Major Phipps-Hornby -decided to do without them. Under his -direction the men put their shoulders to the wheels -literally, helped by some officers and privates of -the Mounted Infantry, and by much pushing and -hauling they eventually got four of the five guns -round to the back of the buildings under cover, -saving some of the limbers at the same time.</p> - -<p>To rejoin the main body now entailed the crossing -of a couple more spruits and a donga which lay -within easy range of the Boer guns, a veritable -zone of fire. But the gunners had faced danger -like this before, and at the call for volunteers many -drivers stepped forward. As quickly as possible the -horses were put into the traces, the guns hooked on, -and off they set, one at a time, on their perilous -journey. It was a wild dash for safety, but they got -home—all, that is, save one gun and one limber, which -after several attempts had to be left behind, all the -horses belonging to it being shot down.</p> - -<p>It was a V.C. business, this saving of the guns, but -when it came to a question of making the award a -difficulty arose. Every man of the battery might be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span> -said to have an equal claim to be decorated. As a -few Crosses only could be awarded, however, Rule 13 -of the original Warrant had to be enforced, under -which the honour was conferred upon the battery -as a whole, one officer, one non-commissioned officer, -one gunner and one driver being elected by their -comrades as recipients. Of the two officers, Major -Phipps-Hornby and Captain Humphreys, who had -taken the leading part in the affair, each had displayed -conspicuous gallantry, and each with characteristic -generosity nominated the other for the decoration. -One would like to have seen both of them gazetted, -but the rule had to be adhered to, and, as senior -officer, the V.C. was presented to Major Phipps-Hornby. -Sergeant Parker, Gunner Lodge, and Driver -Glasock hold the other three Crosses of the corps -for this notable action.</p> - -<p>Yet another hero of Korn Spruit is Lieutenant -(now Lieut.-Col.) F. A. Maxwell, of the Indian Army, -then attached to Roberts’ Light Horse. When the -Boer fire was concentrated on Q Battery, he volunteered -his assistance and faced the blizzard of lead -five times, helping to save two guns and three -limbers. It was he, too, who aided in the gallant -but futile attempt to bring in the fifth gun, remaining -exposed to shot and shell until the last moment. -For his bravery Lieutenant Maxwell was awarded the -V.C., and it is worthy of note that in announcing the -fact the <cite>Gazette</cite> refers to his gallantry during the -Chitral campaign, when he recovered the body of -Lieut.-Col. F. D. Battye, of the “Guides,” under a -heavy fire from the enemy.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX.<br /> -<span class="smaller">SOMALILAND—NIGERIA—TIBET.</span></h2> - -<p>Within the last four years we have seen three -campaigns of some importance which have -added several V.C.’s to the roll. In 1902-3 was -the punitive expedition against the Mad Mullah in -Somaliland, bringing distinction to Captain Cobbe -and others; in 1903 the rising in Nigeria, where, -at Sokoto, Captain Wallace Wright (of the Royal -West Surrey Regiment), with only one officer and -forty men, made a gallant stand for two hours against -the repeated charges of 1000 of the enemy’s cavalry -and 2000 infantry, eventually putting this large force -to rout; and in 1904 the Sikkim-Tibet Mission, which -yielded a V.C. to a young lieutenant of Ghurkas -named Grant. Of these campaigns that in Somaliland -heads the list with six Crosses, and the story -of how they were won well deserves to be told at length.</p> - -<p>The first act of distinction was performed by -Captain (now Lieutenant-Colonel) A. S. Cobbe, D.S.O., -at Erego, on October 6th, 1902. In the fight at this -place some of the companies were ordered to retire, -and Captain Cobbe suddenly found himself left alone -in the firing line with a Maxim. He saved the gun -from capture by the enemy, and bringing it back<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span> -worked it single-handed with such good effect that -he may be said to have turned the fortunes of the -day at a critical moment in the action. Later on -he went to the rescue of an orderly who had fallen -under the Somalis’ bullets, exposing himself not only -to the enemy’s fire but to that of his own men, who -were replying vigorously. For his gallantry Captain -Cobbe was gazetted V.C., receiving the decoration -from the hands of General Manning at Obbia, some -four months later.</p> - -<p>With the fighting at Jidballi two V.C.’s are associated. -One is proudly worn by Lieutenant Herbert Carter for -saving the life of Private Jai Singh in the face of -a determined rush of dervishes; and the other by -Lieutenant Clement Leslie Smith, of the Duke of -Cornwall’s Light Infantry. The latter was serving -with the 5th Somali Mounted Infantry at the time. -In an onslaught made by the enemy from the bush -our men got broken up, and the combat resolved itself -into a hand-to-hand affair. Fighting desperately to -recover themselves, the Mounted Infantry rallied -bravely to their leader’s call, but little could be done -to stave off defeat. The loyal Somalis were driven -back, leaving many dead and wounded on the ground, -among the latter being one Rahamat Ali, a Hospital-Assistant. -Observing this man’s plight, Lieutenant -Smith and Dr. Welland of the R.A.M.C. made a -desperate attempt to save him.</p> - -<p>They had almost succeeded in getting the wounded -man on to a horse when one of the many bullets that -rained upon them found him, and he was killed. The -Somalis now hemmed in the two officers on all sides, -so the lieutenant sought to bring out Dr. Welland,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span> -hastily helping him to mount again. The doctor’s -horse was shot, however, as was a mule which was next -seized, and immediately after there was a rush, and -Welland was speared. Smith stood by him to the -end, endeavouring to keep off the enemy with his -revolver, but he had done all that mortal man could -do, and it was time to think of his own safety. At -that time the dervishes were swarming round him, -and, as the <cite>Gazette</cite> notes, it was marvellous indeed -that he escaped with his life.</p> - -<p>But, notable as were these acts of bravery, it is -for the heroic attempt to rescue poor Captain Bruce -that the Somaliland campaign will perhaps be best -remembered. In that drama of savage warfare, -which brings home to us most vividly the difficulties -and dangers of bush fighting, three Crosses -were gained, inscribing the names of Rolland, Walker, -and Gough upon the roll of glory. This is the story -of it.</p> - -<p>On April 22nd, 1903, Major Gough’s flying column, -which had been operating in the Daratoleh district, -began to fall back upon Danop, owing to shortness -in ammunition and the large number of wounded on -its hands. All around the little force, in the dense -bush, the enemy swarmed thickly, maintaining a harassing -fire upon the troops. During the afternoon the -rearguard became cut off from the main body, and -dropped considerably into the rear. With this section -were Captain Bruce, R.A., Major Gough’s staff officer, -and Captains Rolland and Walker of the Intelligence -Department, and when in a little time Bruce fell -badly wounded, the look-out for the little party -seemed bad indeed.</p> - -<p>Having fired at and killed a savage whom he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span> -believed to have aimed the fatal shot, Captain Rolland -ran to his comrade’s assistance and dragged him to -one side of the forest path, where he would be less -exposed to the enemy’s fire. It was very evident -that the wound was mortal, but Rolland—who, by the -way, was an old Harrow boy, like Bruce—determined -to make every effort to save his friend’s body if he -could not save his life. While he attended to him -two Yaos (men of the King’s African Rifles), a Sikh -and a loyal Somali of the Camel Corps, bravely -stood by them, covering them with their rifles and -holding the enemy in check, the latter shouting -to each other in joyful anticipation of a speedy -victory.</p> - -<p>Captain Bruce was a very heavy man, of nearly -fourteen stone, and Captain Rolland, who turned the -scale at nine and a half, found he could not lift the -other. None of the four men could stop firing to -help him, or the Somalis would have made a rush, -so the despairing officer shouted to the disappearing -column in front to halt. But the winding path soon -hid it from sight, and Rolland saw that he was left -to his fate. The enemy, becoming enboldened, now -pressed closer in, and the captain had to leave the -wounded man’s side and use his carbine and revolver -to drive the Somalis back into the bush again. It -was hot work, for the natives were in strong force -and armed with rifles in addition to their broad-bladed -throwing spears.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Bruce got to his feet, and Rolland rushed -to hold him up; but it was the last flicker of life. -The wounded man lurched forward again and fell -on his face, dragging Rolland down with him. As -the latter turned him over on to his back, Bruce<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span> -opened his eyes and spoke for the last time. -“They’ve done for me this time, old man!” he -said, and a moment or two afterwards relapsed into -unconsciousness.</p> - -<p>To Rolland’s great relief, he looked up from his -friend’s body to see Captain Walker “trekking” -towards him. His shout had been heard, after all. -Together the two tried to carry poor Bruce between -them, but it was no use; so Rolland decided to make a -dash for the rearguard to get help. It was a terribly -long run, and he thought he must get hit every -moment, as the bullets pinged about him. He got -through safely, however, and seized a Bikanir camel. -As he was leading this back he met Major Gough, -who asked what was the matter, and on being told -at once hastened to Bruce’s aid.</p> - -<p>Rolland’s camel was desperately frightened at the -firing and shouting, and the captain had another bad -quarter of an hour as he coaxed it and urged it along -the bush path, but he reached the others without -mishap. With Gough and Walker he now lifted -Captain Bruce on to the kneeling camel, and as they -did so a third Somali bullet struck the wounded man, -almost immediately after which he died. At the same -time the Sikh, who had done his duty nobly in protecting -his officers, had his arm smashed by a fourth -bullet.</p> - -<p>The little party were not left alone until 5.30 p.m., -when, after some scattering shots, the enemy at last -drew off. “It was the hardest day of my life,” adds -Captain Rolland, in his account of the affair, and we -may well believe him. “I fired and fired in that -fight till my rifle was boiling hot; even the woodwork -felt on fire. Up to 3 a.m. a few biscuits and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span> -cocoa, then a 25-mile ride, a seven hours’ fight, and -25 miles back to camp; <i>i.e.</i> 50 miles that day; 25 -hours without food of any kind, from the 3 a.m. -biscuits and cocoa on the 22nd to the 4 a.m. dinner -on the 23rd. Oh, the thirst of that day! I had -two water-bottles on my camel, and drained them -both. Hunger I did not feel.”</p> - -<p>They buried Captain Bruce the next morning, -side by side with another officer who had been -killed, Captain Godfrey, laying them to rest just -as they were, in their stained khaki uniforms. The -silent African bush has many such graves in its -keeping.</p> - -<p>It was not until some time later that the part -Major Gough had played in the rescue of Captain -Bruce’s body was brought to light. He had promptly -reported the heroic conduct of Captains Rolland and -Walker, but modestly omitted all mention of his -own share in the incident. And when the late -Mr. W. T. Maud, the artist-correspondent of the -<cite>Graphic</cite>, attempted to send home to his paper a full -account of the affair, the Major rigidly censored -the despatch so that his name did not occur -therein. His heroism, however, could not be overlooked, -and as soon as he was free from Major -Gough’s censorship Mr. Maud made public the true -story of the action, whereupon the V.C. was bestowed -upon the Major as well as upon Captains -Rolland and Walker.</p> - -<p>It is interesting to note that Major John Edmond -Gough (now Lieutenant-Colonel) is a son of General -Sir C. J. S. Gough, V.C., and a nephew of that other -distinguished Indian veteran, General Sir H. H. Gough, -V.C. He thus establishes a record, for no other family<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span> -has ever yet possessed three members entitled to wear -the decoration.</p> - -<p class="tb">To Lieutenant John Duncan Grant, of the 8th -Ghurka Rifles, belongs the distinction of winning -the last Cross that has been awarded. The scene of -his exploit was Tibet, and the date July 6th, 1904. -On that day the storming of the Gyantse-jong, the -most formidable of the Tibetan strongholds, was -successfully carried out, the Ghurkas, as on many -a previous occasion, being called on to perform the -most ticklish part of the business.</p> - -<p>The jong, or fort, at Gyantse is perched high up on -a hill, the approach being rendered difficult for an -enemy by the bare and almost precipitous nature of -the rock-face. There is scarcely any cover available, -and an attacking party is exposed to the fire from -the curtain and the flanking towers on both sides. -All day the artillery had been thundering at the -walls with little success, but at last a small breach -was made in the curtain, and it became possible for -a storming party to force its way through. It -became possible, I say, but the task was a truly -hazardous one. So little room was there that only -one man could go up at a time, crawling on his hands -and knees to the hole in the curtain.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Grant, however, with his brave little -Ghurkas, was not to be daunted by such heavy odds. -Leaving the cover of the village at the foot of the -hill, he led the advance up the steep slope. Immediately -behind him came Havildar Karbir Pun, as eager -to come to close quarters with the enemy as was his -leader. Up the slippery face of the cliff they scrambled, -while a shower of rocks and stones poured down on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span> -them from the Tibetans above, to say nothing of -occasional volleys of jingal bullets; and as they -neared the top the lieutenant fell back wounded. -Nor did the havildar escape, being hurled back down -the rock for thirty feet or more.</p> - -<p>Despite their injuries the intrepid couple made -another attempt after a brief pause. Covered by the -fire of their men, they dashed for the breach, and this -time succeeded in their purpose. Grant was the first -through, with the faithful Karbir Pun at his heels, -their rifles clearing a path for them as they scrambled -inside the jong. Then the rest of the Ghurkas -quickly poured in, and the issue of the assault was -no longer in doubt.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Grant was gazetted in January of the -year following. Havildar Karbir Pun—the sepoys -of our Indian army not being eligible for the V.C.—received -the Indian Order of Merit, which is its -equivalent, being conferred for conspicuous bravery -in the field.</p> - -<p class="tb">And so this record of the Victoria Cross and its -heroes comes to a close. It is a brave record, indeed, -from Lucas down to Grant, and we may well be proud -of the gallant fellows, soldiers and sailors, British and -Colonials, whose names figure therein. Of late years -there has been some complaint that the decoration -is in danger of being cheapened by a too liberal distribution, -but I cannot think that such is the case. -The right to wear the coveted Cross is most jealously -guarded; only for acts of conspicuous bravery is it -granted; and he would be a bold man who dared to -place his finger on any one of the 522 names in the -list and say, “That man was not worthy.” How<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span> -jealously the recipients guard the honour of the -decoration for their part is shown by the fact that -Rule 15 of the original Warrant has never had to -be enforced. No wearer of the V.C. has been struck -off the roll for “treason, cowardice, felony, or any -infamous crime.” And if at times we read of a -Victoria Cross being sold (almost invariably for a -large amount) to some collector, we may be sure -that another V.C. hero has joined the great majority. -The instances in which a recipient of the Cross has -parted with his decoration in his lifetime are very -rare, and this despite the most tempting offers for -the same that are known to have been made. For -no medal that can be won by the officers and men of -either Service is so highly prized when gained as -the little bronze Maltese cross bearing the golden -words, “<span class="smcap">For Valour</span>.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="APPENDICES">APPENDICES</h2> - -<h3 id="APPENDIX_A">APPENDIX A.<br /> -<span class="smaller">ROYAL WARRANTS.</span></h3> - -<p>The following are the principal Royal Warrants that have -been issued in connection with the Victoria Cross.</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">War Department</span>, <i>February 5th, 1856.</i></p> - -<p>The Queen has been pleased, by an instrument under her -Royal Sign Manual, of which the following is a copy, to institute -and create a new Naval and Military decoration, to be styled -and designated “The Victoria Cross,” and to make the rules and -regulations therein set forth under which the said decoration -shall be conferred.</p> - -<p class="tb noindent"><span class="smcap">Victoria</span>, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great -Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, etc., to all -to whom these presents shall come, Greeting.</p> - -<p>Whereas, We, taking into Our Royal Consideration, that -there exists no means of adequately rewarding the individual -gallant services, either of officers of the lower grades in Our -Naval and Military Service, or of warrant and petty officers, -seamen and marines in Our Navy, and non-commissioned officers -in Our Army. And, whereas, the third class of Our Most -Honourable Order of the Bath is limited, except in very rare -cases, to the higher ranks of both services, and the granting of -Medals, both in Our Navy and Army, is only awarded for long -service or meritorious conduct, rather than for bravery in action -or distinction before an enemy, such cases alone excepted where -a general medal is granted for a particular action or campaign, -or a clasp added to the medal for some especial engagement, in -both of which cases all share equally in the boon, and those who,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span> -by their valour, have particularly signalised themselves, remain -undistinguished from their comrades. Now, for the purpose of -attaining an end so desirable as that of rewarding individual -instances of merit and valour, We have instituted and created, -and by these presents for Us, our Heirs and Successors, institute -and create a new Naval and Military Decoration, which We are -desirous should be highly prized and eagerly sought after by the -officers and men of Our Naval and Military Services, and are -graciously pleased to make, ordain and establish the following -rules and ordinances for the government of the same, which -shall from henceforth be inviolably observed and kept.</p> - -<p><i>Firstly.</i> It is ordained that the distinction shall be styled -and designated “The Victoria Cross,” and shall consist of a -Maltese cross of Bronze, with Our Royal Crest in the centre, -and underneath with an escroll bearing the inscription “For -Valour.”</p> - -<p><i>Secondly.</i> It is ordained that the Cross shall be suspended -from the left breast by a blue riband for the Navy, and by a red -riband for the Army.</p> - -<p><i>Thirdly.</i> It is ordained that the names of those upon whom -We may be pleased to confer the Decoration shall be published -in the <cite>London Gazette</cite>, and a registry thereof kept in the Office -of Our Secretary of State for War.</p> - -<p><i>Fourthly.</i> It is ordained that anyone who, after having -received the Cross, shall again perform an act of bravery, which, -if he had not received such Cross, would have entitled him to -it, such further act shall be recorded by a bar attached to the -riband by which the Cross is suspended, and for every additional -act of bravery an additional bar may be added.</p> - -<p><i>Fifthly.</i> It is ordained that the Cross shall only be awarded to -those officers and men who have served Us in the presence of the -enemy, and shall have then performed some signal act of valour -or devotion to their country.</p> - -<p><i>Sixthly.</i> It is ordained, with a view to placing all persons on a -perfectly equal footing in relation to eligibility for the Decoration, -that neither rank, nor long service, nor wounds, nor any -other circumstance or condition whatsoever, save the merit of -conspicuous bravery, shall be held to establish a sufficient claim -to the honour.</p> - -<p><i>Seventhly</i>. It is ordained that the Decoration may be conferred -on the spot where the act to be rewarded by the grant of such -Decoration has been performed, under the following circumstances:—1. -When the fleet or army in which such act has been -performed is under the eye and command of an admiral or -general officer commanding the forces. 2. Where the Naval or -Military force is under the eye and command of an admiral or -commodore commanding a squadron or detached Naval force, or -of a general commanding a corps or division or brigade on a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span> -distinct and detached service, when such admiral or general -officer shall have the power of conferring the Decoration on the -spot, subject to confirmation by Us.</p> - -<p><i>Eighthly.</i> It is ordained where such act shall not have been -performed in sight of a commanding officer as aforesaid, then -the claimant for the honour shall prove the act to the satisfaction -of the captain or officer commanding his ship, or to the officer -commanding the regiment to which the claimant belongs, and -such captain, or such commanding officer, shall report the same -through the usual channel to the admiral or commodore -commanding the force employed in the service, or to the officer -commanding the forces in the field who shall call for such -description and attestation of the act as he may think -requisite, and on approval shall recommend the grant of the -Decoration.</p> - -<p><i>Ninthly.</i> It is ordained that every person selected for the -Cross, under Rule 7, shall be publicly decorated before the -Naval or Military force or body to which he belongs, and with -which the act of bravery for which he is to be rewarded -shall have been performed, and his name shall be recorded -in a general order together with the cause of his especial -distinction.</p> - -<p><i>Tenthly.</i> It is ordained that every person selected under -Rule 8 shall receive his Decoration as soon as possible, and his -name shall likewise appear in a general order as above required, -such general order to be issued by the Naval or Military -commander of the forces employed on the Service.</p> - -<p><i>Eleventhly.</i> It is ordained that the general orders above -referred to shall from time to time be transmitted to Our -Secretary of State for War, to be laid before Us, and shall be -by him registered.</p> - -<p><i>Twelfthly.</i> It is ordained that, as cases may arise not falling -within the rules above specified, or in which a claim, though -well founded, may not have been established on the spot, We -will, on the joint submission of Our Secretary of State for War -and of Our Commander-in-Chief of Our Army, or on that of -Our Lord High Admiral, or Lords Commissioners of the -Admiralty in the case of the Navy, confer the Decoration, but -never without conclusive proofs of the performance of the act of -bravery for which the claim is made.</p> - -<p><i>Thirteenthly.</i> It is ordained that in the event of a gallant and -daring act having been performed by a squadron, ship’s company, -or detached body of seamen and marines not under fifty in -number, or by a brigade, regiment, troop or company in which -the admiral, general, or other officer commanding such forces -may deem that all are equally brave and distinguished, and that -no special selection can be made by them, then in such case the -admiral, general, or other officer commanding, may direct that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span> -for any such body of seamen or marines, or for every troop or -company of soldiers, one officer shall be selected by the officers -engaged for the Decoration, and in like manner one petty officer -or non-commissioned officer shall be selected by the petty officers -and non-commissioned officers engaged, and two seamen or -private soldiers or marines shall be selected by the seamen, or -private soldiers, or marines engaged, respectively for the Decoration, -and the names of those selected shall be transmitted by the -senior officers in command of the Naval force, brigade, regiment, -troop, or company, to the admiral or general officer commanding, -who shall in due manner confer the Decoration as if the acts -were done under his own eye.</p> - -<p><i>Fourteenthly.</i> It is ordained that every warrant officer, petty -officer, seaman or marine, or non-commissioned officer, or soldier -who shall have received the Cross, shall, from the date of the -act by which the Decoration has been gained be entitled to a -special pension of £10 a year, and each additional bar conferred -under Rule 4 on such warrant or petty officers, or non-commissioned -officers or men, shall carry with it an additional -pension of £5 per annum.</p> - -<p><i>Fifteenthly.</i> In order to make such additional provision as shall -effectually preserve pure this most honourable distinction, it is -ordained that, if any person be convicted of treason, cowardice, -felony, or of any infamous crime, or if he be accused of any such -offence, and doth not after a reasonable time surrender himself -to be tried for the same, his name shall forthwith be erased from -the registry of individuals upon whom the said Decoration shall -have been conferred, by an especial Warrant under Our Royal -Sign Manual, and the pension conferred under Rule 14 shall -cease and determine from the date of such Warrant. It is -hereby further declared, that We, Our Heirs and Successors, -shall be the all judges of the circumstances requiring such -expulsion; moreover, We shall at all times have power to restore -such persons as may at any time have been expelled, both to the -enjoyment of the Decoration and Pension.</p> - -<p>Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this twenty-ninth -day of January, in the nineteenth year of Our Reign, and in the -Year of Our Lord, 1856.</p> - -<p class="center">By Her Majesty’s command,</p> - -<p class="right">(Signed) <span class="smcap">Panmure</span>.</p> - -<p><i>To Our Principal Secretary of State for War.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>On August 10, 1858, the <cite>London Gazette</cite> announced that by a -Warrant under her Royal Sign Manual, her Majesty was pleased -to direct that the Victoria Cross should be conferred, “subject to -the rules and ordinances already made, on Officers and Men of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span> -Her Majesty’s Naval and Military Services, who may perform -acts of conspicuous courage and bravery under circumstances of -extreme danger, such as the occurrence of a fire on board ship, or -of the foundering of a vessel at sea, or under any other circumstances -in which, through the courage and devotion displayed, -life or public property may be saved.”</p> - -<p>As noted in chapter 15, it was under this clause that Private -O’Hea, Dr. Douglas, and several others were gazetted.</p> - -<p class="tb">Provision for the award of the V.C. to Messrs. Kavanagh, -Mangles, and McDonell, who were civilians, was made by a -supplemental Warrant, which was announced in the <cite>Gazette</cite> on -8th July, 1859, in the following terms:—</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>The Queen having been graciously pleased by a Warrant -under her Royal Sign Manual, bearing date 13th December -1858, to declare that Non-Military Persons who, as Volunteers, -have borne arms against the Mutineers, both at Lucknow and -elsewhere, during the late operations in India, shall be considered -as eligible to receive the decoration of the Victoria Cross, subject -to the rules and ordinances, etc. etc. … provided that it be -established in any case that the person was serving under the -orders of a General or other Officer in Command of Troops in -the Field; her Majesty has accordingly been pleased to signify -her intention to confer this high distinction on the undermentioned -gentlemen, etc. etc.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The Warrant given below, which was issued in 1881, speaks -for itself. It merely restates in plain, unmistakable language -the purport of the original Warrant of 1856.</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="center"><i>Royal Warrant.—Qualification required for the Decoration of the -Victoria Cross.</i></p> - -<p class="center">(This Warrant applies also to the Auxiliary and Reserve Forces.)</p> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Victoria R.</span></p> - -<p>Whereas doubts have arisen as to the qualification required -for the decoration of the Victoria Cross, and whereas the description -of such qualification in Our Warrant of 29th January, 1856, is -not uniform. Our will and pleasure is that the qualification -shall be “conspicuous bravery or devotion to the country in the -presence of the enemy,” and that Our Warrant of 29th January, -1856, shall be read and interpreted accordingly.</p> - -<p>It is Our further will and pleasure that Officers and Men of -Our Auxiliary and Reserve Forces (Naval and Military) shall be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span> -eligible for the decoration of the Victoria Cross under the -conditions of Our said Warrant, as amended by this Our -Warrant.</p> - -<p>Given at Our Court at Osborne, this 23rd day of April, 1881, -in the forty-fourth year of Our Reign.</p> - -<p class="center">By Her Majesty’s Command,</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Hugh C. E. Childers</span>.</p> - -</div> - -<p>In the same year, 1881, appeared another Warrant which -included as eligible for the Decoration members of the Indian -Ecclesiastical Establishment, provided that they were serving -under a general or other officer in command of troops in the -field. By this provision the Rev. J. W. Adams was gazetted V.C.</p> - -<p class="tb">Under a later Warrant, dated July 18, 1898, authority was -given to increase the Victoria Cross pension from £10 to £50 -a year, the condition to be satisfied in such cases being inability -to earn a livelihood, in consequence of age or infirmity occasioned -by causes beyond an Annuitant’s control.</p> - -<p>The last Royal Warrant to be issued bears date August 8, -1902, and runs as follows:—</p> - -<p>The King has been graciously pleased to approve of the -Decoration of the Victoria Cross being delivered to the <em>representatives</em> -of the undermentioned officers, non-commissioned -officers and men who fell during the recent operations in South -Africa, in the performance of acts of valour which would, in the -opinion of the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in the Field, -have entitled them to be recommended for that distinction had -they survived:—(Here follow the names of Captain Younger, -Lieut. Digby-Jones, and others.)</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span></p> - -<h3 id="APPENDIX_B">APPENDIX B.<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE FIRST PRESENTATION OF THE V.C.</span></h3> - -<p>The names of those who received the Victoria Cross at the first -distribution in Hyde Park, on Friday, June 26th, 1857, are given -below, in the order in which they were presented to her Majesty.</p> - -<h4><span class="smcap">The Navy.</span></h4> - -<table summary="Victoria Cross recipients in the Navy"> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Raby, H. J.</span></td> - <td>Commander.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bythesea, J.</span></td> - <td>Commander.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Burgoyne, H. T.</span></td> - <td>Commander.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lucas, C. D.</span></td> - <td>Lieutenant.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hewett, W. N. W.</span></td> - <td>Lieutenant.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Robarts, J.</span></td> - <td>Gunner.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Kellaway, J.</span></td> - <td>Boatswain.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cooper, H.</span></td> - <td>Boatswain.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Trewavas, J.</span></td> - <td>Seaman.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Reeves, T.</span></td> - <td>Seaman.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Curtis, H.</span></td> - <td>Boatswain’s Mate.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ingouville, G.</span></td> - <td>Captain of Mast.</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<h4><span class="smcap">The Royal Marines.</span></h4> - -<table summary="Victoria Cross recipients in the Royal Marines"> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dowell, G. D.</span></td> - <td>Lieutenant.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wilkinson, T.</span></td> - <td>Bombardier.</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<h4><span class="smcap">The Army.</span></h4> - -<table summary="Victoria Cross recipients in the Army"> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Grieve, J.</span></td> - <td>Sergeant-Major</td> - <td>2nd Dragoons (Scots Greys).</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Parkes, S.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>4th Light Dragoons (Queen’s Own).</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dunn, A. R.</span></td> - <td>Lieutenant</td> - <td>11th Hussars (Prince Albert’s Own).</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span><span class="smcap">Berryman, J.</span></td> - <td>Troop Sergt.-Maj.</td> - <td>17th Lancers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dickson, C.</span></td> - <td>Colonel</td> - <td>Royal Artillery.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Henry, A.</span></td> - <td>Captain</td> - <td>Royal Artillery.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Davis, G.</span></td> - <td>Captain</td> - <td>Royal Artillery.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cambridge, D.</span></td> - <td>Sergeant</td> - <td>Royal Artillery.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Arthur, T.</span></td> - <td>Gunner and Driver</td> - <td>Royal Artillery.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Graham, G.</span></td> - <td>Lieutenant</td> - <td>Royal Engineers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ross, J.</span></td> - <td>Corporal</td> - <td>Royal Engineers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lendrim, W. J.</span></td> - <td>Corporal</td> - <td>Royal Engineers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Perie, J.</span></td> - <td>Sapper</td> - <td>Royal Engineers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Percy</span>, Hon. H. H. M.</td> - <td>Colonel</td> - <td>Grenadier Guards.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Russell</span>, Sir C., Bart.</td> - <td>Brevet-Major</td> - <td>Grenadier Guards.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ablett, A.</span></td> - <td>Sergeant</td> - <td>Grenadier Guards.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Palmer, A.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>Grenadier Guards.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Goodlake, G. L.</span></td> - <td>Brevet-Major</td> - <td>Coldstream Guards.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Conolly, J. A.</span></td> - <td>Brevet-Major</td> - <td>Coldstream Guards (late 49th).</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Strong, G.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>Coldstream Guards.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lindsay, R. J.</span></td> - <td>Brevet-Major</td> - <td>Scots Fusilier Guards.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">McKechnie, J.</span></td> - <td>Sergeant</td> - <td>Scots Fusilier Guards.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Reynolds, W.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>Scots Fusilier Guards.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Grady, T.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>4th (King’s Own) Foot.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hope, W.</span></td> - <td>Lieutenant</td> - <td>7th Royal Fusiliers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hale, T. E.</span></td> - <td>Assist.-Surg.</td> - <td>7th Royal Fusiliers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hughes, M.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>7th Royal Fusiliers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Norman, W.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>7th Royal Fusiliers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Moynihan, A.</span></td> - <td>Ensign</td> - <td>8th (The King’s) Foot.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Evans, S.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>19th (1st Yorkshire North Riding).</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lyons, J.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>19th (1st Yorkshire North Riding).</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">O’Connor, L.</span></td> - <td>Lieutenant</td> - <td>23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Shields, R.</span></td> - <td>Corporal</td> - <td>23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Coffey, W.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>34th (Cumberland) Foot.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sims, J. J.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>34th (Cumberland) Foot.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">McWheeney W.</span></td> - <td>Sergeant</td> - <td>44th (East Essex) Foot.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Walters, G.</span></td> - <td>Sergeant</td> - <td>49th (Herts, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s).</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Owens, J.</span></td> - <td>Corporal</td> - <td>49th (Herts, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s).</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lumley, C. H.</span></td> - <td>Brevet-Major</td> - <td>97th (The Earl of Ulster’s) Foot.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span><span class="smcap">Coleman, J.</span></td> - <td>Sergeant</td> - <td>97th (The Earl of Ulster’s) Foot.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Clifford</span>, Hon. H. H.</td> - <td>Brevet-Major</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wheatley, F.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cuninghame, W. J. M.</span></td> - <td>Captain</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Knox, J. S.</span></td> - <td>Lieutenant</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade (late Sergeant Scots Fusilier Guards).</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">McGregor, R.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Humpston, R.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bradshaw, J.</span></td> - <td>Private</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bourchier, C. T.</span></td> - <td>Brevet-Major</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade.</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span></p> - -<h3 id="APPENDIX_C">APPENDIX C.<br /> -<span class="smaller">WARS AND CAMPAIGNS IN WHICH THE VICTORIA CROSS -HAS BEEN WON, FROM 1854 TO 1904.</span></h3> - -<table summary="Victoria Cross recipients by war/campaign"> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td></td> - <td class="center">No. of<br />Crosses<br />gained.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Crimea and Baltic</td> - <td>1854-5</td> - <td class="tdr">111</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Persia</td> - <td>1856-7</td> - <td class="tdr">3</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td>1857-9</td> - <td class="tdr">182</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>China (including the Taiping Rebellion)</td> - <td>1860-2; 1900</td> - <td class="tdr">10</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td>1860-1; 1863-6</td> - <td class="tdr">15</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>India (Umbeyla)</td> - <td>1863 </td> - <td class="tdr">2</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Japan</td> - <td>1864 </td> - <td class="tdr">3</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>India (Bhotan)</td> - <td>1864-5</td> - <td class="tdr">2</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>* Canada</td> - <td>1866 </td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>West Africa (Gambia)</td> - <td>1866; 1892</td> - <td class="tdr">2</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>* Andaman Islands</td> - <td>1867 </td> - <td class="tdr">5</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Abyssinia</td> - <td>1867-8</td> - <td class="tdr">2</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>India (Looshai)</td> - <td>1871-2</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Ashanti</td> - <td>1873-4; 1900</td> - <td class="tdr">6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Perak</td> - <td>1875-6</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Quetta (Beloochistan)</td> - <td>1877 </td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>South Africa (Kaffir War)</td> - <td>1877-8</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td>1878-80</td> - <td class="tdr">16</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td>1879 </td> - <td class="tdr">23</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Basutoland</td> - <td>1879 and 1881</td> - <td class="tdr">6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>India (Naga Hills)</td> - <td>1879-80</td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>South Africa (First Boer War)</td> - <td>1880-1</td> - <td class="tdr">6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Egypt and Soudan</td> - <td>1882; 1884-5</td> - <td class="tdr">8</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Burma</td> - <td>1889; 1893</td> - <td class="tdr">3</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Manipur (N.E. India)</td> - <td>1891 </td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>India (Hunza-Nagar)</td> - <td>1891 </td> - <td class="tdr">3</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span>Chitral</td> - <td>1895 </td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Matabeleland</td> - <td>1896 </td> - <td class="tdr">3</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>India (Punjab Frontier)</td> - <td>1897-8</td> - <td class="tdr">11</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Soudan (Khartoum)</td> - <td>1898 </td> - <td class="tdr">5</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Crete</td> - <td>1898 </td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>South Africa (Second Boer War)</td> - <td>1899-1902</td> - <td class="tdr">78</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Somaliland</td> - <td>1902-4</td> - <td class="tdr">6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Nigeria</td> - <td>1903 </td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Tibet</td> - <td>1904 </td> - <td class="tdr">1</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">Total</td> - <td></td> - <td class="tdr total">522</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>* Not gained in action.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span></p> - -<h3 id="APPENDIX_D">APPENDIX D.<br /> -<span class="smaller">COMPLETE ALPHABETICAL LIST OF RECIPIENTS OF THE V.C.</span></h3> - -<p>[The date given in each instance denotes when the act of bravery -was performed for which the decoration was awarded. The names -printed in <i>italics</i> are those of recipients who are still living. To assist -identification, former, as well as present, titles of regiments are given -in cases where the V.C. was won before the Territorial System was -adopted. Example: 43rd R. (old title), now known as (1st Batt.) -Oxfordshire Light Infantry.]</p> - -<table summary="All recipients of the Victoria Cross, at time of publication" class="full-list"> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ablett</span>, Private A.</td> - <td>Grenadier Guards </td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Adams</span>, Rev. J. W.</td> - <td>Bengal Eccles. Establishment</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Adams</span>, Lt.-Col. (now Col.) R. B.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Upper Swat</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Addison</span>, Private H.</td> - <td>43rd R. (Oxf. L.I.)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1859</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Aikman</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) F. R.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Aitkin</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) R. H. M.</td> - <td class="tdc">” </td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Albrecht</span>, Trooper H.</td> - <td>Imperial Light Horse</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Alexander</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Allen</span>, Corporal W.</td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Anderson</span>, Private C.</td> - <td>2nd Dragoon Guards</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Anson</span>, Captain (late Lt.-Col.) the Hon. A. H. A.</td> - <td>84th (York and Lancs.) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Arthur</span>, Gunner T.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Ashford</span>, Private T.</i></td> - <td>7th R. (Royal Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1880</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Atkinson</span>, Sergeant A.</td> - <td>Yorkshire R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Aylmer</span>, Captain (now Col.) F. J.</i></td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Nilt</td> - <td class="tdr">1891</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span><i><span class="smcap">Babtie</span>, Major (now Lt.-Col.) W.</i></td> - <td>Royal Army Med. Corps</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Baker</span>, Lieut. C. G.</td> - <td>Indian Police</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bambrick</span>, Private V.</td> - <td>60th Rifles (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bankes</span>, Cornet W. G. H.</td> - <td>7th Hussars</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Barry</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>Royal Irish R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Baxter</span>, Trooper F. W.</td> - <td>Bulawayo Field Force</td> - <td>Rhodesia</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Beach</span>, Private T.</td> - <td>55th (Border) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Bees</span>, Private W.</i></td> - <td>Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire R.)</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Beet</span>, Corporal H. C.</i></td> - <td class="tdc">” </td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Bell</span>, Private D.</i></td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Andaman I.</td> - <td class="tdr">1867</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bell</span>, Captain (late Maj.-Gen.) E. W. D.</td> - <td>23rd R. (Royal Welsh Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Bell</span>, Lieut. F. W.</i></td> - <td>W. Australian Mt. Inf.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bell</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) M. S.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Ashanti</td> - <td class="tdr">1874</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Beresford</span>, Captain (late Gen.) Lord W. L. De la Poer</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bergin</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>33rd (W. Riding) R.</td> - <td>Abyssinia</td> - <td class="tdr">1868</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Berryman</span>, Troop-Sergt.-Major (late Major) J.</td> - <td>17th Lancers</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Bisdee</span>, Private (now Lieut.) J. H.</i></td> - <td>Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Blair</span>, Captain (late Gen.) J.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Blair</span>, Lieut. (late Gen.) R.</td> - <td>2nd Dragoon Guards </td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bogle</span>, Lieut. (late Major) A. C.</td> - <td>78th (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Boisragon</span>, Lieut. (now Major) G. H.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Hunza-Nagar</td> - <td class="tdr">1891</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Booth</span>, Col.-Sergt. A.</td> - <td>80th (S. Staffs.) R.</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Boulger</span>, Lance-Corpl. (late Lt.-Col.) A.</td> - <td>84th (York and Lancs.) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bourchier</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) C. T.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Boyes</span>, Midshipman D. G.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Japan</td> - <td class="tdr">1864</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Bradley</span>, Driver F. G.</i></td> - <td>Royal Field Artillery</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span><span class="smcap">Bradshaw</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bradshaw</span>, Assistant-Surgeon W.</td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Brennan</span>, Bombardier J.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bromhead</span>, Lieut. (late Major) G. S.</td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Brown</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) F. D. M.</td> - <td>101st R. (Royal Munster Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Brown</span>, Trooper P.</td> - <td>Cape Mounted Rifles</td> - <td>Basutoland</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Brown-Synge-Hutchinson</span>, Major E. D.</i></td> - <td>14th Hussars</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Browne</span>, Lieut. (now Brig.-Gen.) E. S.</i></td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Browne</span>, Captain (now Col.) H. G.</i></td> - <td>32nd R. (D. of Corn. L.I.)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Browne</span>, Brevet-Major (late Gen.) Sir S. J.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Buckley</span>, J., Deputy-Assist.-Commiss. of Ordnance, Bengal</td> - <td class="tdc">” </td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Buckley</span>, Capt. C. W.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Buller</span>, Captain (now Gen. Sir) R. H.</i></td> - <td>60th R. (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Burgoyne</span>, Capt. H. T.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Burslem</span>, Lieut. (late Capt.) N.</td> - <td>67th (Hampshire) R.</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1860</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Butler</span>, Lieut. (late Major) T. A.</td> - <td>101st R. (Royal Munster Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Byrne</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>86th R. (Royal Irish Rifles)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Byrne</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>68th R. (Durham L.I.)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Byrne</span>, Private T.</i></td> - <td>21st Lancers</td> - <td>Khartoum</td> - <td class="tdr">1898</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bythesea</span>, Lieut. (late Rear-Admiral) J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Baltic</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Cadell</span>, Lieut. (now Col.) T.</i></td> - <td>104th R. (Royal Munster Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Cafe</span>, Lieut. (now Gen.) W. M.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cambridge</span>, Sergt. D.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Cameron</span>, Lieut. (now Col.) A. S.</i></td> - <td>72nd (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Carlin</span>, Private P.</td> - <td>13th R. (Somerset L.I.)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span><i><span class="smcap">Carter</span>, Lieut. H. A.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Somaliland</td> - <td class="tdr">1903</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Champion</span>, Sergeant-Major J.</i></td> - <td>8th Hussars</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Channer</span>, Colonel (late Gen.) G. N.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Perak</td> - <td class="tdr">1875</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Chaplin</span>, Ensign (now Col.) J. W.</i></td> - <td>67th (Hampshire) R.</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1860</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Chard</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) J. R. M.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Chase</span>, Captain (now Col.) W. St. L.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1880</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Chicken</span>, G. B.</td> - <td>Royal (Indian) Navy</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Clements</span>, Corpl. J. J.</i></td> - <td>Rimington’s Guides</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Clifford</span>, Lieut. (late Major-Gen. Hon. Sir) H. H.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Clogstoun</span>, Capt. H. M.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1859</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Cobbe</span>, Capt. (now Lt.-Col.) A. S.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Somaliland</td> - <td class="tdr">1902</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cochrane</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) H. S.</td> - <td>86th R. (Royal Irish Rifles)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Cockburn</span>, Lieut. H. Z. C.</i></td> - <td>Royal Canadian Dragoons</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Coffey</span>, Private W.</td> - <td>34th (Border) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Coghill</span>, Lieut. N. J. A.</td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Coghlan</span>, Col.-Sergt. (now Sergt.-Major) C.</i></td> - <td>75th (Gordon) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Coleman</span>, Sergeant J.</td> - <td>97th (Royal West Kent) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Collis</span>, Gunner J.</td> - <td>Royal Horse Artillery</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1880</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Colvin</span>, Lieut. (now Major) J. M. C.</i></td> - <td>Royal Engineers (Indian)</td> - <td>Mamund</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Commerell</span>, Lieut. (late Admiral Sir) J. E.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Congreve</span>, Capt. (now Col.) W. N.</i></td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Connolly</span>, Gunner W.</td> - <td>Bengal Horse Artillery</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Connors</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>3rd R. (East Kent R., “The Buffs”)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Conolly</span>, Lieut. (late Lt.-Col.) J. A.</td> - <td>49th (Royal Berks) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span><span class="smcap">Cook</span>, Captain J.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1878</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cook</span>, Private W.</td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1859</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cooper</span>, Boatswain H.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cooper</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Andaman I.</td> - <td class="tdr">1867</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Corbett</span>, Private F.</td> - <td>60th R. (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td>Egypt</td> - <td class="tdr">1882</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Costello</span>, Lieut. (now Capt.) E. W.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Malakand</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Coulson</span>, Lieut. G. H. B.</td> - <td>King’s Own Scottish Borderers</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Craig</span>, Sergeant J.</td> - <td>Scots Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Crandon</span>, Pte. H. D.</i></td> - <td>18th Hussars</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Creagh</span>, Capt. (now Maj.-Gen. Sir) O’M.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Crean</span>, Surg.-Capt. T. J.</i></td> - <td>Imperial Light Horse</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Crimmin</span>, Surg. (now Lt.-Col.) J.</i></td> - <td>Indian Medical Service</td> - <td>Burma</td> - <td class="tdr">1889</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Crowe</span>, Lieut. J. P. H.</td> - <td>78th (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cubitt</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) W. G.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Cuninghame</span>, Lieut. (late Col. Sir) W. J. M.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Curtis</span>, Private (now Corporal) A. E.</i></td> - <td>East Surrey R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Curtis</span>, Boatswain’s Mate H.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="smcap">Dalton</span>, Assistant-Commissary J. L.</td> - <td>Army Service Corps</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Danaher</span>, Trooper (now Sergeant) J.</i></td> - <td>Nourse’s Horse</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1881</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Daniels</span>, Midshipman E. St. J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854-5</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">D’Arcy</span>, Captain C.</td> - <td>Frontier Light Horse</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Daunt</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) J. C. C.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Davies</span>, Lieut. (now Capt.) L. A. E. P.</i></td> - <td>King’s Royal Rifle Corps</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Davis</span>, Captain (late Maj.-Gen.) G.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span><span class="smcap">Davis</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Day</span>, Lieut. (late Capt.) G. F.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">De Montmorency</span>, Lt. Hon. R. H. L. J.</td> - <td>21st Lancers</td> - <td>Khartoum</td> - <td class="tdr">1898</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dempsey</span>, Private D.</td> - <td>10th (Lincolnshire) R.</td> - <td>Ind. Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857-8</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Diamond</span>, Sergeant B.</td> - <td>Bengal Horse Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dick-Cunyngham</span>, Lt. (late Lt.-Col.) W. H.</td> - <td>92nd (Gordon) Highlanders</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dickson</span>, Lieut. (late Gen. Sir) C.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Digby-Jones</span>, Lieut. R. J. T.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Divane</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>60th R. (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dixon</span>, Captain (late Maj.-Gen.) M. C.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Donohoe</span>, Private P.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Doogan</span>, Private J.</i></td> - <td>1st Dragoon Guards</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1881</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Douglas</span>, Assist.-Surg. (now Lt.-Col.) C. M.</i></td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Andaman I.</td> - <td class="tdr">1867</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Douglas</span>, Lieut. (now Capt.) H. E. M.</i></td> - <td>Royal Army Medical Corps</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Dowell</span>, Lieut. (now Lt.-Col.) G. D.</i></td> - <td>Royal Marine Artillery</td> - <td>Baltic</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dowling</span>, Private W.</td> - <td>32nd R. (D. of Corn. L.I.)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Down</span>, Ensign J. T.</td> - <td>57th (W. Middlesex) R.</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1863</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Doxat</span>, Lieut. A. C.</i></td> - <td>Imperial Yeomanry</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Duffy</span>, Private T.</td> - <td>102nd R. (Royal Dublin Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dugdale</span>, Lieut. F. B.</td> - <td>5th Lancers</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dundas</span>, Lieut. J.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Bhotan</td> - <td class="tdr">1865</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dunley</span>, L.-Corpl. J.</td> - <td>93rd (Arg. and Suth.) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dunn</span>, Lieut. (afterwards Lt.-Col.) A. R.</td> - <td>11th Hussars</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Durrant</span>, Private E.</i></td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dynon</span>, Sergeant D.</td> - <td>53rd R. (Shrops. L.I.)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Edwards</span>, Private T.</i></td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td>Soudan</td> - <td class="tdr">1884</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Edwards</span>, Lieut. (now Maj.) W. M. M.</i></td> - <td>Highland Light Infantry</td> - <td>Egypt</td> - <td class="tdr">1882</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span><span class="smcap">Elphinstone</span>, Lieut. (late Maj.-Gen. Sir) H. C.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Elton</span>, Capt. (late Lt.-Col.) F. C.</td> - <td>55th (Border) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Engleheart</span>, Sergt. H.</i></td> - <td>10th Hussars</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">English</span>, Lieut. W. J.</i></td> - <td>2nd Scottish Horse</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Esmonde</span>, Capt. (late Lieut.-Col.) T.</td> - <td>18th (Royal Irish) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Evans</span>, Private S.</td> - <td>19th (Yorkshire) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Farmer</span>, Sergeant D.</i></td> - <td>Cameron Highlanders</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Farmer</span>, Lance-Corpl. (now Corporal) J. J.</i></td> - <td>Army Hospital Corps</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1881</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Farquharson</span>, Lieut. F. E. H.</td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Farrell</span>, Q.-M. J.</td> - <td>17th Lancers</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ffrench</span>, Lieut. A. K.</td> - <td>53rd R. (Shrops. L.I.)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Fincastle</span>, Lieut. (now Maj.) Viscount</i></td> - <td>16th Lancers</td> - <td>Upper Swat</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Findlater</span>, Piper G.</i></td> - <td>Gordon Highlanders</td> - <td>Dargai</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Firth</span>, Sergeant W.</i></td> - <td>West Riding R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Fitz-Clarence</span>, Capt. (now Maj.) C.</i></td> - <td>Royal Fusiliers</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Fitzgerald</span>, Gunner R.</td> - <td>Bengal Horse Artillery</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Fitzgibbon</span>, Hospital-Apprentice A. F.</td> - <td>Indian Medical Service</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1860</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Fitzpatrick</span>, Private F.</i></td> - <td>94th R. (Connaught Rangers)</td> - <td>Basutoland</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Flawn</span>, Private T.</i></td> - <td class="tdc">” </td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Flinn</span>, Drummer T.</td> - <td>64th (N. Staff.) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Forrest</span>, Captain G.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Fosbery</span>, Lieut. (now Lt.-Col.) G. V.</i></td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td>Umbeyla</td> - <td class="tdr">1863</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Fowler</span>, Private (now Sergeant) E.</i></td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Fraser</span>, Major (late Gen. Sir) C. C.</td> - <td>7th Hussars</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Freeman</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="smcap">Gardiner</span>, Col.-Sergt. G.</td> - <td>57th (Middlesex) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Gardner</span>, Quarter-Master-Sergt. W.</td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span><span class="smcap">Garvin</span>, Col.-Sergt. S.</td> - <td>60th R. (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Gifford</span>, Lieut. E. F. (now Major Lord)</i></td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Ashanti</td> - <td class="tdr">1873-4</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Gill</span>, Sergt.-Major P.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Glasock</span>, Driver H. H.</i></td> - <td>Royal Horse Artillery</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Goate</span>, Lance-Corpl. (late Corpl.) W.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Goodfellow</span>, Lieut. (now Lieut.-Gen.) C. A.</i></td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1859</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Goodlake</span>, Capt. (late Lt.-Gen.) G. L.</td> - <td>Coldstream Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Gordon</span>, Capt. W. E.</i></td> - <td>Gordon Highlanders</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Gordon</span>, Lance-Corpl. (now Sergt.) W. J.</i></td> - <td>West India R.</td> - <td>Gambia</td> - <td class="tdr">1892</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Gorman</span>, Seaman J. H.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Gough</span>, Capt. (now Gen. Sir) C. J. S.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Ind. Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857-8</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Gough</span>, Lieut. (now Gen. Sir) H. H.</i></td> - <td class="tdc">” </td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857-8</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Gough</span>, Major (now Lt.-Col.) J. E.</i></td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Somaliland</td> - <td class="tdr">1903</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Grady</span>, Private (late Sergt.) T.</i></td> - <td>4th (Royal Lancaster) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Graham</span>, Lieut. (late Lt.-Gen. Sir) G.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Graham</span>, Private P.</td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Grant</span>, Lieut. (now Major) C. J. W.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Manipur</td> - <td class="tdr">1891</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Grant</span>, Lieut. J. D.</i></td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td>Tibet</td> - <td class="tdr">1904</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Grant</span>, Private P.</td> - <td>93rd (Arg. and Suth.) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Grant</span>, Sergeant R. (orig. gazetted Ewart)</td> - <td>5th R. (Northumberland Fusiliers)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Green</span>, Private (late Col.-Sergt.) P.</td> - <td>75th (Gordon) Highlanders</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Grieve</span>, Sergt.-Major J.</td> - <td>2nd Dragoons (Scots Greys)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Griffiths</span>, Private W.</td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Andaman I.</td> - <td class="tdr">1867</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Guise</span>, Major (Lt.-Gen.) J. C.</td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Guy</span>, Midshipman (now Lieut.) B. J. D.</i></td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span><span class="smcap">Hackett</span>, Lieut. (late Lt.-Col.) T. B.</td> - <td>23rd R. (Royal Welsh Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hale</span>, Assist.-Surgeon (now Surg.-Maj.) T. E.</i></td> - <td>7th R. (Royal Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hall</span>, Seaman W.</i></td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Halliday</span>, Capt. (now Major) L. S. T.</i></td> - <td>Royal Marine L.I.</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hamilton</span>, Capt. (now Major-Gen.) T. de C.</i></td> - <td>68th R. (Durham L.I.)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hamilton</span>, Lieut. W. R. P.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hammond</span>, Capt. (now Col. Sir) A. G.</i></td> - <td class="tdc">” </td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hampton</span>, Sergeant H.</i></td> - <td>The King’s (L’pool) R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hancock</span>, Private T.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hardham</span>, Far.-Major (now Lieut.) W. J.</i></td> - <td>4th New Zealand Contingent</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Harding</span>, Gunner (now Chief Gunner) I.</i></td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Egypt</td> - <td class="tdr">1882</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Harrington</span>, Lieut. H. E.</td> - <td>Bengal Artillery</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Harrison</span>, Boatswain’s Mate J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hart</span>, Lieut. (now Lt.-Gen. Sir) R. C.</i></td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hartigan</span>, Sergt. H.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hartley</span>, Surg.-Major (now Lt.-Col.) E. B.</i></td> - <td>Cape Mounted Rifles</td> - <td>Basutoland</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Havelock</span>, Lieut. H. M. (late Lieut.-Gen. Sir H. M. Havelock-Allan, Bart.)</td> - <td>10th (Lincs.) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hawkes</span>, Private D.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hawthorne</span>, Bugler R.</td> - <td>52nd R. (Oxf. L.I.)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Heaphy</span>, Major C.</td> - <td>Auckland Militia</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1864</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Heathcote</span>, Lieut. A. S.</i></td> - <td>60th R. (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Heaton</span>, Private W.</i></td> - <td>The King’s (L’pool) R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Henderson</span>, Trooper H. S.</i></td> - <td>Bulawayo Field Force</td> - <td>Rhodesia</td> - <td class="tdr">1896</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Heneage</span>, Captain (late Major) C. W.</td> - <td>8th Hussars</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Henry</span>, Sergt.-Major (late Captain) A.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span><span class="smcap">Hewett</span>, Lieut. (late Vice-Admiral Sir) W. N. W.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hill</span>, Lieut. A. R. (now Major A. R. Hill-Walker)</i></td> - <td>58th (Northampt.) R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1881</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hill</span>, Sergeant S.</td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hills</span>, Lieut. J. (now Lieut.-Gen. Sir J. Hills-Johnes, G.C.B.)</i></td> - <td>Bengal Horse Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hinckley</span>, Seaman G.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1862</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hitch</span>, Private F.</i></td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hodge</span>, Private S.</td> - <td>4th West India R.</td> - <td>Gambia</td> - <td class="tdr">1866</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Holland</span>, Sergeant E.</i></td> - <td>Royal Canad. Dragoons</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hollis</span>, Farrier G.</td> - <td>8th Hussars</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hollowell</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>78th (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Holmes</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>84th (York and Lan.) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Home</span>, Surgeon (now Surg.-Gen. Sir) A. D.</i></td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Home</span>, Lieut. D. C.</td> - <td>Bengal Engineers</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hook</span>, Private H.</td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hope</span>, Lieut. (now Lt.-Col.) W.</i></td> - <td>7th R. (Royal Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Hore-Ruthven</span>, Capt. Hon. A. G. A.</i></td> - <td>Highland Light Infantry</td> - <td>Soudan</td> - <td class="tdr">1898</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">House</span>, Private W.</i></td> - <td>Royal Berks. R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Howse</span>, Captain (now Major) N. R.</i></td> - <td>N. S. Wales Med. Staff Corps</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Hughes</span>, Private (afterwards Corpl.) M.</td> - <td>7th R. (Royal Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Humpston</span>, Private (afterwards Sergt.) R.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Ind</span>, Shoe-Smith A. E.</i></td> - <td>Royal Horse Artillery</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ingouville</span>, Captain of Mast G.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Baltic</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Inkson</span>, Lieut. (now Capt. E. T.)</i></td> - <td>Royal Army Medical Corps</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Innes</span>, Lieut. (now Lt.-Gen.) J. J. M’L.</i></td> - <td>Bengal Engineers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Irwin</span>, Private C.</td> - <td>53rd R. (Shrops. L.I.)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span><span class="smcap">Jarrett</span>, Lieut. (late Col.) H. C. T.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Jee</span>, Surgeon (late Dep.-Insp.-Gen.) J.</td> - <td>78th (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Jennings</span>, Roughrider E.</td> - <td>Bengal Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Jerome</span>, Lieut. (late Maj.-Gen.) H. E.</td> - <td>86th R. (Royal Irish Rifles)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Johnstone</span>, Capt. R.</i></td> - <td>Imperial Light Horse</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Johnstone</span>, Stoker W.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Baltic</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Jones</span>, Lieut. (now Lt.-Col.) A. S.</i></td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Jones</span>, Captain H. M.</i></td> - <td>7th R. (Royal Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Jones</span>, Private R.</td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Jones</span>, Private W.</i></td> - <td class="tdc">” </td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="smcap">Kavanagh</span>, Assist.-Commiss. T. H.</td> - <td>Indian Civil Service</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Keatinge</span>, Capt. (late Gen.) R. H.</td> - <td>Bombay Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Kellaway</span>, Boatswain J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Kells</span>, Lance-Corpl. (late Trum.-Maj.) R.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Kenna</span>, Capt. (now Lt.-Col.) P. A.</i></td> - <td>21st Lancers</td> - <td>Khartoum</td> - <td class="tdr">1898</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Kennedy</span>, Private C.</i></td> - <td>Highland L.I.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Kenny</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>53rd R. (Shrops. L.I.)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Kerr</span>, Lieut. W. A.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Kirby</span>, Corpl. (now Sergt.) F.</i></td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Kirk</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>10th (Lincolnshire) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Knight</span>, Corp. H. J.</i></td> - <td>The King’s (L’pool) R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Knox</span>, Sergt. (late Maj.) J. S.</td> - <td>Scots Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="smcap">Lambert</span>, Sergt.-Maj. G.</td> - <td>84th (York and Lancs.) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lane</span>, Private T.</td> - <td>67th (Hampshire) R.</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1860</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Laughnan</span>, Gunner T.</td> - <td>Bengal Artillery</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lawrence</span>, Lieut. S.H.</td> - <td>32nd R. (D. of Corn. L.I.)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Lawrence</span>, Sergt. (now Lieut.) T.</i></td> - <td>17th Lancers</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span><i><span class="smcap">Lawson</span>, Private E.</i></td> - <td>Gordon Highlanders</td> - <td>Dargai</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Le Quesne</span>, Surg.-Capt. (now Maj.) F.S.</i></td> - <td>Royal Army Medical Corps</td> - <td>Burma</td> - <td class="tdr">1889</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Leach</span>, Capt. (now Lt.-Gen.) E. P.</i></td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Leet</span>, Major (late Maj.-Gen.) W. K.</td> - <td>13th R. (Somerset) L.I.</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Leitch</span>, Col.-Sergt. P.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Leith</span>, Lieut. (late Major) J.</td> - <td>14th Hussars</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lendrim</span> (or <span class="smcap">Lindrim</span>), Corporal (afterwards Q.-M.-Sergt.) W. J.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lennox</span>, Lieut. (late Gen. Sir) W. O.</td> - <td class="tdc">” </td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lenon</span>, Lieut. (late Major) E. H.</td> - <td>67th (Hampshire) R.</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1860</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lindsay</span>, Lieut. R. J. (late Lord Wantage)</td> - <td>Scots Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Lloyd</span>, Surg.-Major (now Col.) O. E. P.</i></td> - <td>Royal Army Medical Corps</td> - <td>Burma</td> - <td class="tdr">1893</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Lodge</span>, Gunner I.</i></td> - <td>Royal Horse Artillery</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Lucas</span>, Lieut. (now Rear-Admiral) C. D.</i></td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Baltic</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lucas</span>, Col.-Sergt. J.</td> - <td>40th (S. Lancs.) R.</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1861</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lumley</span>, Major C. H.</td> - <td>97th (West Kent) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lyons</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>19th (Yorkshire) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Lysons</span>, Lieut. (now Col.) H.</i></td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Lyster</span>, Lieut. (now Lt.-Gen.) H. H.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Bean</span>, Lieut. (late Maj.-Gen.) W.</td> - <td>93rd (Arg. and Suth.) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Corrie</span>, Private C.</td> - <td>57th (Middlesex) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Crea</span>, Surg. J. F.</td> - <td>Cape Mounted Yeomanry</td> - <td>Basutoland</td> - <td class="tdr">1881</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Dermond</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>47th (N. Lancs.) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Donell</span>, W. F.</td> - <td>Indian Civil Service</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Dougall</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>44th (Essex) R.</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1860</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Gaw</span>, Lance-Sergt. S.</td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td>Ashanti</td> - <td class="tdr">1874</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Govern</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>101st R. (Royal Munster Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Gregor</span>, Private R.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span><span class="smcap">M’Guire</span>, Sergt. J.</td> - <td>101st R. (Royal Munster Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Hale</span>, Private P.</td> - <td>5th R. (Northumberland Fusiliers)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Innes</span>, Gunner H.</td> - <td>Bengal Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Kechnie</span>, Sergt. J.</td> - <td>Scots Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">M’Kenna</span>, Col.-Sergt. (now Ensign) E.</i></td> - <td>65th (York and Lancs.) R.</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1863</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Master</span>, Assist.-Surg. V. M.</td> - <td>78th (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Neill</span>, Lieut.-Col. (late Maj.-Gen. Sir) J. C.</td> - <td>107th (Royal Sussex) R.</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1864</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Pherson</span>, Col.-Sergt. S.</td> - <td>78th (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Quirt</span>, Private B.</td> - <td>95th (Derbyshire) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M’Wheeney</span>, Sergt. W.</td> - <td>44th (Essex) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854-5</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Macdonald</span>, Col.-Sergt. (late Capt.) H.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Macintyre</span>, Major (late Maj.-Gen.) D.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Looshai</td> - <td class="tdr">1872</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mackay</span>, Private D.</td> - <td>93rd (Arg. and Suth.) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Mackay</span>, Corporal (now Lieut.) J. F.</i></td> - <td>Gordon Highlanders</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Mackenzie</span>, Sergeant (now Capt.) J.</i></td> - <td>Seaforth Highlanders</td> - <td>Ashanti</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">MacLean</span>, Lieut. H. L. S.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Upper Swat</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">MacManus</span>, Private P.</td> - <td>5th R. (Northumberland Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Macpherson</span>, Lieut. (late Maj.-Gen. Sir) H. T.</td> - <td>78th (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madden</span>, Sergt.-Major A.</td> - <td>41st (Welsh) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Magner</span>, Drummer M.</td> - <td>33rd (West Riding) R.</td> - <td>Abyssinia</td> - <td class="tdr">1868</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mahoney</span>, Sergt. P.</td> - <td>102nd R. (Royal Dublin Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Maillard</span>, Surg. W. J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crete</td> - <td class="tdr">1898</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Malcolmson</span>, Lieut. J. G.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Persia</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Malone</span>, Sergeant J.</td> - <td>13th Hussars</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mangles</span>, R. L.</td> - <td>Indian Civil Service</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span><span class="smcap">Manley</span>, Assist.-Surg. (late Surg.-Gen.) W. G. N.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1864</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Mansel-Jones</span>, Capt. C.</i></td> - <td>W. Yorkshire R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Marling</span>, Lieut. (now Col.) P. S.</i></td> - <td>King’s Royal Rifle Corps</td> - <td>Soudan</td> - <td class="tdr">1884</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Marshall</span>, Q.-M.-S. (now Major) W. T.</i></td> - <td>19th Hussars</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1884</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Martin-Leake</span>, Surg.-Capt. A.</i></td> - <td>South African Constabulary</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1902</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Martineau</span>, Sergt. H. R.</i></td> - <td>Protectorate Regiment</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Masterson</span>, Lieut. (now Major) J. E. I.</i></td> - <td>Devonshire R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Maude</span>, Captain (late Col.) F. C.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Maude</span>, Major (late Sir) F. F.</td> - <td>3rd (East Kent) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Maxwell</span>, Lieut. (now Lt.-Col.) F. A.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Maygar</span>, Lieut. L. C.</i></td> - <td>Victorian Mount. Rifles</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Mayo</span>, Midshipman A.</i></td> - <td>Royal (Indian) Navy</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Meiklejohn</span>, Captain M. F. M.</i></td> - <td>Gordon Highlanders</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Melliss</span>, Captain (now Lt.-Col.) C. J.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Ashanti</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Melvill</span>, Lieut. T.</td> - <td>24th R. (S.W. Borderers)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Milbanke</span>, Captain (now Major) Sir J. P.</i></td> - <td>10th Hussars</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Millar</span>, Private D.</td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1859</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Miller</span>, Lt.-Col. F.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Miller</span>, Conductor (late Major) J.</td> - <td>Bengal Ordnance Corps</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mitchell</span>, Captain of the Foretop S.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1864</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Monaghan</span>, Trumpeter T.</td> - <td>2nd Dragoon Guards</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Monger</span>, Private G.</td> - <td>23rd R. (Royal Welsh Fusiliers)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Moore</span>, Lieut. (now Major-Gen.) A. T.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Persia</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Moore</span>, Colonel H. G.</td> - <td>88th R. (Conn. Rangers)</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1877</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span><span class="smcap">Morley</span>, Private S.</td> - <td>Army Service Corps</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mouat</span>, Surgeon (late Surg.-Gen. Sir) J.</td> - <td>6th Dragoons</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Moynihan</span>, Sergt. A.</td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Mullane</span>, Sergt. (now Sergt.-Major) P.</i></td> - <td>Royal Horse Artillery</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1880</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Mullins</span>, Capt. (now Major) C. H.</i></td> - <td>Imperial Light Horse</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Munro</span>, Col.-Sergt. J.</td> - <td>93rd (Arg. and Suth.) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Murphy</span>, Private M.</td> - <td>Army Service Corps</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Murphy</span>, Private T.</i></td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Andaman I.</td> - <td class="tdr">1867</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Murray</span>, Lance-Corpl. (now Corporal) J.</i></td> - <td>94th R. (Connaught Rangers)</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1881</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Murray</span>, Sergeant J.</i></td> - <td>68th R. (Durham L.I.)</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1864</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mylott</span>, Private P.</td> - <td>84th (York and Lan.) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Napier</span>, Sergeant W.</i></td> - <td>13th R. (Somerset L.I.)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Nash</span>, Corporal W.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Nesbitt</span>, Capt. R. C.</i></td> - <td>Mashonaland Mounted Police</td> - <td>Rhodesia</td> - <td class="tdr">1896</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Newell</span>, Private R.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Nickerson</span>, Lieut. (now Capt.) W. H. S.</i></td> - <td>Royal Army Medical Corps</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Norman</span>, Private W.</td> - <td>7th R. (Royal Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Norwood</span>, Sec. Lieut. (now Captain) J.</i></td> - <td>5th Dragoon Guards</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Nurse</span>, Corporal G. E.</i></td> - <td>Royal Field Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><i><span class="smcap">O’Connor</span>, Sergt. (now Maj.-Gen.) L.</i></td> - <td>23rd R. (Royal Welsh Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Odgers</span>, Seaman W.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1860</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">O’Hea</span>, Private T.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Canada</td> - <td class="tdr">1866</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Olpherts</span>, Capt. (late Gen. Sir) W.</td> - <td>Bengal Artillery</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Osborne</span>, Private J.</i></td> - <td>58th (Northampton) R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1881</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">O’Toole</span>, Sergeant E.</td> - <td>Frontier Light Horse</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Owens</span>, Corporal (afterwards Sergt.) J.</td> - <td>49th (Royal Berks.) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Oxenham</span>, Corpl. W.</td> - <td>32nd R. (D. of Corn. L.I.)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="smcap">Palmer</span>, Private A.</td> - <td>Grenadier Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Park</span>, Sergeant J.</td> - <td>77th (Middlesex) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1854-5</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span><span class="smcap">Park</span>, Gunner J.</td> - <td>Bengal Artillery</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Parker</span>, Sergeant C.</i></td> - <td>Royal Horse Artillery</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Parkes</span>, Private S.</td> - <td>4th Hussars</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Parsons</span>, Lieut. F. N.</td> - <td>Essex Regiment</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Paton</span>, Sergeant J.</i></td> - <td>93rd (Arg. and Suth.) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Pearson</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>86th R. (Royal Irish Rifles)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Pearson</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>8th Hussars</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Peel</span>, Captain (Sir) W.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854-5</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Pennell</span>, Lieut. (now Capt.) H. S.</i></td> - <td>Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby R.)</td> - <td>Dargai</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Percy</span>, Lieut.-Col. Hon. H. H. M. (afterwards Lord Percy)</td> - <td>Grenadier Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Perie</span>, Sapper J.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Phillips</span>, Ensign E. A. L.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Phipps-Hornby</span>, Maj. (now Col.) E. J.</i></td> - <td>Royal Horse Artillery</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Pickard</span>, Lieut. A. F.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1863</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Pitcher</span>, Lieut. (late Capt.) H. W.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Umbeyla</td> - <td class="tdr">1863</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Pitts</span>, Private J.</i></td> - <td>Manchester Regiment</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Prendergast</span>, Lieut. (now Gen. Sir) H. N. D.</i></td> - <td>Madras Engineers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Prettyjohn</span>, Colour-Sergeant J.</td> - <td>Royal Marine L.I.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Pride</span>, Captain of After-Guard T.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Japan</td> - <td class="tdr">1864</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Probyn</span>, Captain (now General Sir) D. M.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Prosser</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>1st R. (Royal Scots)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Purcell</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Pye</span>, Sergt.-Major C.</td> - <td>53rd R. (Shrops. L.I.)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Raby</span>, Lieut. (now Rear-Admiral) H. J.</i></td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ramage</span>, Sergt. H.</td> - <td>2nd Dragoons (Scots Greys)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Ramsden</span>, Trooper (now Lieut.) H. E.</i></td> - <td>Protectorate Regiment</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Ravenhill</span>, Private G.</i></td> - <td>Royal Scots Fusiliers.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Raynor</span>, Captain W.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[290]</a></span><span class="smcap">Reade</span>, Surg. (late Surg.-Gen.) H. T.</td> - <td>61st (Gloucester) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Reed</span>, Capt. (now Major) H. L.</i></td> - <td>Royal Field Artillery</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Reeves</span>, Seaman T.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Rennie</span>, Lieut. (late Lieut.-Col.) W.</td> - <td>90th R. (Scottish Rifles)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Renny</span>, Lieut. (late Maj.-Gen.) G. A.</td> - <td>Bengal Horse Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Reynolds</span>, Surg.-Maj. (now Brig.-Surg.-Lieut.-Col.) J. H.</i></td> - <td>Royal Army Medical Corps</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Reynolds</span>, Private W.</td> - <td>Scots Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Richardson</span>, Sergt. A. H. L.</i></td> - <td>Strathcona’s Corps</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Richardson</span>, Private G.</i></td> - <td>34th (Border) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1859</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Rickard</span>, Q.-M. W.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Ridgeway</span>, Capt. (now Col.) R. K.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Naga Hills</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Robarts</span>, Chief Gunner J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Roberts</span>, Lieut. F. S. (now Field-Marshal Lord Roberts)</i></td> - <td>Bengal Artillery</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Roberts</span>, Lieut. Hon. F. H. S.</td> - <td>King’s Royal Rifle Corps</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Roberts</span>, Private J. R.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Robertson</span>, Sergt.-Maj. (now Lieut.) W.</i></td> - <td>Gordon Highlanders</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Robinson</span>, Seaman E.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Roddy</span>, Ensign (afterwards Col.) P.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Rodgers</span>, Private G.</td> - <td>71st R. (Highland L.I.)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Rogers</span>, Sergt. J.</i></td> - <td>South African Constabulary</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Rogers</span>, Lieut. (late Maj.-Gen.) R. M.</td> - <td>44th (Essex) R.</td> - <td>China</td> - <td class="tdr">1860</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Rolland</span>, Capt. G. M.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Somaliland</td> - <td class="tdr">1903</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Rosamond</span>, Sergt.-Maj. M.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ross</span>, Corporal J.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Rowlands</span>, Capt. (now Gen. Sir) H.</i></td> - <td>41st (Welsh) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span><span class="smcap">Rushe</span>, Sergt.-Major D.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Russell</span>, Captain (late Lt.-Col.) Sir C.</td> - <td>Grenadier Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ryan</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>102nd R. (Royal Dublin Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ryan</span>, Lance-Corpl. J.</td> - <td>65th (York & Lancs.) R.</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1863</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ryan</span>, Drummer M.</td> - <td>101st R. (Royal Munster Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="smcap">Salkeld</span>, Lieut. P.</td> - <td>Bengal Engineers</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Salmon</span>, Lieut. (now Admiral of the Fleet Sir) <span class="smcap">Nowell</span></i></td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Sartorius</span>, Capt. (now Maj.-Gen.) E. H.</i></td> - <td>59th (East Lancs.) R.</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Sartorius</span>, Capt. (now Maj.-Gen.) R. W.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Ashanti</td> - <td class="tdr">1874</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Schiess</span>, Corporal F. C.</td> - <td>Natal Native Forces</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Schofield</span>, Capt. (now Maj.) H. N.</i></td> - <td>Royal Field Artillery</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Scholefield</span>, Seaman M.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Scott</span>, Captain (late Maj.) A.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Quetta</td> - <td class="tdr">1877</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Scott</span>, Private R.</i></td> - <td>Manchester Regiment</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Scott</span>, Sergt. (now Lt.-Col.) R. G.</i></td> - <td>Cape Mounted Rifles</td> - <td>Basutoland</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Seeley</span>, Seaman W.</i></td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Japan</td> - <td class="tdr">1864</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sellar</span>, Lance-Corpl. (late Sergt.) G.</td> - <td>72nd (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Shaul</span>, Corporal (now Sergeant) J. D. F.</i></td> - <td>Highland Light Infantry</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Shaw</span>, Capt. (late Maj.-Gen.) H.</td> - <td>18th (Royal Irish) R.</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1865</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Shaw</span>, Sapper S.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Shebbeare</span>, Capt. R. H.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sheppard</span>, Boatswain J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Shields</span>, Corporal R.</td> - <td>23rd R. (Roy. Welsh Fus.)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Simpson</span>, Q.-M.-Sergt. (late Major) J.</td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sims</span>, Private J. J.</td> - <td>34th (Border) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sinnott</span>, L.-Corpl. J.</td> - <td>84th (York & Lancs.) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sleavon</span>, Corporal M.</td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Smith</span>, Gunner A.</i></td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td>Soudan</td> - <td class="tdr">1885</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Smith</span>, Lieut. C. L.</i></td> - <td>Duke of Cornwall’s L.I.</td> - <td>Somaliland</td> - <td class="tdr">1904</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span><span class="smcap">Smith</span>, Captain (late Col.) F. A.</td> - <td>43rd E. (Oxf. L.I.)</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1864</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Smith</span>, Lance-Corpl. H.</td> - <td>52nd R. (Oxf. L.I.)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Smith</span>, Corporal J.</td> - <td>The Buffs (East Kent R.)</td> - <td>N. W. F. India</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Smith</span>, Sergeant J.</td> - <td>Bengal Engineers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Smith</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>102nd R. (Royal Dublin Fusiliers)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Smith</span>, Lieut. (now Major) J. M.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Hunza-Nagar</td> - <td class="tdr">1891</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Smith</span>, Corporal P.</i></td> - <td>17th (Leicester) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Smyth</span>, Captain (now Major) N. M.</i></td> - <td>2nd Dragoon Guards</td> - <td>Khartoum</td> - <td class="tdr">1898</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Spence</span>, Troop-Sergt.-Major D.</td> - <td>9th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Spence</span>, Private E.</td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Stagpoole</span>, Drummer D.</i></td> - <td>57th (Middlesex) R.</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1863</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Stanlack</span>, Private (now Sergeant) W.</i></td> - <td>Coldstream Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Stewart</span>, Captain (late Major Sir) W. G. D.</td> - <td>93rd (Arg. and Suth.) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Strong</span>, Private G.</td> - <td>Coldstream Guards</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sullivan</span>, Boatswain’s Mate J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sutton</span>, Bugler W.</td> - <td>60th R. (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Sylvester</span>, Assistant-Surgeon W. H. T.</i></td> - <td>23rd R. (Royal Welsh Fusiliers)</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Symons</span>, Sergeant G.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="smcap">Taylor</span>, Captain of Forecastle J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Teesdale</span>, Lieut. (late Maj.-Gen. Sir) C. C.</td> - <td>Royal Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Temple</span>, Assist.-Surg. (now Lt.-Col.) W.</i></td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td>New Zealand</td> - <td class="tdr">1863</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Thackeray</span>, Lieut. (now Col. Sir) E. T.</i></td> - <td>Bengal Engineers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Thomas</span>, Bombardier J.</td> - <td>Bengal Artillery</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Thompson</span>, Lance-Corporal A.</td> - <td>42nd (Black Watch) Highlanders</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Thompson</span>, Private J.</td> - <td>60th R. (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span><span class="smcap">Tombs</span>, Major (late Maj.-Gen. Sir) H.</td> - <td>Bengal Artillery</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Towse</span>, Captain E. B. B.</i></td> - <td>Gordon Highlanders</td> - <td>S. Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1899, 1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Travers</span>, Major (late Gen.) J.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Traynor</span>, Sergt. W. B.</i></td> - <td>West Yorkshire R.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Trevor</span>, Captain (now Maj.-Gen.) W. S.</i></td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Bhotan</td> - <td class="tdr">1865</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Trewavas</span>, Seaman J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Turner</span>, Lieut. (now Col.) R. E. W.</i></td> - <td>Royal Canadian Dragoons</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Turner</span>, Private S.</td> - <td>60th R. (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Tytler</span>, Lieut. (late Lt.-Col.) J. A.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Vickery</span>, Private (now Corporal) S.</i></td> - <td>Dorsetshire R.</td> - <td>Dargai</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Vousden</span>, Captain (late Col.) W. J.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><span class="smcap">Wadeson</span>, Ensign (late Col.) R.</td> - <td>75th (Gordon) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Walker</span>, Lieut. (late Gen. Sir) M.</td> - <td>30th (East Lancs.) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Walker</span>, Captain (now Lt.-Col.) W. G.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Somaliland</td> - <td class="tdr">1903</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Waller</span>, Lieut. (late Lt.-Col.) W. F. F.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Waller</span>, Col.-Sergt. G.</td> - <td>60th R. (King’s Royal Rifle Corps)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Walters</span>, Sergt. G.</td> - <td>49th (Royal Berks.) R.</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wantage</span>, Lord. <i>See</i> <span class="smcap">Lindsay</span>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Ward</span>, Private C.</i></td> - <td>Yorkshire L.I.</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ward</span>, Private H.</td> - <td>78th (Seaforth) Highlanders</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ward</span>, Sergeant J.</td> - <td>8th Hussars</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Wassall</span>, Private S.</i></td> - <td>80th (S. Staff.) R.</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Watson</span>, Lieut. (now Gen. Sir) J.</i></td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Watson</span>, Lieut. (now Capt.) T. C.</i></td> - <td>Royal Engineers</td> - <td>Mamund</td> - <td class="tdr">1897</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wheatley</span>, Private F.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Whirlpool</span>, Private F.</td> - <td>109th (Leinster) R.</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span><i><span class="smcap">Whitchurch</span>, Surg.-Capt. (now Maj.) H. F.</i></td> - <td>Indian Medical Service</td> - <td>Chitral</td> - <td class="tdr">1895</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">White</span>, Major (now Field-Marshal Sir) G. S.</i></td> - <td>92nd (Gordon) Highlanders</td> - <td>Afghanistan</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wilkinson</span>, Bombardier T.</td> - <td>Royal Marine Artillery</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1855</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Williams</span>, Private J.</i></td> - <td>24th R. (S. Wales Borderers)</td> - <td>Zululand</td> - <td class="tdr">1879</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wilmot</span>, Captain (late Colonel Sir) H.</td> - <td>Rifle Brigade</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Wilson</span>, Capt. (now Admiral Sir) A. K.</i></td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Soudan</td> - <td class="tdr">1884</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Wood</span>, Lieut. (now Field-Marshal Sir) H. E.</i></td> - <td>17th Lancers</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1858</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wood</span>, Capt. (late Col.) J. A.</td> - <td>Indian Army</td> - <td>Persia</td> - <td class="tdr">1856</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wooden</span>, Sergt.-Maj. (late Q.-M.) C.</td> - <td>17th Lancers</td> - <td>Crimea</td> - <td class="tdr">1854</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wright</span>, Private A.</td> - <td>77th (Middlesex) R.</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr">1854-6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Wright</span>, Capt. W. D.</i></td> - <td>Royal West Surrey R.</td> - <td>Sokoto</td> - <td class="tdr">1903</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Wylly</span>, Lieut. G. G. E.</i></td> - <td>Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> - <tr class="new-letter"> - <td><i><span class="smcap">Young</span>, Sergt.-Major (now Major) A.</i></td> - <td>Cape Police</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1901</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Young</span>, Lieut. (late Commander) T. J.</td> - <td>Royal Navy</td> - <td>Indian Mutiny</td> - <td class="tdr">1857</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Younger</span>, Capt. D. R.</td> - <td>Gordon Highlanders</td> - <td>South Africa</td> - <td class="tdr">1900</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p class="titlepage smaller"><i>Printed by <span class="smcap">Morrison & Gibb Limited</span>, Edinburgh.</i></p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Book of the V.C., by A. L. 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