Part 11

=Cabul.=--The prestige of Britain had been lowered as a result of the insurrections, and in order to relieve Jellalabad (but it is said to take vengeance upon the enemy), Major-General Pollock was dispatched with an army, with which he forced the Kyber Pass and relieved Jellalabad on April 16th, where he halted for some months to organise his transport. Meanwhile oppressive heat and pestilence played havoc with the troops encamped in the valley of Jellalabad, and it was determined to divide the force and advance on Cabul, General Pollock having a hard fight at the pass of Jugdulluck, where he beat off Mahomed Khan and the Ghilzie chiefs. Later the combined divisions of Pollock and Sale combated the enemy in the Tezeen pass, where, on September 13th, Akbar Khan with 20,000 men disputed passage. His force, however, was put to rout, and the leader escaped accompanied by a single soldier. The debacle was complete, and on September 15th the army encamped on the race-course at Cabul, and next day the British flag again flew over the city.

The following troops took part in the march and recapture of Cabul: 9th, 13th, 31st, 40th, and 41st Foot Regiments, and the 3rd Light Dragoons, who were awarded the medal for Cabul, also the following regiments in the H.E.I. Co.'s service: 4th, 5th, 6th, and 12th Bengal Infantry; 1st and 10th Bengal Light Cavalry; 3rd Irregular Cavalry; the 5th company of the Bengal Artillery, and Sappers and Miners.

Three thousand five hundred medals were issued to Europeans for Cabul, but very few were issued to the 40th Regiment.

=Candahar.=--Major-General Knott's defence of Candahar, if not so famous as that of Jellalabad by Sir Robert Sale, exhibited the same tenacity and cool determination. The rebels in the vicinity of Candahar were led by Prince Sufter Jung, a son of Shah Shoojah, and Prince Timour; they and their men, however, were helpless in the face of the little British army that sallied forth on the morning of January 12th, 1842, and routed them. The success of the battle did but keep the enemy at a respectful distance, for they spent their time in plundering the villages in the neighbourhood. Bad weather militated against any further effort on the part of the British general until March 7th, when he advanced against the rebel Afghans, and again put them to rout, but while the detachment was engaged in combating one section of the insurgents, another made a daring attack upon the city; they were, however, repulsed with considerable loss. Another action was fought on March 25th, and, with the assistance of the brigade under Colonel Wymer, the investing enemy was driven in confusion across the Urghundaub. On April 28th Major-General (later Sir) Richard England, after attacking the enemy at Hykulzie, successfully reached Candahar, and enabled Major-General Knott to advance upon Cabul.

"The Fighting Fortieth" was the only British regiment present in the defence and in the actions outside. It is noteworthy that through disease the regiment had been considerably reduced before it took part in the defence of Candahar. Major Biddulph states that only 64 "Candahar" medals were struck for the 40th Foot, and of these 42 were for the relatives of deceased officers and soldiers, and 22 for sick, etc., who had returned to India. The 41st, the Welsh Regiment, was the only British unit that took part in the relief of Candahar. The 5th, 6th, and 12th Bengal Infantry; Poona Horse; 1st Bengal (Skinner's) and 3rd Bombay Cavalry, and Bombay and Bengal Artillery were engaged in the defence and relief.

Only 130 Europeans received the medal for Candahar.

=Kelat-i-Ghilzie.=--Colonel Wymer, C.B., with a detachment which included a few men of "The Fighting Fortieth," marched on Kelat-i-Ghilzie, a hill fort 84 miles from Candahar, in order to draw off the garrison, which had held the fort during the winter, and (on May 21st) five days before Colonel Wymer's arrival had succeeded in defeating 4,000 Ghilzees who had attacked the fort. The garrison of only 950, under the command of Captain Craigie, included about 100 Europeans. For this heroic defence a silver medal was issued to every man taking part; it is 1⅖ in. in diameter, and depends from a steel clip and bar, as in the medal illustrated facing page 96, and was suspended from the same kind of ribbon. On the obverse is an ornamental shield inscribed KELAT-I-GHILZIE, surrounded by a laurel wreath with a mural crown above. On the reverse is a military trophy, with a breast-plate and helmet forming the central feature, and "INVICTA MDCCCXLII" on an ornamental tablet underneath. The names of the recipients were all engraved, generally in script. None of the Queen's Regiments took part in the defence, the majority (600) of the defenders being of the Shah's army. Three companies of the 43rd Bengal Infantry, 44 European Artillerymen including one officer, and 60 Sappers and Miners of the H.E.I. Co.'s service were also engaged. Only 55 Europeans received this medal.

=Recapture of Ghuznee.=--Ghuznee, with its garrison of exhausted and half-frozen men, had capitulated in March under the orders of Major-General Elphinstone, who had been taken prisoner at Cabul, and died shortly afterwards. Elphinstone's orders to surrender Jellalabad and Candahar had been ignored by Sir Robert Sale and Sir William Knott. They not only had the determination of Englishmen, but knew the treacherous character of their enemies. Colonel Palmer, unfortunately, forced by the weakness of his men and relying upon the promise of a safe escort for his sepoys to Hindoostan, agreed to surrender. The troops were unarmed, and with their womenfolk had hardly left the citadel when they were attacked and the majority massacred. Colonel Palmer was tortured, and with nine other officers thrown into a dungeon. When Sir William Knott appeared before Ghuznee, on September 5th, 1842, he found the city swarming with rebel troops, and great bodies of cavalry and infantry in the mountainous environs. He drove these off, erected breaching batteries, and prepared to attack the city, but on the morning of the 6th it was discovered that the fortress had been evacuated; and so with very few casualties Ghuznee was again taken, over 300 unfortunate sepoys released, and the sacred gates of Somnath, which Mahommedan invaders had taken from India centuries before, were taken down as mementoes of a campaign which did nothing to improve our prestige.

The 40th and 41st were the only British regiments to receive the medal with Ghuznee inscribed thereon. Members of these regiments who had been in the other actions were entitled to the medals bearing Candahar and Cabul also.

=The Ghuznee, Candahar, and Cabul Medals.=--For this war a silver medal was issued by the Indian Government to those who had taken part in it. Four types of medals were issued. One with the words CANDAHAR, GHUZNEE, CABUL, 1842, the names being above one another and the date below, all within a laurel wreath, the whole surmounted by the royal crown; another for GHUZNEE-CABUL, 1842, with the names in entwined wreaths and the date beneath them; and those for CANDAHAR, 1842, and CABUL, 1842, as indicated in the illustration facing page 100 of one with the original bright steel suspender attached to a hinged clip. The medals are 1⅖ in. in diameter, the obverse bearing the diademed head of the young Queen Victoria with the legend "Victoria Vindex" above; some have the words "Victoria Regina," but these are scarce, while a few of the medals for Cabul are spelt thus, CABVL, but it is doubtful whether they were actually issued to soldiers. It is noteworthy that on certain of the medals in this series the name of the executant, W. Wyon, R.A., is on the truncation of the Queen's head instead of beneath it. In this issue the recipients' names were engraved either in Italian script or in square Roman letters; a few were impressed, and some were issued unnamed. The "rainbow" or military ribbon for India is used for suspension.

One thousand four hundred Europeans received the medal with Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul.

=Meeanee.=--In 1843 the "tail of the Afghan storm" arose. It followed the attempt on the part of several Ameers, with an army of 8,000 Belooches, to obtain possession of the British Presidency at Hyderabad; they were driven off, but owing to the weakness of the place it was decided to abandon it for the safety of the camp commanded by Sir Charles Napier, to whom the conduct of the campaign in Scinde had been entrusted, and who gained for himself the native sobriquet "Shaitan-ke-bhaee," or "The devil's brother," by his determined action in dealing with the Ameers. He first destroyed the fort at Emaun Ghur on January 14th and 15th, a feat which drew forth the eulogiums of Wellington, and ruined the chance of the Ameers in the campaign. On February 17th the battle of Meeanee was fought, 2,800 men, with 12 guns, under Major-General Sir Charles Napier attacking, and in three hours defeating the Scindian army of 30,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry, with 15 guns, but not before nearly all the European officers were killed or wounded. The Belooches, who fought with remarkable valour, lost 5,000 men, their camp and all its appurtenances falling into the hands of the British. Next day six of the Ameers surrendered. The only Queen's Regiment represented at Meeanee was the 22nd Foot, and only 65 medals were issued to the regiment, with two companies of Bombay Artillery; Grenadiers of the 1st Native Infantry; 12th and 25th Native Infantry; a detachment of Poona Irregular Horse, to which corps only 14 medals were issued; Scinde Irregular Horse; 9th Bengal Light Cavalry, and half company of Madras Sappers and Miners. The 22nd lost 1 officer and 23 men killed; its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Pennefeather, 6 officers, and 52 men wounded.

=Hyderabad.=--The Ameers, who still held out against the British army, made a stand with 20,000 men at the village of Duppa, near Hyderabad, under Meer Shere Mahomed, where on March 24th they were attacked by Sir Charles Napier with 5,000 troops, and defeated with great loss. The arch enemy of the British, Hoche Mahomed Seede, was killed, and Meer Shere Mahomed fled to the desert; the battle was decided by the 22nd Regiment and the troop of Bombay Horse Artillery. In this battle the 22nd, which numbered 560 rank and file, lost 23 men killed, 5 officers and 134 men wounded.

As a result of the campaign Scinde and Meerpore passed into British possession. The troops engaged at Hyderabad were: H.M.'s 22nd Foot; 1st Troop of Bombay Horse Artillery; 2nd-1st and 2nd-2nd Companies of the Bombay Artillery; 1st, 8th, 12th, 21st, and 25th Native Infantry; 3rd and 5th Companies of Golundaze; Madras Sappers and Miners; 3rd Bombay Cavalry; 9th Bengal Cavalry; Poona Horse and Scinde Horse; also men from the Indus Flotilla.

=Medals for Meeanee and Hyderabad.=--The medal for the war in Scinde in 1843 was the only war medal given by the Home Government to the troops employed in India during the period of the East India Company's rule. The medal is practically the same as that described and illustrated as given for Candahar, Ghuznee, and Cabul in the 1842 campaign, the name of the battle--MEEANEE or HYDERABAD--and date, 1843, being arranged inside a wreath surmounted by the royal crown. A third medal given to those who were present in both actions has MEEANEE-HYDERABAD within laurel wreaths tied together, the whole surmounted by the royal crown. A medal for the battle of Meeanee, awarded to the 22nd, has realised from £7 to £9. The steel suspender, as in the Cabul medal illustrated, was issued with the medal given to non-commissioned officers and privates, but those with the officers' medals were of silver; the Colonel, however, of the only English regiment present--the 22nd--had, at his own expense, silver suspenders made for his men in place of the steel ones. The 22nd were present at both battles, also detachments of royal and horse artillery. Some of these medals have the names of the recipients, etc., engraved in script; others are mostly impressed in Roman capitals. Those to the 22nd were generally engraved in block lettering. The ribbon used is the "rainbow" or Army of India type.

THE GWALIOR CAMPAIGN

The year 1843 also saw the Gwalior campaign, in which the two decisive battles of Maharajpoor and Punniar were fought on the same day, December 29th. "The Army of Exercise" had been assembled at Agra owing to troubles following the death of the Maharajah. Tyajee Rao Scindiah had been acknowledged by the British Government, and Mama Sahib was appointed Regent. He was, however, expatriated, and an attempt made to undermine the position of the young Maharajah. His authority was, however, re-established, and the British army prepared to leave the country under the command of Major-General Sir Hugh Gough.

=Maharajpoor.=--They crossed the Koharee River on the morning of December 29th, to find about 18,000 Mahrattas with 100 guns strongly entrenched at the village of Maharajpoor. The British army consisted of 14,000 men with 40 guns. A terrific conflict ensued owing to the superiority of the enemy in artillery, but attacked on all sides by the British force they were routed, despite the splendid determination of the Mahratta gunners, who were bayoneted at their guns, and the gallantry of the infantry, who discarding their matchlocks stubbornly fought hand to hand with the British soldiers.

The regiments engaged were the 39th and 40th Foot and the 16th Lancers. The H.E.I. Co.'s troops were the 2nd, 14th, 16th, 31st, 43rd, and 56th Bengal Native Infantry; 1st Bengal Light Cavalry; 4th, section of the 5th, 8th Bengal Light Cavalry; 10th Bengal Light Cavalry; 2nd Skinner's Horse; 4th Irregular Cavalry (in reserve); 2 companies of Bengal Foot Artillery (3 companies and 4 of natives in reserve); 3 troops of Bengal Horse Artillery and 3rd, 4th, and 7th companies Bengal Sappers and Miners.

=Punniar.=--On the afternoon of the 29th the left wing of the army, under Major-General Grey, discovered about 1,200 of the enemy in position on a range of hills near Punniar, and by a brilliant attack carried every position, and routed the enemy with considerable loss. These two victories which terminated the war were dearly bought, over 1,000 men being placed _hors de combat_.

The Queen's Regiments at Punniar were the 3rd Buffs, 50th, Queen's Own, and 2 squadrons 9th Lancers; 5 companies of the 39th, 50th, and 51st Native Infantry; 2 squadrons 5th Bengal Light Cavalry; 8th Bengal and 8th Irregular Cavalry; 2 squadrons 11th Bengal Light Cavalry; 1st Company Bengal Sappers and Miners; 2 troops Bengal Horse Artillery and 1 company Bengal Foot Artillery.

=Maharajpoor and Punniar Stars.=--For these fights the victorious Britishers and native troops were awarded bronze six-pointed stars, 1⁷⁄₁₀ in. in diameter (as illustrated facing pages 108 and 112), made from the captured cannon, having in the centre a small silver star bearing the words PUNNIAR or MAHARAJPOOR, 1843, in a circle, and in the centre the date of the action, ~29ᵗʰ· DECʳ·~ The star worn by Lord Gough had a silver elephant on the obverse instead of the silver star. These stars were originally fitted with broad brass hooks for attachment to a loop on the coat, but in some instances a steel ring was run through it, so as to allow for suspension by the rainbow ribbon used at the time with other Indian war medals, as illustrated in the pair for Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul, and Maharajpoor, or a silver, or German-silver, suspender was attached, as shown in the Punniar star. The name, number, and regiment of the soldier were engraven on the back, at either side of the hook, in a light, slanting script.

THE SIKH WARS

The Sikh wars of 1845-6 and 1848-9, which concluded with the annexation of the Punjab, and the Koh-i-noor diamond being presented to Queen Victoria, were particularly hard-fought campaigns; and Lord Gough--one of the famous fighting Goughs--whom Wellington thought unworthy to continue the command in the second campaign, which, however, he successfully closed, is depicted on the medal for the Punjab campaign receiving from the defeated Sikhs the arms they were no longer allowed to bear against us. Some state that the mounted soldier depicted on the medal is Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert.

Runjeet Singh, who died in 1839, left an army trained by Europeans and a young son, Dhuleep Singh. The former, numbering 60,000, inspired by the ambitious Ministers of the infant Maharajah, crossed the Sutlej and invested Ferozepore with the object of expelling the British from Hindoostan, but was encountered at Moodkee on December 18th by the "Army of the Sutlej," consisting of 3,850 Europeans and 8,500 natives, which with 42 guns had made a tiring march of 22 miles to relieve Ferozepore.

=Moodkee.=--It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon when the alarm was given that the Sikhs were to give battle. The fatigued and famished soldiers abandoned the meal they were preparing, and, many coatless, rushed to their arms and to meet the Sikh army, the strength of which was so great that it outflanked the British, which practically only formed a single line to oppose it. The infantry meeting them in front gave a brilliant account of itself with the bayonet. The second brigade of cavalry, with the 3rd Light Dragoons, swept the enemy's left, while the rest of the British cavalry turned their right, but the fight continued until darkness, aided by the great clouds of dust from the sandy desert, came to the aid of the Sikhs, who sullenly retired to their camp at Ferozeshuhur after the loss of 17 guns, while the British rested on the battlefield for a few hours and then returned to their camp. In this battle, Colonel James Robertson, C.B., relates, Captain (afterwards Lord) Napier had a remarkable escape with his life; when riding armed merely with a walking-stick several of the enemy rushed at him, but he escaped unscathed. He had ridden from Umballa alone and straight into the battle when it was at its height! In this battle, Colonel Robertson states, the Sikh gunners "were conspicuous for their reckless bravery and devotion to their guns." They "died rather than yield; and there were no white flags, and no quarter asked or given on either side, so we had just to fight it out," and these were the men with whom we had fought side by side in the advance on Cabul but three years before! In this encounter 84 officers and 800 men were placed _hors de combat_, and the hero of Jellalabad, Major-General Sir Robert Sale, mortally wounded, Sir John McGaskill killed, and 4 brigadiers wounded.

At Moodkee H.M.'s 9th, 31st, 50th, and 80th Regiments and the 3rd Light Dragoons were present, also the 2nd, 16th, 24th, 26th, 42nd, 45th, 47th, 48th, and 73rd Bengal Native Infantry; 4th and 5th Bengal Light Cavalry, 9th Irregular Cavalry; 4 troops of Horse Artillery and 2 companies of Foot Artillery. On the day following the battle H.M.'s 26th Foot, the 1st Bengal European Regiment, 11th and 41st Bengal Native Infantry, and 2 companies of Bengal Artillery joined the force.

=Ferozeshuhur.=--The Sikhs strengthened their position at "Ferushahr" and entrenched themselves with 120 guns; meanwhile the British army had been reinforced with heavy guns and a number of troops, while Major-General Sir John Littler had brought his division of 5,000 men from Ferozepore, making a total of about 5,674 Europeans and 12,053 native troops, with 65 guns, to be ranged against 25,000 Regulars and 10,000 Irregular Sikhs, with 83 guns, strengthened by an army of about 23,000, with 67 guns, under Tej Singh, encamped only ten miles away. The battle of Ferushahr, or Ferozeshuhur, as it is officially spelt, opened on December 21st, with a terrific cannonade by the Sikhs, under which the British infantry advanced, stormed the entrenchments, and took a number of the enemy's guns. So hardly did the Sikhs fight that they could not be forced from the whole of their entrenchments; indeed, so stubborn was the battle of Ferozeshuhur that it lasted for two days, while the intervening night was also kept lively by the Sikh artillery playing on to the ground gained by the British. The 80th Regiment was sent with the 1st European Light Infantry to silence the guns, and the 80th was successful in capturing three. "A more wonderful battle never was. Within 150 yards of one another were 8,000 British troops against an unknown number of enemies yet unbroken." All the Governor-General's staff were killed or wounded before the day of retribution arrived. The Commander-in-Chief and the Governor-General of India, Sir Henry Hardinge, placed themselves in front of the two wings of the army "to prevent the troops from firing" until they closed! Unchecked by the enemy's fire, the line advanced, dislodged the enemy and swept everything before it. Halting, as on the parade ground, the army vociferously cheered its leaders, for they were masters of the field. Sirdar Tej Singh, however, brought up his army of over 30,000 men, with a large field of artillery, and endeavoured to retrieve the day; but despite the fact that the British artillery had already expended its ammunition, he was compelled to retire, and the day was won. On the field, however, were 2,415 dead or wounded soldiers, and 115 officers, which the victorious army had lost. The men who fought and won this protracted and sanguinary battle had mostly been without food or water for forty-eight hours.

The Queen's Regiments present at Ferozeshuhur were the 9th, 29th, 31st, 50th, 62nd, and 80th; 3rd Light Dragoons; 1st and 3rd Brigades Bengal Horse Artillery, and the 4th, 6th, and 7th Batteries of Artillery; the 2nd, 12th, 14th, 16th, 24th, 26th, 33rd, 42nd, 44th, 45th, 47th, 48th, 54th, and 73rd Native Infantry; Royal Bengal Fusiliers; No. 6 Company Bengal Sappers and Miners; 4th, 5th, and 8th Bengal Light Cavalry; 3rd and 9th Bengal Irregular Cavalry; 2nd Skinner's Horse, and the Governor-General's Bodyguard. The 11th and 41st Bengal Native Infantry guarding the wounded at Moodkee and the men of the 27th and 63rd Bengal Native Infantry, Bengal Artillery, and Sappers who garrisoned Ferozepore were also granted the medal or the bar for Ferozeshuhur.

=Aliwal.=--Within a month the battle of Aliwal was fought. The Sikh Sirdars having effected a passage of the Sutlej near Loodiana, likewise at Ferozeshuhur near Sobraon, and threatened the garrison at the former place, the first brigade under Sir Harry Smith--a Peninsular veteran who bore twelve clasps to his medal--was ordered to make a forced march to relieve it. At Budiwal the enemy had prepared to intercept the British force by strongly entrenching the range of sand-hills and the villages. Sir Harry Smith, however, refusing to take any risks with his army of footsore and fatigued men, decided to make a flank movement by the right, although it would mean running the gauntlet of a heavy fire from the forty guns which was opened upon his columns. The British troops passed through the ordeal with remarkable discipline, but with a loss (this was on January 21st, 1846) far greater than was sustained later at Aliwal.