The Bengal army was composed of four divisions, under the personal command of the Marquess of Hastings. These were commanded respectively by Major-Generals Browne, Donkin, Marshal, and Sir David Ochterlony. Each division comprised one cavalry and two infantry brigades. Of the troops which composed that army, few regiments are left. The 24th Light Dragoons were disbanded shortly after the campaign, and the majority of the native regiments fell away from their allegiance in the unfortunate rebellion of 1857. Of the regiments which went to make up the First Division, the 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) still survive; of the Second Division, the 8th (Royal Irish) Hussars, the 14th (West Yorkshires), and Gardner's Horse are yet on the rolls of the army. The 67th (Hampshires) and the 2nd Gurkhas, with Skinner's Horse, also survive.
The Madras army was under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Hislop. Of its cavalry brigade no representatives remain; of its four infantry brigades we have many survivors—first and foremost, the Royal Scots and the Royal Dublin Fusiliers; then the 1st Madras Europeans, which, with the 17th Madras Infantry (now the 93rd Burmah Infantry), composed the First Brigade. The Second Brigade was made up of three light infantry regiments (native), of which the 63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry and the 74th Punjabis are with us. There were, all told, two regiments of British and six of native infantry.
The Hyderabad Division, commanded by Major-General Doveton, comprised a battalion of the Royal Scots and ten regiments of Madras infantry; whilst the Hyderabad Subsidiary Brigade was made up of a wing of the 1st Madras Europeans (now the Royal Dublins) and three native regiments. Sir John Malcolm commanded the Third Division of the Madras army. It comprised a regiment of Madras cavalry, four battalions of Madras infantry, 4,000 Mysorean horse, and three regiments of what were so long known as the Hyderabad Contingent.
In the neighbourhood of Poonah was Sir Lionel Smith, with the 65th (York and Lancasters), the 1st Bombay Europeans (now the 2nd Royal Dublins), and four regiments of Bombay infantry.
Watching events in Guzerat was General Sir H. Grant Keir, with the 17th Lancers, the 47th (Loyal North Lancashires), and four battalions of Bombay native infantry; whilst at Nagpore was Colonel Adams, with a regiment of Bengal and one of Madras cavalry, and seven battalions of Madras infantry.
Reserve Bombay Division (Brigadier Munro): 22nd Light Dragoons, 7th Madras Cavalry, a battalion composed of the flank companies of the 34th, 53rd, 69th, and 84th Regiments, the 1st Bombay European Regiment, and three battalions of Bombay sepoys.
Prior to the army being put in motion, we had as garrisons at the various capitals, or in their immediate vicinity, the following troops:
At Secunderabad, watching the Nizam, a wing of the Madras European Regiment and three battalions of Madras sepoys.
At Poonah, watching the Peishwa, a detachment of the Bombay European Regiment and four battalions of Bombay sepoys, whilst another detachment of the 65th Foot (York and Lancaster) was on the march as a reinforcement.
At Nagpore were the 6th Bengal Cavalry, the Madras Bodyguard, and two battalions of sepoys.