For some inscrutable reason, the colours of those regiments which were employed in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny bear no record of their services unless they happened to have been employed at the Siege of Delhi or in the operations at Lucknow or in Central India. There is, indeed, one notable exception. A group of Sikhs, but fifty in number, aided Mr. Wake in his determined defence of Arrah, and subsequently the regiment was engaged in maintaining peace in the province of Behar. For these services the 45th Rattray's Sikhs are authorized to bear the words "Defence of Arrah" and "Behar" on their colours and appointments. Yet British and native troops—aye, civilians and delicately-nurtured women—were engaged for many weary months in a daily contest with battle and with wounds, with plague, pestilence, and famine. Throughout the length and breadth of the northern portion of Hindustan we were waging a life-and-death struggle for the maintenance of British supremacy in India. The details of many incidents in that struggle we never shall know. Our Indian graveyards are filled with tombs recording the losses of those days, from Generals who, like Nicholson, fell in the hour of victory, to wee bairnies who perished from want of the bare necessaries of life, and, alas! also from the sword and bullet of our foes. The whole peninsula is hallowed with the unknown graves of our gallant dead.
The history of the Siege of Delhi, where a force of less than 10,000 men besieged a city defended by four times their number of disciplined troops for a period of twelve long weeks in the hottest season of the year, is only equalled by the dauntless bravery with which Lucknow was defended against incalculable odds. Loyal native vied with his British comrade in upholding the honour of our flag, whilst the cheerful heroism and self-abnegation of the women who bore such a noble part in the struggle is deserving of more than a passing tribute of homage. The romantic interest that centred round Havelock's relief of Lucknow has dwarfed the marvellous achievements of the Delhi force—an achievement never surpassed in the military annals of our own or any other country.
The losses suffered by the troops at the siege of that fortress exceeded in number the total casualties incurred by the rest of the army in the suppression of the rebellion. The "morning states" of September 13—the day before the storm of the city—showed a total strength of 9,366 effectives; on the evening of the 20th, when the entire city was in our hands, there were but 5,520. No less than 3,846 officers and men had been killed and wounded; yet four days afterwards General Wilson was enabled to despatch a little column to aid in the relief of Lucknow. It consisted of three batteries of Bengal Artillery, 300 men of the 9th Lancers, the headquarters of the 8th and 75th Regiments, totalling only 450 men, so grievously had these battalions suffered in the siege. Four squadrons of native cavalry and two battalions of Punjab troops brought the total strength of the brigade to just under 2,000 men.
Delhi, May to September, 1857.
The regiments authorized to bear the battle honour "Delhi" on their colours and appointments are the
Carabiniers.
9th Lancers.
King's (Liverpool).
Gloucesters.
Oxford Light Infantry.
King's Royal Rifles.
Gordon Highlanders.
Royal Munster Fusiliers.
9th Hodson's Horse.
10th Lancers.
21st Daly's Horse.
22nd Sam Browne's Horse.
25th Cavalry.
Q.O. Corps of Guides,
1st P.W.O. Sappers and Miners.
54th Sikhs.
55th Coke's Rifles.
56th Punjab Rifles.
57th Wilde's Rifles.
127th Baluch Light Infantry.
2nd Gurkhas.
3rd Gurkhas.
It will be noted that the Carabiniers is the only corps which bears the two honours "Delhi" and "Sevastopol."
On the first news of the mutiny at Meerut reaching the Commander-in-Chief at Simla on May 12, he at once moved down with the Headquarters Staff to Umballa, where the regiments at Kussowlie, Dugshai, and Subathoo, had been ordered to assemble. The 9th Lancers and two troops of Bengal Artillery were quartered at that station, and at Meerut were the Carabiniers, the 60th Rifles, and the headquarters of the Bengal Artillery.
Much unavoidable delay occurred in procuring carriage for the troops, and, of course, it was necessary to provide for the safety of the Punjab. It was not until May 24 that the Commander-in-Chief was able to move. Two days afterwards he died of cholera at Kurnal, and the command devolved upon General Barnard—a gallant officer who had been Chief of the Staff during the latter part of the Crimean War, but who was new to India. The force moving down from Umballa consisted of two brigades, and was to be joined before reaching Delhi by the Meerut garrison. This junction took place on June 7. The Meerut force had fought a successful action with the mutineers a week previously, capturing five guns.
On the 7th General Barnard found the mutineers drawn up in a strong position at Budli-ka-Serai to dispute his advance. They had thrown up some works, in which heavy guns were placed. After a sharp fight, in which we lost 51 killed and 131 wounded, the rebels were driven out of their vantage-ground, with the loss of thirteen guns, and from this day the siege may be said to have commenced. Just one month later General Barnard died of cholera, which was daily claiming victims from all ranks. Indeed, until the close of the siege, this scourge was never absent. From time to time, as circumstances permitted, reinforcements of both British and native troops were pushed down from the Punjab, and the loyal Sikh chiefs also sent contingents, which, though not of great fighting value, served to keep open our communications with Lahore, and to a certain extent, no doubt, did aid in the work of the siege.