1812
Five companies of the first battalion proceeded from their quarters at Cawnpore to take part with the division under Colonel Martindell, in the reduction of the strong fortress of Callinger, before which place the troops arrived on the 19th of January, 1812. A breach having been reported practicable, the fortress was assaulted on the 2nd of February. A serjeant and twelve privates of the FIFTY-THIRD regiment formed the forlorn-hope, which led the assault of the breach; they were followed by the grenadiers and light infantry of the FIFTY-THIRD, under Captain Fraser, supported by the remaining three companies of the FIFTY-THIRD, and the grenadiers and light infantry of the native regiments. The fortress of Callinger is situated upon a high rock of difficult access and great extent, in one of the ranges of mountains in the province of Allahabad; and when that portion of the country was ceded to the British, this strong fortress, which had resisted native armies, became the asylum of the disaffected and of the banditti of the province. These desperate characters crowded the breach as the FIFTY-THIRD rushed forward to storm the works. Select marksmen of the garrison were supplied with loaded muskets by other men as fast as they could fire them, and huge stones were in readiness to be thrown upon the assailants. The signal being given, the storming party, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel Sebright Mawby and the officers and soldiers of the FIFTY-THIRD, made a gallant effort to gain the breach; ladders were placed against the rock and the men ascended with enthusiastic ardour; but showers of huge stones and a storm of musketry destroyed every man who gained the top of the rock; at the same time it was found impracticable to get other ladders fixed to communicate with a second small projection of the rock which appeared in the breach; under these circumstances the storming party was ordered to retire. The FIFTY-THIRD had Captain Fraser, Lieutenant and Adjutant Nice, one serjeant, one corporal, and ten private soldiers killed; Captain Cuppage, Lieutenants Stone, Young, Stewart, Daly, Cruice, Davis, and Booth, and one hundred and twenty soldiers wounded; several men died of their wounds.
In regimental orders issued on the 3rd of February, it was stated:—"Lieut.-Colonel Mawby has not words to express his admiration of the conduct of every officer and soldier of the FIFTY-THIRD in the storm of yesterday; anything he could say on the occasion would fall very short of what they deserved, for greater bravery and perseverance never were displayed by men, and had it been possible to have carried the breach, their bravery would have done it. His feelings for the severe loss sustained by the regiment may be imagined, but cannot be expressed; it is, however, a great consolation to know that the whole army before Callinger speaks of their bravery in terms of the highest commendation."
The conduct of the storming party was also commended in orders by Colonel Martindell, who stated,—"If the difficulties which they had to surmount had been found of a nature to be overcome, the persevering energy and undaunted courage of the troops, so very admirably conspicuous, would have been crowned with that success, which their animated exertions, and steady cool bravery, so eminently deserved."
In general orders by the government it was stated, "His Lordship in Council cordially unites in the sentiments of admiration expressed by His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, of the exemplary exertions, zeal, and persevering courage manifested by Lieut.-Colonel Mawby, FIFTY-THIRD regiment, and the brave officers and men acting under his command."
Lieut.-Colonel Mawby particularly reported the gallant conduct of Serjeant-Major Thomas Clarke, of the FIFTY-THIRD regiment.
In consequence of the difficulty experienced in the reduction of Callinger, Major Piercy, who commanded the five companies of the regiment left at Cawnpore, received orders to proceed as rapidly as possible to join the besieging army; but before he arrived, the garrison had surrendered. The cool determined bravery of the officers and soldiers of the FIFTY-THIRD, at the storming of the breach, had produced a great impression on the defenders of the fortress, who declared to their commander, that they would not stand a second assault: the Killedar, therefore, was forced to capitulate and deliver up the fortress.
The regiment afterwards returned to Cawnpore, where its appearance and discipline elicited the commendations of the Commander-in-Chief in India at a review in September of this year. In October the regiment marched to Meerut on the north-west frontier.
1813
During the year 1813 the first battalion was stationed at Meerut.