Historical Record of the Thirty-first, or, the Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot; / containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1702, and of its subsequent services to 1850

by Richard Cannon

Major Skinner, for this service, was rewarded with the appointment of Commandant of the Convalescent Depôt at Landour.

Upon the march of the army under Major-General Pollock to Affghanistan, where Captain James Skinner, of the sixty-first Bengal Native Infantry, was reported to be a prisoner, having been wounded on the retreat from Cabool, Major Skinner resigned at once his lucrative and pleasant post, and by forced journeys, joined the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, in February 1842; his anxiety for his brother, whom he had hoped to be in part the means of rescuing, only appeased by the distressing certainty of his violent and untimely death. Major Skinner rendered very important services at the battle of Mazeena, for which he was particularly thanked by Brigadier Monteath; Major Skinner’s account of the transaction was also included in the despatches published in the “London Gazette.”

From the fatigue and exposure in the action at Mazeena on the 26th of July 1842, Major Skinner was seized with the fever of that country, living, to avoid the heat and dust, in a hole dug in the ground, the air being pestilent and the water corrupt, from the mortality of animals. His life was, however, spared for the service of his country. Though still suffering from the malignant disease, which rest might then have cured, he commenced his labours, being removed from the sick list on the very day he marched with the second division, under Major-General McCaskill, commanding, on the 8th of September 1842, the advance guard to Soorkhab, on the 9th to Jugdulluck; a running fight being kept up the whole way; on the 10th to Kutta Sung; and on the 11th the rear-guard to Tezeen. He was specially thanked in Major-General McCaskill’s despatches for the manner in which he performed these duties. In the afternoon of the 12th of September he was despatched to the heights of the Huft-Kotul, and commenced at daylight of the 13th, by attacking the enemy on the heights, those operations which ended in the victory of Tezeen. Major-general Pollock stated, “that the Major’s duty was performed with great gallantry, and his operations contributed much to frustrate the attempts of the enemy on the right flank.” The Major-General enclosed in the despatches the detailed account of Major Skinner’s movements, which were published in the “London Gazette.”

Proceeding from Tezeen to Cabool on the 10th of October, he commanded five companies of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment at the destruction of the Great Bazaar, which, from the skilful arrangement of the force, was effected almost without loss of life. On the march from Cabool to India his conduct was thought from time to time deserving of praise by those under whom he acted. On his arrival at Ferozepore, he was chosen for the imposing duty of commanding the Guard of Honor, consisting of artillery, cavalry, and infantry, escorting the embassy to Lahore.

On the 23rd of December 1842, he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-colonel in the army, was three days afterwards made a Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath, and was presented by the government of India with the silver medal of Cabool, bearing on one side “Cabool 1842,” and on the other “Victoria Vindex.”

Unfortunately Lieut.-Colonel Skinner did not live long to enjoy the rewards of his useful services, for his decease occurred on the 5th of May 1843, at Mussoorie, in the Himalaya Mountains, from disease brought on by privation and fatigue during the Affghan campaign. Lieut.-Colonel Skinner was buried the next morning at Landour with military honors, the arms of a native corps being borrowed for the European invalids stationed there at their own request. They formed the funeral procession and firing party, an honorable mark of respect never before paid by them on any similar occasion. The body was attended to the grave by every European, civil or military, in the place, and by a very large proportion of the native population, to whom he had been previously known as commandant, and by whom he was greatly loved and deeply lamented. His brother officers erected over his remains a tomb of Delhi stone, and his death was announced to the regiment by Colonel Bolton in a regimental order, which did full justice to his merits “as a good and gallant officer,” expressing at the same time, that “he was devotedly attached to his profession, and that he was the warm advocate and steady friend of the well-deserving soldier.”

Major George Baldwin.

This officer commenced his military career as ensign in the thirty-sixth regiment, on the 2nd of June 1808. He served in Holland during 1809 and 1810, and was present at the capture of Walcheren and siege of Flushing. Ensign Baldwin was removed from the thirty-sixth to the third Ceylon regiment on the 4th of April 1811, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the fourteenth regiment of foot on the 9th of November 1814. Lieutenant Baldwin was present at the memorable battle of Waterloo, for which he received a medal, and served at the storming of Cambray on the 24th of June 1815. He exchanged from the half-pay of the seventy-fifth regiment to the THIRTY-FIRST on the 14th of March 1822, and embarked for India on the 7th of February 1825, with the right wing of the regiment on board the ship Kent, which was burnt at sea on the 1st of March following. Lieutenant Baldwin received a severe injury when the ship was in flames, by an iron spike running into his thigh. Lieutenant Baldwin was promoted to the rank of Captain in the THIRTY-FIRST regiment on the 14th of June 1833. He served in the campaign of Affghanistan in 1842; was present in the action at Mazeena on the 26th of July 1842; at Tezeen on the 13th of September following; and at the occupation of Cabool by Major-General Pollock. For his services in Affghanistan he was rewarded with a medal, and received the brevet rank of major on the 23rd of December 1842. On the 8th of October 1844 he was promoted to the rank of major in the THIRTY-FIRST regiment. Major Baldwin served with the army of the Sutlej in 1845, was present at the battles of Moodkee and Ferozeshah; in the latter he was mortally wounded. Major Baldwin died on the 30th of December 1845.

FOOTNOTE:

[43] This account of the services of Lieut.-Colonel Skinner has (with permission) been abridged from a printed (but unpublished) “Sketch of the Military Services of Lieut.-General Skinner and his Sons,” by Allan Maclean Skinner, Esq., of Lincoln’s Inn, Barrister at Law, youngest son of the late Lieut.-General Skinner.