The outbreak of the Great Mutiny of the Native Army in India began on the 10th of May, 1857, at Meerut, where the 1st Battalion was at that time quartered under the command of Lieut.-Colonel John Jones.[[30]] The Battalion at the moment was mustering for evening church parade. On hearing the news it immediately fell in, and Captain Muter,[[31]] the senior officer present, with great promptitude instantly despatched a company to secure the Treasury. The Battalion thereupon marched towards the city, when being joined by the 6th Carabiniers and a Battery of Horse Artillery (all the European troops available), it proceeded to occupy the lines of the Native troops, thus effectually preventing the mutineers from establishing themselves in the city, so that they were forced forthwith to retreat towards Delhi. The story is told that while hurrying to the native lines the Battalion came upon the body of a lady lying dead and mutilated by the roadside. This lady was well known both to the officers and men for her devotion and care for the women and children of the Battalion, and the men as they passed—exasperated at the sight—raised their rifles in the air and swore to avenge her death. It is not too much to say that the Battalion, and their leader known later as “Jones the Avenger,” made good their oath.
May 30th and 31st, 1857, HINDUN.
Marching in pursuit, under Brigadier Archdale Wilson, the Meerut troops fought two successful actions upon the Hindun River, in which the 1st Battalion took a prominent part, and on the 7th of June it joined the army under Major-General Sir Henry Barnard at Alighur.
June 8th to Sept. 20th, 1857, DELHI.
At one o’clock on the following morning the whole of Barnard’s force moved against Delhi. On reaching Badlee-ke-Serai it was found that the mutineers were strongly posted in an entrenched position along the ridge from the flagstaff to Hindoo Rao’s house, overlooking the cantonments and city, but after a sharp engagement of about three quarters of an hour the ridge was cleared of the enemy and occupied by our troops. Thus began the famous siege of Delhi—a period full of glorious memories to all Sixtieth Riflemen. From then on to the final assault on the city (June the 8th to September the 20th) the Battalion was constantly employed either as outposts near Hindoo Rao’s house, or with the various columns which were sent forward to drive the mutineers back into the city, when, emboldened by the strength of overwhelming numbers, they made repeated assaults upon our position on the ridge. It is recorded that the Regiment was during this period engaged in twenty-four separate actions.
On the morning of September the 14th, after six days of bombardment, two breaches were considered practicable in the walls of the city, one in the curtain to the right of the Cashmere Gate, the other to the left of the water bastion. The assault was delivered at three points, namely upon the two breaches and the Cashmere Gate, while a fourth column followed as reserve. The whole of the Battalion was split up in skirmishing order to cover the advance of the assaulting columns, and in this appropriate and congenial duty they greatly distinguished themselves.
The assaults were successful, and after an heroic struggle the city was partially occupied by night-fall. But it was not until September the 20th that the place and its defences were completely in the hands of our troops, and then only after continuous and desperate hand to hand fighting in the streets. Nothing could exceed the determined valour of the Regiment, and every Rifleman will remember with justifiable pride and pleasure that, having joined the army before Delhi, its services were officially pronounced to be “preeminent in the memorable siege and capture.”[[32]]
“All behaved nobly,” writes Lord Canning, the Governor-General of India in his final despatch upon the siege and capture of Delhi (dated November the 9th, 1857), “but I may be permitted to allude somewhat to those Corps most constantly engaged from the beginning, the 60th Rifles, the Sirmoor Battalion,[[33]] and the Guides. Probably not one day throughout the siege passed without a casualty in one of these Corps; placed in the very front of our position, they were ever under fire. Their courage, their high qualifications as skirmishers, their cheerfulness, their steadiness were beyond commendation. Their losses in action show the nature of the service. The Rifles commenced with 440 of all ranks; a few days before the storm they received a reinforcement of nearly 200 men; their total casualties were 389.”
We may conclude this page of the Regiment’s history by citing the judgment of the General under whom they served, who described the Battalion as “a glorious example both in its daring gallantry and its perfect discipline.”[[34]]
1858, ROHILKUND OUDH.