[CHAPTER XI.]
The Sepoy Mutiny having broken out, and troops being despatched with all haste to quell it, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions received orders to embark immediately for India.
The 2nd Battalion embarked in three divisions:
The first under Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Woodford, consisting of 3 captains, 5 subalterns, 21 sergeants, 7 buglers and 322 rank and file, proceeded by rail from Dublin to Cork on August 3, and embarked on board the ‘Lady Jocelyn’ screw steamer. The second under Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Fyers, consisting of 2 captains, 2 subalterns, 9 sergeants, 3 buglers and 146 rank and file, proceeded by railway to Kingstown and embarked on board the ‘United Kingdom’ on August 4.
The Head-quarters with four companies under Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, consisting of 3 captains, 8 subalterns, 5 staff, 30 sergeants, 14 buglers and 292 rank and file, proceeded by railway to Kingstown on August 6, and embarking on board the ‘Sussex,’ hired transport, started for India on the next day.
The first of these detachments (Woodford’s) arrived at Calcutta on November 3, and disembarked.
On the 7th they paraded at 3.30 to cross the Ganges, which they did in a steamer, and at 9.30 in the evening started by railroad for Raneegunge, where they arrived at 6.30 on the following morning.
From thence they proceeded on the 10th in carriages at three P.M. and arrived at Doomrhee at 7.30 on the next day; whence starting at 10.30 and passing through Brohal, the Dowah pass, and Bawa, reached Sherghotty at 8.45 A.M. on the morning of the 12th.
After a short halt there they started again at one P.M. for Barroon. Soon after which they crossed the river Sone, a most tedious process; the river here being about two miles broad and reached by a long plain of sand. The carriages had to be placed in boats; and having got over one bend of the river, another long sandy plain had to be traversed and then a still wider stream of water to be crossed. This occupied a very long time; from midnight to 5.30 in the morning; but having accomplished it they arrived at Sasseram at 8.45 A.M. on the 13th. At five o’clock they started again, and travelling through the night, were about ten P.M. startled by an alarm that they were about to be attacked. The ‘alarm’ was sounded; rifles and revolvers were got into readiness, and some confusion occurred; but after a few minutes it was ascertained that the alarm, from wheresoever originating, was a false one. And on the 14th, about 10.20 in the morning, they reached Annabad, where they halted till five, when after passing Kurumnasa they reached the bank of the Ganges, and crossing it in boats arrived at the Mint at Benares about 4.45 on the morning of the 15th, where they halted till the 18th; this being the first occasion on which they had taken any of their things off since they left Raneegunge.