A detachment of that Battalion commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Julius Glyn, consisting of Captain Alexander’s[281] company and part of Captain Bourchier’s company, proceeded from Aldershot and embarked on board the ‘Barham’ on July 1, and after experiencing very bad weather on September 30 when south of the Cape, and a hurricane from October 28 to 30 (during which seven of the crew were struck by lightning), arrived at Calcutta on November 8. They did not disembark till the 13th, and on the next day proceeded by railway to Raneegunge, where they arrived on the 15th at six A.M.
On the 16th they started at 3.30 A.M., part of the detachment being carried in bullock-carts, and part marching. They arrived at Gyra at nine in the morning of the 17th, after a march of thirty-eight miles. Leaving it again at three P.M. they made another march of thirty-eight miles, and reached Doomrhee at half-past ten in the morning of the 18th. Halting there till four P.M. they arrived at Burkutta at 6.30 the next morning, after a march of twenty-eight miles. Starting in the afternoon at 3.30 P.M. they reached Churparun at four in the morning of the 20th. At Churparun rifles were ordered to be loaded; and from thence they proceeded by daily marches through Sherghotty, Norunagabad, Sasseram, Annabad, Benares, Gopeegunge, to Allahabad, which they reached on the 27th. On the 30th, thence proceeding by rail, they encamped at Cheenee, the end of the railway then in course of construction. Proceeding thenceforward by route march, they left Cheenee on December 1, and encamped on the 2nd about six miles from Futtehpore. Starting from that in the evening they arrived on the evening of the 3rd at a bridge over the Pandoo Nuddee. Here they were to encamp; and the men were set to work to pitch their tents, which they were almost too tired to do, but which they had just accomplished, and turned in, when the bugle sounded for ‘orders.’ A message had been received from Sir Colin Campbell, directing the detachment to make all speed to the front, as he was about to engage the Gwalior contingent.
The word was given to strike tents and to ‘fall in.’ This the men did without a murmur, and resumed their march cheerfully, weary as they were, when they knew that active work was before them. Marching (of course with occasional halts) the remainder of that night and the whole of the day and night of the 4th, they arrived at Cawnpore at seven on the morning of the 5th.
This was a march of about seventy-five miles, accomplished in a very short time; and considering that this detachment consisted mostly of young soldiers, the Battalion having only been formed two years before; that these men had disembarked hardly three weeks, after being cooped up on board ship during a four months’ voyage; that they had already made long and fatiguing marches up the country; this march, considering these circumstances of it, is perhaps hardly paralleled in military history.
The day of the 4th was very hot, and the men wore their cloth European clothing. They did not however carry their packs.
The Head-quarters of the 3rd Battalion, consisting of four companies, under Colonel Horsford, left Aldershot on July 22 by rail-road for Portsmouth, and embarking on board the ‘Sutlej’ sailing ship, sailed that afternoon and arrived at Calcutta on November 8. From thence they were forwarded to Raneegunge by rail-road, and thence proceeded in detachments, some by bullock-train, some by horse-dâk, and some by bearer-dâk, up the country by way of Benares and Allahabad. Thence, as we have seen, there was rail-road communication as far as Cheenee. I will trace from thence the progress of the Head-quarter division, consisting of 137 men with the Staff, under Major Ross, which left Allahabad on the 26th.
After leaving Cheenee by bullock-train, some delay took place on account of the badness of the road from this terminus of the railway to the Great Trunk road, but they reached Futtehpore at eight in the morning of the 27th. Major Ross had been directed by Brigadier Campbell before leaving Allahabad, in case the enemy were likely to interrupt him, not to proceed beyond Futtehpore, but, in this event, to fall back and reinforce a party of the 88th Regiment, which was escorting the guns of Major Smith’s battery. These, however, he had passed in the night, and in reply to inquiries whether his escort was required, was informed by the Officer Commanding of Windham’s engagement the day before, and assured that there was no reason why he should not move on.
Accordingly he proceeded at three in the afternoon, and they had advanced some twenty miles, when at about two in the morning a camel messenger met them, with orders that all troops moving up were to push on as fast as possible. This opened their eyes and quickened their pulse, for it meant that an enemy was in front. So Major Ross pushed on as fast as he could to the next bullock-changing station, got fresh bullocks, and gave his men some tea. Following the Brigadier’s instructions, he awaited the artillery and 88th, which various native travellers assured him were only five or six miles behind him. Then he learned his first lesson of the falsehood of native reports. For he waited in some suspense, occupying a gravel pit, expecting every moment the appearance of the artillery; but he waited in vain, for they had never moved beyond Futtehpore. He had reduced at this place his impedimenta from thirty-four waggons to twenty-three by re-packing; but of these ten were filled with ammunition; rather an onerous charge had the enemy attacked, for of his small party about thirty were band and buglers without arms. While waiting here, and longing for the appearance of the guns, a messenger arrived about noon from the front, with peremptory orders from General Windham, superseding all others, to fall back on Futtehpore and to hold it to the last extremity before retiring further; and with intelligence that Windham was so hard pressed by the fire of the enemy’s guns, that he could not meet them in the open till reinforced from Lucknow. Of course there was no alternative. Major Ross was obliged to march his detachment back the twenty-four miles they had come, to the no small disgust of the officers and men, who had been within hearing of the guns at Cawnpore (and in the night within sight of their flashes), and yet were not to take part in the fight. However, the soldier must obey, and they sorrowfully retraced their steps, keeping a sharp look-out, and reached Futtehpore at about two in the morning. They found that an attack was not unlooked for there; for Colonel Maxwell of the 88th ordered them to move their camp, which had been pitched about a mile and a half from the Great Trunk road, to a position in the open plain, where there had been a tank, now dry, the high banks of which formed an excellent intrenchment.
On December 1 came the joyful intelligence that they were to proceed at once to the front. Accordingly, at three in the morning of the 2nd they advanced (with the Head-quarters of the 88th and Smith’s battery), and marching the greater part of that day and the whole of the night (except a two hours’ halt) arrived in camp at Cawnpore at three o’clock next day; having done the distance in thirty-six hours. But during the last fifteen miles of the march the officers and men were very weary and footsore, and as they were overcome with drowsiness from fatigue and want of sleep, the scene was somewhat ludicrous; the men now and then lurching from side to side till brought up by their neighbour’s shoulder, or missing that prop, occasionally falling forward in the road. The band, however, were wakeful enough to play for the last quarter of a mile, and the inspiriting strains of ‘Ninety-five’ carried them cheerfully into camp, which was pitched close to General Wheeler’s intrenchment. Once in their tents the Riflemen were soon fast asleep. On the morning of the 5th Colonel Horsford came up with the remainder of the Battalion, 120 men. And that afternoon the 2nd Battalion moved from their intrenched camp and joined them.
On the 6th tents were struck at seven in the morning, and the troops were formed in contiguous close columns, beyond the canal, near the Old Dragoon lines. Here they were halted till it was ascertained that Sir Colin Campbell was engaged with the enemy at the bridge on their left. Then about ten o’clock the two Battalions of Riflemen were ordered to cross the canal by a bridge near their position. This they did at the double with a ringing cheer, Captain Nixon’s company of the 2nd Battalion leading in gallant style, and forcing back the Sepoys. The 3rd Battalion were in quarter distance column; and the first round shot fired at them passed between the companies, doing no harm to them, but wounding some native camp followers who were on the reverse flank. However, the rebels had opened fire on them while halting in a walled enclosure near the bridge, and on their rushing out of the gate they were exposed to a sharp fire, which brought down only one man as they were crossing the bridge. Once over that the 3rd Battalion wheeled to the right, both Battalions deployed into line, and fixing swords advanced, and soon extended and cleared the woods and houses between the canal and the body of the town. As they advanced the enemy plied them with shot and shell, without however doing much mischief; but Colonel Horsford, who was leading his Battalion, was wounded by a fragment of a shell. He continued however to lead his Battalion. In about ten minutes the Riflemen had cleared the ground in their front, and not a rebel was to be seen there. They then moved towards their left to connect with the force which had crossed by the other bridge, and where the enemy had some guns and a body of infantry in open ground. As they approached the Riflemen saw the rebels flying towards their camp, pursued by Highlanders and other troops. So continuing their advance in skirmishing order, the two Battalions swept the ground between the town and the Great Trunk road, passing the brick-field, and through suburbs and trees, till they came in view of the enemy’s camp. They then closed to their left, in order to hold possession of the camp which the rebels had deserted, while other troops pushed on in pursuit.