The History of the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own) Formerly the 95th

by William Henry Cope

However, later in the day, handing over the charge of the captured camp to some other troops, three companies of the 3rd Battalion and some of the 2nd Battalion started again, and bringing their left shoulders forward and extending, advanced to the Subahdar’s tank, a position in rear of the enemy’s left, and about a mile and a half in a direct line from the intrenchments through the old cantonments. In front of the tank the enemy had some heavy guns; some distance on the right of the Riflemen was another gun; and two more a little to their left. These were well protected by earthworks or walls; a considerable body of rebels kept up a musketry fire from topes of trees and enclosures; and the Riflemen were exposed to showers of grape, canister and round shot. They advanced, extended, about 300 yards on each side of the road, slightly in advance of some heavy guns, while the 93rd were kept in reserve. The fire of these guns soon began to tell on the enemy. This, and the approach of the long line of extended Riflemen, soon disheartened the enemy, who began to give way immediately on the Riflemen passing through the enclosures to the right and broken ground to the left of the road. On reaching the entrance of the village, called the Soldiers’ Burial Ground, the guns of Captain Middleton’s battery were pushed through as rapidly as possible, the Riflemen running up to support them. They got very near the gun on their right and the two on their left, and were in hopes of capturing them; but they were so much delayed by having to climb over mud walls and pass through enclosures to get at them, that the rebels succeeded in removing them by the right and left, and took them among some houses which the Riflemen had orders not to pass.[282]

When it was getting late the Rifle Battalions, who were still in pursuit of the enemy, now completely routed, were ordered to halt, and got into some houses about five o’clock. The night was extremely cold, and the men had nothing but their usual clothing to cover them, not even their great-coats. The 3rd Battalion suffered from hunger too, as well as cold, being long without food. At last a lean cow was discovered, and immediately killed and cut up; and the men, roasting the tough morsels on the points of their swords, ate them half-raw. The 2nd Battalion were in this respect more fortunate. For they got hold of a good many sheep, and in fact regaled themselves so well on them, that they named the house where they passed the night Mutton Bungalow.

The casualties were: in the 2nd Battalion, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal and 6 Riflemen wounded, and 1 man was killed during the night in the town of Cawnpore, it was never known how; in the 3rd Battalion Colonel Horsford was slightly wounded, and 11 rank and file were wounded.

At night Captain Henry R. L. Newdigate’s company, with Major Ross, was on picquet in a Bazaar on the Bithoor road, not far from the Subahdar’s tank. They were suddenly startled by a noise in a large enclosure where some of the Riflemen were posted. It turned out that some of the rebels, mistaking their way, brought a string of camels laden with ammunition right up to the Riflemen. The sentry challenged rather too soon, and the mutineers fled and escaped; but they left their camels and 20,000 rounds of ammunition in the hands of the Riflemen. The next night the cartridges having been broken up on the ground, a grand illumination was produced by setting fire to the heap.

On the 7th the Riflemen continued in the houses they occupied: but some portion of the baggage of the 2nd Battalion companies having come up, they were rather more comfortable. The 3rd Battalion, however, were still without food, except what the men found in native houses, till towards evening when some rations were served out. The men were allowed to go out to loot; and found much, and took many arms and some prisoners. The night was again extremely cold; and men and officers, not on duty, slept under a heap of chopped straw in the hope of getting some warmth.

On the 8th the companies of the 2nd Battalion were ordered in the morning to come in and pitch camp, which they did about half a mile from the town. But they had hardly done so when they were ordered to move and to join Sir Colin Campbell’s camp, some four miles in advance. They arrived there and pitched camp shortly before dark.

The 3rd Battalion also left the houses they had occupied since the action of the 6th, and joined Sir Colin Campbell’s camp.

Before I describe the further operations of this force, I must trace the movements of the Head-quarters of the 2nd Battalion. They had embarked at Kingstown on August 6 in the ‘Sussex,’ hired ship, consisting of 4 companies—17 officers and 336 of other ranks, under Colonel Percy Hill. Sailing the next day they arrived at Point de Galle, Ceylon, on October 29; and were transhipped to the ‘Adventure’ troop-ship, which started on November 1. The engines of this ship were in a very faulty condition. They were frequently stopped; and the services of a Rifleman named Adwick were constantly called into operation to repair them. This man had been bred an engine-maker or some such trade, and ‘Pass the word for Adwick!’ became a well-known signal that the engines were stopped and out of order.

In consequence of these defects of her engines, the ‘Adventure’ did not reach Calcutta till November 17. On disembarking the Riflemen went into quarters; and on the 20th they proceeded by railway to Raneegunge, where they encamped about a mile from the village and were detained for some days, and whence they moved up in detachments by bullock-carts to Benares. Here they were again detained. After which they moved on to Allahabad, whence there were some miles of railway towards Cawnpore, terminating at Cheenee.

The Head-quarters marched, as the other detachments had, from this point. Leaving Cheenee at two in the morning of the 11th December they arrived at Arrapore, a distance of fourteen miles. Leaving it next day at four in the morning, they reached Futtehpore at nine: from this they proceeded to Kutteanpore, where they arrived at nine in the morning of the 13th, after a march of seventeen miles and a half. On the next day they made another march of seventeen to Sirsour, and on the 15th arrived at Cawnpore, when they marched in and encamped about half-past nine in the morning. The whole of the Battalion were now reassembled; and great was the cheering with which the detached companies welcomed the new-comers; and with which these saluted their comrades, who had since their separation seen so much fighting.