But far worse than the injuries done by the enemy’s fire, were the sufferings of the men from exposure to the sun. The 3rd Battalion lost 14 men from sunstroke; in the 2nd Battalion 1 man died of sunstroke, and many others suffered from it, of whom 2 died on the next day, and another on the 15th.[297] Fortunately, the supply of water was plentiful, and the bheesties[298] assiduous in administering it. Some of the men were raving; some lying on their backs as if dead, while the bheesties sprinkled them with water. So great was the exhaustion, that on Sir Hope Grant’s giving an order that tents were to be pitched, Quartermaster Harvey went to Brigadier Horsford to say that in the 3rd Battalion the men were so utterly exhausted that they could not do it, and begged him to allow the men to lie down in the shade. The Brigadier replied that the General’s order must be obeyed, but consented to take him to Sir Hope Grant, to make his report in person to him. Sir Hope insisted, and said ‘the tents must and shall be pitched.’ On Harvey’s return to his Battalion the men turned to, and set about pitching the tents; but many fell down through sheer fatigue, and slept on the tents they were ordered to pitch. Yet they afterwards had reason to see the wisdom of General Grant’s determination; for the shelter of the tents perhaps saved many lives; and as the enemy were still hovering about, and might again attack, it was essential that the regiments should be in some formation.
Thus at about six in the evening the two Battalions encamped on the field of Nawabgunge.
Sir Hope Grant, in his despatch dated June 17, 1858, speaks most favourably of the Rifle Battalions.
‘Brigadier Horsford,’ he writes, ‘I am much indebted to for the very excellent way he led on the infantry, and for the support he gives me upon all occasions.’
He also mentions
‘Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, who with his Battalion so gallantly and successfully protected our rear: a most important service.
‘Lieutenant-Colonel Glyn, a most excellent officer, and whose Battalion, the 3rd, behaved so well, being actively employed during the whole day.’
He also favourably notices ‘200 infantry under Major Oxenden,’ and repeatedly mentions the ‘two companies of the Rifles under Captain Atherley.’
Yet in his published work ‘The Sepoy War,’ Sir Hope Grant, or his editor, Captain Knollys, R.A., gives all the credit of these gallant deeds to the 60th, which was not near Nawabgunge at the time.