On the 18th they made a long and tedious march of fourteen miles to Jugdespore, where they halted for four days. On the 20th they received an order to go on a reconnaissance, leaving their tents standing, and paraded for that purpose; but the order was countermanded.
On the 23rd they resumed their movements; and starting at six in the morning arrived at Inhona, after a short and easy march of seven miles, at a little after nine.
On the 24th the left wing of the Battalion, under Major Warren, received during the night orders to move (with part of the 7th Hussars and some guns) to the assistance of Colonel Galwey’s column. That officer, it appeared, had come to some fort which had no guns; but on its occupants being called on to surrender they had refused, and had fired on and killed an Engineer officer and some men. The Riflemen marched at six in the morning to Koilee, twelve miles, but on arrival there found that the garrison of the fort had during the night crossed the Goomtee and disappeared. This wing, therefore, after a day’s halt at Koilee, marched on the 26th to Bekta, seven miles; and on the 27th, after a short march of six miles, rejoined Head-quarters at Hydergurh.
These had in the meanwhile had an encounter with the enemy. For Brigadier Horsford had, before starting for Koilee, directed Colonel Hill to march towards Lucknow, taking with him the other wing of the Hussars and some Horse Artillery, and to attack a force of rebels supposed to be about two marches in that direction; and to protect the baggage of the entire column.
Colonel Hill came up with the rebels on the 26th near Hydergurh. The Riflemen were first engaged, and as the enemy were making a running fight of it, the cavalry and Artillery galloped up through the skirmishers, and did considerable execution. The Riflemen took a gun; and the Hussars under Sir William Russell pursued the Sepoys and cut them up. The Riflemen then encamped at Hydergurh; and halted there till December 2, when they marched sixteen miles to Monshegunge, and encamped there for the night. And starting on the following morning at five o’clock, arrived at the Dilkoosha, Lucknow, after a fourteen-mile march, at half-past nine.
On December 5 the 2nd Battalion, forming part of a force under the command of Lord Clyde, started at six in the morning from Lucknow, and made a march of twenty miles, arriving at Newabgunge at about three or four in the afternoon, when the men got their breakfasts.
On the 6th they struck tents at five, and paraded at six, but did not get off till seven, when, making a very long march of twenty-two miles, they proceeded to Gunnespore, Byram Ghât, which they reached about three. The men were very tired and hungry, for they had had nothing to eat till about five, when they got their breakfast. On the way intelligence was received that the rebels were crossing the river. The cavalry and Horse Artillery pushed forward; and sixteen Riflemen and an officer (Lieutenant Sotheby[305]) were mounted on the limbers. They went as hard as they could go; but when they came to the Ghât they found the rebels had been too quick for them, and had crossed the river. However, the Riflemen got a few shots at them. The 7th Hussars after this chase were much astonished to hear the words, ‘The Rifles to the front;’ for they fancied the whole Battalion was coming up, and could not understand how they had kept up with such a pace as the Hussars and guns had been going. However, only Sotheby and his sixteen Riflemen then answered this call. For it had been a joke with these Hussars when they were an advanced guard with the Riflemen (and they had been on many): on the part of the troopers, ‘that they could not get rid of these little fellows;’ on the part of the Riflemen, that they ‘marched the horsemen down,’ and ‘could not make them march fast enough.’
On the 7th some companies of the Battalion were suddenly paraded at half-past one, and with the 7th Hussars went five miles up the river in search of rebels; but returned unsuccessful at seven in the evening.