While here Major Ross received a letter from Sir Colin Campbell, saying that the Camel Corps was a Corps-d’élite; and that the officers were to be very carefully picked, as there would be a great deal of independent command.
On the 4th they were ordered to march at midnight to Ukburpore, with stores for Sir Hugh Rose and mortars for the column commanded by Colonel Maxwell, 88th Regiment. The convoy did not arrive, however, till about two on the morning of the 5th, when they started and marched with a long train of hackeries. After proceeding fourteen miles they halted and pitched tents at eight in the morning. This day was most fearfully hot, the thermometer reaching 117°. At half-past eleven at night they struck tents, and marched at midnight. In about an hour they reached the Rind river and began crossing; but the convoy and train of hackeries was some two miles long, so that it was eight o’clock in the morning before all were got over. Then they continued their march to Ukburpore, about fourteen miles from their last halting-place, and reached it about 11.30. This day, like the last, was extremely hot; and as the men did not get in till near noon, and the rear-guard not till 1.30, they felt the heat extremely. They encamped on one side of the canal (then dry) in a white burning plain, without a tree on it, and only some small bushes.
On the 8th the Camel Corps was taken out at a trot, about two miles. The men were now beginning to get accustomed to the action of the strange beasts they bestrode, and they found sitting on them more easy.
Up to this time no General Order had been issued for the formation of the Camel Corps; one unpleasant consequence of which was that no pay, regimental or otherwise, was issued to the officers or to the men. They complained much, too, of their native camel-drivers; a most ruffianly and undisciplined set of men. As an instance of their ferocity, I may mention that on the 11th one of these men shot another with his carbine; and not content with thus wounding him, cut him over the back of the neck with his sword. The health, too, of the Rifle companies was unsatisfactory; sunstroke and apoplexy carried off several men; and their loss in the week ending May 12 was ten men.
On the 13th, striking tents at half-past three in the morning, they moved their camp about a mile and a half, in the hope of finding a more healthy situation for it.
On the 15th Colonel Maxwell, to whose column the Camel Corps was at that time attached, received a communication from Sir Hugh Rose, who was then advancing slowly towards Calpee, which was said to be occupied by 8,000 rebels with six guns. In consequence of this the Camel Corps was ordered to march in the evening, but was afterwards countermanded. However, further messages having been received from Sir Hugh Rose, they were ordered off, and marched on the 16th about half-past two in the morning. They were to have marched about eight miles; but as the ammunition carts which the 88th Regiment had with them were not able to get across a river or nullah, the Camel Corps halted after a march of two miles and pitched tents. Captain Nixon’s troop started again at half-past six in charge of the convoy; and having crossed the river, halted at about five miles and a half from the starting-place at half-past ten. Major Ross with the remainder of the Camel Corps came in about two. The whole halted till half-past four, when they trotted into their camping-ground, where they arrived by six o’clock. Lieutenant Eyre, who had charge of the convoy of ninety-five carts of ammunition, got them in with his escort about seven. The name of this halting-place was Bhogneepore. A good deal of firing had been heard in the direction of Calpee. They halted on the 17th, and on the next day the Riflemen of the Camel Corps were ordered to march at one the following morning, to take a fort about twelve miles off, in which it was reported that there were fifty or sixty fanatics; but the order was countermanded in the evening.
On the 19th a good deal of firing was heard. And the Camel Corps was ordered to cross the Jumna. They struck tents at half-past six, but as they were preparing to move off the order was countermanded; and they halted during the 20th. But Major Ross, with some of his officers, crossed the Jumna and visited Sir Hugh Rose’s camp.
The Camel Corps moved at about one on the morning of the 21st, to join Sir Hugh Rose’s force before Calpee. They crossed the Jumna at a ford so deep that it was up to the saddles of the camels. After crossing they joined the 2nd Brigade of the force under Sir Hugh Rose, and encamped about half-past seven.
The camp was very inconvenient, especially on account of the difficulty of getting water. For though they were not far from the river, yet the ravines which intersected the country and the steepness of the banks of the Jumna, made it impossible to obtain water without going two or three miles round. After the Riflemen had got over, 200 camels were sent back under Lieutenant Eyre, to bring over part of the 88th Regiment. Two Riflemen died of sunstroke on this march, for the heat was very great, the thermometer standing at 117° in the tents. The fort of Calpee, which stands on high ground, unapproachable from the river, and surrounded on all sides by ravines and a plain dotted only by a few topes of trees, gave them an occasional round-shot, just to let them realise that an enemy was close to them.
On the 22nd they had just sat down to breakfast, when an order came that they were to hold themselves in readiness to turn out at a moment’s notice. That moment soon came; the ‘assembly’ sounded, and mounting their camels they formed up with the brigade to which they were attached. In front of them were thousands of rebels advancing. Soon an officer came up in great excitement, and ordered the two Rifle companies of the Camel Corps to advance to the right. On doing so they found the rebels driving before them the picquet, or rather they had already driven it in, and were almost on some heavy guns which were in position there. The rebels were steadily advancing and within a hundred yards. Then the Riflemen jumped off their camels, and doubling up to where the picquet was, extended as best they could, and with a ringing cheer went at the rebels. The fire of musketry was very heavy; and the rebels let the Riflemen get within eighty yards of them, but then they fled. In this way the Riflemen went on in pursuit, doubling through the ravines with which the country is much intersected, and availing themselves of such cover as there was; but there was very little. In this affair (called the battle of Goolowlee) the Rifle companies had but three men wounded, but twenty-five men were disabled by the sun, as was also one officer, Lieutenant Eyre. For the heat was fearful; and the pace the Riflemen went at up to the picquet, now charging, then pursuing the rebels, was very exhausting. Yet, weary as they were, the 2nd Battalion company of the Camel Corps had to remain on picquet.