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

by William Henry Cope

They halted on the 28th to allow supplies to come up from Bikrumgunge; and on the 29th marched to the westward and south of Jugdespore, in order to drive the rebels from the surrounding villages into that place; and in the afternoon came to Kooath, a village which had been occupied just before by some 300 of the enemy; but who, on hearing of their approach, had fled in such hot haste that it was impossible to overtake them. They encamped at Dawuth, where they halted on the 30th, and were occupied in collecting arms from the villages in the neighbourhood. During the last four days they had been exposed to heavy rains.

On October 1 they moved on to Roopsaugor, about thirty miles north of Sasseram, whence they moved towards Soombursa. But, as usual, the enemy fled at the first approach of the Camel Corps, and they returned to the camp at Roopsaugor.

And on the 3rd proceeded on their route to two large villages, Dinareh and Kochus, which were said to be occupied by rebels. They reached the former on the 4th, after a most fatiguing march, the country being under water and deep in mud; and on the 5th arrived at Kochus. Great difficulty was experienced in obtaining information. The populations of the villages, which in this part of the country are scattered about at distances of scarcely half a mile, were evidently friendly to the rebels; and all knowledge of their whereabouts or of having seen them was persistently denied. Yet it afterwards turned out that a body of rebels, under a chief they were in search of, were hiding in a village within a mile of their track. On arriving at Kochus it was ascertained that the darogah or headman of the village had been actively collecting supplies for Oomar Singh; and after pitching camp a visit was made to his house, which was full of grain. This having been given to the natives, his residence was burned. But they had no sooner marched from Kochus than Oomar Singh and his gang, who had been hiding in the high sugar-cane fields, entered it.

On the 7th the Camel Corps made a long march, and returned to their camp at Kurroundea. But their respite from work was not long; for on the 8th they were ordered to start again, and marched at four in the afternoon. And after halting at Nokah three or four hours during the night, reached Bikrumgunge at seven in the morning of the 9th. And on the next day moved towards Jugdespore; encamping that night at Deonar, and on the 11th at Sukreta. For the next fortnight the Camel Corps were on the move, often day and night, to harass the rebels in the Jugdespore jungles and the Kinsey hills, and to endeavour to prevent their escape from Jugdespore.

Thus on the 15th Newdigate started with 13 Riflemen and 13 Sikhs at a quarter to six for Nurainpore, about nine miles from Sukreta, with orders to bring in two rebel Zemindars; but he found that they had escaped. So after burning their houses, he returned to the camp at Sukreta.

On the 16th Brigadier Douglas entered Jugdespore, but the enemy eluded him and escaped. However, on the 18th they were driven out of the jungle. On the 20th Colonel Turner directed Colonel Ross to push on with part of the Camel Corps. Taking with him Major Newdigate and 2 other officers, and 55 Riflemen, he came on the enemy. As they approached them another body appeared on their right flank flying before some cavalry. The enemy were in force, upwards of 100 cavalry and 600 infantry. The Riflemen at once dismounted from their camels and skirmished up to the village of Sukreta, which the enemy occupied. Here they had a hard fight; for besides the superiority of the rebels in numbers, the village, being surrounded by bushes, formed a strong position; and the rebels, finding they could not get away, fought better than their usual wont.[315] This fight lasted for nearly an hour, when the rest of the Camel Corps and of Turner’s column came up. Among these was Lieutenant Scriven of the 2nd Battalion, who, rushing up to the assistance of his comrades, was shot immediately. Besides his loss one Rifleman of the 2nd Battalion was killed and two were wounded severely, of whom one afterwards died; and of the 3rd Battalion two Riflemen were killed, and one sergeant and three privates wounded. The Adjutant of the Camel Corps (not a Rifleman) was also wounded. Of the enemy 70 dead, all rebel Sepoys, were counted in the village; and two or three times that number in the surrounding fields. The survivors fled towards the hills, and being pursued by some Horse under Major Havelock, were cut up and dispersed. On the next day the Camel Corps proceeded up the Sone and prevented the rebels crossing to the right bank of that river. They afterwards returned to their camp at Kurroundea.

Captain Newdigate, however, was detached with thirty-two Riflemen on camels, to join Major Havelock’s force, which consisted of about 200 men of the Military Train, some Sikh Cavalry, and some of the 10th Foot mounted on ponies. The Riflemen had no baggage.

On the 21st they marched to Sydha, and after halting there two hours proceeded to Khooath Khas, where about four in the afternoon they came on the rebels, who fled at their approach; the Camel Corps pursued them till after dark, the cavalry cutting up a good many, and encamped at Sethan. At sunrise on the 22nd this detachment marched by Suhejne to Jendonee, whence, after a short halt, they proceeded to Dinareh. They there halted two hours, and on the 23rd reached Kochus, and thence proceeded to Kyree, where they halted for breakfast. But intelligence of rebels being in the vicinity being brought in they started without it. They found the rebels in about three miles, and on their flying lost trace of them for two or three hours, but again came upon them near Khurgurh. They pursued them till they fled across the Great Trunk road about nine miles to the north of Sasseram. This was the very place where they had been ordered to drive them across, and where they were to have been intercepted by the Native Cavalry; but unfortunately these had been deceived by false intelligence of the rebel movements, and were not in the right place. The Camel Corps detachment went on to Jehanabad, their camels being quite exhausted. Here Newdigate found Major Ross with 100 men of the Camel Corps; and leaving the greater part of his detachment there he proceeded to Kurroundea with the wearied camels and ten men.

The Camel Corps were soon again in pursuit of the rebels, who, after crossing the Great Trunk road, got into some hills above Sasseram. On the 27th they marched, 120 Riflemen and 80 Sikhs, at half-past twelve to Akbarpore, near Rotas, where they arrived about ten at night. On the next day they marched to Khyrwa, where they breakfasted, and in the afternoon proceeded to Jeelokhur, and encamped; but Captain Nixon with about half the men went on to Nowadah. This detachment on the next day proceeded to Jadoonathpore, where they were followed on the 30th by the remainder of the Camel Corps. This place was about fifty miles from Sasseram, and on the Sone. Their position here was to guard one of the passes to the hills and to prevent the rebels coming down.

On November 3 and 4 the Camel Corps crossed the Sone, the bed of which is here some two miles broad and fringed with a range of high hills on each bank. On the 6th they marched to Purtee; on the 7th to Muktowar; on the 8th towards Kotah Ghât, when, finding rations running short, and no supplies likely to come up, they returned to some distance beyond their camping-ground of yesterday. On the 9th they marched to Pandoochoona; and on the following day recrossed the Sone to Jadoonathpore, and encamped, sending a detachment to Nowadah. On September 13 Newdigate was sent on a patrol to Jaca, about seven miles from the top of the pass through the hills. Incessantly moving in pursuit of the rebels, the Camel Corps again crossed the river on the 14th and 15th; marching on successive days to Pipra, Gao Ghât, Hurdee, and Choopan. Leaving this on the 20th, they recrossed the river at daylight and marched to Robertgunge, where they arrived at half-past three in the afternoon, and leaving it again at ten at night, reached Pannoogunge at two in the morning of the 21st and encamped. Here patrols reported that the rebels had escaped into Oude; they therefore turned back to their camp at Kurroundea, where they arrived on the 30th. They were soon ordered to follow the rebels; and starting on December 3 in five days arrived at Benares, where they encamped and halted till the 10th.