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

by William Henry Cope

They then marched with orders to join Sir Hope Grant’s column at Fyzabad. They arrived at Jounpore on the 13th, and proceeded by Sultanpore to Fyzabad, which they reached on the 20th. Here a letter from the Chief of the Staff awaited Colonel Ross, directing him to join Brigadier Barker’s column, about sixty miles north of Lucknow. They left Fyzabad, therefore, on the 21st, and marched into Lucknow on the 24th, where they halted for Christmas Day. They marched on the 26th, and encamped about eighteen miles north of Lucknow. The object of their movement was to watch the right bank of the Gogra, and while Lord Clyde and Sir Hope Grant were driving the rebels into a corner between Baraitch and the Nepaul frontier, to intercept any rebels who might attempt to cross the Gogra. However, on all this march the Corps was short of camels, many having died in the neighbourhood of Sasseram, where the climate is said to be very injurious to these animals. They were therefore ordered to Agra to procure remounts. They proceeded by Seetapore, Futtehgurh, and Mynpooree to Agra, where they arrived on January 23, 1859. Having obtained the camels they required to remount the Corps, they started again on the 26th, under Brigadier Showers, whose force consisted, besides the Camel Corps, of two squadrons of the Carabiniers and two squadrons of Irregular Cavalry. The object of this force was to capture Tantia Topee, who, with Ferozeshah and a force of some 3,000 or 4,000 horsemen, was giving trouble to the west and north-west of Agra. On the 27th the Camel Corps encamped at Bhurtpore. On February 4 they encamped at Loorkee in the Jeypore district. On the next day they marched at one in the morning, and reached their camping-ground at eleven. On the 6th they started again at midnight, and arrived at Futtehpore at half-past eleven, where they halted during the two following days. Tantia Topee now doubled behind them to the southward, passing by Nagpore, and with a portion of his followers gave his pursuers the slip, and it was for some time uncertain in what direction he had gone.

The Camel Corps, therefore, leaving Futtehpore on the 9th, moved southward, marching daily from twenty to thirty miles till the 15th, when they halted for that day at Burroo. Next day they made a march of twelve miles; and on the 17th, passing through the range of hills which runs from north-west to south-east through Rajpootana, arrived at Ajmeer. In all these marches they started about midnight, often marching till one or two o’clock the next day; and seldom halting for a day, and then only because the horses of the cavalry required rest. From Ajmeer the Camel Corps proceeded to Nusseerabad, where they halted for two days; and on the 21st marched still southward, and arrived at Boondee on the 26th.

Thence inclining to the south-east, they encamped at Barah in the Kotah district on March 2. They then moved towards Agra to receive some supplies forwarded from thence, and on the 13th were encamped at Madhoopoora in the Jeypore district. Thence retracing their steps and crossing the Chumbul river, they encamped on the 22nd at Etawah, and on the 29th at Bilowa in the Gwalior district. This country was full of jungle, of which the rebels well knew how to take advantage; so that to trace them, or to dislodge them when tracked, was a most difficult operation. The Camel Corps marched into Goonah on April 7. On the 8th Tantia Topee was captured (by Colonel Meade’s column) about ten miles from Goonah and four from the camp of the Camel Corps. Though he did not actually fall into their hands, there is no doubt that his inexorable pursuit by Brigadier Showers’ force led to his capture, and so indeed he himself stated. For though reserved and uncommunicative to the officers, he spoke freely with the men; and said that had it not been for the incessant chase of Showers’ force, which had run him to earth, he would have cared little for any other troops. He admitted that he had been so closely pressed by them that on one occasion he hid under a bridge they were actually passing over.

During their few days’ halt at Goonah, Colonel Ross had the Riflemen’s clothing, which was dilapidated and of many colours from patches, dyed.

The Camel Corps halted for a week at Goonah, and left it on the 14th at four o’clock in the afternoon to look for Ferozeshah, who with some force was about fifty miles to the south. They came upon him on the 16th near a village, and killed some of his followers; but the rebels scattered at once and with Ferozeshah escaped into the jungle. However, they took nine waggons laden with provisions and eleven prisoners, whom the Sikhs of the Camel Corps immediately shot. They then moved to Supree, where Tantia Topee had been hanged on the 15th. On their arrival there Brigadier Showers left them, and the cavalry which had hitherto formed part of the column also moved off, so that the Camel Corps, under Colonel Ross, alone began their march towards Agra. They proceeded by Kallarus and Gwalior, where they arrived on the 30th, and reached Agra on May 5, where they went into quarters for about four months.

On September 15 they left Agra en route for Saugor, and passing through Muneeah and Dholpore encamped on the banks of the Chumbul on the morning of the 17th. Colonel Ross having endeavoured to find a ford with elephants, but without success, found it necessary to get his Corps across in boats; a difficult operation, as from the camels’ dislike to water it is no easy matter to get them into boats. There were twenty-two boats, most of which held each three, and some few four camels. The stream was wide and rapid, and the ravines which border its banks (as they do many of the large rivers of India) had become water-courses; for much rain had recently fallen. On the morning of the 18th Colonel Ross took over a party with shovels and improved the landing-place, which was knee-deep with mud. He then passed over the two Sikh companies, to find fatigue parties and to establish a camp. This had to be pitched about two miles from the river’s bank, as the ravines extend nearly that distance. Before dark he had succeeded in getting over the camels of three out of the four troops, besides many baggage-animals. Early on the 19th the two Rifle companies crossed; by four on that day the whole Corps, with its baggage, was in camp. Thus, besides the men, 600 camels were got over in two days, and the baggage, which had to be unloaded on one bank and loaded on the other. And much time was lost by the rapidity of the current carrying the boats down-stream. On the 22nd they arrived at Gwalior, where they halted the next day. On the 26th they had some difficulty in crossing the Sinde river; for though the water was not deep the further bank was steep and slippery. On the 27th they encamped at Datia; and on the 28th arrived at Jhansi. On leaving it on the next day they had to cross the Betwa river, about six miles’ distance; which, though less troublesome and tedious than the passage of the Chumbul, was not without its difficulties; and they encamped about four miles beyond it.

The Camel Corps arrived at Saugor on October 9.

The object of the operations now about to be commenced was to hunt all the jungles from the southward up towards the river Betwa, the line of which was to be closely watched. Ferozeshah was somewhere to the east of Saugor at the head of a body of rebels, or rather robbers and others of the evil classes, and was keeping the district in a state of unquiet.

With this view seven small columns were formed, and the command of one of them, consisting of his own Corps, an Irregular Cavalry Regiment, and a regiment of Punjaub Infantry, was conferred on Colonel Ross. Two companies of the Camel Corps, however, under Major Nixon, were attached to another column.

Both portions of the Corps marched from Saugor on the 14th, and Colonel Ross moved to a position about fifty miles from it. The country through which he was to operate was covered with wild jungle, which clothed hills of moderate elevation, the valleys being watered by clear streams. After pursuing the rebels in and through the jungle, where, from their invariably decamping as soon as the troops approached, and from their knowledge of the paths, it was impossible to catch or intercept them, Colonel Ross with his party reached Dergowah, about seventy miles to the north of Saugor, early in December. He proceeded to Heerapore on the 3rd, and halted till joined by Major Nixon with the other portion of the Camel Corps. These had been attached to a column under Colonel Primrose of the 43rd Light Infantry; and on October 27 fifty men of the Camel Corps, twenty-five Riflemen and twenty-five Sikhs, under command of Lieutenant Ramsbottom, were engaged at the village of Mitharden, where some rebels were killed. The Riflemen on this occasion had not their camels, and fought dismounted.