Indian Mutiny and Beyond

by Robert Shebbeare VC (retail) (epub)

  I am putting this fort into thorough repair and preparation for a siege which however I do not now hope will come off. The scoundrels, who are in some force are on the other side of the Raingunge, may cross and come and put themselves down on the opposite bank of the river and if they do I have got a nasty gun for them, a 32” Howitzer, which will astonish their nerves. Hodson was severely wounded the other day across the right arm by a broad cut, but is all right and has gone in to Cawnpore.

  Yours very sincerely,

  T.Seaton.

  Pray write to me occasionally.

  The Chief’s delay is all right. I know all his plans for he told me before he would make a fine finish of Lucknow and Oude.

  P.S. Turner’s Troop 9th Lancers, 1 EBF, HM 38th and 4th Punjab Infantry have crossed the river at Cawnpore and gone to Bonao. Frank’s column consisting of HM 10th Punjab Infantry Regiment, eighteen field guns, two eighteen pounders and two mortars are at Budlupoor NW of Jaunpoor on the border of Oude. Culbee is taken in our hands and General Rose, moving up central India, must be at Jhansi.

  Feb 14th, Murdan

  My dear Sheb,

  I have received yours of the 10th — herewith the Government Donation.

  I am endeavouring to get your pay cleared up.

  I am glad to hear so flourishing an account of your corps. I imagine the reason for the embodiment of the Muzbees to be other than any supposition of freedom from caste — a descent in the scale would hardly of itself procure that end. By combining in our view high caste and good soldiership we enormously strengthened the former, and by a general commingling we can get the soldiers without awarding all the fruits of our service and the pride of caste. We have taken a step in the right direction.

  Some of the best deeds of soldiership in the Sikh Army were done by Muzbees and along the border the Guide work was proverbially good.

  We have had a gorgeous k————at Peshawar. Addresses and parades from a stout clearheaded soldier General Cotton. Speeches humorous and banquets rare for Edwardes. The men were truly pleased, though in the desire to attain a political end, the common sense treatment was rather overdone.

  Kennedy has written to you. I asked him to mention Joree Sing to you. He says he can procure any number (to 200) good men for you. He is a gallant and good old soldier.

  I shall be truly glad to hear you have promoted Ram Sing. I consider him as worthy of it as any man we have. Their pay shall be forwarded in a few days.

  Should Government raise another Corps of Guides my voice would be heartily with you.

  I was very glad to see your handwriting and though I have scribbled a scrawl amongst a heap of work try me once again and you shall be better treated. HDD (Henry Daly)

  Bond will make an excellent adjutant and can work now that the glory of war and fighting are over.

  Camp Ackbur near Goozaira February 24th, 1858

  Dearest Nelly,

  This is the 3rd time I have commenced a letter to you this morning! I hope I shall succeed better this time than in the previous endeavours. The fact is that my moonshee (Persian writer) has been sitting on the floor close to me, reading the result of some very intricate accounts he has been engaged in for some days — but, as I don’t care about them until they are quite finished, I tried to write letters while he read and explained, he thinking all the time, I fancy, that I was taking notes of his discourse. He was so voluble, however, that although I know nothing of his accounts I utterly failed in my letters. He is off now, I am happy to say, and I may succeed in making myself intelligible.

  I did not receive your Christmas Day letter until after those of January had arrived, which delay prevented my first learning the news of your recovery from your own handwriting — I hope dear Nelly that ere this your health is fully reestablished and that you are as strong as ever. I did not forget you on our birthday and I hope that you will have received the little present I sent you by Mr Jones of the 9th Lancers. I can’t tell what can have become of Allie’s necklace. If she does not receive it I must send her another. I sent it by post, but the post has been very uncertain since the outbreak.

  I hope you will see a great friend and favourite of mine before long, C. McLean of the 1st Cavalry. He is about the best Highlander I ever met and a brave and spirited young soldier, and I am sure you will all like him. Pray tell Jack to give me the benefit of his foreign experience in France, which language I can still read and understand very well, although from want of practice rather doubt my pronunciation.

  I shall be so glad when I can learn anything about what is likely to be the fate of our service. I am afraid we shall not benefit by the transfer of authority to Her Majesty’s Government. I can form no plan in my furlough until something is settled. I received the photograph of grandmother which Margaretta sent me and it strikes me as being rather a good one. I wish you could send me your own likeness; I lost all I had at Rohtuck.

  We have been expecting an account of the commencement of the siege of Lucknow. I hear it was commenced on the 23rd. If it did you will hear of it from the newspapers.

  There is the moonshee again! I find I have no chance of escaping this time so I must cut short my letter, although I really think I have nothing more to say.

  Your ever affectionate brother Robert H. Shebbeare

  Goozaira. April 20th, 1858

  My dear Nelly,

  I was delighted to hear by the last mail of your better health and that you were well enough to write me a note yourself. I am afraid the weather must have been very unfavourable to your recovery, but I hope by this time it has been sufficiently warm for you to get a change of air. We are at last under a roof again — not before it was desirable though, for the heat in tents had begun to be very great and would have done us no good after our last year’s exposure.

  We don’t seem to be getting on much in India, whether the fault lies with Lord Canning or Sir Colin Campbell. I wish with all my heart that the home Government could be induced to try Sir John Lawrence as a governor general. In common times Lord Canning might be well enough, but now we want a tried man and one well acquainted with the people of the country — and Sir John is the man. But I fancy his chance is small as he belongs to the Company’s service and is therefore looked upon with jealousy by the noblemen who are at the head of Her Majesty’s Government.

  I shall be very glad when the India Bill is settled and passed. There seems to be no chance for our old Master John Company. I wish he could have lasted my time for I despair of getting a better.

  We never see a fresh face out at this vile place and therefore have no news except from your newspapers and letters. I am glad my friend McLean has been appointed Adjutant of his Regiment so that he will have something to come back to when his leave is up. He has gone I fancy to England but I know nothing about him, as he has never written one word since he left us. I hope nevertheless that he will look you up as I desired him to do. I can’t complain about people not writing to me; but I did expect to hear from McLean and when you see him I hope you will tell him so.

  Will you please tell Harry that I have heard of the pistol. It has been started from Kurrachee and I expect it Goozaira shortly. I am so glad that Jack has got this appointment and that he has escaped the necessity of going to Edinburgh. Fancy living among Scotchmen for three years! I hope he will write to me and tell me about the business and how he likes it, what he has to do etc. Oh dear! I wish I could come home and see you all! I hope things will be so settled before the end of next year (at all events) that I may be able to do so. I was in hopes of getting mail from home before closing this but I can wait no longer although the mail will probably be in tomorrow. With best love to all, believe me dear Nelly, your most affectionate Robert H. Shebbeare

  30th April. To give you an idea of the dress of my regiment I send you scraps of stuff showing the colours of coat and turban, khakee coat and chocolate turban.

  This sort of animal. They never shave nor cut their hair but tie the latter up as you
do your ‘hack hair’ but they put it on the top of their heads.

  Here he is without his turban. Pencil very bad.

  Goozaira. June 8th, 1858.

  My dear Mother,

  I received your letter with Margaret’s of the 2nd May a day or two ago and I must confess my negligence with regard to answering questions so I will first proceed to answer all those I find in your last three letters.

  Young George Baker has got through all the fighting safely and considering that he is not very strong at any time his health has been wonderful. His name is George Anthony Aufrere Baker, his father a naval officer residing at Leamington. I should not be at all surprised to find that he is related to Mrs Aufrere for it has always appeared to me that he was in some way related to or connected with every second person I met. This country at all events is full of his uncles and cousins; Plowdens, Hardinges, Hunts, Stewards, Ansons and Youngs, amongst others, and his numerous cousins have always been a matter for jokes in the old regiment. I will ask him the question however. I have never seen or heard from Colonel Riddell since the outbreak, but I see by the papers that he commands a column, of which his regiment (3rd European Bengal Regiment) forms a part, in the Mynpoorie and Etawali country and is doing well. I am sorry he did not get any earlier opportunity as he is a first-rate officer and very energetic. Colonel Seaton was never permanently attached to the 60th. He was sent temporarily to take command from Colonel Drought who was rapidly ruining the Regiment. Sir Thomas is now to go to Shahjehanpore, a very important position where he is likely to have work until the country is cleared of the ruffians who are hanging about in bands.

  H. Arbuthnot I have never met. I am afraid Captain Jones (he was promoted without purchase for good service) must be suffering from his wounds or he would have delivered my parcels before this. I think Harry might well have asked him for them. By the by it is possible enough that he went home quickly and left his baggage and this would account for the delay. I have never heard from young McLean since he left Goozaira. If he does not pay you a visit I hope that Harry or Jack will use violence if they can find him and force him to call on you and give an account of Goozaira at any rate.

  I have heard nothing of Mr Innes since I left Delhi but I saw his name in orders for leave so I suppose you will see him soon. He will be able to find McLean who took a box home for Mrs Innes. The barbarian himself will probably be off to the Highlands before long but he ought to present himself to you as early as possible. I am very much obliged to Harry for getting Margaret and Helen’s likenesses taken for me and it will give me great pleasure to receive them.

  I wish I could get pictures of my Father and yourself and indeed of the whole family.

  There does not seem much chance of any legislation with regard to India for a long time. Lord Palmerston and Mr D’Israeli are very amusing on the subject but after three months Parliament appears to be no nearer a decision. The amount of nonsense talked and the absurd mistakes made, in both Houses, on Indian subjects, are ridiculous in the extreme. What will become of us eventually it is impossible to guess.

  Please tell Harry how glad I was to receive the ‘Illustrated Times’ and ‘Courier de l‘Europe’. The picture of poor Hodson in the former, though somewhat like, would give a stranger no idea of him. He is represented with a sort of rough beard which he never wore (at least not habitually). His hair was of the very lightest flaxen whereas the print gives the idea of dark brown or black. But I must close my letter.

  Hoping it will find you all well,

  with best love

  believe me dearest mother, your affectionate son

  Robert H. Shebbeare

  Palace Delhi, June 14th, 1858

  My dear Shebbeare,

  Very many thanks for your kind congratulations.

  I should like to have seen your name amongst the Brevet Majors; had you been a Captain you most assuredly would have got it. It is a great pity you were not.

  I shall have very great difficulty in replacing all the little fellows. Jang has put his veto against recruiting. The guards at the different ghats are more vigilant than ever. Soorbea sent a man into Nepaul the other day to try and get some fellows to join. He has done so at once, and forced Jang’s service! I hope to get away from this vile hole before the end of the month. Certain it is I must go. The head bothers me a great deal and the medics say I ought to be in the hills. I came back to my work too soon.

  You have done well to get your regiment completed so soon. You deserve great credit.

  The account of poor Murray’s auction was made over to Hawes before he left this, and the money realized was sent him with a guard some time ago. He acknowledged the receipt of the draft and said he would make the sum over to you. Apply for your brevet majority on promotion. I shall be happy to testify to your conduct on all occasions and will give you all the assistance I can. Believe me, yours very sincerely, Charles Reid

  I have not heard any Lucknow news today. Yesterday Hodson has been reported dead and Taylor wounded. All was going on well. Delhi still stands. ‘A standing disgrace to the nation’, I call it.

  We shall have a row with Ranee. Let me get a thousand Goorkhas together . . .

  Letter from D.D. Muter, 60th Rifles, who commanded the 4th column after Major Reid was wounded on 14th September:

  Allahabad, 4th July, 1858

  My dear Shebbeare,

  I received your letter of the 7th July with much pleasure. Many thanks for your kind congratulations. I doubt much however about the lieutenant-colonelcy. I would have the most wonderful luck if I got it considering what I have done and comparing it for instance with what you have done.

  I look upon you with very great admiration — I say this without any flattery. In fact I can neither write nor talk except as I think. I say I classed you as a man who can look death steadily in the face and accept it in preference to a shade of dishonour. Now, it is all very fine talking, but among those of a very high standard of spirit you will not find this self devotion, it is only in the very highest order, and I rank you in that order and respect you accordingly — now these are not empty words which I say to you. I will if necessary say to the Horse Guards and will most certainly do so if you are not immediately promoted, on obtaining your company, to the brevet rank. It would come better from me than any remonstrance from yourself. I would certainly consider it a slur on all at Kissengunge if such services that you performed on that day were overlooked though I regard it as quite an absurdity to suppose that you, who commanded the Guides, should be passed over — the thing is quite impossible. I allude as far as I am concerned only to the act of one day. If you like to go in for a Victoria Cross for your gallantry in leading over the garden wall and the devoted attempt you made to reform the troops for a third attack on the serai of Kissengunge, I am your man. As you say it is absurd to suppose that there are not men as deserving who acted in the great event that redeemed India (Delhi was India saved) as in the common military operation against Lucknow, and certainly you are no common claim. You see that the fluke of my having been for a short time in command of the column at Kissengunge gave me the power of bringing your name up and this I am not only willing but anxious to do, satisfied that nothing in the way of reward that could come of it would exceed what you deserve. Write on the subject if you wish the stone to be set rolling. Nothing may come of it, but something may but at any rate your name will be up before the authorities. If I write, should the application go through Chamberlain who commanded on the heights or straight to the C-in-C or to England to Wilson? It is because no one has been pushed forward that so little has been got for Delhi. If the divells won’t move, let us try our hand, we can only get snubbed.

  Norman did write to me about the Cashmere contingent, putting questions to be answered. I wrote to Dick [Lawrence] on receipt of the letter and asked him if he really meant to call in question the behaviour of such regiments as the 60th Rifles, the 1st Fusiliers, the Guides and the Goorkhas. This he disclaimed at the same
time that he maintained that the Cashmere contingent continued to hold a prominent position long after the European troops had been repulsed and driven from the ground. He also said that the contingent had not been defeated with the loss of their guns before we could come up, but that only a detachment of the force had been engaged (400) and that they continued to fight long after Reid was carried from the field, and that this occurred a mile from where we attacked. If this is true the Cashmere contingent as a body did not attack at all, for they most certainly did not support us.

  Alluding to their occupying a position before this fortified serai, I observed in my answer to Norman that I considered it an erroneous charge against Captain Lawrence that he could have committed so gross a military blunder as to employ his men firing musketry at the walls of a position 10 feet thick. In attempting to carry such a position as that at Kissengunge I could only understand the attacking column going at the breach with fixed bayonets, failing to reform and go at it again, and finding it too strong and the loss too great to enable the place to be carried, to withdraw the column under fire and report the result to the authorities. I begged him not to get up a public controversy on the subject. If he does, I feel that he, Captain Lawrence, will not benefit by it. I see the beginning of such a controversy in the Lahore Chronicle where it is stated that the troops of the Maharajah had not justice done them in the despatches and a threat they would bring the whole thing up. I hate these controversies — they give rise to such a bitter spirit and leave the questions in more obscurity than ever. However, I am determined not to let the shadow of a slur to be thrown on any detachment of the Delhi Field Force that formed our column on that day, and I hope that the officers engaged will come forward and show that such an attempt will not be tolerated.