plosion had done its work completely.
The first, Though preparations had been made to advance
thirdcoiumns to the assault a little after 3 in the morning,
set out. S ome slight delay occurred, and the day was
dawning ere the columns were in motion. All
this time the besiegers' batteries were pouring; in
a heavy and continuous fire — a fire which the
enemy, always on the alert, answered with rockets,
shells, and round shot. It was amid the din and
tumult caused by this artillery duel that, just
NICHOLSON ORDERS THE ADVANCE. 33
after dawn, the first, second, and third columns bookx.
started on their tremendous errand. General u — v
Nicholson had the general management of the S ept°i4.
attack. He looked quiet but anxious. General
Wilson rode up just as the columns were advanc-
ing, evidently full of anxiety.* No wonder, know-
in o\ as he did know, the enormous issues at stake
on the result of the day's work before his men.
The columns advanced as far as the ground Their pro-
opposite Ludlow Castle. There they halted. The ground o PP o-
first column then moved sharply to the left to ^ t fe Udlow
take up its position in Kiidsia Bagh, there to
wait for the signal ; the second went further to
the left, and formed up behind No. 3 battery ;
the third remained on the high road, to await
there the bugle-sound which was to summon
them to the Kashmir gate. The signal for the
assault of the first and second columns was to be
the sudden advance of the skirmishers of the
60th Rifles.
The columns having taken up their positions, Nicholson
Nicholson gave the signal. The Rifles at once signal to
dashed to the front with a cheer, extending along push on "
and skirmishing through the low jungle— which
at this point extends to within fifty yards of the
ditch — and opening at the same time a fire on
the enemy on the walls. At the sound of their
advance, the engineer officers attached to the first
column, previously posted on the edge of the
jungle whence the column was to advance towards
the breach, waved their swords to show the way
* Medley.
II.
34
THE STORM OF THE FIRST COLUMN ;
Book X.
Chapter I.
1857.
Sept. 14.
The engi-
neers of the
first column
reach the
breach.
The assail-
ants are met
by a terrible
fire,
but by des-
perate valour
gain the
breach.
to the stormers. The fire from our batteries had
ceased, whilst that of the enemy, now thoroughly
alive to the nature of the contest, continued in-
cessant. Through this fire Medley and Lang
and the ladder-men advanced at a quick walk till
they reached the edge of the cover. Then, form-
ing their ladder-men into a sort of line, they
rushed to the breach, closely followed by the
storming party, and in a minute gained the
crest of the glacis. They were here in the open
exposed to a terrific and unceasing fire from the
breach and the open parapet walls, which told
with fatal effect. So hot was the fire that for
ten minutes it was impossible to let clown the
ladders. " Man after man was struck clown, and
the enemy, with yells and curses, kept up a terrific
fire, even catching up stones from the breach in
their fury, and, clashing them down, dared the as-
sailants to come on."* But, undaunted by these
cries and by the fire by which they were accom-
panied, the British soldiers did push on. They
succeeded at length in getting two of the ladders
into the ditch, and instantly the officers led their
men down themf. Once in the ditch, to mount
the escarp and scramble up the breach was the
work of an instant. But the enemy did not wait
* Medley, who is my chief
authority for all the details
of the assault.
f " The storming parties
pushed on, two ladders were
thrown into the ditch, and a
brave officer, Fitzgerald, of
H.M.'s 75th Regiment, who
was killed directly afterwards,
was the first to mount. As
soon as I saw my first ladder
down, I slid down into the
ditch, mounted up the escarp,
and scrambled up the breach,
followed by the soldiers." —
Medley.
OP THE SECOND COLUMN. 35
for them. The insulting yells and curses ceased as Book x.
the whilom utterers hurriedly vacated their posi- u *^—
tion. " The breach was won, and the supporting sept^.
troops pouring in fast, went down the ramp into
the main-guard below."*
Whilst the first column was thus carrying out, The second
with daring and success, the work assigned to it,
the second, under Brigadier "William Jones, C.B.,
had not been less occupied. Led by its engineers,
Greathed and Hovenden, the column advanced
towards the breach in the Water bastion. By The bulk of
some mistake the supporting party of the stormers the right and
pressed forward on the right of the party, and, f a a ^ t e .
rushing to the counterscarp of the curtain, slid
into its ditch, climbed its breach, and won the ram-
part. The stormers of the 8th, f however, most T }° sto ™ er9
r ot tho 8th
of them carrying ladders, followed the engineers â– King's
to the Water bastion. They had to make a
slight detour to the right to avoid some water in
the ditch, and being in the open, they were ex-
posed to the full fury of the enemy's fire, which,
at this point, was incessant and well directed.
The two engineer officers fell, severely wounded,
and of the thirty-nine ladder-men, twenty-nine were
struck down in a few minutes. But here, as at gain the
.„ . . , -, , breach of the
the Kashmir gate, British valour was not to be water gate,
daunted. The ladders were at length placed and
the breach was carried by the survivors, twenty-
five in number, the senior of whom was a colour-
sergeant.
Meanwhile the remainder of the column, which
* Medley. tenants Pogson and Metge,
t Captain Baynes, Lieu- and seventy-five rank and file.
3 *
the Kabul
gate
36 THE EXPLOSION PARTY.
Book x. had entered by the curtain breach, had done
wonders. Their entrance into a vital point of
Sept 14 the defences, where an attack had not been ex-
pected, for the moment paralysed the enemy.
Brigadier Brigadier Jones, who, in command of the column,
forward to SeS na ^ displayed great gallantry, took advantage of
the disorder into which they had been thrown by
clearing the ramparts as far as the Kabul gate,
on the top of which he planted the column flag,*
carried by a private of the 61st, Andrew
Laughnan.
Before recording the proceedings of the third
column, I propose to follow the explosion party,
on whose action the movements of that column
were to depend.
The explosion The composition of this party has already been
par y " given. Posted in front of the third column, it
advanced straight on the Kashmir gate, in the
Splendid face of a very hot fire. Undeterred by this fire,
audacity of T . , . TT -, ? i '
Home. Lieutenant Home and lour men, each carrying a
bag of twenty-five pounds of powder, pushed on
through a barrier gate, which was found open,
across the ditch, to the foot of the great double
gate. So great was the audacity of this pro-
ceeding, that it completely paralysed the enemy.
Firing only a few straggling shots, they closed
the wicket with every appearance of alarm, and
Home, after laying his bags, had time to jump
into the ditch unhurt. Salkeld was not so for-
* This flag was presented proclamation of Her Ma-
by Sir William Jones to Her jesty's title of Empress of
Majesty the Queen on the 1st India.
January 1877, the day of the
THE GATEWAY IS SHATTERED. 37
timate. Before he could reach the gate the bookx.
it -in ,1 ■• i Chapter I.
enemy had recovered trom their panic, and,
divining his object, had resolved to do their sep^u
utmost to thwart it. From either side of the
top of the gateway, and from the open wicket
close by, they poured upon him and his party a
deadly fire. Salkeld, nevertheless, laid his bags, Saikeid lays
but was almost immediately after shot through i s ls WO unded U
the arm and leg, and fell back disabled on the
bridge. He handed the portfire to Sergeant
Burg-ess, bidding him light the fusee. Burgess, Burgess and
, 6 ' _ & iiia n Carmichael
trying to obey, was shot dead, sergeant Oar- are killed.
michael then seized the portfire, lighted the fusee,
but immediately fell, mortally wounded. The
other sergeant, Smith, thinking that Carmichael Wonderful
had failed, rushed forward to seize the portfire, Smith.
but noticing the fusee burning, threw himself into
the ditch. The next moment the massive gate
was shattered with a tremendous explosion. Home Home orders
at once ordered Hawthorne to sound the bugle- to e b g vance
call.* Fearing that in the noise of the assault sounded.
the sound might not be heard, he had it repeated
three times. The 52nd, anxiously awaiting the
signal, did not hear it; but their colonel, the
* A more daring and gal- mended by General Wilson
lant achievement than that of for the Victoria Cross. But
the officers and non-commis- Salkeld succumbed in a few
sioned officers mentioned in days to the severe wounds he
the text has never been re- had received; Home met his
corded. Their subsequent death shortly afterwards at
fate cannot but inspire in- M&lagarh; Smith and Haw-
terest. Burgess and Car- thorae survived, to receive
michael were killed on the the honours that they had so
gpd ; Salkeld, Home, Smith, nobly earned.
and Hawthorne were recom-
1857.
Sept. 14.
38 Campbell's gallant advance.
book x. gallant Campbell, who also commanded the
column, in front of which he had posted himself,
noticing the explosion, and expecting the call,
Campbell asked, not hearing it himself, whether it had
the S sound 6ar reacne( i the ears °f an y °f those about him.
bnt orders Though no one had heard it, Campbell felt that
on hearing at so critical a moment action was better than
the explosion. g t anc [i n g still- He at once ordered the advance.
The column responded eagerly. The 52nd gal-
lantly led the way, and in less than a minute
after the bugle had sounded, they dashed on
over the bridge, and entered the city just as
the other columns had won the breaches.*
Campbell Colonel Campbell, on gaining the main-guard
Stbin sTght inside the gate, at once re-formed his column, and
Ma?id Jamma P usne( l on with the intention of occupying the
Kdtwali, and, if possible, the Jamma Mas j id. He
cleared the Water bastion, within which some of
the enemy were still lurking, the church, and the
enclosure known as the "Delhi Gazette com-
pound," and forced his way through the Kashmir
Grate bazaar. A gun which commanded the line
of advance was carried by a rush of a party of
the 52nd, under Lieutenant Bradshaw, who,
however, paid with his life on the spot the
penalty of his daring. Still pressing forward,
Campbell reached the gate opening on the
Chandni Chdk. Forcing this, he advanced with-
out much opposition, except from a musketry fire
from a few houses. A sudden turn of the road
* Lieutenant Home's Be- Statement ; Medley ; Bayley's
port ; Bugler Hawthorne's Assault of JDehli.
THE FOURTH COLUMN. 39
brought him within sight of the Jamraa Masjid, book x.
its arches and gates bricked up, incapable of —
being forced without powder-bags or guns, ren- septfu.
dered safe against assault from mere infantry.
Unwilling to forego the chance of storming this For want of
formidable position, Campbell remained in front tSSTonthe
of it for half an hour, under a fire of musketry B * gam Bagh -
from the houses, in the expectation of the suc-
cessful advance of the other columns. But as
time went on, and there were no visible signs of
the approach of the one or the other, Campbell
deemed it advisable to retire on the Begam's
Bagh, a large enclosure. He held this place for
an hour and a half, exposed to a heavy fire of
musketry, grape, and canister. Here I must
leave him whilst I trace the progress of the
fourth column.
Much depended on the success of its attack. Attack of the
Commanded by Major Reid, it was designed to column.
move from Hindu Rao's house, on the right,
against the suburbs of Kishanganj and Pahari-
piir, with a view of driving the enemy thence and
effecting an entrance at the Kabul gate after it
should be taken by General Nicholson. The suc-
cessful advance of the first, second, and third
columns depended, then, very much on the result
of this flank attack.
Mai or Reid's column,* com posed of detachments His column
. i .', M . • i i it l deficient in
of eight different regiments, eight hundred and gulls .
sixty men in all, with a reserve of one thousand
two hundred infantry of the Jammu contingent,
* Vide Appendix A.
40
THE FOURTH COLUMN.
Book X.
Chapter I.
1857.
Sept. 14
The Jammu
troo23s, sent
by Reid to
make a diver-
sion, become
engaged with
the enemy.
Reid
advances.
formed up at 4.30 a.m. on the Grand Trunk
Road, opposite the Sabzi Mandi picket. Before
5 a.m. all was in readiness, but the four horse
artillery guns which were ordered to accompany
the column had not arrived. Presently the guns
came up, but the officer reported that there were
only sufficient gunners to man one gun. Reid
had no intention of taking one gun into action
contrary to the rules of the service, so he directed
the officer to obtain the full complement of gunners
as soon as possible. It was now broad daylight,
and he was anxiously listening for the explosion
(the blowing in of the Kashmir gate), which was
to have been his signal to advance, when he heard
musketry fire on his right, and soon discovered
that the party of the Jammu troops, four hun-
dred infantry and four guns, which he had
ordered to proceed direct from the camp at
3.45 a.m., for the purpose of making a diversion
by occupying the Idgar, had become engaged
with the enemy. No time under these circum-
stances was to be lost, so he at once pushed on
with the column without the horse artillery
guns, and more than half an hour before the
attack of the other columns.
The detachment of the 60th Rifles, under Cap-
tain Muter, was thrown out in skirmishing order
to the right of the road, while a feeling party of
the Guides was sent a short distance ahead of the
column. When within sixty yards of the canal
bridge, Reid discovered that the enemy had
manned their breast-works across the road, as
also one running parallel to the road, and that
THE FOURTH COLUMN. 41
both of them had been considerably strengthened book x.
during the night. The head of the column ap- ap Gr
proached the first line of breast-works, within se\ 8 t 57 i4
fifty yards, when the enemy opened with a tre-
mendous volley. The 60th Rifles meanwhile
closed to the left, and with the Sirmur Giirkahs,
made a dash, and instantly drove the enemy from
his first line of defence. They at once retreated on
their second line. Meanwhile a steady fire was
kept up by the enemy from the loop-holed wall of
Kishanganj, eighteen feet high, which completely
commanded the position now gained by the head
of Reid's column, and many of his men fell. Reid,
who was standing on the parapet of the canal
bridge, now observed that the enemy had been
reinforced from the city. They came in thousands
down the dry bed of the canal over which Reid was
standing, and a large body appeared on the road,
hesitating apparently whether they should drive
our men from the breast-work already gained, or
attack the detachment of the Jammu troops on the
right, which had never approached the Idgar — a
result of their starting from the camp nearly an
hour after the time laid down. Guns at tins time,
whilst the enemy stood in a mass on the road, Embarrass-
would have been invaluable, and would have proved ReM from y
of the greatest service to Reid, but, though the guns tb ° 7 ant of
o ' o o artillery.
had been sent, no gunners, through some unac-
countable mistake, were available to man them.
Reid was just about to feign an attack in front Koii1 k
of the K is] in n gaii j heavy batteries, whilst he should
direct a real oue in their flank and rear, when lie
fell over the parapet of the bridge with a musket-
42
EEID IS SEVERELY WOUNDED.
Book X.
Chapter I.
1857.
Sept. 14.
On reviving
he makes
over com-
mand to
Richard
Lawrence.
Fatal effect
of the fall of
Reid.
shot wound in the head, his engineer officer,
Lieutenant Maunsell, who was standing near him,
being also hit in the head. Up to this time, Reid
states in his dispatch, " all was going on admir-
ably, the troops were steady, and well in hand,
and I made sure of success." How long he lay
on the ground insensible is not known — all thought
he was dead — but when he came to his senses he
found himself on the back of one of his G-urkahs.
He then saw the party of the Jammii contin-
gent on his right hard pressed. He sent for
Captain Lawrence, who was his second in com-
mand, and, presently meeting him, directed him
to take command and to support the right. The
reserve, under Captain Lawrence, consisting of
one thousand two hundred infantry of the Jammii
contingent, was in rear of the column. The de-
tached party of four hundred infantry destined
for the Idgar, became perfectly disorganised after
Reid's fall. They rushed into the main column,
and caused the greatest confusion, making it
difficult to distinguish friend from foe.
The fall of Major Reid was an irreparable blow
to the success of the fourth column. He knew
every inch of the ground thoroughly : he knew
the officers, he knew the men ; and every officer
and every man felt in his leading the most abso-
lute confidence. The first effect of his fall showed
itself in the confusion which was thereby caused
in the command. Next in seniority to Reid was
Captain Richard Lawrence, brother of the Chief
Commissioner of the Panjab. Captain Lawrence
was in command of the body of the Kashmir
FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF HIS WOUND. 43
contingent, one thousand two hundred strong, Bookx.
which formed the reserve to that part of the fourth ap ei
column which was attacking Kishanganj. Major septfu
Reid had been stunned by his wound ; but, as I have
already stated, on recovering his senses, he called
out for Captain Lawrence, and personally made
over the command to him. But before this had
happened, many of the officers who had been con-
ducting the attack under Major Reid, feeling the
absence of a commander, and seeing that the
attack had failed, had resolved to fall back.
Falling back, they came upon Captain Lawrence,
to whom they reported themselves, and who ap-
proved their conduct. Meanwhile Captain Muter Captain
of the 60th Rifles, who was with the attacking suni egth"e
column, seeing Major Reid fall, and apparently command of
regarding Captain Lawrence in the light only of the column,
a political officer attached to the Kashmir force,
assumed the command of tkc portion of the
column with which he was serving. This caused
considerable confusion; Captain Lawrence and
Captain Muter each regarding himself as com-
mandant of the column, and each giving his own
orders. As reinforcements of artillery which
had been applied for failed to arrive, and as the
enemy, pressing forward on the right flank of
the column, seemed to threaten his rear, Law-
rence retired leisurely on the batteries behind
Hindu Rao's house. The attack on the Idgar, the attack of
r» i xr , i which is re-
conducted by a portion or the Kashmir troops pulsed.
under Captain Dwyer, was still more unfortunate.
The Kashmirians, greatly outnumbered, were not
only repulsed, but lost four guns.
44 RESULT OF EEPULSE OF THE FOURTH COLUMN.
Book X.
Chapter I.
1857.
Sept. 14.
Disastrous
effect on the
other columns
of the repulse
of the fourth
column.
Position of
the Lahor
The repulse of the fourth column greatly ag-
gravated the difficulties of the assault. I left the
first and second columns, to which I must now
return, victorious inside the breach. Nicholson
at once collected the great body of his column on
the square of the maiu-guard, then turning to
the right, pushed forward along the foot of the
walls towards the Lahor gate. The second
column, under Brigadier Jones, had previously
cleared the ramparts, and passing the Mori bas-
tion, had planted their flag, in the manner already
indicated, on the summit of the Kabul gate.
Nicholson advanced beyond this in the hope of
feeling the support of the fourth column. But
we have seen that the attack of this column had
failed, and it was this failure which now ren-
dered the position of the advanced assailants
difficult and dangerous in the extreme.
In pushing along the foot of the walls towards
the Lahor gate our troops had been assailed by
musketry fire from the houses in the place, and
by grape and round shot from the Selimgarh and
the palace. This, however, had not impeded the
advance. But when the column had reached the
eastern extremity of the town and ascertained
that, by the failure of the fourth column, the
defences there were still in the hands of the
enemy, they saw that their entire position was
altered, and that they had before them another
struggle at least as serious as that which they
had but just then overcome.
The Lahor gate of the city was the gate which
led to the Chandni Chok or principal street of the
NICHOLSON KESOLVES TO PUSH ON. 45
city. This gate was commanded by a bastion bookX.
about two-thirds of the way between it and the
Kabul gate. But to reach this bastion not only Se pt 5 i4
had narrow streets, the houses in which were The enemy
strongly manned, to be forced, but the left of the ~^ w
attacking party would be exposed to a very heavy streets lead-
fire from the enemy now concentrating there.
It was a prospect such as to make the boldest
leader pause. Nicholson was a man of great
daring, but there were men with him at the time,
not less brave, who pointed out to him that
under the circumstances in which he found him-
self it would be wise to be content with esta-
blishing himself in the houses which dominated
the position, and await intelligence before advanc-
ing further. Seymour Blane of the 52nd, who
acted as his brigade-major, strongly pressed this
advice upon him. Major Jacob of the 1st Fusi-
liers, a most able and gallant officer, and who
commanded the regiment on the occasion, sup-
ported this view. But Nicholson was impatient Nicholson is
to press on. He believed that delays were dan- force them,
gerous, that the fullest advantage should be taken, monstranoes"
at the moment, of the successful storm. More tothecon-
than two hours had already elapsed since his men
had stood triumphant on the breach. A firm
footing in the city had been gained. But this
was not in itself sufficient. The repulse of the
fourth column had renewed the hopes of the
enemy. To destroy these it was necessary, in
the opinion of Nicholson, to penetrate into the
city.
In front of the column was a lane, tolerably JjfgJgJS!
46
HE PUSHES ON.
Book X.
Chapter I.
1857.
Sept. 11.
tion occupied
by the
enemy.
The assault.
Gallantry of
the assail-
ants,
straight, about ten feet wide, but narrowed in
places by projecting buttresses or towers with
parapets. Where these buildings existed the
roadway was narrowed to about three feet.*
The city side of the lane was bounded by houses
with flat roofs and parapets. Not only were all
these buildings strongly occupied by the enemy,
but the lane was further defended by two brass
guns ; one about a hundred and sixty yards from
its opening, pointed in the direction of the ad-
vance ; the other, about a hundred yards in its
rear, commanding it. Behind both was a bullet-
proof screen, whilst projecting as it were from
the wall was the bastion commanding the Lahor
gate, armed with heavy pieces, and capable of
holding a thousand men.
It was this formidable position that Nicholson
decided to attack whilst yet the enemy might
still be under the influence of their defeat at
three out of the four points attacked. On re-
ceiving the order, his men dashed gallantly up
the lane, took the first gun with a rush, and then
pushed on to the second. But within ten yards
of this they were assailed by a fire of grape and
musketry, and volleys of stones and round shot,
thrown by hand, so severe that they recoiled
under the terrible and ceaseless shower. There
was no shelter for them, and they were forced
to retire. It would be difficult to paint in colours
too bright the exertions of their officers. Con-
* " The 1st Bengal Euro-
pean Fusiliers in the Delhi
Campaign," an article contri-
buted to Blackwood's Maga-
zine for January 1858.