to destroy ii< fortifications. In carrying out this
92
DEATE OF LIEUTENANT HOME.
Book X.
Chapter II.
1857.
Sept. 28-
Oct. 2.
Accidental
death of Lieu-
tenant Home.
Oct. 3-9.
Kurjah and
its skeleton.
operation an accident happened, by which the
engineer, Lieutenant Home, was unhappily killed
on the spot. Home was an officer of great
distinction and greater promise. He was the
sole surviving officer of the gallant band who had
blown up the Kashmir gate on the morning of
the 14th September. For that act, one of many
deeds of skill and daring, he had been promised
the Victoria Cross. To die by accident after
having survived the storming of the Kashmir
gate was a hard dispensation, but though Home
did not live to reap the fulness of his reward, he
had at least known how his former splendid
service was appreciated by his comrades.
From Balandshahr the column marched, 3rd
October, to Kurjah. On entering this town the
soldiers were greeted by a sight calculated above
all others to excite their feelings of resentment to
boiling pitch. "As we entered Kurjah," writes
Colonel Bonrchier, " a skeleton was stuck up on
the road-side, exposed to public gaze, against a
wall. The head had been severed from the body,
and cuts in the shin-bones were apparent, in-
flicted by some sharp instrument ; and, in the
opinion of a medical committee, this skeleton was
that of a European female."
Kurjah was on the high road to Aligarh. It
was a place of some importance, for it paid a con-
siderable revenue. The civil officer attached to
the column was, therefore, strongly opposed to
the prosecution of any measures of retaliation
against the townspeople. To the indignation,
then, of the soldiers, Kurjah was spared, and
PROGRESS OF GRBATHED's COLUMN. 93
Greathed pushed on for Aligarh, two marches in book x.
advance, where he believed he should meet a a ]^ IL
considerable force of the rebels. ^\ 85 7v,
- Oct. 3-9.
Aligarh, however, was found substantially un- The column
defended, the enemy having evacuated it and taken SaJ^STJn
to the open. Pursued and overtaken in headlong toAkbarabad.
flight, about two hundred and fifty of them fell
to the British troopers, whose loss amounted
only to three men wounded. Leaving here a gar-
rison, Greathed pushed on to Akbarabad, and
was fortunate enough to surprise it with two
notorious rebel chiefs within its walls. The two
chiefs, Mangal Singh and Maitab Singh, were
tried and summarily executed.
Greathed now pushed forward in the direction
of Agra, from which place " epistles, imploring
aid, in every language, both dead and living, and
in cypher, came pouring into camp."* On the
9th October he was at Bijegarh, forty-eight miles Oct, 9.
distant. Near this place, a contrast to the An instance
general destruction of European property by the bearanceof
mutineers, was found a house belonging to an the rebels '
indigo factory, containing all its furniture unin-
jured, and having servants in attendance. The
owner, a European, had fled to Agra. From
Bijegarh, in consequence of the urgent entreaties
be nceived from Agra, Greathed sent forward
at midnight the cavalry and horse artillery by
forced marches. Four hours later he followed
with his infantry, using the utmost speed,
mounting his men on elephants, carts, and
* Bourchier's Eight Months? Campaign.
94 AGRA.
Book x. camels. The despatches lie received on the way
Chapter II. l i-,
were more and more urgent. His credit was
Oct?9-io. a t stake," he was told, "if Agra were attacked
Greathed and he so near." Thus implored, he pressed
urgent 8 on w ^ tn the utmost expedition, overtook his
prayers for artillery and cavalry, and with them crossed the
assistance f J . «
fromA'gra. Jamna at the bridge of boats under the walls of
the fort of Agra on the morning of the 10th.
To account for the urgent requisitions of the
Agra garrison it is necessary to give a brief nar-
rative of the occurrences at that place from the
time we left it.
Sept. 9. We left Agra on the 9th September. The
The condition fe^ f Mr. Colvin had left Mr. E. A. Reade the
oi A gra
senior civil officer in the North-west Provinces.
To great capacity for work, a clear brain, and a
large understanding, Mr. Reade added the rare
virtue of absolute disinterestedness. Conscious
that inter arma silent leges, Mr. Reade at once
wrote to the Supreme Government, recommend-
ing that until order were restored the adminis-
tration should be vested in the hands of a military
chief, and promising his hearty co-operation in
any capacity. Pending the orders of Government,
Mr. Reade, though the senior officer, retained
only his office of Financial Commissioner.
Even before Mr. Colvin' s death Agra had been
agitated by the rumour of another attack. The
23rd Native Infantry, which, it will be recol-
lected, had mutinied at Mau on the night of
the 1st July — joining itself to the mutinous
contingents of Central India — those of Mehid-
piir, of Malwa, and of Bhopal — and to the
THREATENED BY MUTINOUS SEPOYS. 95
rabble of the Native States, had reached Grwaliar. book x.
There, by the loyal exertions of Maharaja Sindia, ' ap er
in active correspondence with the political agent, sen'9
Major Charters Macpherson, residing in the for-
tress of Agra, they had been detained the whole
of the month of August. To detain them so long
the Maharaja had strained his authority, and was
at times in imminent personal danger. To keep
them longer was impossible. Early in September,
then, this force of Central Indian mutineers, threatened by
. . -, ! 1 » ri /t t -iii the mutineers
joined by a number 01 U-waliar malcontents, f Central
though not, it is believed, by any of the regular India '
army of that State, broke loose from the capital,
and marched on Dholpur. This place lies nearly
midway beween Gwaliar and Agra, being distant
but thirty-four miles from the latter. The pre-
sence, then, of a large force of the three arms at
Dholpur constituted an undoubted threat to the
fortress of Agra.
So much was known at the time of Mr. Colvin's who are em-
death, It was impossible to attempt to disturb thecompui-
the intruders by detaching from the fortress of attuuci^of the
Airra any portion of the small garrison upon whom garrison.
the safety of so many thousand lives depended.
Emboldened by the silent attitude of the English,
the rebels began then to feel their way towards
Agra. Sending out detachments from Dholpur
abi >ut the 11th September, they spread over the dis- So i )l - 1L
tricts of Khairagarh, Fathpiir-Sikri, Iradatnagar,
and Fathabad, expelling from them the native
officials in the pay of the British Government.
The storining of Dehli, instead of lessening, Thediffloui-
avated for the momenl the difficulties of the ^'gra garrison
96 IMMEDIATE RESULT OF THE FALL OF DEHLI.
Book X.
Chapter II.
1857.
Sept. 14-17.
momentarily
aggravated by
the fall of
Dehli.
Sept. 26.
Measures
taken in con-
sequence by
the Agra
authorities.
Sept. 19.
Sept. 30.
Colonel Hugh
Fraser, C.B.,
is appointed
Chief Com-
missioner.
British authorities in Agra. For, although the
result of the 14th September at Dehli had been
partial, yet the persistence of General Wilson on
the 16th and 17th, had had the effect of inducing
the more soft-hearted of the rebels to leave the
town. A considerable body of these men, led by
a Shahzadeh named Firozshah, bent their way
from Dehli towards Mathura, reached that place
on the 26th September, and joining there the
rebel Sepoys of the regular army, mainly of the
72nd Native Infantry, led by one Hira Singh, a
subadar of that regiment, effected a junction with
the rebels from Central India.
To combat the facts and rumours surging about
him, Mr. Reade, in conjunction with Lieutenant-
Colonel Cotton, commanding the garrison, issued
orders on the 19th September, to set to work at
once to level some obstacles which interfered with
the free play of the guns mounted on the fort,
and to mine some of the more prominent build-
ings, including the great Mosque, which were in
dangerous proximity to the walls.
On the 30th September an order from Cal-
cutta was received at Agra nominating Colonel
Hugh Fraser, C.B., of the Engineers, to act as
the Governor-General's Chief Commissioner for
Agra and its dependencies.
Three days prior to the installation of Colonel
Fraser, official intelligence had been received in
Agra of the complete success of the British arms
in Dehli, of the capture of the king, and the
slaughter of his two sons and grandson. It was
then anticipated that a column of the Dehli force,
VIEWS OF THE AGRA AUTHORITIES. 97
released from its siege operations, would at once Book x -
be despatched to Agra by Giirgaon and Mathura
on the right bank of the Jamna. Sep? 30-
Great then was the consternation in the fortress 0ct - 10 -
when the news arrived that though a column Jj^tJ^Sf
under Colonel Greathed had been despatched cations sent
• it -it t /ii-i to Grreathed.
southwards, it had crossed the Jamna and had
taken the route of Kiirjah and Aligarh. To
the minds of the British within the fortress
there was present always the possibility that
Greathed' s force, regarding Agra as secure in the
strength of the fortifications, might push on
towards Kanhpur or Bareli, leaving the Agra
garrison threatened by the incongruous mass of
rebels of whom I have spoken. Hence it was
that the urgent applications I have referred to
were sent to Colonel Greathed, — applications im-
ploring him to make the best of his way to Agra,
to relieve the garrison therefrom their unpleasant
predicament, and to re-establish the Government
of the North-west Provinces.
That these urgent applications should have
been misunderstood, and have been the cause
of some merriment among the officers of Great-
bed's force, is scarcely surprising. The officers Reason why
and men or that column had tor more than tions caused
three months occupied a position before Dehli, J2f 8 m
exposed to the fire of the enemy, to rain, and force -
beat, ;i!id privations of every sort. They were
fresh from the storming of the imperial city, and
worn by exposure, by fatigue, by watchings,*
* " We went," writes Mr. Bevolt) "to the royal l>nsi i.»n
0. Baikei {Notes "// the Agra this morning, l<> see Oolonel
98
GEEATHED BEACHES AGRA,
Book X.
Chapter II.
1857.
Sept. 30-
Oct. 10.
Greathed
reaches A'gra
and is in-
formed that
the enemy
have
retreated.
their minds were scarcely tuned to listen to entrea-
ties for help from men who, however anxious and
wearisome their position, seemed to have enjoyed
comparative ease in the shelter of the fortress.
We have already seen how Colonel Greathed,
responding to the entreaties pressed upon him
with so much urgency, turned off the Grand
Trunk Road and hurried by forced marches to the
threatened capital. When at sunrise on the
morning of the 10th he marched his force over
the bridge of boats, cheered by the 3rd European
Regiment on the bastions, to the gates of the fort,
he was informed that the enemy, alarmed at his
approach, had retired beyond the Kari Nadi, a
stream about nine miles distant.*
Greathed' s movable column
cross the bridge. Sikhs,
Lancers, three batteries of
Horse Artillery, and skele-
tons of two Queen's regi-
ments. This column came in
by long forced marches, owing
to an express sent out by
Colonel Fraser. From the
bastion we went down to the
Dehli gate. The Queen's 8th
passed within three yards of
us. ' Those dreadful-looking
men must be Afghans,' said
a lady to me, as they slowly
and wearily marched by. I
did not discover they were
Englishmen till I saw a short
clay pipe in the mouth of
nearly the last man. My
heart bled to see these jaded,
miserable objects, and to
think of all they must have
suffered since May last, to
reduce fine Englishmen to
such worn, sun-dried skele-
tons."
* An attempt has been
made to deny this. In his
official report, Mr. Phillips,
Magistrate of A'gra, quotes a
memorandum by Mr. — now Sir
William — Muir, that "there
was no intimation given to
Colonel Greathed, by any of
the authorities, on the morn-
ing of the 10th, that the
enemy were re-crossing."
But the presence of the
enemy was either unknown
or misbelieved, for I find it
stated in a manuscript jour-
ney of a very high official :
" Major Hennessy, Com-
mandant of the Agra Militia,
had been on picket duty dur-
ing the previous night (9th)
with militia-men, mounted
AND ENCAMPS ON THE PARADE GROUND.
99
The force halted on the public road in front
of the fortress, whilst the Agra authorities and
Colonel Greathed were debating about an en-
campment ground. Two hours were spent in
this discussion — a dreary two hours for men who
had just completed a forced march of forty-eight
miles. The " local executives," touched doubt-
less by the sun-burnt appearance of the troops,
were all for encamping them "in a series of
gardens overgrown with brushwood, where the
guns would not have had a range of fifty yards,
and where the cavalry could not possibly act," but
Greathed was too much of a soldier to accede
without urgent remonstrance, to such a proposi-
tion.
In the end, however, Greathed's proposal that
Book X.
Chapter II.
1857.
Oct. 10.
Difference of
opinion as to
the encamp-
ing ground.
and foot, at the Metcalfe
Testimonial and the cemetery
beyond it. His warning of
the approach of the enemy,
though some of his scouts had
been fired upon, was disre-
garded. 8 a ch ivas the confi-
dence that the arrival oj
Colonel Greathed's force
would deter any attempt, that
I ieated remonstrances led
In his bi'iinj summarily re-
mand- <l to lli»^ Fort. The same
information, 'jinn by one of
Mr. Mnir's spies, was scorn-
fully njirhil." ].' -j' ' I - 'I -
by whom? Certainly by the
Agra authorities. Mr. Muir
liiins.-lf, writing the same
'li s 1" Sir Hope ( irant, says,
" It was a most complete
surprise is one sense to us,
Init a greater one to them
(the rebels)." Major Nor-
man, now Lieutenant-General
Sir H. Norman, K.C.B., wrote
in 1858, " The head authori-
ties at A'gra informed Colonel
Greathed that the insurgent
force from Dholpur was be-
yond the Kari Naddi, ten
miles from cantonments,
across which they would find
difficulty in passing . . .
This information was given
in positive terms." It is
clear, then, that convinced in
their own minds that the
enemy had crossed the Kari
Nadd'i and were ten miles
distant, the Agra officials
conveyed their convictions on
this point to Colonel Great-
hed. It was, perhaps, unwise
in him to trust to this.
Greathed
gains the
point and
encamps on
the parade
ground.
100
THE GAMP AFTER ARRIVAL.
Book X.
Chapter II.
1857.
Oct. 10.
Greathed's
camp.
The soldiers
prepare to
rest after
their toil.
his men should encamp on the parade ground, a
magnificent grassy plain, with not an obstacle
within three or four hundred yards of it, and then
only a few high crops, was allowed to prevail. The
camp was marked out, the horses were picketed,
and the men went to their breakfasts. Some
of the officers hastened into the fort, others from
the fort poured into the camp, followed or ac-
companied by men of all sorts, who seized the
long wished for opportunity of communicating
with their friends of the outside world.
The men in the camp, having swallowed a hasty
meal, were variously occupied. Some, pending
the arrival of the baggage, now slowly coming up,
had thrown themselves on the ground and were
fast asleep ; some were talking to their friends ;
some were assisting to pitch the few tents that
had reached the ground. The long march had
caused the camp to be pervaded by an air of list-
less ness and languor, common to men who have
but just completed an undertaking of more than
ordinary labour. Not a sign betokened an enemy.
As far as the eye could reach, the horizon was
clear. The high crops and trees which shut in
the view at no great distance were stirred only by
the breeze. After their long fatigues it seemed
as though the weary soldiers were to enjoy at last
a day of repose.
This sense of security was scarcely justified
by the certain proximity of the enemy, and by
the absence of any effort being made to ascertain
whether the conjectures of the Agra officials were
correct. It was soon disturbed in a very sudden
THE CAMP — SUEPRISED BY THE ENEMY. 101
and remarkable manner. Four natives, appa- bookX.
, . rr Chapter II.
rently conjurors, and beating tom-toms, came
strolling up to the advanced guard of the 9th oct. D i'o.
Lancers. On the sergeant in charge ordering They are
them off, one of them drew a sword from under th^enemy?
his clothes and cut him down. Another sergeant
moving up to the rescue was also wounded.
These men were soon despatched by the troopers,
but, before the alarm had reached the rear, round
shot " from out the blue " came pouring into the
camp. The familiar sound was sufficient for the
soldiers of Dehli. The assembly was sounded, but promptly
though the call was scarcely needed. To start ' up-
to their feet, seize their muskets, mount their
horses, and man the guns, was the work of an
instant. But while this was doing the cannonade
spread terror among the camp-followers, and as
great among the visitors.*
The enemy's horse, taking advantage of the
surprise, had charged our artillery and had
sabred the gunners of one gun, when a dashing
charge made upon them by a squadron of the Gallant
9th Lancers, drove them back in disorder. It 9th U Lan°cers. e
cost the squadron dear, for Captain French, the
squadron leader, was killed, and Lieutenant
* " Such was the terrible of the Dragoons in attempt-
panic among tli<' latter," ing it was fairly carried off
writes Colonel Bourchier, his legs and borne back with
C.B., an eye-witness and the crowd. Not satisfied
actor in the drama, "thai with Legitimate means of
those officers who had gone escape, the gun horses in many
into the fort and were eager cases were seized as they were
to get back to their posts being led to the guns, and
could do1 stem the torrent of were foim<l next morning in
affrighted beings; ;ui officer the fort."
102
alpeed Pearson's battery.
Book X.
Chapter II.
1857.
Oct. 10.
Greathed
deploys his
line.
Pearson
brings his
battery to
the ground,
and, checking
the enemy,
drives back
his left.
Jones, his subaltern, was dangerously wounded
and cut up when dismounted. Gi-reathed, who
was on the spot a few minutes after the attack
had begun, lost not a moment in taking the
necessary measures. He deployed his line and
directed Watson to move off with a portion
of his irregular cavalry to turn the enemy's left
flank.
The line when advancing was joined by Pear-
son's 9-pounder battery, which had been de-
spatched from the fort on the first arrival of the
column. This gallant officer, whose distinguished
conduct has already been mentioned,* had brought
this battery again into a state of efficiency by
substituting for the native drivers, who had
wholly deserted after the disastrous affair of the
5th July, volunteers from the Eurasian fugitives
in the fort.f He now arrived at an opportune
moment on the right of the line where there was
no artillery, and where the infantry were giving
ground under the fire of some heavy guns of the
enemy which commanded the road along which
their centre was advancing. Three of these
having had their limbers blown up, and been cap-
tured in succession by Pearson's advance; and
the cavalry under Ouvry, with all the guns on
the left under Turner, having also made a forward
* Note, vol. i. pages 272-
276.
t It is but justice to these
rneii to record that in conse-
quence of their admirable
behaviour on this and other
occasions, Lord Canning
ashed Captain Pearson if he
would undertake to raise a
battery of them. But there
were several reasons why it
was deemed inexpedient to
repeat the experiment in a
permanent form.
COLONEL COTTON TAKES COMMAND. 103
movement, the enemy were soon seen to be giving Book x.
way on all sides. A well-timed charge by Watson ' _ —
and Probyn completed the disorder ; nor though, oct°ib.
with their usual tactics, their cavalry attempted The enemy's
to make a diversion by threatening the camp, completed by
were they successful. A second charge of the the cavall T-
Lancers and two squadrons of Hodson's Horse
sent them back more quickly than they came.
Colonel Cotton had by this time arrived from Colonel
the fort with the 3rd Europeans, and, as senior a ^f v ° e n g with
officer, had assumed the command. Detaching the3rdEuro-
. peans and
two companies of this regiment to strengthen the assumes
Pan jab infantry on the right flank, where the
enemy were still contesting the ground under
shelter of some high crops, he urged the whole
line forward in pursuit. The rebels fell back in
hasty disorder by the Grwaliar road, nor did they
make a halt even at their camp, which was
found standing about midway between Agra and
the Kari Naddi. Here the infantry were done
up and halted, but the pursuit was continued
with great vigour and success by the artillery and
cavalry. " Once only," says Colonel Bourchier,
" did they make a stand. A few rounds of grape, The enemy
however, scattered them in all directions, and the pjjjued. an
cavalry were soon among their flying ranks, doing
great execution. For seven miles the road was one
continued line of carts, guns, ammunition wag-
gons, camels rushing about without their drivers,
and baggage of every description — all of which
fell into our hands. Not a gun or a cart re-
crossed the stream ; all became prize owing to
the rapidity with wliidi the victory was followed
104 THE SURPRISE GREATER TO THE REBELS.
Book X.
Chapter II.
1857.
Oct. 10.
Their guns
and ammuni-
tion taken.
Merit clue to
the troops
who won it.
The surprise
as great to
the rebels as
to the
British.
up on the opposite bank. A few cavalry troopers
made their appearance, but soon disappeared after
a few rounds from the Horse Artillery. Thirteen
pieces of ordnance, with an enormous quantity of
ammunition, were brought into camp. Much that
was useless was destroyed; and the enemy's camp,
with the villages on which it abutted, was burnt."
No victory could have been more rapid or
decisive. It was especially creditable to the
troops who had that morning marched into Agra,
and whom neither fatigue nor hunger, nor want
of sleep, could stop when an enemy was within
their grasp. Bourchier's 9-pounder battery had
marched thirty miles without a halt before the
action began. From first to last Greathed's
cavalry and artillery had marched at least over
sixty-four miles, and the infantry fifty-four miles
of road, in less than thirty-six hours, besides
moving through the fields, and fighting a general
action. It was a splendid performance — well
marched, well fought, well followed up. The
force did not return to their camp before 7 o'clock
in the evening.
But it was a surprise! Yes — but a surprise
also to the rebels. They were not aware, until
the sleeping camp had been startled into activity
by the fire of their guns, that it was Greathed's
force which lay before them. They believed they
had to do only with the garrison of Agra. In
adjusting the balance, then, of surprises, it must
be admitted that the rebels had more reason than
the British to regret the want of a careful look-
out.
GEEATHED BEPLACED BY HOPE GBANT. 105
The column halted at Agra the three days fol- book x.
lowing the battle. A supply of ammunition was Chapter n *
obtained from the fort, and the wounded were n 18 1 n 7 ' 1Q
sent into the hospital which had been improvised The column
in the Moti Masjid. Here they were attended not S^toSt
only by the medical officers but by the ladies,
whose zealous and tender exertions have been re-
corded in a previous volume.*
Whilst the column lay halted at Agra a change
in the command of it was inaugurated.
Brigadier Hope Grant was Lieutenant- Colonel Hope Grant
of the 9th Lancers. Left behind at Dehli in
command of the cavalry, he had felt keenly
his separation from his splendid regiment. He
could not, however, devise, nor could General
Penny — commanding at Dehli, in the absence of
General Wilson, who on the fall of the place had
proceeded on sick certificate to the Himalayas —
devise any plan by which he could serve with the