fighting till he fainted from loss of blood. Lieutenant Guy H. Boisragon led the assault, and returned for reinforcements, under a heavy cross-fire. The Cross was given to Lieutenant J. M. Smith for the gallantry with which he led the storming party at the attack and capture of a very strong position near Nilt, in the Hunza-Nagar country, December 20th., 1891, which had stopped the advance of the force for seventeen days.

THE INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL.

1857-1858.

THIS medal, which is by L. C. Wyon, Esq., was granted by a General Order, dated August 18th., 1858. The obverse has the Queen's head, diademed, with the superscription "Victoria Regina," and on the reverse Britannia is represented in an erect position, instead of being seated. In her right hand, outstretched, is a laurel wreath. An oval shield with the crosses of the Union is on the left arm, and in the hand are other wreaths. The British Lion forms an appropriate background, above is the word "India," and in the exergue the date 1857-1858. The ribbon is French-white, with two red stripes. It was granted to all engaged in operations against the rebels or mutineers, and was also conferred on non-military persons who had borne arms as volunteers against them. There are five bars attached, respectively inscribed "Delhi," "Defence of Lucknow," "Relief of Lucknow," "Lucknow," and "Central India." The first clasp was granted to the troops employed in the operations against, and at the assault of, Delhi; that for the "Defence of Lucknow was conferred on all of the original garrison, under MajorGeneral Inglis, and to those who succoured them, and continued the defence under Major-Generals Sir Henry Havelock and Sir James Outram, until relieved by Lord Clyde; "Relief of Lucknow" was given to the troops engaged in the operations against that place, under the immediate command of Lord Clyde, in November, 1857; and the clasp of "Lucknow

M M

was

awarded to the force engaged under his lordship's immediate command in March, 1858, in the final capture of the town, and in all operations connected therewith; "Central India" was granted to the column under Major-General Sir Hugh Rose, G.C.B., engaged in the operations against Jhansi, Calpee, and Gwalior, and also to the troops, which, under the command of Major-Generals Roberts and Whitlock respectively, performed such important service in Central India. Four was the greatest number of bars issued with any one medal, and the medal was given to the Naval Brigade, without a bar, and with bars, for "Relief of Lucknow," and "Lucknow."

SIEGE OF DELHI.

30TH. MAY TO 14TH. SEPTEMBER, 1857.

SUNDAY, the 10th. of May, 1857, will never cease to be remembered in India. An outbreak, for some time contemplated, broke out at Meerut in the afternoon of that day. A century had elapsed since Clive's celebrated battle of Plassey, the forerunner of so many victories gained in India, by the valuable co-operation of the Native troops, when the latter, forgetful of their former glories and of their loyalty, burst out into mutiny, with the view of overthrowing British supremacy in the East; the outbreak of Vellore, in the Madras Presidency, in 1806, having been the only exception to the long-continued fidelity of the Sepoy soldier. During the operations against Persia the Court of Delhi had entered into correspondence with the Shah, and Dost Mahomed, the Sovereign of Cabool, had been urged to invade the Punjab when, by the secession of the Bengal native army, the time should be opportune. The grievance of the greased cartridges was indeed urged, but the combination had been for some time forming, and the name of the King of Delhi, over eighty years of age, was imagined to be a "tower of strength" in the endeavour to be made to restore the supremacy of the Mogul dynasty.

There is no doubt the rebellion was prematurely commenced; but scenes of the most heart-rending descriptions occurred, and several officers, ladies, and even children fell victims to the brutality of the Sepoys. Outbreaks occurred at Allahabad, Jhansi, Azimghur, Bareilly, Lucknow, Cawnpore, Benares, and other places; the European women and children being, in many cases, murdered, and the several mutinous regiments all made for Delhi, hastening thither, as a central point, from all quarters, and committing the greatest outrages.

When the mutineers had seized Delhi, and proclaimed a descendant of the Mogul as king, their next object was to gain the chief magazine in that city. After a gallant defence it was exploded by order of Lieutenant Willoughby, who died of his wounds. Sculley and Buckley were the two gunners, and the former, who fired the train, escaped, together with the other heroes Lieutenants Forrest and Raynor.

At this momentous period the Commander-in-Chief in India was General the Honourable George Anson, who had proceeded to Simla to escape the heat of the plains. Immediately upon receiving intelligence of the mutiny, he hurried to Umballa, and collecting all the available troops,* marched on Delhi, but died of cholera at Kurnaul on the 27th. of May. His successor was Major-General Reed, who on the day following quitted Rawul Pindee, and arrived early in June at the camp of Major-General Sir Henry Barnard, K.C.B., at Aleepore, where a numerous force had been collected.

While Brigadier-General Archdale Wilson hastened with a body of troops from Meerut to join the former, the mutineers from Delhi attempted to intercept his march. He was attacked on the 30th. of May at Ghazee-ood-deen-nuggur, when seven

Queen's Regiments in India on the 1st. of May, 1857 :-6th. Dragoon Guards, 9th. and 12th. Lancers, and 14th. Light Dragoons. 8th. Foot, 10th. (first battalions), 24th., 27th., 29th., 32nd., 35th., 43rd., 52nd., 53rd., 60th. (first battalion), 61st., 64th., 70th., 74th., 75th., 78th., 81st., 83rd., 84th., 86th., and 87th. Regiments. Strength:-seven hundred and fifty-seven officers and twenty-two thousand four hundred and seventy-one men. The East India Company's troops raised this force to two hundred and seventy-seven thousand seven hundred and forty-six; the Native Troops included therein amounting to two hundred and thirty two thousand two hundred and twenty-four, and the Europeans to forty-five thousand five hundred and twenty-two.

hundred British soldiers defeated a disciplined force more than seven-fold their number. This is considered as the commencement of operations before Delhi.

On the following day (Whit-Sunday) the attack was renewed, and the enemy was again repulsed, twenty-six guns being captured. The 6th. Dragoon Guards and first battalion 60th. Rifles have reason to be proud of their deeds performed this day. No further opposition was encountered, and BrigadierGeneral Wilson joined Sir Henry Barnard at Aleepore. The united forces commenced their march shortly after midnight, and Brigadier-General Reed being unable from sickness to proceed with the army, the command devolved on MajorGeneral Sir Henry Barnard.

At dawn on the 8th. of June the British arrived before Badlee-ke-Serai, a fortified position, when the enemy opened fire. Brigadier Hope Grant, C.B., with his column, consisting of portions of the 9th. Lancers, 6th. Dragoon Guards. 75th., first battalions 60th. and 87th. were highly distinguished. On the regimental colour of the 75th. appeared the Royal Tiger, gained in former fields in India, and they added to their well-earned reputation by charging the enemy with the bayonet, who abandoned the whole of his guns.

This entrenched position being carried, Sir Henry Barnard divided his army into two columns, one of which proceeded along the main trunk road under Brigadier-General Wilson, while the other marched under his own command to the site of the Delhi cantonments, before they were burnt. Here on an eminence the mutineers were posted, which position was taken by Sir Henry Barnard, the enemy being forced to abandon their guns; while this rapid flank movement to the left, by Brigadier Wilson's column forcing its way through gardens with high walls, compelled the foe to take refuge in Delhi, the two commanders meeting at a place named Hindoo's Rao's House.

In these actions the Ghoorkas, evinced that gallantry which was so prominent during every subsequent encounter with the enemy.

After these events the British army took up a position before Delhi. The force at this period comprised the follow

ing Queen's regiments :-two squadrons of the 6th. Dragoon Guards (Carabineers), the 9th. Lancers; head-quarters and six companies of the 60th. Rifles; head-quarters and nine companies of the 75th. Regiment; in addition to these were three troops of horse artillery; a company of foot artillery, a detachment of sappers and miners, the first Bengal Fusiliers; and the head-quarters and six companies of the second Fusiliers, and the Sirmoor battalion.

A strongly-built residence, named Hindoo Rao's House, on the top of a high eminence about half a mile in advance of the camp, offered an excellent position for bombarding the town, and from the three batteries erected thereon a constant fire of shot and shell was kept up. Between Hindoo Rao's House and the Grand Trunk Road the ground was rough and rocky, covered with brushwood and enclosed gardens, over which the Sepoys frequently crept up in skirmishing order, availing themselves of the shelter thus afforded, but they were always repulsed by the guides and riflemen, being at times pursued nearly to the city walls. Every mutineer who was captured was at once shot or bayoneted.

The lines of defence were gradually advanced, and the rebels were driven from the Subzee Mundee, formerly used as a market for vegetables, and the Serai, a large building in front of it, which the British strongly fortified, together with the Pagoda opposite the Moree Gate.

Early in June cholera appeared in the camp; this added to the trials of the troops; there being in consequence of the small force scarcely any rest by night, as the limited numbers barely admitted of relief, lessened as they were by those required for picket duty. Fighting by day, and being on the alert for a renewal of the conflict by night, occasioned great fatigue, and shewed what British troops can endure; besides which the ammunition supplies were not very plentiful for heavy ordnance.* Another large Serai,

* The following fact is significant of the scarcity of this kind of ammunition :-In one of the field force orders it was notified that two annas would be given for each of the enemy's twenty-four pounder round shot that might be brought into camp, to be again used up. Similar instances occurred during the siege of Sebastopol, and in the Peninsula, as noticed in the account of the War in the Crimea, at page 417 of this work.