MEDALS OF THE BRITISH ARMY. INDIA, CHINA, ETC. THE INDIAN WAR MEDAL. 1799-1826. THE Medal for the Peninsular War was shortly afterwards followed by a companion one for the several campaigns in India. On the 21st. of March, 1851, a General Order was issued, announcing that The Queen had been pleased to signify her assent to a measure that had been proposed by the Court of Directors of the East India Company, of granting a medal to the surviving officers and soldiers of the Crown, who were engaged in the following services in India:-Storm of Allighur, September 4th., 1803; Battle of Delhi, September 11th., 1803; Battle of Assye, September 23rd., 1803; Siege of Asseer Ghur, October 21st., 1803; Battle of Laswarree, November 1st., 1803; Battle of Argaum, November 29th., 1803; Siege and Storm of Gawilghur, December 15th., 1803; Defence of Delhi, October, 1804; Battle of Deig, November 13th., 1804; Capture of Deig, December 23rd., 1804; War in Nepaul in 1816; Battle of Kirkee, and Battle and Capture of Poona, November, 1817; Battle of Seetabuldee, and Battle and Capture of Nagpoor, November and December, 1817; Battle of Maheidpore, December B 21st., 1817; Defence of Corygaum, January 1st., 1818; War in Ava, 1824 to 1826; and Siege and Storm of Bhurtpore, January, 1826. The mode of application was similar to that specified in the General Order granting the War Medal, (see page 14 of the Second Section of this work;) but the concluding paragraph announced that, "It having, moreover, been represented to Her Majesty, that the officers and soldiers of the Crown, who were engaged in the Mysore war, and at the Siege of Seringapatam have already received medals from the East India Company for those services, Her Majesty has further been graciously pleased to permit the same to be worn by them with their uniforms." Following the order of date, the first service is THE MYSORE WAR AND SIEGE OF SERINGAPATAM. FEBRUARY TO MAY, 1799. ALTHOUGH the reduction of the power and resources of Tippoo Saib, effected by the treaty of Seringapatam, which terminated the campaign of 1792, had weakened his influence, yet it had not extinguished the evils consequent on his intense hatred of the British. The Sultan had entered into a negotiation with the Governor of the Isle of France, in 1798, and sent an embassy to Zemaun Shah, Sovereign of Cabool, for the purpose of inducing him to attack the possessions of the Company. Having also derived encouragement from the successes of the French arms in Egypt, from which country the Directory intended to act against the British dominions. in India, Tippoo commenced augmenting his military force, and his hostile designs became every day more apparent. The Governor-General the Earl of Mornington (afterwards Marquis of Wellesley) perceiving a rupture inevitable, resolved to anticipate the attack, and ordered the army to take the field, and march into the heart of Tippoo's territory. Major-General George (afterwards Lord) Harris, who was serving with the local rank of Lieutenant-General, in conformity to these orders, advanced with the army under his command on the 11th. of February, 1799, and entered the Mysore terri tory on the 5th. of March. On the 27th. the troops arrived at Mallavelly, and on approaching the ground of encampment the forces of Tippoo were seen drawn up on a height a few miles off. The enemy attacked the advanced pickets, and a general action ensued, in which the 33rd. regiment highly distinguished itself. A body of two thousand men moved forward in the best order towards the regiment, which, firmly standing its ground, coolly reserved its fire until within a distance of about sixty yards, and then led by its Lieutenant-Colonel, the Honourable Arthur Wellesley, in person, boldly advanced, and charging with the bayonet, compelled the approaching column to give way. This movement being seconded by Major-General Floyd, who made a rapid charge with the cavalry, completed the disorder, and the enemy retreated before the whole of the British line, which immediately moved forward. While this attack was being made by the left wing, under Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable Arthur Wellesley, with the Nizam's contingent, the 33rd., and Major-General Floyd's cavalry, Lieutenant-General Harris with the troops, which formed the right wing, had been also engaged.* In this affair Tippoo sustained a loss of nearly two thousand, including some of his most valuable officers; whilst the British casualties amounted to only sixty-six men. * As the 12th. Foot moved forward, a large body of Mysorean cavalry formed in the shape of a wedge, having an elephant with a howdah on his back in front, appeared advancing to charge the regiment, and the British line halted to receive the attack. Immediately afterwards two other very large bodies of the enemy were discovered in two topes or woods, preparing to support the first charge. Lieutenant-General Harris, seeing the danger which menaced the regiment, placed himself in its rear, frequently repeating the words, 'Steady, Twelfth!' 'Steady, old Twelfth!' and when the wedge approached within a hundred yards of the line, the Mysoreans discharged their carbines and pistols, but without doing execution. The 12th. remained steady, with their muskets at the recover, until the enemy arrived within about thirty yards, when a well-directed volley, followed by a rapid file firing, carried destruction into the enemy's ranks; a rampart of killed and wounded men and horses lying along the front of the regiment. The rear of the wedge was embarrassed by the killed and wounded in front, and could not continue the charge. The elephant was severely wounded, his conductor killed, and the chiefs on his back had fallen, when, turning round, he directed all his fury upon the Mysoreans, overturning everything in his retrograde movement, and producing great havoc with a prodigious chain, which he swayed. A few Mysorean horsemen broke through the regiment, but they were instantly shot in its rear, and the British artillery arriving, and opening its fire, the enemy's cavalry fell back; at the same time the line advanced, and decided the fate of the day at that part of the field; a distant cannonade, however, indicated that the battle was raging elsewhere. |