the 16th of July – The Battle of Cawnpore

“Such was the battle of Cawnpore, in which 1000 British soldiers and 300 Sikhs, fighting under a deadly sun, with the aid of only eighteen horse, against a superior artillery and numerous cavalry, drove from a position skilfully selected and strongly intrenched, a body of 5000 native troops trained and disciplined by our own officers. The mutineers rallied twice after their first discomfiture. Their heavy artillery was admirably served, and their cavalry, though never trusting themselves within sword’s length of our troops, made several attacks on our detachments, and throughout the fight hovered on our rear, and slaughtered the wounded who fell behind in the rapid advance.” (J.C.Marshman, ‘Sir Henry Havelock’)

The Battle of Cawnpore is also referred to as the Battle of Maharajpur or the Battle of Aherwa.

1st Madras Fusiliers
Colour Sergeant James Kelly – wounded
Sergeant John Wilson – severely wounded in the right leg

Corporals
Duffy, Michael – killed in action
Maguire, John – wounded

Privates
Brien, William – wounded
Flynn, Patrick – wounded
Frier, John – died of sunstroke
Gabriel, James – killed in action
Green, James – wounded, died of wounds on the 18th of July
Grey, Hugh – wounded, killed in action at Lucknow on the 16th of November
Hewins, John – wounded
Kedge, William – killed in action
Lavan, Michael – killed in action
Lendey, Henry – killed in action
Lovett, John – severely wounded in the left leg. Died of wounds
McCarthy, Timothy – slightly wounded in the right hand
McMahon, Thomas – killed in action
McNamara, John – killed in action
Mahoney, Bartholomew – severely wounded in the left ankle. Died of wounds on the 6th of August.
Nelins, Joseph Lane – wounded and died of sunstroke on the 17th of July
Peard, William – wounded. Killed on the 29th of September at Lucknow
Rieley, Thomas – killed in action
Shea, Michael – severely wounded in the right arm
Shields, Andrew – severely wounded in the left leg
Tierney, James – severely wounded in the right leg
Walker, William – severely wounded in the loins. Died of wounds on the 18th of July

64th Foot
Major Thomas Stirling – slightly wounded (Havelock’s dispatch, 20th July, 1857)
Lieutenant R. Dickens – slightly wounded
Colour Sergeant Hugh Mulholland – severely wounded

Corporals
Hehir, Michael – killed in action
McNamara, Daniel – severely wounded

Drummer Henry Downes – killed in action

Privates
Anderson, Peter – slightly wounded
Beardsall, Edwin – severely wounded “… by a grape shot on the right leg about three inches above the ankle –joint. There was only a slight wound of the skin, but there was a comminuted fracture of the tibia; since then several very large pieces of necrosed bone have come away.” He was unable to use his leg and the ankle joint remained stiff. Declared unfit for duty, he was invalided on the 22nd of December.
Bennett, George – severely wounded
Campbell, John – killed in action
Carroll, Michael – slightly wounded
Clarke, James – killed in action
Cullinan, Timothy – dangerously wounded. Died of wounds
Donnelly, Patrick – severely wounded
Edwards, Joseph – wounded
Faulkner, James – severely wounded. Died of wounds
Fitzgerald, John – wounded
Houston, Charles – dangerously wounded. Died of wounds
Jones, Simon – slightly wounded
Little, John – slightly wounded
Loftus, Derby – wounded
Logan, Andrew – killed in action
McCurry, Charles – slightly wounded
McKay, Daniel – dangerously wounded. Died of wounds
Mahoney, James – slightly wounded
Morrissey, Michael – slightly wounded
Nolan, James – severely wounded
Redden, Daniel – killed in action
Redding, Martin – severely wounded
Roland, Thomas – severely wounded
Ryan, Pierce – wounded
Shipp, Peter – wounded
Taylor, William – slightly wounded
Toohey, John – killed in action
Walsh, Thomas – slightly wounded
Williamson, Thomas – killed in action
Wright, William – severely wounded

78th Highlanders
Corporal Alexander Boag – slightly wounded

Privates
Burton, William – slightly wounded
Canning, Bernard – slightly wounded
Cunningham, Joseph – severely wounded, died of wounds
Devine, John – missing in action
Gardiner, Alexander – slightly wounded
Kingley, John – slightly wounded
Lawrence, Stephen – killed in action
Lewis, Edward – severely wounded
McLeod, John – wounded
Meikle, William – missing in action
Morris, Isaac- slightly wounded
O’Donnell, Michael – wounded
Ross, William – severely wounded
Thorpe, Thomas – killed in action

84th Foot
Captain Eugene Currie – dangerously wounded. Died of wounds 20/07/1857
“…poor Currie of the 84th, from the deadly effects of a ghastly wound received in yesterday’s conflict, and yet another still, the zealous, daring Eenaud, Madras Fusiliers, whose courage and fortitude were proverbial! He sank rapidly after the amputation of his left leg above the knee. I had gone to see him, found him in cheerful spirits, hoped for his ultimate recovery, and now he is not. Sad realities of ruthless war.” (Major North)

On the day of the battle, young Captain Currie took command of one of the detachments of the 84th and was promised a promotion to major by Sir Henry Havelock, if he came out of the day’s affair.
One of the first 24-pounder round shots fired by the rebels on that day hit Currie squarely in the abdomen and carried away nearly the whole lower part of his body. Although there was no chance of surviving such a wound, Currie lived on for another four days. His brother, Lt. Richard Currie, Bengal Artillery also died in the Mutiny. They were the sons of Claude Currie, Physician-General, Madras.

Colour Sergeant James Walsh – slightly wounded

Privates
Barrett, James – severely wounded
Blackett, John – slightly wounded
Maher, James – slightly wounded
Roddy, Robert – missing in action
Shepperd, John – killed in action

Bengal Volunteer Cavalry
James Carr – killed in action
(officially, it is stated that 1 corporal and 2 horses were killed; 1 private and 2 horses were wounded)

Regiment of Ferozepore
Killed
1 Sepoy
Wounded
1 Havildar
10 Sepoys

Bengal Artillery
1 Private wounded

Rifles and Invalid Artillery
2 wounded

On the following day, Major John Stephenson led a raid on the Nana Sahib’s palace at Bithur. He was largely unopposed and suffered no losses.

Promoted to Brigadier, James Neill arrived in Cawnpore on the 20th of July, bringing with him a minimal reinforcement of 227 officers and men of the 84th Regiment. Havelock promptly leaves Neill in charge of Cawnpore with 300 men, along with the wounded and the stores. Havelock proceeded to cross the Ganges with the rest of the force in his first attempt to gain Lucknow.