The Spirited Charge at Mangalwar

“Everybody is in high spirits, wrote William Tate Groom in one of his final diary entries, “and we hope to be back in less than a fortnight, and then we start for Agra and Delhi, which last place is a second Sebastopol and will give much trouble.” Like many of the men who crossed the river into Oudh, Lucknow would be his last battle. On the 18th of September, he concluded his diary.

“I am writing this very early in the morning as we expect to be off at any moment. We shall soon be back from Lucknow, and then I hope that something will be done to relieve us; at the same time, I hardly expect it, as I know the 60th Rifles are not to come from Madras to Calcutta, and I see that our 2nd are still sending men from Burmah. However, you may be sure that everything will turn out for our good eventually, so we must look forward with brave hearts till happier days come.”

The crossing completed, the force started its march towards Lucknow, taking a route familiar to the men who had been over the river before. Just before reaching Mungalwar, previously held by Havelock, the insurgents made their first appearance, but the firing of the 5th Fusiliers was too accurate for their comfort, and they quickly retreated with their guns to Mungalwar.
“On nearing Mungurwar, we saw the enemy again posted on the plain commanding our line of route, his left resting on a village which afforded great cover, from the luxuriant growth of standing corn that rose before it as a screen, while a drizzling rain enveloped it in haze.
We moved forward from the road in an oblique line for the purpose of turning the right flank of the insurgents, whose batteries had meantime opened, and were directed chiefly upon our heavy guns
drawn by elephants, killing some of the detachment escorting them. The sagacious animals displayed their usual caution, at once turning back, and could not be induced to drag on the guns, to which bullocks were then attached, to obviate this difficulty. Beyond this, our line experienced but little resistance, and sweeping onward, with the 90th Light Infantry on its left, in dashing style, soon cleared the plantation and village; the hasty retreat of the rebels being simultaneous with our advance.
Now, for the first time, a fair opportunity was opened to the gallant Barrow, who, during our halt at Cawnpore, had been indefatigable in training and disciplining his Volunteer Horse, which he led in the
pursuit, accompanied by Sir James Outram.” (North)

Sir James joined in the chase astride his huge Australian horse and armed not with the usual accoutrements of an officer but only with his favourite “stout gold-topped Malacca” known as the Penang Lawyer, which he used to whack anyone who came within his range. Outram and Barrow, with his squadron following in loose order, pressed forward at speed. At a turn in the road, they discerned a dense body of rebels, rallied and ready to take the fight.
“Close up and take order! ” shouted Barrow, and at his word, his men plunged forward and rode straight into the mass of men, “sabring right and left”, and Outram’s cane whirring through the air while “pursuers and pursued rolled pell-mell along the road to Busheratganj.” Two guns of the rebels, placed behind an entrenchment, blocked the road ahead, but Barrow, his men following, rushed the earthwork and went straight over it, cutting down the gunners before they had a chance to turn, and captured the guns. The pursuit continued, and the insurgents pushed steadily through Mangalwar until they had effectively cleared the town to the other end. The total killed by the insurgents was 150, with the loss of 2 guns. Young Lieutenant William Hargood, sent by Havelock with a message to Barrow, had found himself at the onset of the charge, in the midst of the cavalry. He could not turn around, so he joined them instead.
“It was most exciting – 80 horsemen going at full gallop amongst the scoundrels, cutting right and left.. Sergeant Mahoney of my Company, who is Acting Sergeant Major of the Cavalry, particularly distinguished himself. He cut down three mutineers who were carrying the Regimental Colours of the 1st BNI, and notwithstanding he had two fingers cut off, he persisted in riding another charge, and would not get off his horse, and fell from it in a fainting fit.”

Major Lousada Barrow (whom we met previously the small station of Salon) had spent his time in Cawnpore continuously training his volunteers – although they had brought him no shame at their first battle in Fatehpur, nor in the subsequent tests under Havelock, Barrow had made them better, a fine, cohesive force, able to work as one unit – that they only numbered 80 hardly made a difference, their strength and speed was what Havelock wanted and they had proved themselves to be exactly what he needed.

The force bivouacked for the night in a serai outside Mangalwar, and on the morning of the 22nd of September, the march continued. Shortly after 3 pm, they reached the river Sye, and to the delight of everyone, most of all the engineers, the rebels had, in their flight, fortunately forgotten to destroy the only bridge spanning the river. A mile in front of it, the troops halted, and Havelock ordered a royal salute fired, hoping it would reach the ears of the Lucknow Garrison, but as some men pointed out, the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. Havelock halted his men at Bunee, and they rested for the remainder of the day and the night, getting as much rest as was possible, “in a swamp with rain pouring down on them.”