The Alambagh

At 8 am on the 23rd of September, Havelock continued his advance towards Lucknow. It was quite a contrast, noted North, to the previous day for “the atmosphere was close and oppressive as to be almost stifling.” The country around them was empty and still, that is, until half past two, when a reconnaissance party of cavalry stumbled across the mutineers, three miles in front of the column. They occupied three mounds, and their left was conveniently resting directly at the Alambagh a garden house once home to a noble lady from the court of Oudh.

“Like all garden homes erected by the Moslem nobles, it was admirably adapted for defence, ~ a strong lofty wall with turrets at each angle enclosed a garden about five hundred yards square, rich in flower and shrub, with a fine house carved with the numerous quaint devices of oriental taste in the centre, a mosque adjoining. and numerous offices for followers.”

A vast sheet of water off to the left obstructed Havelock’s advance. The position was admirably well chosen and supremely defendable. To sweep past, Havelock would need to pass in front of the enemy, close up to his batteries.
The distance in range was within 800 yards – and had the 5th Fusiliers been allowed to use their Enfields to full service across the water, they might have dislodged some of the rebel cavalry from their saddles and even brought down some of the rebel gunners. The rebel line extended a full two miles and was composed of nearly 10’000 men, infantry, artillery and cavalry. No sooner was Havelock within their sights, the guns opened fire from the Alambagh the shots bounding straight down the road. With the first shot, they killed three officers of the 90th. The rebels were situated on higher ground while Havelock’s men were crowded together on a road through a marsh. Havelock ordered the 2nd Brigade forward past the 1st Brigade, all the while the shot of the rebels playing havoc in the ranks. The movement completed the column resumed its forward march, case shot raining above their heads until a patch of dry ground was discovered over to the left of the road. To reach it the men had to plunge through a ditch full of water.

On reaching the dry ground, the brigades were deployed in front of the rebels, Neill’s forming the centre and left while Hamilton’s was thus extended further to the left to overlap the enemy’s line. Olphert’s Battery and the Volunteer Cavalry were sent to cover Neill’s brigade and dashed up the road and, at full speed plunged straight into the ditch horses and drivers fighting their way through the water until the guns were landed on the other side. “Forward at a gallop!” shouted Olpherts as Neill waved his helmet and a loud cheer broke through the air and Eyre’s heavy battery, having come up, opened fire on the rebel battery and swiftly dispersed their cavalry. The first brigade now advanced – at the same time. the 2nd turning, attacked the rebel on the flank, completing the rout. One of the rebel guns however continued to throw 9-pounders down the road and into this particular fray rode Lieutenant Johnson and his Irregular Cavalry.
“Outside, at the fight at Alumbagh, my men really had some fun and behaved uncommonly well. When we left Cawnpore I had only about fifty men and native officers; and just before the action of the Alumbagh, on the 23rd, I was ordered to send half my detachment back to look after the baggage, which was threatened with cavalry; thus I was obliged to send poor Warren, my adjutant, back with half the men, greatly to my disgust and his too. No one seemed to care a straw about the baggage when we all expected a general action on ahead. Well, on we went— galloped through a bit of water with the Volunteer Cavalry, and took one gun, without the loss of a man, I believe, and then stood still to be shot at. I was under Barrow, who was my brigadier. We were not long before starting again; and I knew the next best thing to do was to take the next gun, which had been bowling 9-pounders at us for the last half-hour or so, down the road. So at it I went with my five and twenty men. Greatly to my relief, they never fired a shot as we came on; and we took the gun without much difficulty. We chopped up a few of the men, and the rest ran away. … I only lost one man killed and a few men and horses wounded: my own mare got a shot through the hock.”

He then pitched the ammunition into a ditch.

Johnson had advanced without orders, leading his irregular cavalry at full gallop towards the gun – they sabered the gunners and captured the gun but found himself unsupported and a full 1000 yards ahead of the column, with the rebels keeping up a galling fire from their covered position, Johnson was compelled to abandon the gun and retreat – yet the shock of his actions prevented the rebels from approaching the gun again and Havelock’s men could proceed up the road, unmolested by its fire.

The insurgents, however, still held the Alambagh and with 2 guns, withdrawn from the field kept up a brisk fire from the embrasures in the wall causing much death in the advancing force. To capture the guns, Neill sent forward a wing of the 5th Fusiliers. The 5th, with their customary gallantry, stormed the walls. Whilst thus engaged in a ferocious battle for the guns, Captain Burton the 78th managed to force the main gate and rushed forward to aid the 5th, taking the defenders of the guns in reverse. In their wake rushed in the Madras Fusiliers.

Within ten minutes, the Alambagh was cleared of rebels who fled towards the city, Barrow, Outram the Volunteer Cavalry and Olpherts guns in pursuit. Outram drew up short of the Charbagh Bridge and called a retreat – the rebels were so strongly entrenched with unlimited means of acquiring fresh troops from the city, and with night coming, on withdrawal back to the Alambagh was the only course of action.
As he rode back, a messenger hurried up to Outram with a despatch – it was tidings from Delhi – the city had been taken by the field force and was now in British hands again. There was however no news from the Lucknow Residency but through the night, the men could hear the sound of firing from the city.