General Sir Colin Campbell’s Force

Camp near Alum Bagh, Lucknow,

Wednesday, November 11th, 1857.

There is a general parade this afternoon for the Commander-in-Chief In two days, I fancy, we move onward to conquer (D.V.). Captain Peel has arrived with the remainder of the Naval Brigade and four heavy guns. The Commander-in-Chief was very nearly falling into the enemy’s hands near Futtehpore. He escaped only by the merest chance. Some 3,000 mutineers surrounded 500 of our soldiers on their way up between Allahabad and Cawnpore, and the 500 had to fight desperately before they drove them off. Colonel Powell was killed, and 100 of ours were killed and wounded. Colonel Cotton has had a fight at Futtypore Sikree, near Agra; twelve of the enemy were killed and we had seven wounded.”

Over the next few days, Campbell made his preparations but he started things off in his usual style and on the afternoon of the 11th as the force stood on parade, he moved among the regiments and batteries speaking words of praise and encouragement for the men he knew very little about but would shortly be laying down their lives in his service.

“…Sir Colin’s little army, all told barely four thousand five hundred strong, was formed up on the plain for the inspection of its Chief…The field guns from Delhi looked blackened and service worn, but the horses were in good condition and the harness in perfect repair; the gunners bronzed, stalwart, and in perfect fighting case. The Ninth Lancers, with their gallant bearing, their flagless lances and their lean but hardy horses, looked the perfection of regular cavalry on active service. Wild and bold was the bearing of the Sikh horsemen, clad in loose fawn-coloured dress, with long boots, blue or red turbans and sashes, and armed with carbine and tulwar. Next to them were the worn and wasted remains of the Eighth and Seventy-Fifth Queen’s, who with wearied air stood grouped under their colours. Then came the two regiments of Punjauh Infantry, tall of stature, with fierce eager eyes under their huge turbans, — men swift in the march, forward in the fight, and eager for the pillage. On the left of the line, in massive serried ranks, a waving sea of plumes and tartan stood the Ninety-Third Highlanders, who with loud and rapturous cheers welcomed the veteran commander whom they knew so well and loved so warmly. Till he reached the Highlanders no cheer had greeted Sir Colin as he rode along the line of men to whom as yet he was strange. But the Ninety-Third were his old familiar friends. “ Ninety-Third ! ” so ended his little speech — “ You are my own lads, I rely on you to do yourselves and me credit ! ” “ Aye, aye, Sir Colin ! ” answered a voice from the ranks, ‘‘Ye ken us and we ken you ; we’ll bring the women and bairns out o’ Lucknow or we’ll leave our ain banes there!”

For the Relief of Lucknow

Commander-in-Chief India: General Sir Colin Campbell GCB.
Staff
COS/L. Maj-Gen. William Mansfield, HM 53rd Regt.
Military Secretary: Maj. Archibald Alison, HM 72nd Regt.
Divisional Commander: Maj-Gen. Hope Grant CB.
AAG: Capt. Henry Norman.
DAQMG: Lt. G. Allgood.
DACG: Capt. A. D. Dickens.
Acting Chief Engineer: Lt. Lennox.
OC Royal Artillery: Capt. Frederick Travers.
OC Bengal Artillery: Maj. Frank Turner.
Cavalry Brigade. 
Brigadier Archibald Little, HM 9th Lancers.
HM 9th Lancers. Maj. Henry Ouvry. 2 x sqaudrons (estimated 200 men).
2nd Battalion, Military Train. Major James Robertson. 2 x squadrons, of 200 men.
1st Punjab Cavalry. Lt. John Watson. 1 x squadron.
2nd Punjab Cavalry. Lt. Dighton Probyn. 1 x squadron
5th Punjab Cavalry. Lt. George Younghusband (13th BNI). 1 x squadron
Hodson’s Horse. Lt. Hugh Gough.
The three Punjab cavalry regiments mustered approximately 300 men.
Naval Brigade. 
Capt. Wm. Peel RN. Bullock drawn guns: 6 x 24-pdrs, 2 x 8 in. howitzers. 2 x rocket carts. Includes Royal Marines detachment. (250 men).
Infantry
3rd Infantry Brigade. Brig. Edward Greathed, HM’s 8th Regt.
HM 8th Regiment. Major John Hinde. (300, estimated).
Hamilton’s 1st Battalion of Detachments, Lt-Col. Henry Hamilton.
 Nos. 4 & 7 Companys HM’s 5th Regt., 70 others of HM’s 5th drawn from the Alambagh.     
The 64th and a 70-man detachment of HM’s 78th Highlanders which had formed a part of the Alambagh garrison.
2nd (Green’s) Punjab Infantry. Capt. George Green. (number approximately 550).
4th Infantry Brigade. Brig. the Hon. Adrian Hope CB, HM’s 93rd Highlanders
HM’s 93rd Highlanders. Lt-Col. Alexander Leith Hay. (1,000 strong).
HM’s 53rd Regiment. Lt-Col. Charles Gordon, (HM 93rd Highlanders). One wing only. (400, estimated)
4th (Wilde’s Rifles) Punjab Infantry. A/Capt. Wm. Paul,( 7th BNI). (550, estimate).
Barnston’s 2nd Battalion of Detachments. Major Roger Barnston, HM’s 90th Light Infantry
3 companies of HM’s 90th LI and 70-man detachments of HM 84th and 1st Madras Fusiliers which had formed a part of the Alambagh garrison (approximately 600 men).
5th Infantry Brigade. Brig. David Russell, 84th Regt.
HM’s 23rd Regiment. Lt-Col. Samuel Wells. One wing comprising Nos 2, 4, 5 and 7 Companys only. (400, estimated).
HM’s 82nd Regiment. Lt-Col. Edward Hale. 2 companys only. (10 & 200).
Artillery Brigade. 
Brig. Wm. Crawford Royal Artillery
Hardy’s Battery, No. 4 Company/5th Bn., RA. Capt. Whaley Hardy. Heavy Field Battery with
2 x 18-pdrs, 1 x 8 in. howitzer.
Longden’s Battery, No. 5 Company/13th Bn., RA. Capt. Charles Longden. Mortar Battery. 6 x 8 in. mortars, 10 x 5.5 in. mortars.
Middleton’s Battery, No. 6 Company/13th Battalion., RA. Capt. Wm. Middleton. Horse-drawn field battery. 4 x 9-pdrs, 2 x 24-pdr howitzers.
Remmington’s Troop, 1st Troop/1st Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery. Capt. Frederick Remmington. 4 x 6-pdrs, 1 x 12-pdr howitzer.
Blunt’s Troop, 2nd Troop/3rd Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery. Capt. Charles Blunt. 4 x 9-pdrs, 1 x 24-pdr howitzer.
1 x division E Troop, Madras Horse Artillery. Lt. C. Bridge. 2 x 6-pdrs.
Bourchier’s Battery, No. 3 Company/1st Battalion., with No. 17 Field Battery, Bengal Artillery. Capt. George Bourchier. Horse-drawn light field battery, 4 x 9-pdrs, 2 x 24-pdr howitzer. 
Engineers. 
Lt. Scott, Madras Engineers.
1 x company Royal Engineers. Lt. Wilbraham Lennox VC, RE. (80 men)
1 x company Madras Sappers & Miners. (100 strong).
Detachment Bengal Sappers & Miners.
2 x companys Punjaub Sappers & Miners. Newly raised. (200, estimated).

While the Alambagh was considerably depleted it was not left empty. Left to garrison the post would be
OC: Maj. Moir, Bengal Artillery.
HM 75th Regiment. Maj. Charles Gordon. (300).
Ferezopore Regiment. 1 x company. (50).

Campbell estimated his total strength on the 12th of November was 700 cavalry and 2’700 infantry without figures for the artillery and the engineers. He further reported that on the 14th of November, he was joined by reinforcements numbering some 700 men who joined his rearguard that morning. As for the units that had marched with Greathed from Delhi, their strengths were given according to the report issued on their departure from Delhi, with some allowances made for the sickness and casualties sustained on the march, at Bulandshahr and the Battle of Agra.

The force commenced their march towards Lucknow on the 12th of November. They had but proceeded a little way when the advance guard was fired upon by some guns off to the right, close to the old fort of Jellalabad. As a large swamp protected the right flank of the rebels and to their left ditches and broken grounds, the infantry and artillery wheeled around and attacked the battery in front, while Gough pushed on Hodson’s Horse to see if could find a way through the swamp. Bourchier’s battery quickly pushed forward and silenced the guns, while Gough, finding a way through the swamp, urged his men to charge, capturing two guns and killing a number of rebels. Now, even before the march to Lucknow had even commenced, the action secured Gough his VC.

“With my small body of men, my only chance of success was by making a flank attack, and if possible a surprise. With this object I made a considerable detour, and managed, under cover of some fields of growing corn or sugar cane, to arrive on the left flank of the enemy perfectly unseen. The guns were posted on a small mound, and a considerable body of the enemy had an admirable position in rear of this mound, in front of and amidst some trees and scrub. Between us and them lay a marshy jheel, with long, reedy grass — an unpleasant obstacle, but which served admirably to cover our movements. I then advanced my men through this jheel and long grass at a trot, and so concealed our movements till we got clear, when 1 gave the word. ” Form line ” and ” Charge.” My men gave a ringing cheer, and we were into the masses. The surprise was complete, and owing to its suddenness they had no conception of our numbers, and so the shock to them and victory to us was as if it had been a whole brigade. My charger “Tearaway,” the horse left me in poor Phillips’ will, carried me like a bird, and I found myself well ahead. It seemed like cutting one’s way through a field of corn, and I had to make a lane for myself as I rode along. The men followed me splendidly, and in a very short time the affair was over, — the guns were captured, the enemy scattered, and the fight became a pursuit. Our loss was very trifling, as is often the case in a sudden surprise, but we cut up numbers of the enemy and should have accounted for more but for the nature of the ground. I came out of the fight untouched, and this I attribute to the pace I went; but m)” good horse “Tearaway” suffered, having a sabre-slash over his quarter and another sabre-wound on his foreleg, while my coat-skirt was cut clean through, and the puggeree which, wound round a forage-cap, had been my sole head-dress during the past months, was cut almost to the last fold, but by its thickness undoubtedly saved my head. Two or three staff officers had ridden round, seeing what was going on, and shared in the fight, among them Roberts and Augustus Anson, and, I believe, Captain Mayne. Sir Colin Campbell had just ridden up to the front as the affair took place and witnessed the charge, I was very proud, both for my men and myself, when a little later he sent for me, and, complimenting me highly, said he should be glad to promote any man I would recommend for conspicuous gallantry. Sir Colin Campbell afterwards made particular mention of my name in his despatches…”

The next morning Adrian Hope was ordered to capture Jellalabad Fort but as was often the case, it had already been abandoned by the rebels so he disabled it by blowing in one of the walls, thus making its renewed defence impractical.

On the 14th at dawn, they began their flank march to the Dilkusha, Sir Colin Campbell riding at the head of the column. The 2nd relief of Lucknow had begun.

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