Casualties

Gerrard’s Column suffered surprisingly few casualties at Narnaul as listed below, according to the official returns. Some adjustments have been made to the lists, according to Travener’s Casualty Roll for the Indian Mutiny which is unfortunately lacking many of the names which should otherwise have been attributed to Narnaul.
In his despatch, Captain Caulfield presented an estimate of the number killed and wounded on the side of the insurgents, which he concludes as 350. 300 bodies were counted on the field.
Tula Ram and General Samad Khan escaped, Rao Kishao Singh, Ram Lal Samad Khan’s son and other top ranking officers were killed in action. However, as to the men of all arms, Yadav only writes, “… there remained none in Narnaul except heaps of corpses here and there.” (Revolt of 1857 in Harayana – C.K. Yadav)

6th Dragoon GuardsCarabineers
Privates
Cave, Thomas – dangerously wounded
Herbert, David – slightly wounded
Kilbourne, John – slightly wounded
Lane, Edward – slightly wounded
Mead, James – severely wounded
Parker, John – killed in action
Thompson, John – severely wounded
Walker, Herbert – slightly wounded

The official returns read – 1 private killed; 1 corporal, 4 privates, severely wounded; 4 privates slightly wounded.

1st Brigade, 3rd Troop, Bengal Horse Artillery

Sergeant Hugh Aston – wounded
Corporal William Keenan – dangerously wounded. Died of wounds, 18th of November
Trumpeter James Finnamore – slightly wounded
Gunner Timothy Mahoney – killed in action

Bengal Engineers
Lieutenant E.W. Humphrey – severely wounded while encouraging the Multani Horse. When he was wounded and unhorsed, he managed to fight his way out on foot until the sowars of the troop came to his aid.

1st Bengal European Fusiliers
Lieutenant Colonel John Grant Gerrard – mortally wounded, died of wounds
Lieutenant Wallace – slightly wounded
Private John Griffin – killed in action

The official returns read: 1 private, killed; 1 colonel, mortally wounded, 1 corporal and 2 privates dangerously wounded; 1 drummer, 3 privates, severely wounded; 1 lieutenant, 5 privates, slightly.

Corps of Guides Cavalry

Captain Thomas Gilbert Kennedy – slightly wounded in the hand by a sword cut
Lieutenant Craigie – dangerously wounded
The official returns read: – 3 sowars killed; 1 lieutenant dangerously wounded; 2 duffadars, 5 sowars severely: 1 captain; 1 duffadar, 3 sowars slightly.

Corps of Guides Infantry

2 sepoys killed
1 naik and 1 sepoy, dangerously wounded

Multani Horse – Returns presented by Lieutenant Lind
1 sowar killed
Ressaldar Wellydid Khan, 1 duffadar, 6 sowars, severely wounded
3 sowars slightly wounded

7th Punjab Infantry
1 sepoy slightly wounded

Hariana Field ForceCaptain Caulfield’s Returns
Lieutenant George Godfrey Pearse – severely wounded (Esakhel Horse). Born in Brahmapur, near Madras in 1827, Pearse enlisted in the Madras Artillery as 2nd Lieutenant in 1845. He saw service in the 2nd Sikh War and later, after the mutiny, served as administrator in Bannu and in the Punjab.

3 sowars, 1 jemadar, 2 havildars, 1 naik and 4 sepoys severely wounded,
2 privates, 1 duffadar, 2 sowars and 3 sepoys slightly wounded

Captain Stafford‘s Returns:
23rd Punjab Infantry – 1 sepoy killed,1 jemadar, 2 havildars, 7 sepoys wounded
Punjab Mounted Police – 1 rank and file wounded. 7 horses killed
Esakhel Horse – 2 rank and file killed, 1 European officer (Pearse) , 2 rank and file wounded, and 1 horse killed; 2 horses missing
Towannah Horse – 3 rank and file wounded, 8 horses killed,
Artillery – 2 rank and file wounded. 1 bullock wounded

Total Killed: 12 (Caulfield reported 8, yet I include Gerrard, the gunner who was initially reported as mortally wounded, then died 2 days later, and the returns presented by Lieutenant Lind and Captain Stafford.
Wounded: 86 – Caulfield presented the number as 76, but this is without Captain Stafford’s returns.
The returns that Caulfield attached to despatch had been compiled by Doctor J. Brougham (1st Bengal European Fusiliers), Senior Surgeon to the Force.

Animals:
Horses killed and missing: 16 killed and 2 missing
Bullocks – 1 wounded

According to the writer of the article in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, an elephant was also involved in the battle, however, it is unclear to which side it belonged. Since Stafford provided, in his returns, the number of animals wounded or killed, for the sake of posterity, I will include 1 elephant – shot by a six-pounder, presumed unwounded, but very angry.

2 thoughts on “Returns and Misconceptions

    1. Yes indeed, poor elephant! I have a few accounts of elephants in 1857 battles, I just didn’t expect it in Narnaul! Francis Cornwallis Maude talks about animals a lot in regard to his artillery battery, it is quite interesting how the animals managed the mess of war.

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