Twelve Years Of A Soldier's Life In India Part 27

I venture to quote from Mr. H. Greathed's Letters (published by his widow) some further notices of my brother:--

"Hodson keeps an Argus eye on the rear and left flank, and is always ready for an adventurous ride. I am not surprised at Gough liking him; he has a rare gift of brains as well as of pluck! The uniform of his men, 'khakee' tunics, with a scarlet sash and turban, is very picturesque.

"Hodson is certainly the most wide-awake soldier in camp.

"A charge of cavalry was turned by a few musket shots from a party under Hodson, who always turns up in moments of difficulty."

Again, speaking of him while absent at Rohtuck, August 19th:--

"We have no further intelligence from Hodson. He is employed on just the wild work he likes, and will be loth to return.

The public still amuses itself with giving his regiment new names, 'the Aloobokharas' and Ring-tailed Roarers' are the last I have heard of.

... "There was some alarm yesterday about Hodson's safety. I cannot say I shared the feeling, I have such confidence in his audacity and resource.

... "Hodson is quite safe, he will now return to camp, and after being in for an hour, he will be seen looking as fresh, clean-shaved, and spruce, as if he had never left it."

FOOTNOTES:

[41] _Extract from Letter of_ MAJOR-GENERAL WILSON.

"The Major-General commanding the force having received from Lieut.

Hodson a report of his proceedings and operations from the 14th, when he left camp, till his return on the 24th, has much pleasure in expressing to that officer his thanks for the able manner in which he carried out the instructions given him. The Major-General's thanks are also due to the European and native officers and men composing the detachment, for their steady and gallant behavior throughout the operations, particularly on the 17th and 18th inst., at Rohtuck, when they charged and dispersed large parties of horse and foot."

[42] Referring to his charge of the Intelligence Department.

[43] An artillery officer told me of my brother, that even when he might have taken rest he would not; but instead, would go and help work at the batteries, and exposed himself constantly in order to relieve some fainting gunner or wounded man.--_Ed._

[44] The story referred to was told by an officer: visiting the sick in hospital in the fort at Agra, he asked a man, severely wounded, whether he could do anything for him. "Oh yes, sir," was the answer, "if you would be so good as to read us anything in the papers about that Captain Hodson; he's always doing something to make us proud of our country, and of belonging to the same service as that n.o.ble fellow; it makes one forget the pain."

[45] The following account of the a.s.sault, by an officer of the 1st European Bengal Fusileers, will supply many particulars of interest:--

"At 2 o'clock A. M. we formed in front of our camp 250 strong, and marched down to Ludlow Castle, which we reached about daybreak. There we paused some time to receive our ladders, and advanced at sunrise to the a.s.sault. Every man felt this day would repay him for four months of hard knocks, and that we should give the murderous ruffians a wholesome lesson, and teach them that a hand-to-hand struggle with armed men was quite another affair to one with defenceless women and children. We cross the glacis, the fire is hot; descend and reascend the ditch, mount the berme and escalade. Hark! what noise is that? not the Sepoy's war-cry 'b.u.m, b.u.m ram, ram, Oh King' for which you are intently listening; but the wild, thrilling cheer of the British, which announces to friend and foe that the ramparts are won. We descend and meet in the Cashmere Bastion, and-are astonished at our rapid success. A general shaking of hands takes place. 'Oh, General, is that you?' 'Paddy, my boy, how are you?' these and such like greetings take place, whilst the different regiments form. We moved out rapidly and stormed the church and adjacent buildings, and killed a number of Sepoys as they retreated from the Water Bastion. After this, we proceeded round the ramparts to our right without very much opposition, and halted at the Cabul Gate for some time; again the word was forward, and in leading on the men, my glorious friend George Jacob was mortally wounded; he, poor fellow, was shot in the thigh, and died that night. As he lay writhing in his agony on the ground, unable to stand, two or three men went to take him to the rear, but a sense of duty was superior to bodily pain, and he refused their aid, desiring them to go on and take the guns. Twice did the enemy repulse us from this strong position, our third attempt was successful, but two guns hardly repaid us for our loss. 'Sergeant Jordan,' I said, 'spike that gun on the rampart.' 'I can't, sir, I've no spikes.' 'Then take a ramrod, break it in, and throw it down to me;' and I spiked the other gun in the same way. The enemy eventually retook this position, but found only useless guns. A little in advance, the enemy had a gun and bullet-proof breastwork, behind which they fired on us with impunity. This was on the rampart, and we were in a narrow lane about twelve feet below, where not more than four men could go abreast. In one charge, Nicholson, our best and bravest, was struck down. Speke, gentle everywhere but in the field, was mortally wounded, and I, in re-forming the regiment for a renewed attempt, was shot through the right shoulder, which will prevent my being b.u.mptious for some time; out of our small party, seven officers and many, very many men had fallen. It was felt to be madness to continue the struggle where the enemy had all the advantage, and the troops were withdrawn to the Cabul Gate, but the British and Sikh soldiers had done their work, they had opened the road for our unrivalled artillery to bring in their guns, and in six days they cleared the city with very trifling loss on our side."

[46] 66 officers, 1,104 men, was the official return.

[47] On the 16th.

[48] One of the officers present on this occasion, speaking of it in a letter to his wife, says, "I found time, however, for admiration of Hodson, who sat like a man carved in stone, and as calm and apparently as unconcerned as the sentries at the Horse Guards, and only by his eyes and his ready hand, whenever occasion offered, could you have told that he was in deadly peril, and the b.a.l.l.s flying amongst us as thick as hail."

[49] _Extract from the Despatch of_ BRIGADIER HOPE GRANT, _Commanding Cavalry Division_.

"HEAD-QUARTERS, DELHI, _Sept. 17th, 1857_.

"The behavior of the Native Cavalry was also admirable.

Nothing could be steadier, nothing more soldierlike, than their bearing. Lieutenant Hodson commanded a corps raised by himself, and he is a first-rate officer, brave, determined, and clear-headed."

[50] Hervey H. Greathed, Commissioner and Political Agent.

[51] _Extract from the Despatches of_ GENERAL WILSON _on the Fall of Delhi_.

"DELHI, _Sept. 22d, 1857_.

"I beg also to bring very favorably to notice the officers of the Quartermaster-General's Department, ... and Captain Hodson, who has performed such good and gallant service with his newly raised regiment of Irregular Horse, and at the same time conducted the duties of the Intelligence Department, under the orders of the Quartermaster-General, with rare ability and success."

[52] Vide p. 342 for more detailed account.

[53] It was on this spot that the head of Gooroo Teg Bahadoor had been exposed by order of Aurungzebe, the Great Mogul, nearly 200 years before. The Sikhs considered that in attacking Delhi they were "paying off an old score." A prophecy had long been current among them, that by the help of the white man they should reconquer Delhi. After this they looked on Captain Hodson as the "avenger of their martyred Gooroo," and were even more ready than before to follow him anywhere.

[54] "At a short distance, about a mile before reaching the tomb, the road pa.s.ses under the Old Fort,--a strong tower, commanding the road on two sides, in which the King and his party first took refuge on their escape from Delhi. This was filled with his adherents, and it was a moment of no small danger to Hodson and his little troop, when pa.s.sing under it on his way out to the tomb, any stray shot from the walls might have laid him low."--_Note by a Friend._

[55] All the notice taken of this remarkable exploit in Major-General Wilson's despatch of September 22d, was,--

"The King, who accompanied the troops for some short distance last night, gave himself up to a party of Irregular Cavalry whom I sent out in the direction of the fugitives, and he is now a prisoner under a guard of European soldiers."

We may well remark on this _anonymous_ version, "id maxime formidolosum, privati hominis nomen supra principis attolli."--_Ed._

[56] Called Shahzadahs.

[57] "When within the inclosure, Hodson observed the balcony resting on the Archway of Ingress filled with the followers of the royal party, many with arms. Facing it, he looked up calmly, pointed his carabine, and said, 'The first man that moves is a dead man.' The effect was instantaneous. Not a hand was raised, and by the glance of that eye, and effect of that voice, every disposition to interfere by word or deed was quelled."--_Note by a friend, who afterwards visited Humayoon's Tomb in company with Lieut. Macdowell._

[58] _From_ MR. MONTGOMERY, _now Chief Commissioner of Oude_.

"_Sept. 29th._

"MY DEAR HODSON,--All honor to you (and to your 'Horse') for _catching_ the King and slaying his sons. I hope you will bag many more! In haste,

"Ever yours, "R. MONTGOMERY."

CHAPTER IV.

OPERATIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF DELHI.--SHOWER'S COLUMN.--SEATON'S COLUMN.--GUNGEREE.--PUTIALEE.--MYNPOOREE.--RIDE TO COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S CAMP.--JUNCTION OF FORCES.--SHUMSHABAD.

CAMP, DELHI, _Sept. 26th_.

My letters are of necessity short and newsless, for I am scarcely ever able to sit down to write what can be properly called a letter. Anything so mismanaged as the prize property has been, or so wasted, I never saw; so much so, that I look upon the appointment of prize agents at all as a simple injustice to the army, _i. e._, to the officers.

Colonel Seaton has given up the prize agency in disgust, and I refused it altogether; he is taking you a real trophy from Delhi, no less than the turquoise armlet and signet rings of the rascally princes whom I shot; not actually worth twenty s.h.i.+llings, but I know they will be prized by you and the dear ones at home. Tombs declares I shall get a C. B. for capturing the King, &c., and, between ourselves, I _ought_ to have anything they can give me, for it was a fearful risk, and, I must say, the "General's" share in it was about as meritorious as his recognition of the service was gracious! but you will see _he_ will get the reward; but never mind, I did my duty, perhaps something more, and have got the reward of my own conscience, and certainly the voice of the army, as the hero of this "crowning mercy," as they call it.

We march to-morrow instead of on the 20th, as we ought to have done, to clear out some of the hordes at Humayoon's Tomb. I disarmed them when I took the princes, and collected all the arms, &c., into one spot, leaving as large a guard as I could spare, and yet the "General" has actually never sent until to-day to relieve the one or secure the other, and now only at my urgent representation! We shall be back from our expedition in four or five days. Colonel Showers commands.

CAMP, HUMAYOON'S TOMB, _Sept. 28th_.--I have been out all day and at work, varied by divers summonses from the Brigadier, and by such _very_ amusing duties as packing off the royal family's lower branches into Delhi.

Poor Greathed! he was, indeed, a loss to every one! With the column sent out here (to complete with 1,500 men the work of which I had overcome all the difficulties with 100), a young civilian was sent to carry on political duties, and take charge of the different members and hangers-on of the Royal family. In an hour I had got possession of the persons of seven of the remaining sons and grandsons of the King who were "wanted;" they were made over, according to orders, to this civilian, and, two hours afterwards, all had escaped!

In consequence of this we are halted here, and parties sent out in all directions to recapture the fugitives.