(1891) canadians in the imperial naval & military service abroad

8/14/2019 (1891) Canadians in the Imperial Naval & Military Service Abroad

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^S&H^ 1^^288YONGEST,"


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CENTRAL


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IN THE

NflVflL flND MILITARY SERVICEABROAD.

BYJ. HAMPDKN 13TJRNHAM, M.A.,

of Osgoode Hall, Barrister-at-Law.

"Canadians have shown, on more than one memorable occasion, that in militaryspirit they are not wanting." THE POLITICAL DESTINY OF CANADA, by Goldwin Smith,D.C.L

WILLIAMSON & CO., 5 KING STREET WEST.LONDON: W. H. ALLEN & Co., 13 WATERLOO PLACE, S.W.

1891.


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Entered according to the Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year onethousand eight hundred and ninety-one, by WILLIAMSON & Co. , at theDepartment of Agriculture.


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BY

GRACIOUS PERMISSIONTO

HIS EXCELLENCYC?DJte (&wevn0v tetteral of

LORD STANLEY OF PRESTON,BY


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PREFACE.ANADIANS, if they know their country, donot know their countrymen so intimatelyas they might. The histories of Canadaare numerous and elaborate, but the same

cannot be said with regard to the histories ofCanadians. The remark refers more particu-

larly to those of our countrymen who have enteredthe naval and military services of the Empire, andhave gone abroad,

In visiting the chief libraries it was found thatinformation concerning the subject of this little bookis

surprisingly scant.For this reason the writer resolved to undertakethe pleasant duty of gathering from authentic sourcessuch details as exist. Though in the course of the timeoccupied, nearly three years, he has travelled overtwelve thousand miles in search of trustworthy testi-mony, that testimony is unfortunately incomplete.He has proceeded on the principle of admitting onlythat which he had ascertained to be true, and reject-ing altogether mere tradition or hearsay. Literary


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iv PREFACE.

excellence has not been the first consideration. Thenecessity of some work of this sort became the moremanifest as time went on. Naval and military menand others received very favourably a serious attemptat giving some historical account of their services.The writer felt that travelling to and fro simply inCanada would not accomplish the object in view. Hetherefore went to England and spent a considerabletime in the British Museum, in conning over the naval,military, and public records of Great Britain, and injourneying about that country for the purpose ofgathering material.The collection of materials in England was rendered

most agreeable both by the cordiality of Englishmenand their kind interest in the matter, and by the activesympathy displayed by many ofthe Canadians residentin England. It is the writer's wish to acknowledgemost gratefully the obligations he is under to thoseEnglishmen, Scotchmen, and Irishmen with whomhe had the pleasure of coming- in contact, as well asto the Canadians, whose assistance he has received.The number of names is much larger than by thisbook appears, and until those who possess informa-tion, and of whom the writer has not heard, send innot only new names but more details, nothing com-plete and worthy of the subject can be put together.


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PREFACE.

Quotations have been used extensively because itis only too easy to be vain-glorious, and because it hasbeen the writer's object to approach the subject froman Imperial point of view.

If readers regard with favour this earnest endeavourto present authentically what has, in great part, beenneglected of late, it is hoped that they will forward tothe writer such information as they possess. Evenclues which may be followed up are of some value.

It is a sort of treason to the spirit of a people thatthe memories of the brave should remain uncherished.Many Canadians have had honourable careers abroad,in the service of peace, but those are not here treatedof the Archibalds who became judges of the HighCourt in England, Sir William Winniett, Sir SamuelCunard, "the father of Atlantic steam-navigation," &c.Much assistance has been given by some of themost prominent men of the Dominion, who havetaken up the subject with a heartiness that has beenmost gratifying. To many of these the writer's planswere submitted, and the publication of concisesketches as a step towards an elaboration at somefuture time, has been approved of by those beforewhom it has been laid. The writer will be content ifhis efforts as compiler and scribe are thought to forma substantial beg'lining, and for the interest taken in


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vi PREFACE.

the work and assistance given, he wishes to thankmost sincerely the following ladies and gentlemen :Lady Darling, Lady Willshire, Mrs. Robinson-Owen ;Miss. Harriet E. Boulton, of Toronto; the RightHonourable Sir John A. Macdonald, P.C.,a.C.B.,Gr.C.M.G-., Premier of Canada; Sir Charles Tapper, Bart.,Gr.C.B.,Gr.C.M.Gr., High Commissioner for Canada inLondon ; G-oldwin Smith, Esqr., D.C.L., Sir AndrewStuart, the Hon. Henri Gr. Joly de LotbiniSre, SirAdams Archibald, the Hon. Mr. Justice Baby, MartinG-riffin, Esqr., Librarian of House of Commons ofCanada; F. B. Crofton, Esqr., Librarian of Legislature atHalifax ; Silas Farmer, Esqr., Historiographer, of Michi-gan, U. S., the Hon. Charles H. Tupper, Minister ofMarine and Fisheries; Christopher Robinson, Esqr.,Q.C., Major-G-eneral Cameron, C.M.G-., Commandantof the Royal Military College of Kingston, Canada ;Major Todd, Major Mayne, R.E., Captain Forbes, R.N.,T. Akin, Esqr., Archivist, of Nova Scotia; M. Suite,Douglas Brymner, Esqr., Dominion Archivist ; ColonelDuchesnay, D.A.G-., Herbert Forlong, Esqr., MajorCrawford Lindsay, Colonel Montizambert and MajorWilson, of the Citadel at Quebec ; J. Le Moine, Esqr.,F.R.S.C., Major Yidal, ,C Surgeon-General Reade,James P. Cleghorn, Esqr., of Montreal ; the Mayor ofHalifax, Lt.-Col. Bremner, E. J. Toker, Esqr., of the


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PREFACE. vii

Empire ; the officers of the Admiralty Office, of theWar Office, of the Public Records Office, of the Pay-master-General's Office, of the Rolls Office, of theHistorical Society of Quebec, and to very manyothers, and especially to Mr. J. W. O'Brien, ofthe Newspaper Department of the British Museum,late of the 4th Dragoon Guards, whose greatinformation on all naval and military matters, and ac-curate acquaintance with the proper sources of thatinformation, were invaluable.The following is from a letter of Sir Adams Archi-

bald :HALIFAX, October 15, 1890.MY DEAR SIR, I congratulate you on the

selection of the subject for your book, and am sure it will fill aspace that ought to be filled. It will require a good deal of labourand trouble, but it ought to be, and I doubt not will be, welcomedby every true Canadian.

Believe me, my dear sir,with best wishes,

yours very faithfully,(Sgd.) A. G. ARCHIBALD.

J. Hampden Burnham, Esqr.,Peterborough, Ont.

These sketches are confined to commissionedofficers.

J. H. B.PETERBOROUGH.

December 1st, 1890.


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CANADIANSIN THE

IMPERIAL SERVICE ABROAD.H.M. 100TH KEGIMENT.

- N past times the regard of Canadians forBritish traditions and for the motherlandhas shown itself in many ways. The loveof the home of their ancestors has been

nourished by them with all steadfastness, as isnatural in an independent and a loyal people.^

This sentiment has flourished, it may well be said,because the trend of British institutions has been to-ward a more extensive liberty and to a more enduring

* " Another thing that struck him was the independence of Canad-ians. Something of this was, no doubt, due to our educational system ;something was due to the sociability engendered by our bracing climate ,and a great deal was due to our local government, which seemed to himabsolutely perfect." Mr. John T. Wood, one of the Farmers' delegatesfrom Britain, at Calgary, Oct. 10, 1890, in reply, on behalf of thedelegation, as reported in the Empire.


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10 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.civilization. The proof of this is in the attachmentof the descendants of the French in Canada toBritain, and in the confederation of the Dominion it-self.There underlies this, too, an honesty of purpose

a just intention in the true heart of the race that haspreserved this allegiance an allegiance that is a tri-bute to her principles of which Britain, herself, maywell be proud. Instances may occur again where thefolly of rulers may cause an unpremeditated separa-tion, but this will not be in accordance with thegenius of Imperial development. No other empirehas ever had colcnies so great in magnitude and innumber, nor has any bound them to herself by bondsso fragile yet so strong.Other nations have been deprived of theirs by the

continuous storms of tumult and rebellion, but Britainhas preserved her dependencies for, in general, shehas given them the most ample liberty and protec-tion.

It is in no sense the worst part of a people thatbraves the perils of sea and land in quest of settle-ment, and England's colonists have shown that theyhave not lost the ancient spirit that their inheritanceis not wasted in their hands, and that their rough-hewn destiny is shaping to a successful future.


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H.M. IOQTH REGIMENT. 11In times of need, an offer of men has, more than

once, been made by Canada, and as many timesaccepted, but the first offer of national importancewas at the outbreak of the last great war withEussia. Nor has she been ungenerous in the matterof money.For very many years the press of England has re-

ferred to Canada in kindly acknowledgment of as-sistance offered and given.For a century or more, the chief organs of public

opinion* have spoken frequently upon the impor-tance of " the premier colony " to the Empire, and, ifthe time come to begin the career of an independentnation, Canada may justly feel that she has not beenrecreant to a sacred duty.When the immediate cause of the rise of the 100thregiment the Crimean War no longer existed, andthe Indian Mutiny had been suppressed, the regimentwas given garrison duty. When the new territorialsystem was adopted, the 100th lost its distinctivelyCanadian name.At the present time, the first battalion of the corpsis the old 100th regiment.* See the Times for the last one hundred years. Also the Military

and Naval Gazette, etc. , etc.


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12 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.THE PRINCE OF WALES's LEINSTER REGIMENT (ROYAL

CANADIAN).\st Battalion : (Prince of Wales'sRoyal Canadian Regt.)

late 100th Regt.2nd Battalion : (Bombay Infantry) late 109th Regt.TERRITORIAL BADGES : On the buttons a circle in-

scribed " Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment."Within the Circle : The Prince of Wales's Plume.On the Collars : The Prince of Wales's Plume in

silver, the coronet gilt-metal.On the Helmet-Plates : In silver, on a ground of black

velvet, forming the centre of the regulation-pat-tern, gilt-star and wreath, the Prince of Wales'sPlume over two Maple Leaves, emblematic of theProvinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada,now Ontario and Quebec.On a scroll beneath the Maple Leaves : ' Cen-

tral India." On the universal scroll : u Prince ofWales's Leinster Regiment."

Waist-Plates : Special pattern with Maple Leaf ends :in silver on a burnished gilt centre a Maple andLaurel wreath.Within the Wreath : A circle inscribed, " TheLeinster Regiment."

Above the Circle : The Crown : within it, the Princeof Wales's Plumes ; below it, on a wreath, a dead-gilt scroll inscribed, " Central India,"


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H.M. lOOTfl- REGIMENT. 13On the round forage-caps : The Prince of "Wales' s

Plume in silver with scroll and motto in gilt-metal. Below the Plume a scroll in gilt-metalinscribed, " The Leinster."

Lace : G-old Shamrock pattern.BATTALION ' ; QUEEN'S" COLOURS : The Union through-

out, with the regimental title in letters of gold ona crimson centre, according to regulation, and theCrown over.

BATTALION " REGIMENTAL " COLOURS : Blue with thebattalion number in the first corner ; in each ofthe others a Maple Leaf.The Prince of Wales's Plume is borne on a crim-

son centre surrounded by the Crown. The titlesand battle-honours according to regulation.

The number "100th," formerly borne by the firstbattalion of the present regiment, has belonged, in all,to six different regiments in the Imperial service. Ofthese, two are intimately connected with Canadianhistory. The last of the six is the one now known asthe " Leinster Regiment," which " owed its origin toCanadian loyalty, at the period ofthe Indian Mutiny." *When the Crimean War began, and Grreat Britainwas very much in need of men, several Canadian

gentlemen offered the Home Government a regiment* English Magazine,


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14 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.from Canada, but it was found impossible to acceptthen, as the attention of the authorities was engrossedin placing* in the field the regiments that were readyfor action, as well as in watching the movements ofRussia. The offer was, however, borne in mind and,at the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny, was accepted.The regiment was at once placed upon the regular

strength of the army and wras styled the "100th, orPrince of Wales's Royal Canadian Regiment," to be onethousand strong. Recruiting began at once. Greatcare was taken that no citizens of the United Statesshould enlist, as the Home Government did not wishto become embroiled with that nation, in this respect,as had occurred once before.Under the regulations then recently introduced the

commissions were not purchasable, though their valuewas to be the same as in other regiments. The lieu-tenant-colonel, one major, six captains, and six lieuten-ants were appointed from the Canadian Active Militia

preference being given to those who had previouslyoffered their services, and who brought forwardrecruits. Four ensigns were appointed from thosewho had passed, with honors, the examinations of theRoyal Canadian Military College.Baron de Rottenburg, the adjutant-general of the

Canadian Militia, was made lieutenant-colonel of the


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H.M. lOOTfl REGIMENT. 15

regiment; W.$. Lieut. Alexander Roberts Dunn, a na-tive of Toronto and a former officer of the llth Hussars,was appointed to the majority.The recruits were enrolled at the five chief cities of

the two provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The firststep towards formation was taken in April, 1858, andby the end of the following month the regiment wasin quarters in the citadel at Quebec, awaiting embark-ation for England.

It was in every sense a fine corps. The men wereof splendid physique, inured to fatigue, well-equipped,and ready for the fray. It arrived in England in threedetachments and was stationed at Shorncliffe. Major-general Yiscount Melville, K.C.B., a very distinguish-ed officer, was made colonel of the " Royal Cana-dians." In an editorial of May 27th, 1858, upon thecoming of the regiment, the Times said : " The eventwill be not a little remarkable, for it will constitute, webelieve, the very first, example of its kind in the his-tory of the British Army At length thecolonial corps of various descriptionshave become re-cognized as members of our ordinary military estab-lishments Even a Canadian regiment isno new formation, for we have already a Royal Can-adian rifle regiment, one thousand strong, borne onthe general rolls of Her Majesty's Land Forces.


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16 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.Notwithstanding the aggregate increase in thenumbers of the Army, this new battalion representsthe only regimental addition to the strength of theLine. . . But the precedent is instructive as wellas remarkable, in the pledge it offers of the loyalty andgood affection of the Canadians.

" Our military establishments have often been sore-ly taxed for the wants of the colonies, but this is thefirst time that the colonies have added to the regularresources of the army. The men of the new regi-ment are spoken of as an efficient and soldierlikebody, and there cannot, of course, be the slightest rea-son why they should not be a match for any othercorps in the service An established andrecognized connection with a country or province-such as the 100th Regiment will preserve with Can-ada would tend to give the youth of the district bothan interest in the corps and an inducement to enterit."On the 8th of September, His Eoyal Highness the

Duke of Cambridge reviewed the troops in which theCanadian regiment was. On this occasion he wasaccompanied by Her Eoyal Highness the Duchess ofCambridge, and the Princess Mary. The appearanceof the men was excellent. When his Eoyal Highnesscame upon the ground he proceeded immediately to


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H.M. 100TH REGIMENT. 17the right of the 100th Regiment, which stood some-what apart for the purpose of being inspected. " Onriding down the line, the Duke expressed himself ashighly pleased with the men, and praised theirsoldierlike appearance in such language as, ' whatsplendid men ! ' ' What a fine regiment ! ' " * HisRoyal Highness having commanded them to form" column " and " square," and having tested them infurther movements, addressed them as follows :

" Colonel de Rottenburg, I daresay you have beensurprised that I have not been down to see you beforethis, but I was desirous that you should have an op-portunity of equipping your men that you shouldhave a short time for drill, and I see that I was notmistaken. You have evidently taken advantage ofthe time given you, for the appearance of your regi-ment not only proves your ability as a commanderbut fully exemplifies the intelligence of the men. Iam very much pleased with the manner in whichthey have formed ' column ' and ' square.' It hasbeen done with the steadiness of old soldiers,

" Soldiers of the 100th, or Royal Canadian Regiment,I am glad at having this opportunity of addressingyou. I can assure you it gives me great pleasure tomeet such a fine body of men, so well equipped and

*London Gazette, 1858.


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18 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.in such a good state of discipline. I speak as a mili-tary man and call upon my Eight Honorable friendthe Secretary of State for War, who will, I am sure,corroborate my assertion, more especially when it isconsidered that the regiment was raised in so short atime raised in the hour of trial, when danger men-aced England. Then Canadian gentlemen nobly andmanfully volunteered to serve. Both are equallydeserving ofmy thanks. Raising a regiment at sucha time and under such circumstances is, militarilyspeaking, very gratifying, and I think my RightHonorable friend will say, speaking politically, itmerits special consideration I am sure the100 fch, wherever they may be, will do honor to them-selves and honor to Canada, and, in honoring Canada,do honor to England "

After the address, under the Duke's command, theregiment was again put through a series of move-ments, which drew forth his warm approval of itsquickness and proficiency.On the 6th ofNovember, the 100th received orders tomake ready for active service in India, but, to its dis-appointment, the service was not required. It wasordered instead to proceed to G-ibraltar.Before leaving Shorncliffe, the Prince of Wales pre-

sented the regiment with its "colours," which were in-


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H.M. IOOTH REGIMENT. 19scribed with the word " Niagara," borne by the old100th regiment, and also by some of the regiments ofthe militia of Canada, in memory of the share takenby them in that desperate fight.Having done duty at Gibraltar, and afterwards at

Malta, the regiment was ordered back to England.Upon the lapse of the usual period at home after for-eign station, the regiment was sent to Bengal in 1877,subsequently being placed at Fort William, where itremained.On the 21st of February, 1887, Lady Dufferin pre-

sented the first battalion of what is now known as" The Leinster or Prince of Wales's .Royal CanadianRegiment," with new " colours " at Calcutta.The occasion was celebrated by a grand ball given

at the Town Hall. Amongst those who were presentwere Their Excellencies, the Viceroy and Lady Duff-erin, His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor and LadyRivers Thompson, His Excellency, the Commander-in-chief and the " elite of Calcutta." The old colours,that had been with them twenty-nine years, wereplaced in a prominent position at the end of the Hall,under the charge of private Dagas, one of the oldFrench-Canadian soldiers who had joined the regi-ment at the time of its organization in 1858.These colours are now at Ottawa as a memorial ol

the band of English and French-Canadians who


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20 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.sprang to the Empire's aid in time of peril and fore-boding. In handing the new ones over to the cus-tody of the regiment, the Countess of Dufferin said :"Colonel MacKinnon, officers, non-commissionedofficers and men of the Royal Canadians : The regi-ment to which you have the honor to belong, roseinto existence in the time of England's greatest needowed itsbirth to the loyal devotion of our Canadian

fellow-subjects, and its embodiment was one of theearliest indications given by our colonists of thatdetermination they have so universally expressed torecognize and maintain the unity and commoninterest of the British Empire. I now entrust thesecolours to your guardianship, fully believing that youwill rally round them nobly and gallantly in what-ever quarter of the world they may be displayed, indefence of England's honor and the Queen's domin-ions/'

List of officers of the 100th Regiment, in 1858.Colonel. Henry, Viscount Melville, K.C.B.Lt.-Col. Greorge, Baron de Eottenburg, C.B.Majors. Jas. Henry Craig Robertson.

W.($. Alexander Roberts Dunn.Captains

Tho. Maths. LuzWeg. uelin,Robert Bethune Ingram.


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H.M. IQOTH REGIMENT. 21

CaptainsPercy G-. Botfield Lake.Henry Cooke.Jas. Clery.Henry Geo. Browne.

LieutenantsG-eo. Bell Coulson.John Lee.Jas. Lamb.Fred William Benwell.Henry Lionel Nicholls.Jos. Dooley.Rich. Lane Bayliff.Charles Boulton.

Paymaster Jas. Hutchison.Quartermaster Geo. Grant.


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS, BART., G.O.B.ROYAL ARTILLERY.

!N the issue of April 3rd, 1858, The IllustratedLondon News represents, by two wood -cuts,the birth-places of General Williams andGeneral Inglis, with the iollowing remarks :

Nova Scotia is justly proud of having con-mtributed, from a population of three hundred

thousand, several illustrious names to the roll of na-tional heroes. Chiefamong the sonswhom she delightsto honor, may be mentioned Major-General Sir JohnIngli s, C.B., and his gallant uncle, General Cochrane;Sir W. F. Williams, of Kars ; Major Wellsford, who ledthe assault and was the first to lall in the Redan at thecapture of Sebastopol, and Capt. Parker, who fell onthe same occasion, We have engraved from sketches,kindly forwarded to us by a resident of Halifax, thecottages in which two of this gallant band were born-The first engraving represents the house in which SirW. F. Williams, of Kars, was born. It is a quaintwooden structure in the old village of Annapolis


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS. 23Royal. Near at hand, in what was once the ditch of theold fort, but now the church-yard, lie the successfulgeneral's father and grandfather, the wife of the latter,the daughter of that old colonial soldier, Jeffry, LordAmherst.

" The second engraving represents the house whereSir J. Inglis was born. It is in Halifax, and was theresidence of his father and grandfather, both Bishopsof Nova Scotia.

" This house is also of wood, an ordinary cottage withwings, containing library and drawing-room. Anaddress has recently been passed by the two Housesof the Provincial Parliament of Nova Scotia to Major-G-eneral Sir John Inglis."

GENERAL WILLIAMS.WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS was born on the

fourth day of December, in the year 1800, at Annap-olis in Nova Scotia.He was the son of the late Thomas Williams, Esquire,

of Halifax in the same province, and, by the death ofan elder brother in the Battle of New Orleans, he wasleft the sole-surviving one.

After a preliminary course at Woolwich, where hepassed his examinations with credit, he entered theRoyal Artillery at the age of twenty-five as second


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24 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.lieutenant. On the 16th of November, 1827, he be-came first-lieutenant, and second-captain on the 13thof August, 1840.

His career at "Woolwich made a favorable impres-sion and he was chosen as special engineer at Ceylon,where he remained for nine years. This appointmentwas made shortly after his leaving Woolwich.So faithfully had he done his duty at this post, thathe was selected to act in concert with the Britishambassador at Constantinople, in settling the disputesas to boundaries between Persia and Turkey.In this position he was required to act with greatjudgment and diplomatic tact. His success marked

him as a most available man in these Asiatic complica-tions. During the period occupied in these negotia-tions, Captain Williams dwelt for the most part in atent, and as a consequence his health suffered fromexposure. In addition to this, the robber-bands thatinfested the district attacked him frequently, andcaused him ceaseless anxiety.Then he was appointed " Superintendent of Turk-ish Military Arsenals," with a position in the Embassy .This he held for three years. In this large field hewas of especial usefulness not only to Turkey and Eng-land, but also to Western Europe. Lord G-ranvillethanked him publicly, and on the 22nd of May, 1846,


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS. 25he was gazetted a Major of the Army. At this junc-ture, 1847, Russia was endeavoring to become em-broiled with Persia and Turkey for her own benefitin Asia. Major Williams was dispatched with largepowers, to compromise, and, if possible, prevent this.For three years the negotiations were carried on, buthispatiencewas equal to his firmness and he succeeded.In 1848, he was raised to the rank oflieutenant-col-onel and remained as Her Majesty's Commissioner, tocarry through what was known as " The Stipulationof Erzeroum," which he had a prominent part in fram-ing. In 1852 he was made a "Companion of theBath," and in the following year, lieutenant-colonel ofthe Koyal Artillery.England has always, since the acquisition of her In-

dian possessions, been compelled to watch untiring-ly the movements of Russia. "With much cunningand zeal the Czar had corrupted the peoples in CentralAsia, so that their rulers were merely his hirelings,yet the people themselves were not wholly blind tohis sinister designs. To counteract the influence ofRussia, it was deemed expedient to protect and assistthe tribes of Asia Minor.At the outbreak of the Crimean war, there were two

large forts in Armenia Erzeroum and Kars.In the year 1854, Turkey had gone through the form

B


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26 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.of putting these places in proper condition, but it wasa failure.Eecognizing the vast importance ofthese places and

the weakness of the Sultan, England resolved to un-dertake the fortifications herself, with what success,shall be seen. Lord Clarendon, the Minister of ForeignAffairs, chose Colonel Williams as best fitted for thetask. The latter was instructed to act as Her Majesty'sCommissioner at Headquarters with the Turkish, forces,and the rank of " Brigadier-Greneral " was conferredupon him. Without delay, he proceeded to Erzeroumand thence to Kars, " a city whose name he was des-tined to render famous, through all time, in the annalsof English military exploits."*Kars is in the Arpa chain of mountains in Asiatic

Turkey, about one hundred and sixty miles to thenorth-east of Erzeroum. It is a picturesque and strik-ing city, situate at the foot of high cliffs. In the mid-dle of it stands a great mediaeval castle, upon a loftyhill. The houses of the city were built chiefly of mud,and stretched away to a considerable distance. A riverruns through it about mid-way, and a large ravinecuts through the high hills in the rear. The name ofthe river is Kars-Chai, or Mountain-River. The castleis near the Kars-Chai, and had been, in feudal times,a place of great strength. A fine stone bridge spanned* English Newspaper.


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS. 27the river, close to the castle. Throughout the placeindications of Persian architecture, as it once was,werescattered in profusion, forming a singular contrast tothe mud huts.

This is the city that General Williams undertookto defend. He saw that much had to be done to ren-der it capable of defence. Undiscouraged by theprospect, an elaborate system of fortifications wasdrawn up. It was given to Lieutenant Teesdale tocarry out.Though the means were quite insufficient and the

outlook gloomy, the officers boldly faced the task anddid not rest till Kars assumed the aspect of a modernfortress.

In course of time Colonel Lake. E.E., succeededLieut. Teesdale, and was named by the Eussians theEnglish " Todtleben."

Whilst these defences were progressing at Kars,G-eneral Williams went to Erzeroum. This city issurrounded by lofty mountains, and is, itself, upon ahill. The pashas in and about, like the Armenians ingeneral, had become friendly to the Eussians, and werein a continual ferment of jealous strife. This strife itwas necessary to pacify before the fortifications couldbe proceeded with.

At this moment, the jealousy of Lord Stratford deEedcliffe, the British Ambassador at Constantinople,


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28 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.for the first time blazed forth. He would send Gen-eral Williams neither supplies nor munitions of war,and, amidst a cloud of falsehoods and baseless excuses,left the General to what, he hoped, was total failure.The affairs of great nations are not easily managed,

but that this man should have been left as ambassa-dor at Constantinople, during this peiiod, is of a piecewith the fitting-out of the British expedition to theCrimea. This cruel desertion became noised abroad,and to a large extent rendered GeneralWilliam s's effortsol small avail. In this plight, on the first day of June,1855, he received a despatch from Colonel Lake thatthe Russians were advancing in large numbers. Hehastened to Kars with all speed.The garrison was composed of fifteen thousand

men, of whom a small number were British troops,the others being Turks and Armenian allies. Theartillery, which in many cases had, before this, beenabandoned by the roadside, was now in position des-pite the hilly nature of the country and the hostilityof the English ambassador. The exertions of prepara-tion were most exhausting, and the near prospects offamine caused the frequent recurrence of treachery.Hard upon this came the order from the Cftvil Gov-ernor of Kars that General Williams must not beobeyed as he was a "Giaour." The Russians were


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS. 29now in the vicinity of the city, confident of an easyconquest and of much plunder. Those deserters whoescaped the bullets of the troops made the Russiansaware of the condition of the garrison.The celebrated general, Mouravieff, commanded the

attacking army, which was large and perfectly equip-ped. He was not only a skilful, but an experiencedsoldier, who had served in the army which took Karsin 1828.

G-eneral Williams called a council-of-war. He sum-moned his lieutenants Kmety, Teesdale, Lake, Koll-man and Thompson. The Civil Governor was com-pelled to attend. The further fortification of the citywas at once determined on. Day and night, withoutpause, the work was carried on and the general super-intended it with the utmost vigilance and care. Fre-quent appeals were made to the English ambassador.Sixty-four dispatches, in all were sent, but to no pur-pose. They were not even acknowledged. Jealousyand hatred had deafened Lord Stratford to all theappeals of these heroic men and obscured the percep-tion even of his own interests.Food for both man and beast was running short.

Sorties were made to gather forage for the horses, butit was bought with many gallant lives. In many in-stances the poor animals, worn to skeletons, wereturned adrift upon the plain.


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30 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.

The state of affairs at this time is best described ina letter from General Williams to the Enrl of Claren-don, dated Sept. 30th, giving a report of a sortiewhich he had made when, after a sharp battle of eighthours duration, the superior force of the enemy wascompelled to retire to the lines of entrenchment.

" MY LORD, We could not get the messenger out olthe lines last night. To-day we have repaired ourbreastworks, filled the tumbrils, and replenished thepouches of the infantry, so that everything as well aseverybody is ready for the Russians should they wishto try their fortunes once more. We have collectedand are now burying the dead at least three thousandround the scene of especial danger, and in all thecamps they have been firing volleys over those theytook away and were slain at some distance by round-shot. The number of wounded cannot be less than4,000. If we had only possessed a few hundredcavalry we should have utterly destroyed their army.Their loss in officers has been enormous, and they be-haved splendidly. Three men were killed on theplatform of the gun in Tackma-Tabia, which, at thatmoment, was worked by Major Teesdale. who thensprang out and led two charges with the bayonet.The Turks fight like heroes. Col. Lake retook theEnglish Tabia with the bayonet, too, and Colonel


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWIGK WILLIAMS. 31Thompson crushed them with his guns from Arab-Tabia. Such was the deadly fire of our riflemen that2000 dead bodies now lie in front of an epaulementdefended by 400 of that arm. I am so fatigued thatI can scarcely hold my pen, but I am sure your lord-ship will pardon the scrawl.

" (Sgd.) W. F. WILLIAMS."It will be observed Jthat the General does not men-

tion the part he took in that day's battle. By the pro-phetic vision of the pious Turks, he was of littleavail, however, for they clearly saw a great host ofmen clothed in the green uniform of the Prophet,fighting on their side. But Dr. Sandwith says thatGeneral Williams commanded the whole of the opera-tions of that day.Up to the early part of October, 6,300 Russians had

been interred by the garrison.The few horses that remained were killed for food.

On the 28th day of November, one hundred mendied in the hospitals from starvation.The report of the General to the Home authorities

had its effect. Supplies and reinforcements weresent, but they never reached the garrison. OmarPasha, who was entrusted with them, landed at Tre-bizond. This was a fatal mistake. The most ordinarymilitary foresight, the critics maintained, would have


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32 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.suggested a landing at Kaleh. Had this been done,without doubt Kars would have been saved. As itwas, Omar Pasha could render it no assistance.

In the month of August G-eneral Williams hadwarned the ambassador and the Home Office that hehad provisions for but three weeks. Designed delayon the part of Lord Stratford, and his false reports tothe Foreign Secretary, misled the Executive, and themen of Kars were betrayed. On December 8, 1854,he had written Lord Stratford complaining bitterly." Having," he writes, " made this appeal to yourLordship in the name of Her Majesty's Government,it is my ditty to state distinctly that I shall not beable to give such intelligence to my superiors as isabsolutely nectssary for them to be masters of ; thatI shall fail to preserve the power which I have (un-aided) seized, and that I consequently shall notsucceed in shielding the troops from starvation with-out my demands are complied with. If they be not,the dissolution of this army and the fall of AsiaMinor will inevitably follow, and a golden oppor-tunity be lost."

" No time," he said, in writing to Lord Clarendonand to the ambassador, " is to be lost ; winter is glidingaway from us, and our disciplined and intelligentenemy is as fully aware as I am of the destitute and


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS. 33disorganized state of the army which lies opposite tohim."On Nov. 19, Consul Brant apprised Lord Stratfordof the note he had received from Col. Williams, as hethen was, and he adds (writing to Erzeroum), "I askfrom your Excellency is the Kars army to be allowedto perish? Is nothing to be done to relieve it? . .. . . .1 now fear it must surrender, and to conferhonors on its gallant defenders, wrhile they are leftto perish, is a cruel mockery and an indelible disgraceto the Turkish Government as well as to those of theAllied Powers/'Such had been the implorings that had remained

unanswered. To surrender was all that could be done.The news of his elevation to ihe rank of major-

general coming at this time, and of his knighthood,was grim irony to the brave soldier. To the Russiangeneral the British commander gave up his sword,on the 14th day of November. But the Russian feltsuch admiration for General Williams and the heroicgarrison, that to each officer he gave back his swordin recognition, as he said, " of noble and devotedcourage, as a mark of honour and respect."The English general and his staff wTere removed to

St. Petersburg and to Moscow, and were from thefirst moment of surrender treated with the greatestadmiration and regard.


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34 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.

They returned to England in the spring of 1856, andwere welcomed by the nation. "After having beenhonored," says a great paper, " by the sovereigns, thehigher circles and the populations of countries forwhich he did net fight, and in a special manner bythose of the country which he fought against, GeneralWilliams has, at length, returned to his own land inwhose cause he displayed his noble qualities, wThosecommission he bore, and whose name he so bril-liantly maintained in the face of a very energetic, cap-able and powerful enemy, amidst trials and difficultiesunsurpassed."On landing at Dover, he wTas presented with an ad-dress and was welcomed, as well as his brave officers,with the greatest enthusiasm.On his arrival in London he was greeted with a" triumph " by the great city.Her Majesty was pleased to confer upon him, at

Buckingham Palace, the order of Knighthood of theBath for his bravery at Kars. At the investiture,General Williams knelt before the Queen, who, inperson, bade him rise. Her Majesty, assisted by HisRoyal Highness Prince Albert, passed round theneck of Sir William Fen wick Williams the ribbonwith the badge suspended, of a *' Knight Commander(military division) of the Bath."


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS. 35The Queen then placed the " Star " upon his breast,

and Sir William having kissed the hand of HerMajesty, withdrew. To do further honour to him,Her Majesty commanded him to sit to Mr. Mayall,the artist, in the dress worn by him at Kars.As a still further reward, he was raised to the dig-

nity of a baronetcy as " Sir William FenwickWilliams, of Kars." This was one of the threehereditary honours conferred upon those engaged inthe Russian war. To this, by royal instance, wasadded an annual pension of 1,000.His native province awaited anxiously the momentwhen he could pause to receive from it the ''Sword of

Honour" which he had proudly won and which it asproudly gave.The ceremony is described in the Illustrated London

News as follows : " Sword-giving, an ancient and hon-orable custom rewarding valour by its own peculiarweapon of defence, is not confined to the British Isles.. . . . This time we have to chronicle the gift fromanother quarter of the globe, Nova Scotia, a land whichwould appear to be doing something towards becom-ing celebrated, since it is the birth-place of two notorie-ties, one of the gown, another of the sword, both ofwhom have achieved world-wide reputations.

" These are 'Sam Slick' (Mr. Haliburton) and Gen.Williams, of Kars, The blade of the sword is of Nova


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36 CANADIANS 7iY THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.Scotia steel, as the simple inscription tells us, ' TheLegislature of Nova Scotia presents this blade, formedof native steel, to her distinguished son, Sir WilliamFenwick Williams, of Kars, 1856.'

" But the blade is not the only remarkable portion.The scabbard is a work in the highest style of art, oneof which Cellini might be proud. On the hilt, whichis richly ornamented and gilt, are two beautiful figuresof Truth and Wisdom, around which the Mayflower(the emblem of his native land), the Vine and Palm en-twine ; on the guard is the cipher of the General. Thescabbard, which is gilt, is relieved at intervals withoxydized silver, in compartments which contain thearms of Nova Scotia, of Turkey, of Great Britain, andvarious trophies emblematical of Fame and Justice,with figures of Yalour and Victory. These latter arethe wrork of M. Vechte, and are very beautiful. Thewhole is a pleasing instance ofArt decorating Victory."This was a gift which, General Williams said, touchedhis feelings more than all the other honors lavishedupon him.With other Crimean officers, he was banquetted atPortsmouth, where the Chivalry of England united in

their praises.He was asked to lay the foundation stone of theMemorial Chapel at Harrow School. A most dis-


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS. 37tinguished company of the great men of Englandgreeted him. The scene, upon his entry, was one ofthe greatest enthusiasm.The Rev. Dr. Yaughan proposed the toast, " Gen-

eral "Williams, of Kars," who, he said, "had done himthe honour to be present."On being introduced by Lord Palmerston, who waschairman, General Williams addressed them, saying,

" My lords, ladies and gentlemen: Dr. Vanghan askedme to come down here. I wrote back accepting theinvitation, and saying that I hoped I should not bedoing wrong in bringing with me some of the men ofKars. (Cheers.) In the first place, here is ColonelLake, a Harrow man (cheers), an officer who did hisduty day and night (applause). Again, here is Cap-tain Teesdale, my A.D.C., who distinguished himself inevery instance during the siege, and, on the memor-able 14th of September, he kept the key of the posi-tion for fourteen hours (applause)."At this time he was made Commander at Woolwich

His arrival there was made the occasion of a granddinner in his honour. There were present the Dukeof Cambridge and many distinguished noblemen, as-well as a large number of naval and military cele-brities.Lord John Russell, in the course of his remarks,

paid a high tribute to the Turkish soldiers and said,


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38 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE." I trust that in any future contest they may be head-ed by chiefs like G-eneral Williams, who will teachthem the true way to maintain the independence andintegrity of their country."The University of Oxford bestowed upon him the

degree of D.C.L., and he was presented with the free-dom of the City of London." Of all the gallant men whom England has sentforth to fight her battles in the late war, no one,perhaps, has showrn such capacity for command, suchforethought in council, such constancy in the midstof difficulties, as G-eneral Williams." *There is no doubt that the Home G-overnment was

awTare of the neglect shown by their ambassador atConstantinople, but the mighty conflict in the Crimeahad overtaxed its powers and excuses were notwanting to Lord Stratford. It must be laid to a bad-ly arranged base of supplies and general mismanage-ment that no aid was sent to Kars. When he foundthatthe fall of the city had not crushed G-eneral Williamsbut had won him the applause of the nation, LordStratford saw that it was time to change his mannerof proceeding. He joined at once, loudly, in the gen-eral acclaim, but his insincerity disgusted the peopleThe Naval and Military Gazette of that date has the

* Naval and Military Gazette.


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS. 39following amongst its many words of highest commen-dation : " The defence of Kars more glorious in itsheroic achievements, though less fortunate in itsresult than that of Silistria will stand out on thepage of History as the most memorable episode in theannals of the late war, and will convince the mostsceptical inquirer that the race of British generals isnot extinct."

So great was the general enthusiasm over the menof Kars that the arrival of Major-G-eneral Wyndham," the hero of the Redan," was so quietly though cor-dially observed, that the newspapers ofthe time madeapologies to him. General Williams was, in art,avenged by the intensity of public opinion, and theTimes of this period is most interesting reading, as itpours the ponderous weight of its invective upon thehead of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe.During General Williams's period of service in

Asiatic Turkey, he was appealed to for protection andassistance by people of many different nations. Onbehalf of the United States, the Boston Courier thankedhim for his kindness and aid to Americans in Ar-menia, and further, took the opportunity to say that" with all his honours it is his marked distinction thathe is an unostentatious, Christian gentleman." A por-trait painted of him -at this time shows him at his best


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40 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.The accompanying cat is from it. He was of fine andpleasing presence. The expression of his face was atonce fearless and gentle, combining a lofty courage?with much kindness of heart. His head was of thefull, round and massive type.

Like that of so many distinguished men, his mannerwas quiet and unassuming, so that the resolution andcapacity shown by him came in the nature of a sur-prise.He was a sincere friend of his native country, and

was deeply imbued with the spirit of hope for the des-tiny of Canada. A.t a public dinner in Canada, givenin his honor, the unbounded cordiality of his greet-ing drew forth an admirable acknowledgment, partof which is as follows : . . . " The president hasalluded to my services. Placed in a position of verygreat difficulty, I endeavored to do my duty. It hasoften, I thank G-od, fallen to my lot to reply to thistoast in the old countries. I said then, as I say nowI could never have performed that duty and fulfilledthat trust without the concurrence of one of the brav-est armies that ever handled arms. There were onlyfour Europeans in that Turkish army. They wereopposed to one of the finest armies ever sent forth byRussia. I could call it an army of polished steel.Nothing could exceed the precision of their manoeu-


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWIGK WILLIAMS. 41vres. And then you must remember what a gen-eral we had against us, my dear friend, GeneralMouravieff give him a cheer for my sake. (Cheers.)You will allow me to tell you that from the momentI entered his carnp up to the present we have remain-ed in the bands of the strictest friendship. Last sum-mer he was travelling in Italy, and regularly corres-ponded with me. You will understand his characterwhen I tell you that he then sent me a sword he hadhad manufactured for me in the Cancasus after thesiege, " and," said he, "to make it more acceptable toyou I have worn it myself for six months." I mustagain endeavour to present to you the pleasure I feelin sitting down with you this evening and meetingyour brother colonists. I was on the point of passingthis, but I remembered my promise to my old andgallant friend, Sir

Allan McNab, to call and see himif ever I came this way, or put foot on Canadian soil.I said I was just come to see him and must go awaythe next morning, but he said " no," and you all knowhis powers in these countries it was impossible. Ofcourse I bowed to impossibility, and here I am.Never did I spend a more agreeable evening, and Inever shall. I have now to ask you in your turn tofill to a toast I am about to propose one which I givein all sincerity from all my heart " Prosperity to

c


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42 CANADIANS IN TEE IMPERIAL SERVICE.Canada." Were I to talk to you, gentlemen, of thegrandeur of this country, only a small corner of whichI have seen ; if I were to foreshadow the future great-ness of this region, which no one can think of withoutpride, satisfaction and the fondest hope, I should de-tain you for hours. I will therefore only express myhope and prayer that this country may go on prosper-ing as it has recently done, and that it may realize thehopes not only of its own sons, but of the whole Brit-ish Empire. I hope all the provinces will live andthrive like brothers, and that some, even of us, maysee the day when this vast country, nine-tenths ofwhich is still a wilderness, will be smiling fields' Prosperity to Canada/ 'On the 2nd of August, 1868, be became a " Generalof the Army." For six years he was general officerin command of the forces of British North Americaduring which period he administered the duties ofthe office with his characteristic diligence and care.His native province was further honoured in his ap-

pointment as Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia.This position he held for three years with the greatestacceptability to the people.

Subsequently, he was made Governor and Com-mander-in-chief at Gibraltar. This appointment lastedsix years. He then occupied the honorary position ef


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GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FENWICK WILLIAMS. 43Constable of the Tower of London and Gustos Rotul-orum of the Tower Hamlets.

In the House of Lords, the Earl of Malmesbury,referring to the death of Captain Thompson, one ofGeneral Williams's lieutenants, said that his motherwas in need of aid, and asked what the House thoughtlit to do regarding it. The Marquess of Lansdowne,in reply, said : " My noble friend has done justice onthis sad occasion to the merits of that eminent man,Greneral Williams, who has. under the peculiar cir-cumstances in which he was placed, had the goodfortune, the glory I may say, to found a militaryschool. (Applause.) "

Greneral Williams was twice chosen by the Liberalsof Caine to represent them in the House of Commons.He wished, however, to retire from political life, anddeclined the re-nomination. This renowned soldierdied on the 26th of July, 1883, having been in activeservice forty-four and one-half years.

Medals and Decorations.1. Turkish medal and clasp for Kars.2. Knight Commander of the Bath.3. Grrand Cross of the Legion of Honor.4. Medjidie of the 1st Class.5. Grrand Cross of the Bath.6. Rank of " Mushir " from the Sultan.


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR JOHN EARDLEY WIL-MOT INGLIS, K.C.B.OHN EARDLEY WILMOT INGLIS was

born in the city of Halifax, in the Provinceof Nova Scotia, in Canada. His latherwas Bishop of Nova Scotia, as his grand-

father had been also. He was educated atWindsor, in that province, and entered H. M.

82nd Regiment of Foot on the 2nd of August, 1833.The first active service in which he was engagedwas in the Canadian rebellion of 1837, and his firstexperience was at St. Denis, in the Province of Que-bec. Here the British troops and Canadian loyalists,under General Gore, were defeated by the rebels ;but this reverse was very soon avenged. At St. Eus-tachc the rebel cause came to an inglorious end. Dr.Ch^nier, and Girod, a Swiss immigrant, had brought aroaming band together which they garrisoned in aconvent. Sir John Colborne attacked them withtwo thousand men and the 32nd retrieved its fallenfortunes.The troops were now able to turn their attention

against St. Benoite, which they destroyed. Eleven


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 45

hundred men then set out for St. Denis, where theywreaked a summary vengeance.The scene of the future exploits of Inglis and the

32nd Regiment was now changed to India, whitherthey went in 1846. He had become by meritoriousservice lieutenant in 1839, captain in 1843, majorin 1848, and in 1855, lieut.-colonel of the 32nd Foot.As major, Inglis served throughout the Punjaub

campaign of 1848-9.On the 18th of April, 1848, whilst a change of gov-ernors was being effected at Moultan, two Britishofficers were treacherously killed. Ex-Dewan Mool-ray seized this as a favorable opportunity for begin-ning a Holy War of Sikhs, Mussulmans and Hindoos.In Ihe first encounter, however, he was defeated, andhe fled in retreat to Moultan, which he prepared todefend.General Whish, with six thousand men, including

the two British regiments, the 10th and 32nd, at oncemoved on Moultan and demanded its surrender, butbefore the siege-operations were made effective andthe investment completed, the desertion of nativetroops rendered the retirement of Gen. Whish's divi-sion a necessity.

After further deliberation, another advance againstMoultan was made, but this also was unsuccessful.


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46 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.Finally, Lord Gough with the Army of the Punjaub,Gen. Whish having command, of the first division,began the siege in a more formidable way, and on the2nd of January, 1849, Moultan fell. The loss wasvery heavy.

In General Whish's report the following occurs : "Onthe 12th of September last, after Li-Col. Pattoun wasmortally wounded, the command of the six companiesof H. M. 32nd regiment devolved on Major Inglis,and through the exertions of the gallant troops em-ployed, the enemy's strong position was carried."

Major Inglis took part also in the attack that re-sulted in the surrender ot the fort and garrison ofCheniote, and he was in the subsequent battle ofGoojerat. By the fall of Moultan, General Whish wasenabled to form a junction with Lord Gough.

In a letter to the Adjutant-General of the armyfrom the camp at Goojerat, Feb. 22, 1849, Major-Gen-eralWhish says, "Having but recently had my attentiondrawn ^o the circumstances I am about to mention, Ithink in justice to the gallant officer affected by themI may be permitted to do so, though they may referto anterior conflicts with the enemy Onthe 7th ot November last, when Lieut.-Col. Brookehaving command of one of the two columns of attack,that of H. M. 32nd regiment again devolved on Major


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 47

Inglis, whose conduct in that important trust washighly satisfactory to the Brigadier commanding, andI have accordingly great satisfaction in soliciting thefavourable notice of His Excellency to the same.

(Sig'd.) W. S. WHISH,Major-General.

The battle of G-oojerat was fought on the 22nd ofFebruary, 1849, and was remarkable chiefly forscenic display. The day was perfect. The plainwas clothed with standing grain as far as the eyeconld reach, glinting in the sun, and the wall of thehorizon was formed by the huge ramparts of thesnowy range of Cashmere.Far on the left rose the towers of the city of

G-oojerat, which was surrounded by ancient villagesand monuments ot antiquity.The Sikhs numbered 60,000 men. At the first

charge of the cavalry the enemy was driven back,and in a short time the field was won. After thisbattle the Kalsa army laid down its arms.From May, 1848, to May, 1849, the utmost anxietyhad prevailed, for the consequences of the war wereof the utmost importance to the British Empire. Theconstant disappointments were terminated at Moultanand the end wrought at G-oojerat.


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48 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.For his sendees in these actions, Major Inglis

received the brevet rank of lieut.-colonel and amedal with clasps, on the 5th of June, 1855.Thus far Colonel Inglis had shown that he was a

good soldier, and had attracted some attention as abrave and capable officer, but his fame was to be wonat Lucknow.The suddenness of the outbreak of the Indian Mu-tiny and its subsequent horrors are too well knownto require more than an incidental reference.The city of Lucknow is situated on the south-west

side of the Groomtee river, which is navigable to theGranges. Formerly the river was spanned by a bridgeof boats, a large one of stone and an iron structure aswell. The city extended for a distance of four milesalong the river-bank. The middle portion of it datedto remote antiquity. With few exceptions, the houseswere of mud, with thatched roofs. These exceptionswere, however, magnificent specimens of the orientalstyle of architecture.An extraordinary effect was produced by the levelof the streets being ten feet or more below that of theshops, giving the city the appearance of being cut upby a net-work of canals. The streets were also ex-ceedingly narrow. Great numbers of elephants werekept by the king and the aristocracy, and when these


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 49animals passed along these narrow defiles they filledthem completely so that foot-passengers sought refugein shops or by climbing up the stairs.On a lofty eminence was the Stronghold of Luck-now, which was of more modern design than its prede-cessor.

In the part of the city called Farabaksch werenumerous arcades and a few streets of some preten-sions. On the right bank of the Goomtee was thePalace of the King. It was almost as luxurious as theMoorish Alhambra, having fountains of fantastic de-sign, baths of the Roman type and terraces of themost elaborate conception.And this palace was not without its dungeons. Thelower rooms were hung with ghastly tapestry withskeletons figured in. In them were kept instrumentsof torture which were used to punish the inmates ofthe harem.The city was famous for its Zoological Grardens. In

the north-west quarter was the Imambarat, celebratedas being a perfect specimen of the florid style.The British Residency was near the palace, and

about four miles from the British cantonment. It wasmost inadequately garrisoned by one company. In aplace of three hundred thousand of a population this


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50 CANA DIA tfS /.V THE MfPERIAL SER VICE.was manifestly insufficient to cope with any seriousdisturbance.The relisncns were those of the Mussulmans and^D

H indoos. Men of every class went fully armed, " eventhose at the shop-doors being equipped with shieldand sword."The minds of the people had been prepared for dis-content by the unfortunate mistakes of British diplo-

matists.When the mutiny and its ghastly horrors began, it

seemed altogether probable that the British power inIndia wTould be extinguished in blood. Althoughwarnings had been given they were unheeded andall in a moment the life-and-death-struggle began.

Within Lucknow, where the regiments were quar-tered, every preparation possible was made for de-fence, though many people, possessed of some alto-gether unaccountable idea, were determined that no-thing should be done, and did nothing accordingly, toassist in making ready for attack.

Brigadier Inglis had foreseen, to some extent, thedesperate nature of the corning siege. Fully realizingthe unprepared state and bad position of the city, hestrove with all speed to put it in condition for thestruggle.

Sir Henry Lawrence, like Inglis, was a deeply re-


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. K W. INGLIS. 51ligious man and refrained from touching with the pro-fane hand of war the sacred temples of the outer city.This, in the end, required the retreat of the garrisonwithin the Residency.There was no time for a leisurely execution of a

scientific plan of fortification, yet at no time was thedefenders' courage that of despair. The grim horrorof fanaticism and massacre hung over them theythought not of that but they trembled for the womenand children and well they might.The account of the state of Lucknow during the

siege,contained in the report of Brigadier Inglis, is asimple record of events of night and day of attacks

being desperately repulsed, ofmines and counter-minesand of the lust and fury of fiends who had no fear.On the 18th of June, in the evening, the force wasparaded a second time and minutely inspected byCol. Inglis. He had been detailed to examine the de-fences and inspect the troops, in order to prepare themfor the trials to come. He laboured untiringly to putthem in the best possible condition. Deaths by dis-ease and starvation had become of hourly happening,and the physical state of the garrison was at its worst,On the 4th of July the great Lawrence died. A great-er misfortune could scarcely have corne upon them.The following report speaks for itself :


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52 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE." Brigadier Inglis, commanding the garrison of Luck-now, to the Secretary of Government, Military De-partment, Calcutta :

"LucKNow, Sept. 6, 1857." SIR, - - In consequence of the deeply lamented

death of Brigadier-Greneral Sir Henry M. Lawrence,K.C.B., late in command of the Oude field-force, theduty ofcommunicating the military events which haveoccurred at Lucknow since the 29th of June last hasdevolved upon myself.

" On the evening oi that day several reports reach-ed Sir Henry Lawrence that the rebel army inno very inconsiderable force would march fromChinut (a small village eight miles distant, on theroad to Fyzabad) on Lucknow, on the following morn-ing, and the late Brigadier-Greneral therefore deter-mined to make a strong reconnaissance in that direc-tion with a view to the possibility of meeting theforce at a disadvantage either on entering the city orat the bridge across the Grokral, which is a smallstream intersecting the Fyzabad road about half waybetween Lucknow and Chinut. . . . The troops,misled by the reports of the wayfarers, . . . pro-ceeded somewhat further than had been originally in-tended, and suddenly fell in with the enemy, who upto that time had eluded the vigilance of the advance-


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 53guard by concealing themselves behind a long line oftrees, in overwhelming numbers And hadthe Oude artillery been faithful and the Sikh cavalryshown a better front, the day would have been wonin spite of the immense disparity in numbers. But theOude artillerymen and drivers were traitors. Theyoverturned the guns into the ditches, cut the tracesof their horses and abandoned them, regardless of theremonstrances and exertions of their own officers andthose of Sir Henry Lawrence's staff, headed by theBrigadier-G-eneral himself in person, who drew hissword on the rebels. Every effort to induce themto stand having proved ineffective, the force, ex-posed to the vastly superior fire of artillery and com-pletely outflanked on both sides by an overpoweringbody of infantry and cavalry which actually got inour rear, was compelled to retire with a loss of threepieces of artillery which fell into the hands of theenemy in consequence of the rank treachery of theOude gunners, and with a very grievous list of killedand wounded."The heat was frightful. The gun-ammunition was

expended, and the almost total want of cavalry to pro-tect the rear made our retreat most disastrous. Allthe officers behaved well Sir Henry Law-rence subsequently conveyed his thanks to myself,


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54 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.who had at his request accompanied him upon thisoccasion

(Here foliow^the deeds oi' valor of the other officers,etc.)

" It remains to report the siege-operations. . . .The untoward event of the 30th of June, so far dimin-ished the whole^ available force that we had not asufficient number of men remaining to occupy bothpositions. The Brigadier-G-eneral, therefore, on theevening of the 1st of July, signalled to the garrison ofMuchee Bhowun to evacuate and blow up that for-tress in the course of the night. The orders were ablycarried out, and at 12 the force marched into theResidency with their guns and treasure, without theloss of a man and, shortly afterwards, the explosion oftwo hundred and forty barrels of gunpowder and sixmillion ball-cartridges which were lying in the mag-azine, announced to Sir Henry and his officers, whowere anxiously awaiting the report, the complete de-struction of that post and all it contained. ... Itis now my very painful duty to relate the calamitywhich befell us at the commencement of the siege.On the first of July, an 8-inch shell burst in the roomin the Residency in which Sir Henry v/as sitting. .

" The whole of his staff implored Sir Henry to takeup other quarters in the Residency, which had become


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MAJOR-GENERAL KIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 55the special target for the round shot and shell of theenemy. This, Sir Henry jestingly declined to do, ob-serving that another shell would certainly never bepitched into that small room. But Providence hadordered otherwise, for on the very next day he wasmortally wounded by a fragment of another shellwhich burst in the same room, exactly at the samespot. The late lamented Sir Henry Lawrence, know-ing that his last hour was rapidly approaching, directedme to assume command of the troops, and appointedMajor Banks to succeed him in the office of Chief-Commissioner. He lingered in great agony till the 4thof July, when he expired, and the Government wasthereby deprived, if I may venture to say so, of theservices of a distinguished statesman and a most gal-lant soldier. (He continues to speak of his winningmanner and kind and pleasing disposition.) . . .The successful defence of the position has been, underProvidence, solely attributable to the foresight he evin-ced in the timely commencement of the necessaryoperations and the great skill and untiring personalactivity which he exhibited in carrying them intoetfect.

. . In him every good and deserving soldierlost a friend and a chief capable of discriminating, andever on the alert to reward merit, no matter howhumble the sphere in which it was exhibited. . . .


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K6 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE." Major Banks received a ball in the head while ex-

amining a critical outpost on the 21st of July, and diedwithout a groan When the blockade com-menced only two of our batteries were completed.Part of the defences were yet in an unfinished condi-tion, and the buildings in the immediate vicinitywhich gave cover to the enemy, were only very par-tially cleared away. (This was due to the reverencefor the high places, of Sir Henry Lawrence.) . . .As soon as the enemy had thoroughly completed theinvestment of the Residency, they occupied thesehouses, some of which were within easy pistol-shct ofour barricades, in immense force, and rapidly madeloop-holes on those sides which bore on our post, fromwhich they kept up a terrific and incessant fire, dayand night, which caused many daily casualties, asthere could not have been less than 8,000 men firingat one time into our position. Moreover, there wasno place in the whole of our works that could be con-sidered safe, for several of the sick and wounded wrhowere lying in the banquet-hall, which had been turn-ed into an hospital, were killed in the very centre ofthe building, and the widow of Lieut. Dorin and otherwomen and children were shot dead in rooms inwhich it had not been deemed possible a bullet couldpenetrate They soon had 20 to 25 guns


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 57in position, some of them of very large calibre. Theywere planted all around our post, at small distances,some being actually within 50 yards of our defences,but in places our heavy guns could not reply to them,while the perseverance and ingenuity of the enemyin erecting barricades around and in front of theirguns, in a very short time rendered alJ attempts tosilence them, by musketry, unavailing. Nor couldthey be effectually silenced by shells by reason of theirextreme proximity to our position, and because, more-over, the enemy had recourse to digging very narrowtrenches about 8 feet in depth, in rear of each gun, inwhich the men lay while our shells were flying, andwhich so effectually concealed them, even while work-ing the guns, that our baffled sharp-shooters couldonly see their hands while in the act of loading. Theenemy contented themselves with keeping up this in-cessant lire of cannon and musketry until the 20th ofJuly, on which day at 10 a.m. they assembled in verygreat force all around our position and exploded aheavy mine inside our outer line of defences at thewater-gate But they were driven backwith great slaughter. . . . Matters proceeded inthis way till the 10th of August, when the enemymade another assault, having previously sprung amine. . . . They beat a speedy retreat, leaving

D


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58 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.the more adventurous of their numbers lying on thecrest of the breach. . At Capt. Anderson's post theyalso came boldly forward with scaling ladders, buthere as elsewhere they were met with the most indom-itable resolution. On the 18th of August the enemysprung another mine with very fatal effect in front ofthe Sikh lines. Capt. Orr, unattached, and Lieuts.Meacham and Sappit, each commanding a small bodyof drummers, comprising the garrison, were blown in-to the air, but providentially returned to earth withno further injury than a severe shaking. . . . Butthey succeeded under cover of the breach in estab-lishing themselves in one of the houses in our posi-tion, from which they were driven in the evening bythe bayonets of H. M. 32nd and 34th foot. On the5th of September the enemy made their last seriousassault, having exploded a large mine a few feet shortof the bastion of the 18-pounder in Major Apthorp'spost. They advanced with large, heavy scaling lad-ders which they planted against the wall and mount-ed, thereby gaining for an instant the embrasure ofthe gun. They were very speedily driven back. .. . . However, a few minutes subsequently theysprung another mine close to the brigade mess andadvanced boldly, but soon the corpses strewn in thegarden in front of the post bore testimony to the fatal


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INOLIS. 59accuracy of the rifle and musketry fire of the gallantmembers of that garrison, and the enemy fled igno-miniously, leaving their leader, a fine-looking oldnative-officer, among the slain At otherposts they made similar attacks .... with thesame want of success The above is afaint attempt at a description of the four greatstruggles which have occurred during the protractedseason of exertion, exposure and sufferingBut by counter-mining in all directions we succeededin destroying 110 less than four of the enemy's sub-terraneous advances towards our positionThe labor, however, which devolved upon us in mak-ing these counter mines in the absence of a bodyof skilled miners was very heavy But Ican conscientiously declare that few troops haveundergone greater hardships, exposed as they havebeen to the never-ceasing musketry-fire and cannon-ade. They have also experienced the vicissitudesof extreme wet and intense heat .... in manyplaces with no shelter at all. In addition to havinghad to repel real attacks, they have been exposednight and day to the hardly less harassing false alarmswhich the enemy have been constantly raising. Theinsurgents have frequently fired very heavily, sound-ed the advance and shouted for several hours to-


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60 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.gether, though not a man could be seen, with a viewof course of harassing our small and exhausted force,an object they succeeded in, lor no part has beenstrong enough to allow of a portion only of thegarrison being spared in the event of a false attackbeing turned into a real one. All therefore had tostand to their arms and to remain at their posts untilthe demonstration had ceased, and such attacks wereof almost nightly occurrence. The whole of theofficers and men have been on duty night andday during the eighty-seven days which the siege hadlasted up to the arrival of Sir J. Outram, Gr.C.B.In addition to this incessant military duty the forcehas been nightly employed in repairing, etc. . . .During the early part of these vicissitudes we wereleft without any information whatever regardingthe posture of affairs outside. An occasional spy didindeed come in. ... We sent our messengersdaily calling for aid and asking lor information, noneof whom ever returned until the 26th day ofthe siege,when a pensioner named Ungud came back with aletter from General Havelock's camp, informing usthat they were advancing with a force sufficient tobear down all opposition, and would be with us infive or six days. A messenger was immediately des-patched, requesting that on the evening of their arrival


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 61in the outskirts of the city two rockets might be sentup in order that we might take the necessary measuresfor assisting them while forcing their way in. Thesixth day, however, expired, and they came not, but formany evenings after, officers arid men watched for theascension of the expected rockets with hopes such asmake the heart sick. . . . Thirty-five days laterit was learned that the relieving force, after havingfought most nobly, had been obliged to fall back forreinforcements, and this was the last communicationwe received until twro days before the arrival of Sir J.Outram, on the 25th September. Besides heavy visi-tations of cholera and small-pox, we have had also tocontend against a sickness which has almost univer-sally pervaded the garrison. ... I cannot refrainfrom bringing to the prominent notice of His Lord-ship in Council the patience, endurance and greatresignation which have been evinced by the womenof this garrison. They have animated us by their ex-ample. (He then gives a long list of those who merit-ed mention). ... In short, at last the number ofEuropean gunners was only 24, while we had, includ-ing mortars, no less than 30 guns in position. . . .With respect to the native troops, I am of opinion thattheir loyalty has never been surpassed. . . . Weare also repaid for much suffering and privation by the


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62 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.sympathy which our brave deliverers say our perilousand unfortunate position has excited for us in thehearts of our countrymen throughout the length andbreadth of Her Majesty's dominions.

" I have, etc., etc.,"(Sgd.) J. INGLIS,

" Col. H. M. 32nd," Brigadier"On the 19th of September Havelock and Outram

passed the Ganges, and by the 25th had forced theirway to the relief of Lucknow, not one hour too soon,as the Residency had been mined and the provisions ofthe garrison were nearly exhausted. The Britishforce was obliged to cut its way through the disaffect-ed city of Lucknow before it could reach the Resi-dency, and as it approached the British entrench-ments an enthusiastic excitement was displayedwhich has but few parallels in history. The pent-upfeelings and anxious suspense of the garrison gaveway in a burst of deafening cheers.On the ,22nd spies had come in with rumors of theapproach of Generals Havelock and Outram. Thebare thought of their truth excited the most longinghope in the breasts of the besieged. Many had diedfrom the exhaustion of fatigue,


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 63On the 25th their anxiety was relieved, for at some

distance off they could hear the loud thunder ofartillery, and to the excitement was added the rage ofrenewed ardor of battle. A day of suspense follow-ed. Then the firing began again and nearer the city.The insurgents were put to flight, and " at last a

loud shout proclaimed the arrival of the long-expect-ed reinforcements. The immense enthusiasm withwhich they wrere greeted defies description. As theirhurrah and ours rang in my ears I was nigh burstingwith joy. The tears started involuntarily into myeyes, and I felt no ! It is impossible to describe inwords that sudden sentiment of relief, that mingledfeeling of hope and pleasure that carne over me. . .. . We felt not only happy, happy beyond imagina-tion, . . . but we also felt proud of the defencewe had'made "

Without distinction, for it was no time for that,without the least shadow of formality, oincers andmen silently shook each others hands, and writh tearsfalling, embraced their comrades who had beensnatched from a fearful death. "And these bravemen themselves, many of them bleeding and ex.hausted, forgot the loss of their comrades, the pain oftheir wounds, the fatigue of overcoming the fearfulobstacles they had combatted for our sakes, in the


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64 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.pleasure of having accomplished our relief." Norshall the chivalrous conduct of some of the Sepoysever be forgotten.

In reference to the siege of Lucknow, the Timessays : " The defence of that place is, we believe,without precedent in modern warfare. . . . Butneither Genoa nor Saragossa can rival in heroism thelittle E/esidency of Lucknow."

In the Naval and Military Gazette of November,1857, is the following : " Amid the thankful rejoicingsof the relieved garrison of Lucknow, and the heartycongratulations of the noble soldiers who, led byHavelock, have at last won their way to their longattempted achievement, we doubt if there is anywho has felt more thankful to a guiding Providencethan that devout soldier of the Cross, Havelock him-self. We envy the feelings of such a man, when herushed with his noble followers to greet the relievedgarrison. It is a bright picture on which the minddwells the more delightedly from having for so longfeared to think upon Lucknow while the horrors ofCawnpore were fresh in the recollection, and agoniz-ing every heart."No higher tribute could be paid than that of SirJohn Outram, whose reports abound with generoussentiments of admiration. Nor were the material re-


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 65wards of the soldiers neglected. In the generalorder of the Government of India all the troops wereremembered. And in the General Order of Dec. 8,1857, of the Governor of India, is contained this pas-sage : " There does not stand recorded in the annalsof war an achievement more truly heroic than thedefence of the Residency of Lucknow, . . . ."Two days after another order was issued dealing withthe military operations, and it says, " They (theoperations) are explained fully and clearly, and everysentence bears proof of their having been guided bya master-hand, and that unbounded mutual confi-dence between the soldiers and their commander:'

There is also in the London Gazette of February17th the General Order of the Governor of India inCouncil, containing further despatches Irom Major-General Havelock, K.C.B., and Major-General Outram,G.C.B. : " They (these despatches) show how thor-oughly this gallant band has sustained the reputationof British soldiers for courage, discipline and deter-mination."Nor should an extract from the Times be omitted of

Nov. 16, 1857, from an editorial referring to Lucknowand Delhi : " Here will be seen what was dared byand suffered by the brave men to whom we owedeliverance from one of the greatest perils that ever


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66 CANADIANS IN THE IMPERIAL SERVICE.threatened the Empire The country has,we all feel, repaired its renown which was for a whilewounded by the episode of the CrimeaWe have now shown the world that we have generalswho can command, as well as soldiers, etcThe men who became notorious two or three yearssince may now be consigned to a contemptuousoblivion."The arduous duties which had devolved upon

Brigadier Inglis and staff had prevented him fromfurnishing to the Major-General commanding, at theproper time, the usual official information regardingthe defence, for it must be remembered that it wasnot for some time that Sir Colin Campbell broughtaway the garrison. "Without this, the Major-General,as he said, could not indulge in public praise of theheroism of Brigadier Inglis and his garrison. At lastthe report was made, and the Major-General expressedofficially the admiration of the British people. " TheMajor-General believes that the annals of war containno brighter page than that which will recall thebravery, fortitude, vigilance and patience, enduranceof hardships, privations and fatigue displayed by thegarrison of Lucknow." This officer continues to speakof " the incredible difficulties with which they had tocontend," and further says, " For while the devoted


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MAJOR-GENERAL SIR J. E. W. INGLIS. 67band of heroes who so nobly maintained their country'sarms under Sir Robt. Sale at Jellalabad were seldom ex-posed to actual attack, the Lucknow garrison, of inferiorstrength, have, in addition to a series of fierce assaultsgallantly and successfully repulsed, been for threemonths exposed to a nearly incessant fire from strongand commanding positions, held by an enemy of over-whelming force, possessing powerful artillery, havingat their command the whole resources of what wrasbut recently a kingdom, and animated by an insaneand bloodthirsty fanaticism."In his famous report of the 26th of September,

1857, to the Secretary to the Governor, Military Depart-ment, Calcutta, Inglis says,

(1891) canadians in the imperial naval & military service abroad

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