INDIA TO CAPE TOWN
The guns captured in the Sutlej campaign—Lord Hardinge’s compliments to
the regiment—I secure compensation for the regiment’s losses at
Loodhiana—Voyage to Cape Town
AT last, after more than a fortnight’s exposure to the pestilential
atmosphere of the mangrove marshes and swamps, and repeated causes of
uncertainty and anxiety about our proper course, we arrived early in
March in the Hooghly, off Fort William, and landed in safety about an
hour afterwards. We were no sooner formed in line than I observed an
unusual appearance—a square of artillery on the right of the direct road
to the fort; and on asking an officer what that was, he told me these
were all the guns captured from the enemy during the various battles on
the Sutlej. I instantly determined that my brave men should enjoy a near
view of these trophies and proofs of their valour, so, instead of
marching direct for the fort, I made a circuitous turn toward the guns,
and then all round them. The men were delighted, and their remarks were
very amusing on pointing to many of the guns; for instance, “That is the
fellow which knocked a whole section of ours to pieces!”; “That is the
chap that knocked the colonel off his horse!”; and “Look, these are the
very murdering devils which our charge settled and carried off at
Aliwal!” The sight was really most gratifying, and truly calculated to
inspire pride and glory in every British heart. There were in all
upwards of three hundred guns of all sizes, from six to sixty-eight
pounders, and principally brass, beautifully finished and mounted. After
many cheers we marched into our barracks in Fort William. For the first
ten days we had an increase of sick, but most of them recovered, though
two or three poor men died. Our missing boat and the one left to pick it
up both arrived in safety, about a fortnight after us; they were getting
near the end of their provisions when they discovered their relief.
In Fort William we found the 16th Bengal Grenadiers, a regiment which
wavered and held back to a man at the battle of Ferozeshah, leaving
their English colonel to advance alone with our troops. He did all in
his power to rally his men, but all to no purpose, so at last that brave
man attached himself to our gallant 50th Regiment, and fought nobly with
them, till, sad to say, he was at last killed.
Soon after our arrival at Calcutta we were asked to dinner by the
Governor-General, Lord Hardinge. He was most kind to us all, and after
dinner proposed the health of “Colonel Anderson and the officers of the
50th Regiment.” He made a most brilliant and flattering speech, in which
he enumerated most distinctly our services in all parts of the globe,
and especially spoke of our indomitable and gallant conduct in the
various battles of the Sutlej; then, turning to me, he said: “You may
indeed, Colonel Anderson, be proud of your noble and distinguished
regiment, and I have the most sincere pleasure in drinking your health,
and the health and continued success of every officer and soldier of the
brave 50th.”
By this time I had heard much from my officers about the extent of their
losses at Loodhiana, and I determined to make a strong appeal to the
Government of India for remuneration. In due course I received an answer
saying it was not customary for the Government to grant any indemnity
for such losses, but that I might state the nature and particulars of
the losses and amount in detail, for further consideration. I
communicated the answer to the officers, and requested them to furnish
me with a detailed account of all their losses. When it was all complete
I forwarded it to the Secretary of the Military Department, and begged
that it might be favourably considered. A long time passed without my
receiving an answer; but at last I got a letter informing me that the
demands were unreasonable, that the officers had no claim or right to
such expensive bungalows, that they should have been built in value
according to their relative ranks, and that the officers’ mess should
not have had such costly wines. To this I replied that the comfort and
health of the officers was of the first importance to the efficiency of
the service, that the additional accommodation tended to their comfort
and good; and with respect to the expensive and large stock of our mess
wines, I said such was the custom of all officers’ messes in the
regiments of her Majesty’s Service, and more especially in India, where
the carriage was so expensive, and where the messes of British officers
were expected to entertain in suitable and becoming manner, which duty
they could not carry out if their supplies of wine were limited. To this
I received a reply that the Government of India could not, after due
consideration, grant any remuneration for the losses without
establishing a precedent which must be inconvenient hereafter. I wrote
once more, saying that I still ventured to make one more appeal in so
just and good a cause, and stated that the officers interested were
seriously inconvenienced by their losses, and by the very unexpected
decision of the Government, and consequently that I considered it my
imperative duty to request that the subject might be reconsidered. In
another week I got an answer granting all we claimed, with the exception
of a reasonable deduction from the value the officers had placed on
their expensive bungalows. This then was a great victory, and my
officers were indeed glad and thankful for the service I had rendered
them.
Early in January, 1848, I received an order to hold the regiment in
readiness for embarkation, and I was at the same time informed that
one-third of the officers would be permitted to proceed home at once by
the overland route, at the public expense, if they preferred it. The
selection was left to me, and I was directed to forward the names at
once to the Adjutant-General of her Majesty’s Forces in India, that
their leave of absence might appear in General Orders. Accordingly, I
saw the necessity of keeping most of the senior officers to take charge
of and accompany their men during the long voyage, and was happy to find
that many had no particular wish to go overland. I therefore soon made
my selection without disappointing any one, and amongst the number I
included my own dear son. The names of the chosen few were forwarded,
and in due time appeared in General Orders, with three months’ leave of
absence. This liberal time was given to afford them an opportunity of
visiting any other parts of Europe and Asia beyond the immediate line of
route. In a few days the mail steamer for Suez started, and they went
off with light hearts. The arrangements and terms of the mail steamer
were most liberal, for they allowed passengers to leave them at any of
the ports of call for a month or six weeks, and took them up again at
the same place without additional charge.
About the middle of January three splendid ships were placed at my
disposal for the conveyance of my regiment to England, viz., the
_Queen_, _Marlborough_, and _Sutlej_. They were all of the largest
class, and, after visiting and inspecting each, I could not make up my
mind which I should prefer for mine as headquarters. They were all
equally tempting, and the accommodation in all most inviting and
comfortable. At last I decided on the _Queen_ for headquarters, and for
three companies, and ordered the remainder of the regiment to be divided
between the _Marlborough_ and _Sutlej_, the former under the command of
Captain Bonham, the latter under Major Long. In the last week in January
the embarkation took place. The _Sutlej_ took the lead, and the
_Marlborough_ followed next day, and on the morning of the 3rd February
I embarked, thankful indeed to leave a land and climate which I always
disliked, and with an anxious hope that I might never be doomed to visit
it again.
We all were comfortable and happy on board, and our table was most amply
and liberally provided. In addition to my officers we had a number of
passengers, and as we had our band with us, we had music and dancing
every evening. During the first three weeks the weather was very
favourable, then fresh breezes and contrary winds followed occasionally,
but nothing to disturb or distress us. About the middle of April we made
the Cape of Good Hope, and as we approached Cape Town we were joined by,
and came up with, a number of other ships, all steering for the
anchorage at Table Bay. One of these in the distance appeared under
three jury-masts, and to our surprise she proved to be one of our own
ships, the _Sutlej_. We were now all anxiety to know the cause of her
mishap and the extent of her damages and loss, fearing that some of our
men must have suffered much during so serious a misfortune; but we were
obliged to wait till both ships got to anchor. Then our captain and some
of our officers went on board the _Sutlej_, and on their return to us
reported that on the night of the 1st of April they had met a severe
gale, which suddenly carried away the three masts by the deck, but
fortunately without injuring any one, beyond a few bruises. They all had
a most providential escape. The sea was running mountains high, and when
the masts fell over the side and were being cut away clear of the hull,
the end of one of them was forced through one of the dead-lights in the
stern, which at once admitted the sea in tons, to a most fearful and
alarming extent, and so continued for some minutes, till stopped by
mattresses and some other temporary contrivances, and the pumps and
dozens of buckets were kept going all the time. I was assured that even
with all these precautions and means they must have foundered but for
the able and willing assistance the captain and crew received from our
gallant soldiers on board, for the former were all but exhausted with
the previous fatigues of the gale, and the soldiers were fresh and ever
ready to assist and lend a hand.
General Cartwright of the Bengal army and Major Mackay of the 21st were
passengers on board, both so seriously ill that they could not leave
their cabins during the disaster, and the former had a narrow escape of
his life, his illness being much increased by one of the top-masts
actually falling through the deck into his cabin, but fortunately clear
of his bed.
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