ONE OF LAWRENCE'S LIEUTENANTS.
The three years that John Nicholson had spent in India had left their
mark upon him. The stripling had grown to man's stature. He was now
full six feet in height, black-haired and dark of eye, and with a grave
manner which the exciting experiences he had passed through had
intensified. Many people found the young officer too cold and austere
for their liking, but the haughty demeanour which characterised him in
reality covered a warm and sympathetic nature, of which those who were
admitted into his intimacy were fully aware. By this time he had made
several notable friends, including Major George Lawrence (brother of
the future Lord Lawrence), and a subaltern in the 16th Native Infantry,
named Neville Chamberlain, who was to make a great name for himself in
the stirring days to come.
To such as had followed his career Nicholson had come through his
baptism of fire with flying colours. He had shown himself possessed of
high courage, and had won admiration as much for his fortitude in
captivity as for his bravery in action. So far, indeed, the life of a
soldier had suited him; he was now to see the other side of the shield
and experience the peaceful but monotonous existence in cantonments at
Meerut and Moradabad.
In this distasteful period of inaction, he applied himself diligently
to the study of native languages, and was able to report to his mother
ere long that he had passed the interpreter's examination. What also
eased the irksomeness of his situation was his appointment as adjutant
of his regiment. The new duties that fell to his lot gave him plenty
of employment.
But the reign of peace was destined to be short. In the autumn of 1845
came the first signs of a great rising among the Sikhs, whose territory
was divided from the British by the river Sutlej. This warlike nation
had reached the height of their power under the famous Ranjit Singh.
After his death no fit successor was found to rule in his place, and
the turbulent soldiery quickly found an excuse to rebel against the
British Government which held them in check by the troops massed upon
the frontiers.
War was declared in November. In the following month occurred the
battles of Moodkee and Ferozeshah, in which General Sir Hugh Gough was
victorious over the Sikh army. At these fierce engagements Nicholson
was present as a commissariat officer, and not, to his regret, as a
combatant. Some weeks later followed the victories of Aliwal and
Sobraon, which resulted in the youthful Prince Dhuleep Singh, the
avowed head of the Sikhs, making his submission, and gave the British a
foothold in the Punjaub.
By one clause of the treaty which was concluded, the province of
Cashmere was ceded to us, but shortly afterwards it was made over to
the Maharajah Gholab Singh of Jummu for the sum of one million
sterling. At the request of the Maharajah, the Government now selected
two officers to assist the new ruler in keeping his subjects in order,
their choice falling on Captain Broome of the Bengal Artillery and
Lieutenant Nicholson. The latter owed this step to Henry Lawrence, to
whom he had been already introduced and upon whom he had made a
distinct impression. Colonel Lawrence himself had succeeded Major
George Broadfoot,[1] the distinguished political agent for the Punjaub,
and was installed as British Resident at Lahore.
The ostensible reason for the appointment of Broome and Nicholson was
the need for drilling and disciplining the Cashmere army, but they soon
found that their presence was required by the Maharajah simply to show
that he had the support of the British. It was highly desirable that a
display of such friendship should be made, for the Sikh inhabitants did
not take at all kindly to their new chief. After a stay at Jummu
Gholab Singh set out for Cashmere, accompanied by Broome and Nicholson
and a small body of his own troops. Before many days had elapsed he
was hastening back to his capital with such of his soldiers who could
escape from the insurgents, while the two British officers just managed
to avoid capture in the mountain passes, and join him later at Jummu.
The Sikh insurrection, however, had a brief life. A few months later
Nicholson was again in Cashmere with a definite appointment in the
North-West Frontier Agency. He was marked out by Lawrence as one of
the men whom he could rely upon to help in the work of keeping peace in
the Punjaub. Of the other lieutenants of Lawrence--Herbert Edwardes,
Abbott, Reynell Taylor, Becher, and the rest--mention will be made in
due course. Never was master better served than was the British
Resident by these young and able officers.
To the wise way in which they carried out his policy of conciliation we
owe it that the vast district of the Punjaub not only remained quiet at
the outbreak of the Mutiny, but itself furnished us with native troops
who had a great share in quelling the rebellion.
From Cashmere Nicholson was in time transferred to Lahore to act as
Assistant to Colonel Henry Lawrence. This was a pleasing promotion,
and held out hopes of even more important posts in the future. On the
way down to the old Sikh capital he had the satisfaction of meeting his
younger brother Charles, who had followed him into the service and
arrived in India some months previously. Another brother, Alexander,
as has been noted, had been killed in action in the fighting round
Cabul in 1842, and a third--William--was to meet with a sadder fate.
He was found dead in circumstances that gave rise to a suspicion of
foul play.
Now began for Nicholson that useful training in administrative work
which gained him such repute a few years later. Within three weeks of
his arrival at Lahore he was despatched on a mission to Umritsur, with
instructions to survey and report generally on the district. This
done, he proceeded to the Sind Sagur Doab country, where he was
stationed as political officer in command. To cultivate the
acquaintance of the two Nazims, or ruling chiefs, the Sirdars Chuttur
Singh and Lall Singh, and support their authority, at the same time
that he protected the people from oppression, was Nicholson's charge
from Lawrence, and he applied himself to the difficult task with zeal
and enthusiasm.
"Avoid as far as possible any military movement during the next three
months," wrote Lawrence; "but, should serious disturbance arise, act
energetically." By peaceful methods, if possible, did he wish to bring
the Punjaub under subjection. Still, if the
". . . new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child,"
were rebellious and needed chastening, the hand that smote them was to
smite heavily.
Very soon after Nicholson reached his new district the occasion arose
for him to assert his power. Captain Abbott, then acting as Boundary
Commissioner, was having trouble with the chiefs of Simulkund. These
worthies had committed some dastardly outrages in the neighbourhood,
and refused point-blank to appear at his court to answer for their
misdeeds. In response to the other's summons, Nicholson led a small
force to Simulkund, where he acted in conjunction with Abbott. The
result of these prompt measures was to make the Simulkund rebels
abandon their position without firing a shot.
This was a peaceful termination to an overt act of rebellion. The next
piece of lawlessness that called for punishment was of a more serious
nature, and gave Nicholson more opportunity to display his mastery.
Although the country round Rawal Pindi was apparently tranquil, the
natives were, as a matter of fact, only waiting for a convenient moment
to shake off the yoke. Pathans, Rajputs, Jats, Gujars, and men of
other tribes, alike resented the check laid upon their raiding and
cattle-lifting, while the rough soldiery especially lamented the lost
opportunities for plundering.
Before the winter of 1847-48 had come to an end there was a violent
outbreak in Mooltan. In that district the Moolraj treacherously
murdered some white officers and proclaimed a "holy war" against the
British.
The revolt soon began to spread. Tribe after tribe helped to fan the
fires of rebellion into a blaze, until at last Sirdar Chuttur Singh,
whom everybody had thought to be tamed, threw off his allegiance and
raised his wild Hazara followers. To Nicholson news speedily came that
Chuttur Singh meant to seize the fort at Attock, an important hill
station. Although suffering from fever, he declared to Lawrence his
readiness to start at once for the fort and occupy it before the rebel
chief could forestall them.
"I will start to-night," said Nicholson. "The fever is nothing, and
shall not hinder me."
Lawrence having consented to his departure, he set off some hours later
with a body of Peshawur Horse and Mohammedan levies, and by dint of
hard riding reached the fort in the nick of time. The garrison were on
the point of closing the gates against him. Leaping from his horse,
and striding boldly among them, Nicholson ordered the Sikh soldiers to
arrest their leaders. For a moment they wavered, and the young
officer's life hung in the balance. But no one dared fire the shot
which would have turned the scale for mutiny.
"Seize those men!" commanded Nicholson fiercely, as he pointed out the
ringleaders. And, impressed by his resolute bearing, as he towered
above them with grim determination written on his face, the soldiers
did as he ordered, whereupon he placed the prisoners in fetters and
made arrangements for the security of the fort.
It was a daring and characteristic piece of work, made all the more
noteworthy by the fact that Nicholson was almost alone when he leapt
thus upon the mutineers. In his fiery impatience he had outdistanced
his escort of sixty horsemen, only a handful of these being able to
keep up with him to the end. The infantry, he noted in his report, did
not arrive until midnight.
Such a swift blow at their plans as this was not without its lesson to
the Sikhs, and the name of "Nikalseyn" from that time began to assume a
terrible significance in their minds.
[1] Killed at the battle of Ferozeshah.