In three or four days we again moved on. The 87th being the only
European corps with this part of the division, we always led the column,
or, rather, formed the advance-guard. We commenced our march; and,
rather wishing to see, instead of groping, our way, we went on through a
dense thick wood for a couple of miles, through which there was a
tolerably good road, so that our troops travelled with comparative
facility. When at the end of two miles, we came to a small open space,
where several fires were still alight and burning, and earthen pots left
behind. About the middle of this little plain was a river about
knee-deep. On the margin of the wood on the opposite side of this river,
several people were seen peeping through the green foliage, watching our
movements. We entered another thick wood, which brought us to the bank
of another river; but the road did not cross it, but went along the left
bank, under a small hill, from which it had apparently been cut by
manual labour. This was rather a dangerous place to enter. A high and
inaccessible hill was on one side, and a deep bank and river on the
other; and on the opposite side of the river, was a kind of rising bank,
behind which the enemy might be lying in ambush, and waiting till we had
got well in before they commenced firing. In this case their fire must
have been very destructive from both sides, without the possibility of
escape or defence, and the confusion would have been dreadful. But
Major-General Sir David Ochterlony was not to be entrapped in that
manner; these points were scrupulously explored before we attempted to
enter such a place of insecurity.
At the end of this winding road, there opened to the view an extensive
valley, and, here and there, small straggling villages, consisting of
some ten or more huts; but very few people could be seen, and those few
were poor villagers. We continued our march for about half a mile
further, when we saw on our left an extensive village, and, on the hills
immediately in its rear, an immense number of people, seemingly
soldiers; for we could see spears, colours, &c. We immediately bent our
way towards this village, as we saw numerous people running to and fro.
When near, we got into double-quick time, and then separated into files,
with our pieces loaded. I went into several huts, where nothing but a
set of poor decrepit old people could be seen. About twenty or thirty
yards further, I saw a two-story brick house, probably the Zemindar's,
for there was no other. Here I saw several good-looking and well-dressed
men run in and shut the door. I broke it open, with the assistance of
some of my men. When I entered the lower floor, I found there were
several men there. One was sitting; but, having gone from the light, and
a bright sun, into comparative darkness, I could scarcely see. I was
therefore obliged to prick my way with my old 24th dragoon sabre; and I
just recovered my vision in time to see a man aiming an arrow at me. I
struck at the arrow, which was close to me; but, from the indistinct
light, I could not make sure of my aim. He let fly, and the arrow could
not have been more than a hair-breadth from the side of my head. It
stuck in the door-post, when a soldier of the company, by name Quanbury,
stopped his shooting, by shooting him, for firing at his officer. The
others begged for mercy, which was willingly granted. Never did I see a
man in the 87th regiment wantonly commit an act of cruelty. We took them
prisoners, but they were ultimately discharged, and permitted to return
to their villages or homes.
A little further on we came in sight of Muckwanpore Valley, and an
immense long line of huts. These, we afterwards were given to
understand, were the summer quarters of the enemy's soldiers. On our
left ran a ridge of hills, covered with variegated shrubs and trees. On
this range of hills we could see soldiers posted in immense force, but
they attempted not to molest our line of march, although sometimes, I am
sure, within shot of their ginjalls. They seemed rather to be on the
defensive than the offensive, as we should have imagined. Various were
the opinions as to their apparent indifference to our running all over
the country. From these huts, or military cantonments, we could see the
fort of Muckwanpore, and innumerable large stockades on the hill in the
rear of the one immediately in front of the before-mentioned huts. The
fort appeared some miles off, and looked like a speck in the sky; but,
no doubt, the approaches to it, protected as it was by the stockades,
which we could see with the spy-glass, were extremely perilous. We
encamped in the lines which had been left by the enemy, and could not
have been more than one mile and a half from the summit of this hill.
However, they still continued passive, sitting upon their legs, watching
our movements. Our position was secure and strong, being on two sides
surrounded with a deep nullah, with a nice rippling stream.
The following morning was occupied in looking about our new encampment,
and seeing what was in the adjoining woods. We found nothing but a few
partridges and woodcocks, and these we could not shoot, being too near
camp. About a mile behind the camp the whole scenery around was truly
romantic, from the white and craggy rocks, apparently living in the
clouds, behind which not a tree or a shrub was to be seen. These could
only be seen night and morning, or when the sky was clear; at other
times, these hills could not be discovered through the clouds. The fort
itself seemed high, and almost beyond the power of mortal ascent. For
the first time these ten nights I obtained some sleep, having no charge,
and no care on my mind. Sleeping in my clothes was no inconvenience to
me. I slept soundly till the broad daylight broke in through the
crevices of the tent. I rose in the morning sprightly as a lark, and
indulged myself with dry and clean linen, which was quite a treat. I
felt so refreshed, that I was quite another being from the day before,
and fit for anything. I took a stroll round my brother-officers' tents;
paid my devoirs to my commanding-officer, which I never failed to do
once a day, as a duty, and a respect due to his rank. I was invited to
breakfast with him; after which, as we were standing looking at the
hill, we were not a little surprised to find that the strong piquet of
the enemy, which was posted there the night before, was not to be seen.
Two of our men were brought before the commanding-officer for having
gone beyond the outlying piquet. The fact was, that these imprudent
fellows had been upon the hill, where the piquet had been, unarmed.
After admonishing them for their imprudence and disobedience of orders,
the commanding-officer asked one of them what he saw; he replied,
"Nothing at all, your honour, but a great big piquet; and sure they were
not there, but all gone." He added, that "all their fires were alight,
because he saw them burning."
"And what did you see on the other side of this first hill?" asked the
colonel, trying to smother a laugh.
"Nothing at all, your honour."
"Are there hills or valleys on the other side?"
"Neither, your honour; only a mighty big mountain, as big as the Hill of
Howth."
"Did you see any men?"
"Divel a one, your honour, except one poor old woman in one of the huts,
and she was after going when she saw me and Pat Logan coming near her."
"What took you there?"
"Fait! we both went to take a big walk, for we were quite tired doing
nothing--that's all, your honour; so I hope no offence."
"Fall in, the light company!"--"Light company, fall in!" was bellowed
through the whole line of encampment. The colonel flew to the right--the
adjutant to the left; I ran one way, and the two men jumped another, for
they both belonged to the light company. Scarcely had I reached the
parade, when three parts of the company were under arms, with our noble
general at the head, getting men together. It was five minutes only from
the first order when we marched off, not a man absent. We soon found, by
the direction we took, that the taking of the hill was to be our object.
We moved on slowly, for it was a good half mile up the hill, and the
ascent winding and steep. Our lads seemed as merry as crickets. In five
minutes after, we heard firing on the top of the hill to our right. This
proceeded from a small reconnoitring party that had a short period
before gone up, under Lieutenant Lee, of the 87th regiment, and
Lieutenant Turrell, of the 20th native infantry, a brave young
volunteer, who fell an early victim to his zeal. The design with which
this reconnoitring party had been dispatched up the hill, was to protect
the quarter-master-general in the execution of the duties incident to
his department. This party being observed from the fort of Muckwanpore,
which overlooked the ground on which they were reconnoitring, a large
body of the enemy, who had, without orders, vacated the post immediately
in front of our encampment, were dispatched to re-occupy the position
which they had deserted, and in their advance they fell in with our
reconnoitring party, who, as they were not in all above twenty men, were
of course obliged to make a precipitate retreat. In this disastrous
skirmish, poor Lieutenant Turrell was cut to pieces, and several others
of the party killed and wounded. As the party which had been thus
surprised was making the best of their way down the hill, we made the
best of our way up. We were supported by our old friends, the light
company of the 25th native infantry. The ascent was most difficult,
there being only one narrow pathway, by which we were obliged to ascend
almost one by one. When about half way, or three parts up, we came to a
small flat spot, about fifty yards long, and twenty wide. Here our noble
captain sounded the _assemblee_. We could now see the enemy, like ants,
creeping and lurking about, and busily engaged in secreting themselves
behind trees and stones. I presumed to recommend to the captain of the
light company, that our forming in a body would bring on us a
destructive fire, and that we had better fight them on their own system,
which was extending, and every man availing himself of tree or stone,
and a rest for his piece. This was sure to be attended with success;
and, however brave a man may be, he never ought to be above advice. Our
captain readily saw the danger that would attend our forming, and
therefore immediately sounded the extend; then the advance; and the
fighting soon became warm on both sides. The enemy maintained their
ground and fought manfully. I hate a runaway foe; you have no credit for
beating them. Those we were now dealing with were no flinchers; but, on
the contrary, I never saw more steadiness or more bravery exhibited by
any set of men in my life. Run they would not; and of death they seemed
to have no fear, though their comrades were falling thick around them,
for we were so near that every shot told. At last some of their men
began to give way; and, as we were ascending rapidly, their commander,
or one of their principal officers, attempted to rally them. Having
succeeded in this attempt for the moment, the said officer had the
impudence to attack and put his majesty's liege subject, John Shipp,
ensign on full pay, and in the full vigour of his life and manhood, in
bodily fear, on the king's high hill of Muckwanpore, on the afternoon of
---- I now forget the date, he so frightened me. He was a strong,
powerful man, protected by two shields, one tied round his waist, and
hanging over his thighs as low as his knees, and the other on the left
arm, much larger than the one round his waist. From this gentleman there
was no escape; and, fortunately for me, I had my old twenty-fourther
with me, which I had two or three days before put in good shaving order.
With this I was obliged to act on the defensive, till I could catch my
formidable opponent off his guard. He cut, I guarded; he thrust, I
parried; until he became aggravated, and set to work with that
impetuosity and determination pretty generally understood by the phrase
"hammer and tongs;" in the course of which he nearly cut my poor
twenty-fourther in pieces. At last I found he was winded; but I could
see nothing of the fellow, except his black face peeping above one
shield, and his feet under the other; so I thought I would give him a
cut five across his lower extremities; but he would not stand still a
moment; he cut as many capers as a French dancing-master, till I was
quite out of patience with his folly. I did not like to quit my man; so
I tried his other extremities; but he would not stand still, all I could
do. At length, I made a feint at his toes, to cut them; down went his
shield from his face, to save his legs; up went the edge of my sword
smack under his chin; in endeavouring to get away from which, he threw
his head back, which nearly tumbled off, and down he fell; and I assure
you, reader, I was not sorry for it, for he was a most unsociable
neighbour. I don't know whether I had a right or not, but I took the
liberty of taking his sword, gold crescent, turban-chain, and large
shield. The latter I sported on my left arm during the action, and it
was fortunate for me that I did, for I found that the shield was
ball-proof, and I should have been severely wounded, had I been deprived
of this trophy. Our gallant captain fought like one of the old Fogs, and
his men, as I had been told, were indeed "divels to fight." The very
noise they made would have frightened old Harry himself.
The enemy fought furiously before they gave up the hill; indeed, many
of them rushed upon our bayonets in the most reckless and desperate
manner. Being at last compelled to give way, they took up their station
on the adjoining hills, and in the ravines and valleys below, and their
fire for a time was destructive. As we had now gained the hill, we had
proceeded to the extent of our orders. Here reinforcements poured up to
our assistance, and two six-pounders, which had been sent up immediately
after us, now began to play with grape on the poor and brave fellows who
had sought refuge in the dells below. The havoc was dreadful, for they
still scorned to fly. During our ascent, some shells had been thrown by
our artillery below, from some howitzers in front of our encampment, to
the right of the ridge of the hill, where the enemy, in immense force,
had been observed running down to the assistance of their beaten
comrades. This reinforcement of the enemy brought down, to play upon our
ascent, a small hill-gun, a three-pounder of about a yard long, which
one man could carry. The whole of the ammunition brought by the enemy
for this and other purposes, our shells from below reached and blew up,
and great numbers were killed and wounded by the explosion. When their
ammunition was gone, they rolled the little gun down the hill, where we,
after the action, found it. Our troops having been distributed and
posted along the range of hills, some of our men were killed and wounded
by each other, by their cross-firing at random, where they heard the
sound of muskets, but could not see the object. We frequently sounded
"cease firing," but to no purpose; and, indeed, it was truly tantalizing
to see thousands of the enemy under our very noses, and not to be
allowed to fire at them; but, the woods being thick and high, we were
fearful of again drawing on ourselves the fire of our men on the
opposite hills. Our brave colonel had arrived upon the hill with the
reinforcements which belonged to his brigade, and, fearing the same evil
he sounded repeatedly the "cease firing;" but here and there some shots
were still fired by the native troops. When he came to his light
company, I could see the beam of delight in the veteran's eye; but that
was no time for compliments. He desired us to cut the first man down who
presumed to disobey his oft-repeated order of "cease firing;" and he
told us to lie down, and on no account to attempt to proceed. At this
moment, one of the enemy, who had been annoying us from a thicket some
thirty paces from where I stood, not stomaching the grape, made a
movement from his hiding-place. One of our company seeing so good an
opportunity, was not to be restrained; he fired, and killed his man. The
colonel had nothing but a walking-stick in his hand. Whether he thought
it was his sword or not, I cannot say; but he immediately ran at the man
and struck him across the nose--in which, by-the-by, nature had been
very bountiful to this individual--exclaiming at the same time, "You
rascal! I have a great mind to have you shot this moment for this
pointed disobedience of my orders." At this moment, seeing the enemy,
who had secreted themselves in the underwood, ferreted out by our
shells, and running off, some of our fellows must, if they died for it,
have a shot. This exasperated our little colonel beyond bounds. He was a
little lion when roused. He immediately selected one of the men of the
light company of the 25th regiment, and ordered him to be shot, which
would certainly have been done, had not the adjutant-general of the
forces at that time joined the colonel with orders. By this the
colonel's attention was drawn off, and he ran off towards the right. The
man, seeing this, ran towards the left, and thus escaped the punishment
he justly deserved. Prompt and implicit obedience is one of the grand
principles of military discipline; and any officer would have been
justifiable in shooting, or cutting down, any such disobedient soldier.
Any breach of orders I would at all times punish with a great and heavy
penalty. Encourage this, and there is an end to military obedience and
discipline at once. The soldier who was struck on this occasion was
sensible of the enormity of his crime, and therefore quietly pocketed
the more lenient penalty, and the countermarch his nose had made towards
his cheek, and thought himself fortunate that he had not been deprived
of his life.
Naught was now heard but the roaring of the two six-pounders and the
whistling of shells. The dying and the wounded lay in masses in the
dells and ravines below. In our own company we had, I think, eleven
killed and twenty wounded, our total number being eighty only. I do
repeat again, I never saw such soldiers. I began to think myself, in
comparison with them, but yet a novice. When the evening began to spread
her mantle over the dreary scene, the sombre appearance of the lowering
sky seemed to mourn, and put on a garb of black, to shield from human
eye the ghastly sight below. As long as it was light, we could plainly
see the last struggles of the dying. Some poor fellows could be seen
raising their knees up to their chins, and then flinging them down with
all their might. Some attempted to rise, but failed in the attempt. One
poor fellow I saw get on his legs, put his hand to his bleeding head,
then fall, and roll down the hill, to rise no more. This was the scene
that the evening now closed upon. Reader, believe me when I assure you
that these results of war were no sights of exultation or triumph to the
soldiers who witnessed them. Willingly would we one and all have
extended the hand of aid to them, and dressed their gaping wounds. No
brave man will ever exult over a bleeding and wounded enemy. The weapon
of destruction is no sooner out of his hands, than he is our prisoner,
but not our foe. The sympathetic expressions that fell from the lips of
our brave soldiers, on witnessing these sights, would have done credit
to any set of men.
The dark clouds omened a coming storm. I have been told that any
particular noise in mountainous countries--more particularly the
roaring of cannon--will bring the clouds down from above, and that rain
will follow; and I once heard a gentleman account for it in this way. He
said that all dark and thick-looking clouds might be said to be
reservoirs of water; that any convulsion would bring them down; and
that, when at a certain distance from the earth, the earth's attractive
power would draw the rain from them, and, when lightened of this burden,
the clouds would again rise. How far this may be the case, I know not. I
can only say that, if convulsion could cause rain, there was convulsion
enough, for the roaring of the cannon kept up one continued re-echo. The
evening closed in pitchy darkness.
The pioneers had been sent up, and we commenced intrenching and
stockading the hill round the huts, which were in number about twenty.
Some refreshments had at this time come up, both for officers and men.
After partaking of some food, it was resolved between my captain and me,
that we should watch four hours round, and that he should commence the
first four. He accordingly went to post his men, and I took possession,
with several men, of a small hut full of good straw, on which I lay down
to repose. Scarcely had I closed my eyes in balmy sleep, when I heard
the unwelcome vociferation, "Pass the word for Lieutenant Shipp; pass
the word for Mr. Shipp; send Mr. Shipp to me." It was the colonel's
voice that I heard; so, jumping from my straw, I exclaimed, "Here I am,
colonel; here am I, Sir."--"That's right," said the colonel; "I want you
to go on duty." He then took me by the hand, and said, "Shipp, you have
verified the recommendations I received from your late commanding
officer of the 24th Light Dragoons, and I shall not lose sight of your
conduct. From the information our spies have brought, we have every
reason to believe that the enemy will, under the darkness of the night,
make an effort to regain their lost post, which is of much consequence
to them, and more to us. We must therefore prepare to meet them with
determined force and resistance, or we shall have all our work to do
over again. You must take a steady sergeant and twelve men, and proceed
down close to the reservoir of water. On this side of the reservoir take
up your station. Let your sentinels form a link with the other sentinels
on your right and left; and by no means permit your men to lie down or
sleep, but see that they watch, and are on the alert. Go; I know I need
not explain more to you. Your captain I have posted in a similar
situation." The rain now fell in torrents; the thunder rolled in its
bitterest anger; and the lightning shot in massive sheets along the
mountain-tops, and, by its vivid blaze, showed us a glimpse of the dead
and the dying. I found that, close to my post, lay numbers whom I
believed dead; but I afterwards distinctly heard, during the cessation
of the thunder, the moaning of those below. I don't know any situation
more painful than mine was at that moment: a tempest raging in all its
terrific forms, surrounded by the dead and the dying, and expecting
every moment to be attacked by a cruel and barbarous foe, from whom no
mercy could be expected, should fate throw us into their hands. Nothing
but a sense of duty, and the recollection that I was engaged in the
service of my country, could have supported me under such circumstances.
A high sense of the duties, and an ardent attachment to the profession
of a soldier, will enable a man to do that, with comparative
cheerfulness, from which, under other circumstances, his feelings would
revolt. The enemy were noted for barbarity and craft, and the danger of
surprise was great.
Upon the principle that all stratagems are justifiable in warfare as
well as in love, a ready excuse may be found for the craft and cunning
exercised by this or any other tribe in their own defence; and it is
impossible to look even upon the cruelties practised by them, with any
other than an eye of pity and commiseration. They are taught from their
infancy the art of war; they fight under the banner of gloomy
superstition; cruelty is their creed; and murder of their foes the
zenith of their glory. Let us not, therefore, condemn too severely
these untaught babes of idolatry.
Notwithstanding my dismal forebodings, and the dangerous position which
we occupied, the night passed off quietly enough. Towards morning the
rain ceased, and the sun rose in all its splendour and majesty; but the
scene of death below marred and defiled the more distant prospect, which
was magnificent beyond description. The piquets from below were
withdrawn after daylight. On going round the hill afterwards, the dead
bodies there astonished me. It was scarcely possible to walk without
stepping on them. I could not have imagined that the one-twentieth part
had fallen; but, as I have before said, self, in action, is the grand
and primary object of man's regard. I paid a visit to the dead body of
my antagonist of the preceding day. I found that his head hung only by
the skin of his neck. He had also a cut in the abdomen, through which
the bowels protruded. I found that, in addition to this, he had received
a ball in the fleshy part of the thigh; but whether he got this before
or after the fall, I do not pretend to say, but I should imagine before,
from the direction of the ball. He was a fine-looking man, and was
dressed in a full general's uniform, the same as that worn by our
English generals twenty years ago, with the old frog lace, both on the
skirts and sleeves, but without epaulettes. When engaged with him, I
never dared take my eye off his. Had I not been thoroughly practised in
the sword exercise, I must soon have fallen, for he was a very expert
swordsman. In a letter addressed to me afterwards, by Captain
Pickersgill, quarter-master-general of the army, I was congratulated on
the fall of that distinguished _sobah_, or chieftain. His name, the
quarter-master-general stated, was Khissna Rhannah Bahadur, and that he
was the identical officer who had planned and executed the massacre at
Summanpore and Persah, the season before. The letter went on to state
that he was a great loss to the Nepaul government, and it was the
opinion of the quarter-master-general, as well as of Sir David
Ochterlony, that the death of this sobah contributed greatly to turn the
current of affairs in the Nepaul campaign.
Our next object was to commit the poor fellows who were killed to the
grave; for which purpose an enormous working-party was employed to bury
the dead, and take the wounded to our hospitals. In two days, eleven
hundred were committed to the grave, having almost one general tomb; and
it would have much edified those babblers who rail so much against
soldiers' cruelties and vices, to have seen the tear of compassion
trickling down the cheeks of both natives and Europeans on this
occasion. Having performed our sad duty, we were relieved at mid-day,
and returned to the lines, amidst the greetings of our comrades at the
foot of the hill. The orders of the day were flattering and
complimentary to all engaged. These were little trophies gained that no
man could rob or cheat us of. Having washed and dressed myself, I went
to the hospital to visit both my friends and those that had been, a
short day before, my mortal enemies. It had been a considerable time
before our wounded men could be removed from the hill, and then the
bringing them down so shook them, that, in many cases, inflammation had
taken place. Some of these poor suffering fellows seemed to endure the
most excruciating pangs. Every comfort that liberality could purchase
was afforded to the sufferers, and it gladdened my heart when I went
into the tents of the wounded of the enemy, to see some of our native
soldiers on their knees, waiting on and administering comforts to them,
while others were whispering sweet words of consolation into their
attentive ears, which were the more necessary, as some of these poor
creatures had an idea that their lives were only prolonged for a more
cruel and lingering death. An amputation had been thought necessary on
the leg of one of the native enemy. This he submitted to almost without
a struggle. When his leg was off, and the stump dressed, it confirmed
him in what he had been taught from his infancy, that almost all white
men were cannibals; and he asked one of his friends who was lying by
him (one of his countrymen), "when he thought they would take the other
leg off; as, if he thought it would be long, he would destroy himself."
This being understood by one of the hospital attendants, to ease his
mind, it was thought proper to explain to him that the act was one of
kindness, not of cruelty, and done to save his life. For this purpose
one of his countrymen, a spy of ours, was sent for; nothing, however,
but the sight of the same operation performed on one of our native men,
could appease and satisfy him. After having witnessed this, he became
calm, and felt satisfied that we were not such barbarians as he had been
taught to suppose. Our humane general had directed that men of the same
caste should attend the wounded prisoners of war, and volunteers in
abundance came forward for this benevolent purpose. It was a truly
pleasurable and delightful sight to witness those who, but a short day
before, had fought hard in the bitterest rancour of their souls, now
interchanging the most affectionate civilities.
I have, in the hurry of my narrative, forgotten a circumstance which
reflects honour on the soldier whom it concerns. When on the top of the
hill where the action raged most, one of the enemy showed himself most
conspicuously, fighting like a hero. He had just shot one of our men
close by where I stood, when I made towards him, with a man of the name
of Quanbury. Finding that he was receding from us, and again loading,
the soldier next me fired, and the man fell upon his knees. Quanbury
immediately ran up to him--for he still grasped his firelock--and was in
the act of running him through, when the man threw down his arms. Seeing
this, the brave Irish soldier stayed his finishing blow, exclaiming, "By
the powers, my fine fellow, but it was well you were after doing that
self-same thing; for had you shot me as you did that other man, bad luck
to me if I wouldn't have blown your brains out; so I would." Here the
quarter-master-general came up and took charge of his prisoner, and we
passed on to clear the hill of others who were keeping up a heavy fire.
[Illustration]