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31 Mar 59 Julius Camp Rurriaiul Mother Hyde Park Place (West) ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Camp Rurriaiul
One mile from border of Nepaul
31st March. /59. –
My dear Mother
We have only had a two mile march this morning, so I will amuse myself for an hour or two by giving you the history of our late doings.
Yesterday we came 24 miles. Started at 3½ A.M. & arrived at 2 P.M. Our youngsters (recruits) were much done up. About 60 fell down on the way from effects of sun & exhaustion. In Nepaul, where we have just come from, we were not allowed to kill cattle for food, so for the last few days the men’s fare has been after the fashion of the Crimea. Salt Rock was the order of the day, which is by no means conducive to long marching in a very hot sun.
I daresay you will see (if already you have not seen) mention in the papers of Kelly’s fights. The first was a brilliant little affair. Kelly advances through a dense jungle (the serai) to a place called ‘Ruttempore’ close by the ‘Betwall’ where I think in a former letter I mentioned all the ‘Budmarshes’ were flocking to.
He found them posted in great numbers in an open space on high ground surrounded by jungle close at the foot of the Nepaul range of Hills. They were drawn up in grand order, guns in position, remains of Cavalry on either flank & kept on it until he was right on top of them which sold them, as they expected he would have been sure to leave it. However he ordered the advance, 3rd Sikhs skirmishing in front. There was also another very good Regt. 7th Punjabis. The Sikhs went well ahead. Kelly with the foremost of them. 4 guns under Major Henry RA of course came into action in style.
Part of a Regt. of Native Cavalry, the ‘Jat Horse’ (their first time of being in action), made a spirited charge & took a gun up Hill, led of course by an English Officer. They cut down the gunners – the Officer himself accounted for three, the ‘Jats’ about 50 whom arrived at the Gun suffered severely. 19 were killed & wounded. All the time Kelly was in the front. He shot his man with a revolver & got his horse hit in return. The Rebels bolted into the jungle at the foot of the Hills. Luckily for them it was bad pursuing ground – nuddies (ditches with steep banks) all around, or the Jats who lost one of their native Officers at the Gun would have cut up numbers as their blood was well up.
Our people took 6 guns altogether; killed over 100 & lost k&w 35. We were then about 14 miles off from where Col. Kelly advanced in an Easterly direction. We had received an order to join him & were starting when we heard the firing. Our way lay through a very thick jungle & we did not know but what it might be brim full of ‘Ns’ so we had to keep close to the Baggage. There was no road & several deep ‘nuddies’ to get across. It was a most disagreeable march. It took us 26 hours to do it.
When we arrived we found the other Force had advanced & our men were pretty tired & done. However the next morning we followed up & caught Kelly who was still encamped on the ground where the action had taken place. That day nothing much was done. The 7th were sent through a portion of the Jungle & came upon a ‘Howdah’* with the Royal Arms of Oudh on, supposed to belong to the Begum & to have been left in the hasty retreat. The next day at 4½ A.M. everything was ready for fresh operations against the Hills. I must tell you that they are all covered with thick jungle, very steep, gorges every now & then & very difficult for men to climb – impossible for guns or horses.
Col. Kelly’s arrangement was to send a Regt. of Sikhs up the Hill at each flank of our Position to sweep towards the centre. Our Regt. was in the division at the Foot of the Hills, in the most likely places for the enemy to break cover.
The battery RA was also in division. The 7th Punjabs, after surprising & cutting up a Regt. of Cavalry came amongst them & had very nasty work of it. Fellows firing from behind trees, the jungle was so thick you could not see 15 yards before you. They contrived to kill over 50 & then returned. They caught & killed, amongst other, the Rajah of Taudah who was in a Dhoolie.* He had been wounded in the previous fight. The 7th had one of their three English Officers wounded & 4 men killed or wounded.
The 3rd Sikhs were more fortunate. They continued to get on the top of a Hill, found some 300 Sepoys down in a Valley & shot them all. They went over a good deal of country besides. Their casualties amounted only to 3. This day were taken 7 Elephants, 60 Camels, & between 100 & 150 Horses & Ponies. The Rebels were reported to have had an idea that we could never follow them into the Jungles & on to the Hills, so it must have been a great shock for them.
We took about 100 Persons, some women & children. I am told that Horses were dying in all directions. Some had their throats cut & parts were cut off, evidently for food, which shows they (the enemy) must have been very hard up.
The Nawab of Lucknow, a Moulun (minister) with 2 Elephants, Camels, followers &c. a Lady of the Begum's household came in & gave themselves up & others including ‘Mahoud Hossan’ who got a thrashing at ‘Tigra’ on our way from Lucknow to Azimgarh are reported to be coming. I believe Col. Kelly had orders not to stay longer than he could help in Nepaul so he sent us off yesterday morning. I say us: that word includes the 34th Regt, 4 guns, Lahore Light Horse.
In order to get out of Nepaul we had to come 24 miles. However Col. Kelly found he wanted more Englishmen, having only 300 of 13th L.I. & last night orders came for a wing of Ours & 2 guns to return. Report says that the Sepoys have returned to their old position near us on the Hills but I do not think it likely. Most probably their Camp followers. I suspect the Sepoys have done their best to put the Hills between us.
They must be in a wretched state, as to get up the sides of the Mountains they would have to drop everything but perhaps their musket & ammunition. By the way, some of the latter found on dead bodies is supposed to be Ghoorkha. The people in Nepaul are by no means friendly to us & I suspect would much prefer to see the Sepoys win. We could get no supplies if we wanted anything the answer was ‘no, we will not sell to you, you have no business here.’
By this you will see that altho’ present our Regt. was not engaged, the Recruits were very anxious to earn their medals. Altogether I think Kelly has frightened them pretty well & has done something towards bringing this work to a close.
At present the shave is that we are to have huts built at two or three places along the frontier here to prevent any of the fellows getting back into our Country. The Nana, it is reported, sneaked away.
5 April 59. Camp ‘Lotice’ Gorackpore
I had been waiting until I could get some stamps before finishing this. Kelly’s Force is still returning from Nepaul. This seems to be the place most likely to be selected for a Station for troops, in case any of us to be kept here through the hot weather which, I am afraid, will be the case. But I hope the lot will not fall to the 34th.
The Hot season has begun. It is 102° in the shade now inside yr. tent & about 125° to 130° outside. Of course out here no Punkhas or contrivance for keeping cool. No end of us will be laid up if we are not shortly under shelter of some kind.
We see a report has been going the rounds (at length contradicted) that 2 Companies of Ours have been cut up by the rebels. Of course I need not say there is no truth whatever in it.
‘Mahammed Hossein’ & others have come in but for correct account see ‘Times’ as they will probably know more about it than I do.
I have just come from seeing ‘Bayley’ of the 7th Punjabis, who was shot in the hand the other day. I have known him for some time but I found out today for the first time that he was at ‘St Peters’ with John & the Lloyds. I shall always endeavour to let you know if I meet anyone that you know.
Col. Gwilt is out here still, is always very civil to me.
By the way, I am very much obliged to you for being my Banker, Agent &c. & please thank my Father for having added the two U.B. shares* to my previous five.
You may rest assured I did not recommend Arthur to exchange without previously weighing the Pros & Cons of the case. One of the former is that in an English Regt. you find the Officers more like what they are in the Queen’s Army & not a parcel of dried up Indians & wild young boys, as all the men worth anything are pretty sure to get Staff employ.
I heard from John this morning. He says that the Officers of the E.I.C* are not what he expected & hopes in an English Regt. Arthur may have less chance of turning out a snob. Besides, wherever there is fighting, you will find the Company’s Europeans, which will be far better than being boxed up in Burmah for 8 or 10 years.
Please ask my Father to settle Mr Wilkinson for me & also Mr Allen who has had the politeness to send me a lawyer’s letter on the subject of some money owing for my outfit.
I am going to get you to execute some commissions for me. First of all, I want a dozen flannel shirts – colour I leave to you. Messrs. Silver did the last very well & has my measure, only tell him to make them bigger, as they shrink very soon. I want a small collar on each (same stuff of course). 1 dozen thick Scotch woollen socks; 1 dozen Handkerchiefs with different coloured borders (like I have always had) & ½ dozen white ditto. If you can get all these things together without very much trouble & pack them off soon, I shall be delighted. Other things I can get out here when ever we go into Quarters but those are things I have a particular fancy for getting from Home, & if Anne & Charlotte are not too proud, I daresay they would be kind enough to hem Handks. as at present I have no lady in my establishment & it would never do for a British Subaltern to go about with unhemmed Handks. If you will get those things I have mentioned, ask my Father to do the needful & subtract the amount from my Allowance.
I cannot find out if we are ever to see the Lucknow Prize money or if any extra Batta is to be granted for this Campaign.
John’s letter (arrived this morning) is dated March 5th. He had directed it ‘Akbupore, Bengal’ which has sent it all wrong. HM 34th would have reached much sooner. There are about 100 Akbupores in India, but our Akbupore was in Oudh. Direct to me the same as always. I have not heard anything from Arthur or Peter. We expect Kelly will get great praise – it was a most plucky move of his thro’ the Jungle at the Enemy & must have astonished them.
I hope you are all well & much cooler than I am.
Give my love to all
& Believe me
Yr. affect. Son
J D Laurie
This is a longish effusion but will do you for after dinner. –
* ‘Howdah’ – a carriage on the back of an elephant, used for hunting or warfare; a symbol of wealth for its owner
* Dhoolie – Like a Sedan chair, often for carrying goods rather than people
* UB shares – Union Bank (of which Sir Peter Laurie was governor from its foundation in 1839) – now a component of RBS
* E.I.C. – East India Company