HLI Chronicle 1909 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY CHRONICLE.153but the ralllS had been heavy, the countryround was a swamp, and he reluctantlyabandoned the idea. Another route wouldbe to move across country to the Dilkusha,and then, with the Gumti guarding his right,advance via the Martiniere, Sekundra Bagh,&c. The same reason rendered this also impracticable.He decided, therefore, on afourth alternative-h) cross the canal by theChar Bagh bridge, then follow the bank of thecanal to the right, turn up to the left justbefore reaching Banks's house (now theresidence of the Lieut. Governor), and followthe road now called the Outr8m Road asfar as the Sekundra Bagh; thence, turningsharply to the left, to follow Clyde Road, andreach the Residency by way of the ChutterMunzil Palace., It was arranged that the sick and wounded,with the baggage and reserve food and ammunition,were to be left in the Alum Baghin charge of 400 European troops commandedby Major MacIntyre of the 78th.f On the 25th September the troops advancedby the route I have indicated, and, afterdesperate fighting, reached the Residencyat nightfall with a loss of 196 killed and 339wounded, out of a total of about 2,600. Thechief fighting took place at the Char Baghbridge, the Moti ~lahal, and in the finalmovement on the Residency down the Niellroad. The rearguard. the 78th Highlanders,had also some desperate fighting in theHazratganj road, they having lost touch withthe main column and turned to the left upHazratganj in error, instead of following alongthe Outram and Clyde roads.As time does not allow me to describe alloperations of this day's fighting, I select,~or more detailed description, what wasprobably the fiercest struggle of the day-thefight at the Char Bagh bridge. Shortly afterleaving the Alum Bagh, the column found themselvesopposed from the Char Bagh. Outram,with the 5th Fusiliers, turned to the right toclear this garden, and the remainder of theleading brigade pressed on to within 200 yardsof the bridge; this they found strongly heldby the enemy, with a battery of six gunsentrenched behind it on the Lucknow side ofthe canal. Two guns came into action;there was no room for more. The first dischargeof the enemy's battery disabled oneof our guns, killing or woundin,g all the detachment.Several volunteers from the infantrysprang forward to assist in working thegun, but the fire of the enemy increased everymoment, and their musketry and artillerymowed down the men as fast as they tooktheir places at the guns. For half-an-hourthe unequal contest was maintained, andMaude, who commanded the battery, and hissubaltern, Maitland, were each doing No. l'swork. Young Havelock, the General's sonand A.D.C., was standing close by, and Maudecalled out to him that he could not fight hisguns much longer. Havelock rode across t()Niell, the senior officer in sight, and urgedhim to order an immediate assault. Niell,however, would not take the responsibility."General Outram must turn up soon," hesaid. Then, according to one account, Havelockturned and rode away to the rear, benton a pious fraud. His father, the General,was far in the rear with the 2nd Brigade, butthe son, after a suspiciously short disappearance,came back at a gallop, rode up to Niell,and, saluting, said, " " You are to carry thebridge at once, sir." Niell promptly orderedthe Madras Fusiliers to assault. At the order,and without waiting for the regiment to riseand form, Lieut. Arnold, who was a short wayin front with the skirmishers, sprang up anddashed on to the bridge, followed by thenearest of his men. Havelock and anotherstaff officer, Col. Tytler, set spurs to theirhorses, and were alongside 01 Arnold in amoment. Then the hurricane opened. Arnolddropped, shot through both ~highs; CoLTytler and his horse went down with a crash.The bridge Was swept clear flave for youngHavelock, erect and unwounded, waving hissword and calling to the Fusiliers to come on.Before the enemy's guns could be loaded againthe Fusiliers were on the bridge in a headlongmass; they were across it; they cleared thebarricade, stormed the battery, and bayonettedthe sepoy gunners where they stood.This charge won for the column its thoroughfareover the canal.As I said before, this was a reinforcement·rather than a relief; the food and supplies still.remained in the Alum Bagh, and the garrisonof the Residencv had more mouths to feed, andno further supply of provisions to do it .with.There was, however, no further risk of theposition being captured by assault, and as theperimeter of the defence was greatly enlargedthere was far more comfort and safety for the·women and children-as far as shot and shellwas concerned. Still, life continued to bebitter, and death was always near, and seven.more weary weeks were still to elapse before the