and who naturally felt hurt at the oversight. The chronological sequence has not been maintained in this case, as it was judged better to keep all the letters relating to the same matter together.] Major-General Sir J. Outram, G.C.B., to the Adjutant-General of the Army, Head-Quarter Camp. Calcutta, 2nd May, 1858. SIR, I have the honour to request you will do me the favour to submit, for the favourable consideration and recommendation of his Excellency the Commander-inChief, this my very urgent appeal on behalf of the 1st Division of the army, which I had lately the honour to command, and which, previous to his Excellency taking the field, was denominated the Oude Field Force. My earnest desire is, that both officers and men comprising that force, who were engaged in the first relief of Lucknow, and for two months were besieged there, encountering privations of no ordinary nature, and repelling constant and harassing attacks of the enemy, should be granted the boon of one year's service towards pension, already awarded to her Majesty's 32nd Regiment, and to the portion of her Majesty's 84th Foot who formed the original garrison there. The loss the force sustained in entering Lucknow, and during the subsequent defence of the Residency, was upwards of 80 officers and nearly 1,000 men killed and wounded; a loss fully equal to that sustained by the original garrison. Simultaneously with the noble efforts of the garrison, under General Inglis, to maintain their post, and uphold the honour of their country, the relieving troops, under the command of Major-General Havelock, were, during the most trying months of the year, undergoing fatigues and perils, and obtaining successes, which have never been surpassed in the annals of Indian warfare. Their subsequent privations and harassing duties during the interval which elapsed before their final relief by his Excellency the Commander-in Chief, has consigned not a few to their graves, and undermined the constitution of many others. In support of this application, I would beg respectfully to remind his Excellency that General Havelock's relieving force have already been placed on an equality with the original garrison in respect of the donation of batta. Under these circumstances, I hope that the claims of these troops will be considered by his Excellency and Government as worthy of a similar boon to that which has been awarded to the original garrison, whom it was their good fortune to be instrumental in saving from a position of imminent peril. I have, &c., J. OUTRAM, Major-General, Late Commanding the Oude Field Force. Major-General Sir J. Outram, G.C.B., to Lord Canning, Governor-General of India. MY LORD, Calcutta, 2nd May, 1858. A year's service having been granted to the officers and non-commissioned officers and privates of her Majesty's service who formed part of the original Lucknow garrison, may I venture to express a hope that your Lordship will secure a similar recognition of their services, not only for the European officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates of the East India Company's service who formed part of that garrison, but also support the claims of the officers, non commissioned officers, and men of both armies, who, under the late Sir Henry Havelock, effected the first relief of Lucknow in September last, to a participation in the same boon. I hope that, in consideration of the death of Sir Henry Havelock, and the departure from India of Sir John Inglis, by whom, perhaps, this application would have been more appropriately preferred, I shall be acquitted of presumptuousness in urging the claims of the brave men with whom it was my proud privilege to be so long associated, and whom I commanded, in the Lucknow garrison, from the end of September until our final and effectual relief by his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief. I would beg respectfully to submit to your Lordship's consideration, as the quasi precedent on which I base my appeal on behalf of the glorious troops whom Sir Henry Havelock led into Lucknow, the fact that you were yourself pleased to extend to the latter the six months' batta which had been previously assigned to the original garrison. I take the liberty of enclosing to your Lordship copy of a letter I have addressed to the Adjutant-General of the army, under the impression that, as regards the royal army, the initiative rests with the Commanderin-Chief. If it be not unwarrantably presuming on your Lord ship's functions, might I venture to suggest that the civil members of the garrison, both covenanted and uncovenanted, should also receive the boon of one year's service. I limit my suggestion to one year, that being all that her Majesty's Government have seen fit to allow to the royal troops. In my own humble opinion, however, the members of the garrison might, with great justice, propriety, and the best possible future effects, have been allowed one year's service for each month of the siege. A Russian or a French garrison performing such services as those performed by the Lucknow garrison would, I feel assured, have received no less liberal a recognition of their surpassing merits. And should your Lordship feel at liberty to urge such an extension of the boon already granted, I feel assured that the people of England would cordially support and applaud your generous intervention in the matter. I have the honour to be, &c., J. OUTRAM. Major-General Sir J. Outram, G.C.B., to MajorGeneral Mansfield, Chief of the Staff. SIR, Lucknow, 3rd April, 1858. On the I had the honour to forward, by desire of his Excellency the Commander-inChief, a list of officers who had been serving under my command from 26th September to the evacuation of the Residency. Amongst those therein mentioned, was Captain Olpherts, of the Bengal Artillery, who had been recommended by Major-General Sir H. Havelock for promotion to the brevet rank of major, in which recommendation I most heartily concurred. Should her Majesty be pleased to confer this rank on Captain Olpherts, I would most respectfully request his Excellency's favourable consideration to the service since rendered by that officer, in order that, should his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief attach as much value to them as I do, he may be included in the list of those officers deemed worthy of the honourable distinction of the companionship of the Bath. Captain Olpherts left the Baillie Guard with his field battery in a totally inefficient state, many of his men being dead, and all his surviving horses so reduced by starvation as to be unfit for service. In three months from that date, by dint of the most unwearying perseverance, Captain Olpherts' field battery was able to bear comparison with the generality of troops of Horse Artillery for rapidity in coming into action; and I constantly used it as such with the cavalry. On every occasion Captain Olpherts' battery rendered most essential service; and I only consider it due to this officer to bring his merits thus prominently forward to the notice of his Excellency—his gallantry being as conspicuous as his indefatigable industry. I have, &c., J. OUTRAM. Major-General Sir J. Outram, G.C.B., to the Adjutant-General of the Army, Head-Quarters, Allahabad. SIR, Calcutta, 18th August, 1858. I have the honour to forward the accompanying letter and its enclosures, from Captain Adair, her Majesty's 5th Fusiliers, for such consideration as his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief may deem it worthy of. I can truly add, that Captain Adair, and every officer and man of her Majesty's 5th Fusiliers, nobly did their duty while under General Havelock's and my command. I have, &c., J. OUTRAM. |