Great Britain -- History, Military -- 19th century; Marshals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Wood, Evelyn, 1838-1919
Harding rode down at the man he had selected, who waited to fire
until they were so close that Harding in raising his sword for cut 2
at the man, had his jacket set on fire by the rebel’s cartridge, and
fell mortally wounded. My man stood 50 yards from where the group had
dispersed when I rode amongst them, and with his right foot placed on
an ant-bear heap, awaited me with fixed bayonet. I approached him at
a smart canter, with elbows close to my sides to protect the lungs,
and the point of my sword low down under the horse’s forearm. I guided
the horse so as to take the point of the bayonet on its chest, but the
Sepoy when he saw that I was “riding home” wavered, and attempted to
club his musket. As he swung it, butt uppermost, over his head, the
point of his bayonet caught in the cummerbund which he wore over his
coatee. This delayed him for a second, and my sword entering under the
left armpit went through him up to the hilt, the butt of his musket
falling over my shoulder, but without hurting me seriously, as my horse
stopped. As the Sepoy dropped off the point of my sword, I galloped
after the others. Four stood 60 yards farther on, with their backs to
conifers. The nearest awaited the attack till the colour of my sword
blade unnerved him, and he withdrew out of reach, under the spreading
branches of a cedar, where he was speared by a Native Lancer, his
comrades falling at the same time. This takes much longer to tell than
it did in action, but I was so exhausted by the fight as to be obliged
to dismount and sit down for a few minutes to recover my breath.
The brigade having come up, we followed the enemy’s horsemen, but the
Brigadier insisted on our proceeding in a dressed line at the walk, and
consequently the rebels got farther away from us every minute. General
Michel riding up to me, reproached us. I said, “Sir, do you not hear
the Brigade-Major shouting to me to keep in line?” The General, though
apparently unwilling to interfere with the Executive Cavalry leader of
another Division, used a strong expression, and I replied, “Well, there
are some fir trees 200 yards in front of us, and when we reaching them
pass out of sight, I will gallop.” This we did, he accompanying us to
the Sujnaur River, across which the Rebels escaped. There were very few
killed, except by the Native Cavalry, and a troop of the 8th Hussars,
which being next in the line of advance, broke away with us, and came
on in the pursuit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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