A scarce Indian Mutiny Order of Merit pair awarded to Jemadar Bhuggutheer Thapah, Sylhet Light Infantry Battalion

Indian Order of Merit, Military Division, 1st type, 3rd Class, Reward of Valor, silver and enamel, the reverse inscribed on three lines ‘3rd / Class / Order of Merit’, central screw nut fitting, with silver ribbon buckle; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Jemadar Bhugguthee Thapah Sylhet Lt. Infy. Battn.) impressed naming, the first with badly chipped enamel and old repair to suspension, good fine and better (2) £3500-4000

I.O.M. 3rd Class G.O. 917 of 1858.

Jemadar Bhuggutheer, jointly with Havildar Khurrug Sing, Sylhet Light Infantry Battalion:

‘On 22nd January 1858 this Indian officer and havildar were sent with a small party in pursuit of a body of mutineers of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry who had gathered near the camp. The rebels unluckily decamped, but in their pursuit the party unexpectedly came upon another body of forty of the enemy posted in a very dense jungle. The Jemadar ordered a charge, in which fourteen of the rebels were killed and thirty-five arms and accoutrements captured. This had such an effect on the mutineers that none of these men again made a stand. This Indian officer and havildar again commanded a party of twelve sepoys in pursuit of six Sikhs who had got detached from the main body of mutineers and, after tracking them the whole day, they came up with them and shot two of the Sikhs, the remainder of them saving themselves in flight. Bhuggutheer and Khurrug Sing on every occasion came forward and volunteered their services whenever a party was required and always displayed conspicuous loyalty and gallantry.’

Note: A detachment of three companies of the 34th Native Infantry was stationed at Chittagong in the extremity of Bengal to the east of Calcutta. As soon as they heard of the attempted mutiny of their comrades at Barrackpore, they sent in a memorial expressing confidence in Government and regret for the disgraceful behaviour of Mangal Pandy and the quarter-guard, and asserting their stedfast loyalty. But they suddenly and unexpectedly broke out in mutiny on 18th November 1857, plundered the treasury, fired the magazine, and released the prisoners. They did no harm to their European officers, although an unfortunate native gaoler who protested against their behaviour was killed for his pains. They marched off towards Hill Tiparah, taking with them three Government elephants, and endeavoured to make their way along the hills in a north-westerly direction avoiding British territory. But their march across the hills was perilous, and they were relentlessly pursued (Indian Order of Merit - Historical Records 1837-1947, Cliff Parrett and Rana Chhina, refers).