Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Relief of Lucknow, Lucknow (Lieut. E, Carter, 90th Lt. Inf.) minor surface scuffs, otherwise nearly extremely fine £1200-1500

Edward Carter was appointed Ensign in the 90th Light Infantry on 25 May 1855; Lieutenant, 8 February 1856; Captain, 3 June 1864; Half Pay, 5 April 1871. He served in the Indian campaign of 1857-58, including the defence of the Alumbagh, relief of Lucknow by Lord Clyde, defence of the Alumbagh under Outram, siege and capture of Lucknow, and subsequent operations in Oude (Medal with two clasps, and a year’s service).

Carter is mentioned in Viscount (then a Captain in the 90th) Garnet Wolseley’s memoir The Story of a Soldiers Life, in a chapter describing the street fighting in the final advance to the relief of the Residency on 16 November 1857, culminating, after the storming of the Secunderabad, in the taking of a defensive position called the Mess House. Lieutenant Carter with the Light Company were then the first contingent to link up with the defenders, appropriately with another company of the 90th Light Infantry (who had entered with the first relief force under Havelock) after breaking through into a place called the Motee Mohul, adjoining the Residency itself. In the process they foiled the apparent intention of Sir Colin Campbell to enter with the 93rd Highlanders, much to his chagrin and no doubt the rival Highlanders in the 93rd:

‘Having front formed my Company we started at a good steady pace for the Mess House. I had with me my three Subalterns Carter, Herford and Haig.’

The Light Company then, contrary to orders, continued to advance on the defensive perimeter of the Residency and the drama of the storming of the Motee Mohul is then told:

‘The hole grew bigger until the whole Company were within the tambour and met up with the Company of Captain Tinling, 90th Foot... shortly afterwards there came out of the Residency the chivalrous Outram and with him the stern ironside General Havelock. In that square, where the two Companies of my regiment, the relieved and the relievers, met there shortly afterwards took place the celebrated meeting between Sir Colin Campbell and the two besieged Generals. The well known picture of that event shows the main gate by which my Company forced its way.’

Lieutenant Carter would not only have been a witness to this historic meeting but also later had an all too personal contact with his commanding officer that night as he lay exhausted in the street outside the Residency, as again described by his Captain, Garnet Wolseley:

‘I marched my men off to the appointed spot, piled arms on the side of the road, and all having had something to eat, we lay down there for a good night’s rest. I don’t know how long I had been in the land of dreams when I was roused by the angry voice of one of my Subalterns, a charming man named Carter. As he was using strong language - and he could use strong expletives on occasion - I enquired what the matter was. He said that some infernal son of a gun had put one of the legs of his charpoy - a native bed - right on the middle of his stomach. I tried to soothe him, and we were all soon once more soundly asleep, forgetful of life’s miseries.

At first dawn I awoke and sat up, somewhat stiff, for I was cold, having no great coat. My eye lit upon the offending charpoy that Carter had condemned in strong words during the previous night. Its occupant woke up at the same moment, and to my horror I saw it was Sir Colin. He had also come back to that quiet spot on the road for some sleep and someone had found a charpoy for him. In placing it on the road, Sir Colin had accidentally planted one of its legs upon my Subaltern Carter’s stomach.’