Auction Catalogue

16 December 2003

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 670

.

16 December 2003

Hammer Price:
£1,900

Pair: Major-General Charles Haldane, Bengal Infantry, commanding the 44th Native Infantry when that regiment mutinied and was disarmed

Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Bhurtpoor (Lieut., 32nd N.I.) short hyphen reverse, officially engraved naming; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Colonel C. Haldane) the medals suspended from an ornately engraved silver brooch bar, nearly extremely fine (2) £700-900

Ex Day 1910, Hamilton-Smith 1927, and first sold at Sotheby in March 1895.

Charles Haldane was born at Marylebone, London, on 9 May 1797, son of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Haldane, R.E., sometime Private Secretary to Lord Cornwallis when Governor General. He entered the Indian Army as an Ensign on the Bengal Establishment in February 1819, and was promoted to Lieutenant in August 1820. He served with the 32nd Native Infantry at the siege and capture of Bhurtpore (Medal with clasp). Haldane made steady progress through the ranks, and several regiments, to become a Lieutenant-Colonel in April 1849, and was transferred to the 44th Native Infantry in November 1854. He was Brevet Colonel in command of the regiment at the outbreak of the Mutiny in May 1857, stationed at Agra, with a Company at Muttra. On 30 May another Company, with one of the 67th, was sent to Muttra to escort the treasure from that station to Agra. They all mutinied, shot Lieutenant Boulton dead, and marched off to Delhi with the money. On the following morning both regiments were disarmed at Agra. The men of the 44th hesitated when the order was given to pile arms, and looked disposed to resist, but were overawed by the presence of the European troops and guns. They were marched back from the parade to their lines and were given leave to disperse to their homes. Many went off to Delhi, those on duty at Government House taking their arms with them (Medal). Haldane was promoted to Major-General in October 1860 but remained on furlough until his death at Cheltenham on 15 August 1868.