Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part III)

The Indian Mutiny medal to Colonel Hon. J. H. Fraser, who served with Neil’s ‘Blue Caps’ in the first Relief Force, and was later wounded with Hodson's Horse

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Defence of Lucknow, Lucknow (Lieut. Honble. I. H. Fraser, 2nd Regt. Hodson’s Horse) good very fine £1500-2000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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James Hay Fraser, the son of the Hon. William Fraser, was born on 24 March 1833. He was the nephew of Baron Saltoun of Abernethy, to which title his elder brother succeeded as the 17th Baron. James Fraser entered the Bengal Infantry as a Cadet on 20 February 1852, and was appointed Ensign in the 1st Native Infantry in November of that year. Promoted Lieutenant on 23 November 1856, he was serving with three detached companies at Banda when the main body of his regiment mutinied at Cawnpore in June 1857. The commanding officer of the Banda detachment, Lieutenant John Stratton Bennett, fearing that his men would follow the example of their comrades at Cawnpore, approached the Nawab, who at that stage was outwardly loyal, and obtained from him the use of his troops to disarm the three companies. A parade was ordered but Nawab’s men, sharing a common taste for rebellion refused to act, and the Sepoys of the 1st N.I. chased with jeers Stratton Bennett, Fraser and Ensign Clerk from the parade ground. Their unfortunate brother officers at Cawnpore either perished in the defence of Wheeler’s entrenchment or in the Satichaura Ghat massacre.

Having escaped the wrath of his own Sepoys, Fraser was attached to Colonel James Neill’s 1st Madras Fusiliers - the famous ‘Blue Caps’ - and was present in the engagements of Havelock’s force culminating in the first Relief of Lucknow. He served during the defence of the Residency from 25 September until relieved by the force under Sir Colin Campbell in November. On 26 September the enlarged combatant garrison was reorganized and the Blue Caps were brigaded with the 78th Highlanders and the 32nd Light Infantry in Inglis’s 2nd Brigade. Later the same day, Fraser accompanied the Blue Caps when they successfully sallied out from the Bailey Gate to take some guns opposite Deprat’s House. Three days later, Fraser took part in Colonel Robert Napier’s sortie, involving ninety Blue Caps under Captain Galwey, to capture some guns to the front and right of the Brigade Mess and Sikh Square. After two guns were taken by parties from the 32nd and 78th, ‘I ordered’ wrote Napier in his report, ‘a party of the 1st Madras Fusiliers under Lieut. the Hon. J. H. Fraser, to take the enemy in the rear, and a number of them were killed here and in the houses and in the neighbourhood. Hand grenades were used with good effect.’ Further, in connection with this operation, Major Apthorp of the Blue Caps reported ‘We assembled in the third Sikh Square a little before daybreak ... I advanced through the breach in the Sikh Square with Lieut. Ouseley, 48th Regt. Native Infy., Lieut. the Hon J. H. Fraser, and thirty-five men, and led them up the lane to the front of the enemy’s stockade. I took up position with four or five men, and fired on several of the enemy who were trying to escape. Lieut. Ouseley, the Hon. J. H. Fraser, and several men, got over the stockade, and the party under Capt. Hardinge came forward and the gun, a six-pounder, pointed towards him, was taken possession of. One of our men was killed as we reached the stockade, and one wounded a short time after. Fourteen or fifteen of the enemy were killed, nine of them in two huts to the right and left of the lane. I left this party of the reserve under command of the Hon J. H. Fraser, and went back to the remainder of the reserve, which I found had advanced from the Sikh square, under Capt. Galwey ...’

Following the withdrawal of British troops from Lucknow on 22-23 November 1857, Fraser served at the Alumbagh, left in the hands of the 1st Division (about 5,000-strong) under Sir James Outram, after Colin Campbell took off the bulk of the army to defeat Tantia Topi in the third Battle of Cawnpore. In early March 1858, Campbell resumed operations against Lucknow and Fraser was present at the siege and final capture of the city on 21 March. On 13 April, Fraser joined Hodson’s Horse, with whom he served in the Oudh Campaign. On 13 June 1858, he was present at the battle of Nawabgunge, where prior to delivering a charge, the commanding officer, Major Henry Daly, detached him and Lieutenant Clifford Mecham (See Lot 76) with one hundred sabres and instructed them to cross a ravine on the far right, which ran along the enemy’s front, and attack the rebel left flank. In the course of the charge over broken ground both Mecham and Fraser were wounded. The rebels, however, were driven back in confusion.

On 26 August 1858, Fraser was appointed Adjutant of 2nd Hodson’s Horse, and in 1860 became second in command. Remaining with the regiment which was renamed to become the 10th Bengal Light Cavalry (Hodson’s Horse), he was promoted Captain on 20 February 1864, Major on 20 February 1872, and Lieutenant-Colonel on 20 February 1878. Promoted full Colonel on his retirement in April 1880, he died on 24 March 1886.

Refs: Burke’s Peerage; Hart’s Army List; Neill’s Blue Caps Vol II (Wylly); History of the Indian Mutiny (Kaye & Malleson); Memoirs of General Sir Henry Dermot Daly (Daly).