A Collection of Indian Mutiny Medals, the Property of a Gentleman

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Defence of Lucknow, Lucknow (Gunr. Alexr. Kerr, 1st. Bn. Bengal Art.) nearly extremely fine £500-£700

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Indian Mutiny Medals, the Property of a Gentleman.

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Alexander Kerr was born in Barony, Glasgow, in 1834 and enlisted in the Honourable East India Company’s forces on 26 January 1855. Assigned to the 4th Company, 1st Battalion, Bengal Artillery, he served with them in India throughout the Great Sepoy Mutiny, firstly in General Havelock’s Allahabad Flying Column at the relief of Cawnpore, and at the capture and subsequent defence of Lucknow, September to November 1857.

General Havelock’s Allahabad Flying Column
General Havelock marched from Allahabad on 7 June 1857 leading the pitifully small movable column that was attempting to relieve Cawnpore and then Lucknow. In total the force at his disposal was approximately 1,000 British Infantry, 150 Sikh soldiers, and 30 Irregular Cavalry. The force contained small parts of 1st Battalion Bengal Artillery; 64th Foot, 78th Highlanders; 5th Fusiliers; 84th Foot; seven companies of the 90th Light Infantry, and the Madras European Fusiliers, and had a total of 8 guns.

Havelock’s force advanced down the Grand Trunk Road leaving behind the evidence of the retaliatory power of the British in the number of villages burnt out and the numerous corpses left hanging from trees. Shortly after this news came to the Advanced Guard under Major Renaud of the Madras Fusiliers that at Cawnpore, General Wheeler had been forced to capitulate. On 12 July General Havelock’s force met the mutineers’ force of 3,000 men and 12 guns at Fathepore. Havelock’s force routed the mutineers and continued their relentless march toward Cawnpore. Two days later at the village of Aong he came up against another rebel force of 3,000 entrenched mutineers. He defeated them and marched on but at the cost of the death of Major Renaud who had died of his wounds. On that same evening Havelock’s force stormed the Pandu Nadi river where the bridge was defended by over 2,000 mutineers. It is believed that this action caused Nana Sahib to order the execution of the remaining women and children still imprisoned in the Bibighar at Cawnpore.

On 16 July at Maharajpore, still some even miles from Cawnpore, Havelock’s force fought another action with the Nana’s rebel army. The mutineer’s gun batteries raked the advancing columns of the 64th Foot and 78th Highlanders. The awful work of charging the heavy guns (well served by the rebels) now began and the 78th Highlanders led by Colonel Hamilton took the post of honour and were first to charge. “The shrill sound of the pibroch from the bagpipes in the rear seeming to send them forward as with the force of a catapult”. The following day Havelock said, “He had never seen steadier or more devoted troops. Between 7 and 16 July you have under the Indian sun of July marched a hundred and twenty six miles and fought four actions”. Upon entry to Cawnpore Havelock’s men found the first awful evidence of the massacre that had taken place there.

On 29 July, leaving a force of 300 men to garrison Cawnpore, Havelock began the march on Lucknow. After eight or so miles he encountered a road block of 6,000 rebels and 20 guns. Once again the British Infantry make a full frontal attack, burst through and continued their march. This was still not the end as later that same day, seven miles on from Bashratganji another road block of 2,000 rebels was encountered. Havelock outflanked and routed this force. By this time casualties and disease had reduced his force to under 900 men and so he regretfully returned to Cawnpore.

Advancing again on 4 August, through yet another rebel force, he was forced to rest his men after an outbreak of cholera. Even in this state his force met with a rebel force on 12 August and completed their destruction of the enemy block force in the third battle of Bashratganji when the 78th Highland and the Madras Fusiliers storm the rebel earthworks with the bayonet. Four days after this he was again forced to return to Cawnpore and did not finally arrive at Lucknow until the following month. His force, despite being severely weakened, fought their way into the city but did not have the strength to raise the siege and thus they became ‘Second Defenders’, having to await the arrival of Sir Colin Campbell’s relief force to finally raise the siege.

Kerr subsequently served as part of General Outram’s force in the capture and defence of the Alum Bagh. After the capture of Lucknow in March 1858 he went on to serve with General Warpole’s force in Rohilkand, and was present at the capture of Barreilly in May 188.

Promoted Bombardier for his services during the Defence of Lucknow on 31 October 1858, Kerr was subsequently convicted by Court Martial on 21 April 1859, was reduced to Gunner, and was imprisoned for 120 days. Rather than transfer to the Royal Artillery after the suppression of the Mutiny he was discharged at Delhi at his own request on 5 August 1859, after 5 years and 168 days’ service.

Sold with copied research.