The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals

The siege of Bhurtpoor campaign medal to Major G. A. Barbor, 8th Light Cavalry, who personally captured the usurper chieftan Doojan Sal at Bhurtpoor

Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Bhurtpoor (Lieut. G. A. Barbor, 8th Lt. Cavy.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, 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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George Alexander Barbor was born at Oldswinford, Stourbridge, Worcestershire on 28 February 1805. He was educated at Mr. Banks in Boston and was nominated for a Cadetship in the East India Company’s Bengal Cavalry in 1820, by Campbell Majoribanks at the recommendation of Mungo Dick; his father, George Barbor, then being dead. Barbor arrived in India on 8 October 1821, and was posted Cornet in the 8th Light Cavalry. In March 1825, he became Lieutenant and in December of that year was present with his regiment at the Siege of Bhurtpoor. On the death of Baldeo Singh, the friendly Rajah of Bhurtpoor, his throne was usurped by his nephew, Doojan Sal. The British Government recognised the right of the late Rajah’s son, Balwant Singh, but Doojan Sal refused to stand aside in favour of his cousin and consequently Lord Combermere, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief in India, received orders to bring an army, comprising eighteen infantry battalions, eight regiments of cavalry, fifty field guns and a siege train of a hundred and twelve heavy guns before Bhurtpoor and coerce the usurper by force of arms.

On 18 January 1826, mines were exploded beneath the city’s ramparts, and the assaulting infantry surged forward into the town. Doojan Sal in the citadel seeing that all was lost collected a vast quantity of jewels and secured them on the persons of his wife, his two sons and forty selected followers. Cutting their way out of the city through a party of H.M’s 14th Regiment at Kumbhir Gate, Doojan Sal and his followers entered a small jungle where they were joined by a number of other mounted fugitives trying to make good their escape, but their every attempt to find an opening onto the plain beyond was foiled by British cavalry piquets posted on the edge of the jungle. Captain John Hearsey (Ritchie 2-12) of the 6th Ligh Cavalry, being anxious to capture Doojan Sal himself, received permission to enter the jungle, and by his own account flushed out the Rajah and his party. At any event by 2:30 p.m. Brigadier Sleigh had pulled in the piquets and dimissed the cavalry brigade. Doojan Sal seized the moment but was spotted breaking cover by the Riding Master of the 8th Light Cavalry just as the men of that regiment had dismounted. Lieutenant Barbor and his troop were ordered to saddle up and pursue. Doojan Sal was swiftly apprehended, ‘surrendering with Barbor’s pistol at his head.’ A note on Barbor’s Statement of Service reports: ‘His promptitude on this occasion was eulogized by Lieut-Colonel Gall [Ritchie 1-30], the officer commanding the 8th Cavalry, and the sword of Doorjun Saul [sic] was presented to him by General Sleigh, who directed him to proceed with that Chief to Lord Combermere’s camp’

Captain John Luard of H.M’s 16th Lancers came up to Barbor as he made his way to the C-in-C’s tent: ‘The Rajah rode a large bay Persian horse overloaded with flesh, on which he sat well considering his weight, which must be 18 stone (all fat), he looked dejected, as well he might, but still dignified and important; he had even now the appearance of man used to command. He ... was taken after little resistance by an out-piquet of the 8th Cavalry commanded by Lieutenant Barber [sic], who now rode in advance of the prisoner with the splendid sword he had taken from the Rajah, stuck in his girdle. The piquet had in the most shameful manner plundered and stripped Darjan Sal [sic], whose dress now consisted of the slightest dotee, a pink kummerbund was thrown over his shoulders and could only partially cover his naked body and thighs, and a dirty pink turban was on his head, such as only your lowest caste servants would wear. In this plight he was conducted to the tent of Lord Combermere. His favourite wife followed him, sitting behind her brother on a fine horse; Darjan’s son was also taken prisoner and formed one of the party.’

Barbor shared in the Bhurtpoor Prize Money (some £408,000 in total, of which a subaltern’s share was about £238), and went on to become Adjutant of the 8th Light Cavalry on 26 March 1827. The capture of Doojan Sal, however, remained the high point of his career and in 1832 he returned to England and ‘solicited the E.I.C. Court Directors to recommend him to His Majesty for the brevet rank of Captain for services at Bhurtpoore’. He was curtly ‘informed that subalterns are not as such eligible for brevet rank for services in the field.’

Barbor served as second-in-command of the 3rd Local Horse between 1837-38, and as Major of Brigade to the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, attached to the Army of Exercise on the borders of Gwalior prior to Sir Hugh Gough’s campaign of conquest. Barbor retired the following year and in 1854 was advanced to the rank of Honorary Major. He died at 4 Bedford Circus, Exeter, on 26 August 1888. On his death, Major Barbor bequeathed the sword captured from ‘the Chieftan of Bhurtpoor in the year 1826’ to his cousin, Sir Archibald Campbell of Blythswood, Renfrew, North Britain, having expressed his wish that it be kept in his kinsman’s family as ‘an heirloom’.

Refs: Hodson Index (NAM); Cadet Papers IOL/L/MIL/9/143 ff.479-82; IOL/L/MIL/10/25; Officers of the Bengal Army, 1758-1834; The Hearseys, Five Generations of an Anglo-Indian Family (Pearse); Scarlet Lancer (Lunt); Somerset House Wills.