From Fatehpur to Lucknow, India 12 July-25 September 1857

12 July-25 September 1857

On 7 July 1857 Havelock left Allahabad with just under 2,000 British and native troops, including the 84th Regiment, marching west along the Grand Trunk Road to relieve Lucknow. On 12 July he defeated a rebel force at Fatehpur and on 15 July the village of Aong was taken and the bridge over the Pandu river. On the 16th Nana Sahib was defeated outside Cawnpore. The following day Havelock’s column entered Cawnpore, only to find that all the Europeans had been slaughtered. Over the next week his men crossed the Ganges in preparation for the advance on Lucknow. On 29 July 1857 they defeated the rebels at Unao (see A C Bogle VC) and at Busherutgunge. However, his forces had been depleted not only by the fighting but also by cholera and Havelock retired a few miles to Mungulwar to await reinforcements. On 5 August he again defeated the rebels, who had reoccupied Busherutgunge, but once more retired to Mungulwar and on 12 August attacked rebels at Boorhya-ka-Chowkee (see J P H Crowe VC). By now Nana Sahib was once more threatening Cawnpore and on 13 August Havelock crossed back over the Ganges. On 16 August he defeated Nana Sahib at Bithur on the Ganges north of Cawnpore. His column was then reinforced and joined by Outram, who reached Cawnpore on 15 September. On 21 September, having recrossed the Ganges, Havelock defeated the rebels at Mungulwar (see P Mahony VC). On the 23rd a rebel force was defeated at the Alum Bagh outside Lucknow. On 25 September Havelock mounted an assault on Lucknow itself.