The second Relief of Lucknow, India 14-22 November 1857

14-22 November 1857

On 14 November 1857, Sir Colin Campbell’s force marched round the eastern outskirts of Lucknow, taking the Dilkoosha and La Martinière, south of the canal into the Gumti which was the rebels’ main line of defence. On the 16th, having brought up more supplies, Campbell ordered his men to cross the canal and advance into the city. The Secunderabagh and Shah Najaf Mosque were captured. On the 17th, the Mess House and Moti Mahal were taken and British troops reached the Residency. Campbell did not have a large enough force to subdue the city as a whole and realized he must evacuate the Residency. He originally intended to withdraw along the road from the Secunderabagh to the Dilkoosha Bridge over the canal but this was coming under heavy enemy fire and on the 18th an attempt to make it secure was unsuccessful. In the course of this the British Infantry Hospital had been recaptured but the mutineers drove out the British by firing its thatched roof. Lieutenant H E Harington, Bengal Artillery, distinguished himself by helping to rescue a soldier wounded in this action. Eventually, on the 23rd, troops and civilians were withdrawn to the Alam Bagh outside the city. On the 27th, leaving Sir James Outram with a garrison at the Alam Bagh but taking the women and children with him, Campbell departed for Cawnpore, which was being threatened by Tantya Tope. Five members of the Bengal Artillery were elected by their comrades to receive the VC for the campaign. Such Clause 13 awards were intended as recognition of the gallantry of the whole unit, where no one person or act could be singled out. The Citation for these five awards is shared.