The Express.
London, England, 1858-11-22 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF TEE EXPRESS.

Eta,—lt is a matter of deep regret to the imr-
vivisg mambas of the Luoknow garrison that a distinlitive
medal or decoration is not to be awarded to them, to men the

extraordinary part they had the fortune to take in the late
Indian struggle. It is now known that only a clasp, with a
medal, which several hundred thousand men will wear, Is to
be granted to a garrison who endured a slags unprecedented,
ft is believed, in the annals of warfare ; and though Sir John
belie, who is now about to return to India, is understood to
have used his efforts for a decoration, the autnoritits are not
disposed to listen to the request.
It is well known that not a single Victoria Croat has been
awarded to the Lncknow garrison, while these ranch-coveted
rewards of valour have been showered on the brave men of
the army which captured Delhi, and of that which, =der
the lamented Havelock, relieved Lucknow on the 25th of
September, 1867. The Victoria Cross has not been awarded
to any of the Lucknow garrison beret= it is said that their
numbers were large, and that ail behaved equally nobly.
But how is that a reason why they should remain unre-
warded and =distinguished? If numbers form an argu-
ment against the grant of the Victoria Croy, they at lout
present cue equally strong in favour of a special decoration,
which would be en unsuitable reward fur an exceedingly
limited body of men; and the argument is one which is
surely strongly corroorated rather than neutralised by the
high degree of heroism attributed to the garrison by the 'very
objection itself. The extended number of the men who nobly
conducted themselves within the entrenchment of Ludlow
did not form a reason against their diallsetioa iR Gwent
Datum's opinion, when he honed his congratulatory order
to the garrison, wherein herd he felt assured "that oar
beloved sovereign will herself deign to convey to than Ems
gracious expression of royal approbation of their conduct."
This order Mond the Seeds= satidec.lon among= the
garrison, Wean= it ins taken as an earnest of a special
molder doomed= being granted, and deep Is the regret that
it la withheld. Officers and men fondly hoped that they
would have a " Lucknow Cross " to wear on their breasts—a
cross that would be as dear to them as the Victoria Cross
itself, but it seems that their hopes were destined to be dis-
appointed.
Or of the oldet objeotioas taken to such a decoration is
that it wesldisrm a dangerous preeedeat. When, however,
another siege like that of Luaknow takes plsos, let then be
another speed model There cea be little danger of multi-
plytag rewards to be earned in warfare of similar conditions
and severity with that which prevailed at Lueknow, and
most will agree in thinking that all so gained, even if they
are atummae, will be amply deetweed, and may be even
Pally bestowed. Bat the argument is in another respect
nafounded, immanek as s special decoration was bestowed,
establiabing the posedait, for the siege of lollsialiad, which
every one allows (end smart others Dr. Brydou, who was
moat at both) wee sot to be compared with Lucknow.
On the pound of expense there could be very slight obis°.
asa te what Ime argiag, sines the numbers to wham the
6smestien would be awards are now much Wooed, aad I
fad see thst goirarnment would incur no odium, bat rather
' the rebury, by maiming such an honour on a body of
min who have undergone almost unparalleled dangers and
vation s.
prilt was for a moment supposed that all three ob otiose to
a demsistien 11110 overruled when General Peel, in answer
to a quake from Mr. Kiasoird, staled in the House of
Omamemes that the die for a medal had been submitted to her
Majegy, bat the hopes thus elated proved futile when it
totted oat that the modal, supposed to have been referred to
se ream to Looknow, was in reality merely the Indian
• modal indeed to be maned ea the whole of the army
; copied `the moot struggie.—l am, to,
ON! OF Tali DIFENDERS OF LUCKNOW.
Nov. 20.

At • sportsman's dinner which lately took place in
the depertemat of the Correa& nets of los desk wets served,
sad desisted to be sicelleat 'snag.

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