The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-22 00:00:00

THE LATE COLONEL MACKESON.

(Prom the Agra Messenger•.)
A friend who knew the lamented Colonel Mackeson
long and intimately has supplied us with materials for
the following brief notice of his brilliant and useful career,
so sadly and so prematurely closed, at a moment when
the loss of such a man is likely, more than at any former
period, to be felt as a national calamity. The sk etch is
but imperfect, yet it is, we believe, correct so far as it
goes. There are others who could do greater jui;tice to
the subject—Sir Claude Wade, for instance ; and we
have little doubt that the press of England will, in due
time, present us with a more complete memoir of the
good and gallant officer for whose untimely fate we so
deeply grieve.

Colonel Mackeson received his education at a military
seminary in Franc!, and thus acquired a perfect acquaint-
ance with, the language of that country. This know-
ledge led to his association with Sir C. M. Wade, then
agentpolitic :l at Loodiana. At the time when Macke-
son was there with his regiment, in 1831, the foreign
officers in Runjeet Snigh's service frequently visited the
political agent, and his fluency in French was turned to
good account. This, in spite of that modest and retir-
ing disposition for which he was remarkable to the last,
brought the young officer into notice, and led to his
' being appointed assistant political agent. Subsequently
lie was, attached to Bahwn !pore and Mithunkote, to
survey the Sntlej'and Indus, and to facilitate their navi-
gation. For several years he was stationed in that
neighbourhood, variously employed, now exercising his
talents as an accomplished surveyor, now unravelling the
tortuous politics of the Punjab.
In 1837, he went with the late Sir Alexander Burnes
to Cabul, and in 1838-9 was occupied in forwarding the
march of the army of the Indus along the banks of that
river. Then he accompanied Sir C. M. Wade with
Prince Timoor, and displayed courage and energy of the
highest order in the various affairs which occurred on
the march to Cabul. From that time till the close of
operations in Affghanistan, and the final withdrawal of
our forces in 1842-3, Brevet Captain Mackeson con-
ducted the political relations of our Government at the
important post of Peshawur. His services there at
that period are now matter of history. To himself the
result was most honourable. A young unassuming
officer, without interest or favour, while yet a subaltern,
, was promoted to the local rank of Major, to qualify him
officially for the honours of the C. 8., never bestowed
on one of more noble or more chivalrous character.
We find Mackeson next at Sirsa, where he was em-
ployed till the Sikh invasion of 1845, when his services
were made available in the delicate office of Commissioner
in the Cis Sutlej states. In this capacity he was politi-
cally attached to Sir Harry Smith's force, and that
General can testify to the soldierly service which he did
at Aliwal.
The army of the Punjab saw Mackeson again in the
fieldwon theas hGovernor-Generaligh approval
nn arge
spenet tin ofil
o,
Dalhousie
and Lord Gough. Then also
when associated in his
political capacity with the late also,
Walter Gilbert on
Lwiordeli Doaffilhce he
o
the advance to Peshawur, he received the unqualified
and handsomely expressed admiration of that distin-
guished soldier. At the end of 1851 Captain and Brevet
Lieutenant-Colonel Mackeson, C. 8., was appointed to
the office of Commissioner at Peshawur, a post of honour
and of danger, as his untimely fate has proved.
Thus we see that during an active service of 20 years,
embracing the most eventful period in the history of
British India, Mackeson was ever placed where the
high qualities of calm courage and perfect self-possession
were essential to that success which invariably attended
the discharge of his important duties. Large and strong
in mind and frame, all his acts were marked by the
coolest intrepidity, a matchless energy, and the soundest
discretion. Wise in council, gallant and devoted in
battle, amiable and unpretending in private life, he was
beloved by his associates and reverenced as a superior
being even by the wild tribes with whom his duties so
frequently placed him in contact.