The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-11-26
HE WAS AT LUCKNOW,
a CHICAGO CABMAN WHO WENT &c
fgau THE RELIEF OF HAVELOCK

Which Has Often Been Told Before.
Though Not at Balaklava.
II. j. McNally, a cab driver with a
kation at the northeast corner OF Dear
born and Monroe streets, is one of the
survivors of that regiment of British
soldiers who went TO the relief of Luck
now. He is hardy, rugged, stout built
man, with q medal of honor on his
breast and memory of ten years serv-
ice in the army of Great Britain. The
command with which he served in In
dia was composed in part of that little
band of heroes left from the famous
fight at Balaklava-that immemorial
"Charge of the Light Brigade" And
he shared with them the splendid hon
or of rescuing from beleaguered Luck
now the English women and children,
and the English officers and men as
well, who had fought for more than life
against the savagery of a sepoy rebel
lion.
parents,' said Mr.. McNally, chatting
of the rough service and the men he had
marched with and fought under i'll those
DAYS. which resembled so closely the
perilous phases of England's situation
in India today. II was born at Barr
head, and Jan. %, 1856, 1 enlisted at
Ianark in the Ninety second or Gordon
highlanders, and after some months of
drill and garrison duty volunteered Feb.
2S, 1857, to the Ninety-third or Suth-
erland highlanders, who were stationed
at Dover Heights. There was continual
talk Of their going out to the China
war, and wanted the adventure and
the experience of real soldering.
sit was Dover castle those days, for
the castle still stood there. 1t was one
of England's defenses and had been for
rusned and gone now.
1--WE embarked at Spithead June Is,
1857, for the China war and sailed
away down the west coast of Africa
After we were out at sea we spoke a
vessel from the cape and heard of the
Indian mutiny, but of course our duty
was to go on to China, where we had
been ordered. 1t was pretty hard
lines for US. We wanted to get up
into India, where they needed US,
and at cape of Good Hope a lighter
vessel from England overlook US and
countermanded our orders. We were
sent from there with all haste to Cal
cutta and Landed Sept. 80, 1857. Think
of that More than three months get
ting to the mutinyi
"There were no railroads, and we
started right out and marched up coun-
try as far as Oawnpur, $50 miles. 1t
was hard, hard march, but we made
as good time as British soldiers ever did
anywhere, At Cawnpur we were joined
by General Hope Grant and Sir Colin
Campbell, who had been waiting for re-
endorsements SO they could hurry on
Lucknow.
'Then we went on and reached the
besieged city Nov. IS, 1S57-over 700
miles in less than SO days. We had but
1000 men even then, and there were
$4,000 native soldiers, armed as we
were armed, for they had been part Of
the British army, but they were not
commanded so we'll, and they did not
have so much to fight for.
SIT was quick work-all with the
bayonet They could not stand the
rushes. We forced our Say Co the cit
adel, and the third day ~ took out the
Of the garrison. Then we retired in the
night. They could not realize we had
done so much, and they could not be-
lieve we would withdraw, but we were
not strong enough to hold the place
and selected a position of our own at
Alumbaugh, three miles away. If they
had known we were going to slip away
they could have massed their forces,
leaving the city uncovered, and hemmed
as in, but we were away and ready for
them before they knew it.
"There Havelock died of dysentery
three days after the relief. He would
have been dead a week before we came,
but he didn t dare to die. He had to de-
fend those women and children.
ST was wounded at the Lucknow
fight, but it did not amount to much.
osebAA I'LL uupy Oil O1lO UILuO' LAO Uu1AOU
was extracted and I got along. No,
there is no pension. You get pension
after 81 years service in the British
army, or after being positively disabled.
] was only ten years in the service.
After that came to America-to Chi
cago I have had money and am getting
On all right yet. Medal? Yes, wear
she medal. That regiment is the only
one thas wears it's medal on it's colors
That is because it fought at Balaklava
and at Lucknow too. Many time the
other fellows told me of the fight with
the Russians, but I did not see it. !
was not in the command at the time"
The Indian instruction broke out on
the night of May 80, 1857. Sir Henry
-.aHxe1oe h5yj, fortified the residsncy and
garrisoned it with 750 British troops.
July the place was besieged. July
Sir Henry died from wound Three
times the gallant little army beat back
the assaults of the multitudinous ene-
my. July % Havelock captured Alum
baugh, and four days later reached the
residencv But he with the others was