Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1912-09-07


decorate Lord Roberts with the Order
Of the Black Eagle The gallant Irish
soldier of Indian nativity has also re-
ceiyed the thanks of the British Par
lament together with a grant Of 1907
00C pounds sterling; and is entitled to
the letters X. G. b, G. e. b., @. G. L
E., G.. G. s. l.. and X. p.
Best OF all, he Is affectionately
known to every soldier in the British
army as "Bobs." lie is also the proud
wearer Of a Victoria Cross, and the
| possessor of second cross for which
his only son stained the South Afri.
I can veldt With his life-blood.
The idol of the British army was
but Lieutenant when he won his
cross in the bloody days of the Indian
Mutiny, and at the time was serving
on the staff of Sir Colin Campbell,
the commanderin-chief Of the British
forces in India He had already been
mentioned in dispatches, had been
wounded, and also knocked over by
the "windage" Of q round shot.
A column was moving upon Fate
garh to restore order through a strip
of disordered territory, so that com.
munication might be opened up be
tween the Punjab and Bengal. Riding
with the horse artillery and cavalry
''Bobs" came upon a large body Of
the enemy occupying the village Of
Khundaganj, It became necessary to
dislodge and destroy this force II pos
sible, as it was understood that in the
ranks of this particular body OF Sc
poys were many who had taken
more or less prominent part in the
Cawnpore slaughter.
Three guns were pushed across
partly destroyed suspension bridge
over a stream. They engaged the enc
my while planks were laid across the
stringers for the passage Of the main
, body Of the column.
Fearful lest Sir Colin Campbell
should. favor the Highlanders by or
dering them to lead. the sad regiment,
composed mostly Of impulsive Irish
men, charged the village without wait
ing for orders. Nothing remained but
to support them.
AS the yelling troops advanced up
on the village calling upon one anoth.
er to Remember Cawnpore!" the Sc
poys wavered, then hastily limbered
up their guns and retired. This gave
/ the mounted troops an opportunity to
/ follow up the retreat and inflict a sum
mary punishment
"Threes eft-trot-march! came
/ the order
And with "Bobs" well in the van
! guard, the 9th Lancers led the pur.
suit. When within three hundred
yards of the Sepoys the charge" was
sounded, and within another minute
came the shock. Seven guns were Ia
| ken within five minutes.
| The line Numbered on, overtaking
| groups of the enemy, who every few
moments paused 10 kneel and fire into
the British. Finally the last body was
| overtaken The Sepoys halted and
| fired a volley at close range.
! Lieutenant Younghusband, riding
near "Bobs", fell; but the future field
marshal could not ride to his assis-
lance at that moment, for close by
/ him a Scpoy was attacking one of his
4 men with a fixed bayonet. With a
stroke Of his saber "BObs" put the
( Sepoy out of commission and was
about 10 give his attention to the fall.
en- officer when he saw two Sepoys
running away with a regimental stan
| dard in their possession.
Putting spurs to his horse, he over
( took the mutineers and ran one OF
! them through He was wrenching tho
I flag out Of the hand Of the man he had
cut down, when the other Sepoy
| placed the muzzle of his musket close
/ to Roberts breast, and pulled the trig.
ger. Fortunately for the gallant lieu
tenant IT missed fire, and he lived not
only to receive the Victoria Cross from
/ the hands of the Queen at Buckiug,
ham Palace in June of 1859, but also
to receive from the same hands, some
forty years later, a Victoria Cross
awarded to his des3 son, killed upon
the battlefield of Colenso in desper-
ate attempt to save battery from
falling into the hands Of the Beers.
! In writing of these heroes Of the
Cross, It would not be fair to dismiss
the subject without mentioning the ex-
plots of Field Marshal Sir George
Stuart White, who in 1870 won cross,
and the following year was awarded
clasp in addition, equivalent to a sec
ond cross.
White, who succeeded "Bobs" as
| commander-in-chief IL India, became
an ensign OF the 9th Inniskilllng regi-
ment in 1853. Ten years later he be-
came a captain In the famous 92d
| regiment Of Gordon Highlanders. A
major in 1879, he and his regiment
{ formed part Of the avenging column
ordered to Afghanistan to punish the
murderers of Cavagnari.
At the battle OF Charasiah, with a
mere handful Of Highlanders, he won
his first cross and undying fame by
charging a strongly fortified hill. The
men in the kits we're outnumbered
in the proportion OF ten to one; but
inspired by their gallant major, they
pressed on and captured the position,
much to the surprise and satisfaction
of General "Bobs."
A year later, during the famous trot
Of the 10000 from Kabul to Kandahar,
II became necessary to take an Afghan
| position. A battery Of screw guns
had been Smelling the Afghans for
some time without tangible results
Supported by a regiment OF fighting