AN OLD SOLDIER

Southland Times, Issue 18824, 18 May 1920, Page 6

AN OLD SOLDIER

VETERAN OF TWO WARS. INDIAN MUTINY AND CRIMEA, RELIEF OF LUCKNOW AND CAPTURE OF SEBASTOPOL. Well past the allotted span, Mr Donald ! Boyd, whp served ia the Indian Mutiny and ! the Crimea, still possesses good health althrough an attack of sciatica some time back has made hi§ movements somewhat slow. Yesterday a Southland Times reporter called upon Mr Boyd who, despite his 85 years, still rr.cains a vivid memory and chatted aboi;,t his experiences in the days when personal element was more effective in winning battles and when men saw their foe and manoeuvred for tactical advantages. “I served with the Ist troop, Ist Brigade of Bengal Horse Artillery during the Mutiny," said Mr Boyd, “and our commander was Sir Colin Campbell, afterwards Lord Clyde. We landed in 1857 and fought right through the campaign there being hardly a day that passed without a skirmish with the rebels. In very few instances would they stand and fight, but usually they simply harassed our movements as much as possible. The principal event in which I was engaged was the first relief of Lucknow, the battles of Delhi and Meerut having been fought before we reached India. Assisting us we had some Sikhs and some of the Sepoys who remained loyal. “The first relief of Lucknow was effected through a. breach made- in the wall by the artillery,” continued Mr Boyd, “but that was not mode without some casualties. A party of 1,800 rebels held a position on the right flank and were in a building known as the ‘Yellow Bungalow’ and they kept peppering away at us as we approached. The breach made in the wall was a small one and it was foolishly used by the infantry before it was widened to any extent. The result of that percipitate movement cost us many lives as the rebels, using a heavy native sword, cut down the men as they entered. However, those killed formed a protecting rampart which assisted those following and over the dead bodies of their comrades the infantry went on to victory. The rebels holding the ‘Yellow Bungalow’ fought hard and were all killed by the infantry who did not regard the native as an ordinary foe and killed most of them. After the fight many instances of the Kilties and Sepoys dying together were seen. It appeared that when the Sepoy was hayonetted he grabbed the Kiltie’s rifle and Using his free hand to swing his native sword cut down his opponent and both died together. A(£ter the incidents mentioned were noticed orders were given that as soon as an infantry man used his bayonet upon a foe he was to immediately relinquish hold of the rifle and get out of harm’s way. Another incident during the advance of the relieving army was the filling of a large ditch with silks and cashmere shawls to permit of the troops and guns crossing it. The value of the material used for that purpose must have been large. Havelock, when relieved, could not have held out another 24 hours. “I did not see much of the second battle for the city because my troop wa 1 - detailed to take a fortress on the Goomti. To get within range we had to go through a narrow defile of which the Sepoys had the range but we got through only to find that the fortress could not be taken without infantry. A despatch rider was called for and I was chosen. Th" region I hud to cross over was about three miles of sandy plain and when I arrived at the infantry headquarters I was not allowed to return that night. The ride I had was full of narrow escapes, the Sepoys trying to get me from the moment I left the troop until I was out of range. During the night the city was taken and I saw little of what happened then.” In describing the typical fights that they were engaged in, Mr Boyd stated that on one occasion they were travelling in three divisions, his division being the centre one. Contrary to the usual procedure they had with them all the equipment and camp baggage, also the camp followers. When approaching a native town they were met by a respectable looking native who informed them that the rebels had all departed to about five miles the other side of the town. When they entered the narrow streets of the town, from ramparts about 25 feet up, the rebels opened fire and made it hot for a while. During that action they were in charge of an infantry officer who, when the firing opened, exclaimed, “Where’s the —. bugler.” This rather amused the artillery men who always had trumpeters and no buglers attached to their troops. They kept changing their positions as the natives got the range and gradually worked out. The natives made the mistake of taking them for the rearguard and the divisions ahead and behind quickly came to their aid and the natives were defeated. Two officer prisoners were taken and while one of the Sikh officers was conversing with them he shot them as casually as he would an animal. It may be stated that the Sikhs had a grievance against the rebels, because they hud assisted the English in the war againt the Sikhs, and for that reason the Sikhs took every opportunity of getting even. That was the class of fighting that prevailed during the Mutiny and they had many fights of a similar nature. “On another occasion,” said Mr Boyd, “we were told that the rebels were in force going to Lucknow and I was riding a good horse at the wheel of (he first gun. Going under a bridge my sword got mixed with the gun wheels and (he sword and scabbard were bent. That afterwards proved a fortunate occurrence for me. The rebels were encountered just on the way into Lucknow, and the 9th Lancers charged and scatters! (hem into some broken ground where it was dangerous for the Lancers to nde. The Horse Artillery was ordered in to use grape and canister, and wc were going into action at 'full lay out’ when my horse bolted. He was the same breed as the others, a Cioss between the jungle horse and the Arab, and they made excellent chargers, bio a', rimes in-fined to be very vicious. After a struggle I managed to pet him turned when he was heading straight for the rebel positions and came back to the battery.” THE CRIMEA. “The British have always been blunderers,” he continued, “and their handling of the Crimea embarkation so far as we were concerned showed them in that light. V» e were in barracks near Plymouth and orders were received to embark on the morrow. All our supplies had been stopped and wc were three days in barracks without food before wo finally left for the boats. When we arrived on board we were inrformed that we were supposed to have three days’ rations with us, and it was only after a long fight with the captain of the ship that our officers obtained food for us. The same thing happened when we disembarked and we were landed without food, being in that condition for three days. When wc arrived there yere boats with rations waiting to unload, but until word was received from England they could not do so. Before that word arrived the ships were smashed against the rocks. The winter was frightfully cold and the food was of the worst. Many times did we have to go I without good breakfasts, and it was not until late in the evening that we received anything like a meal. I nearly lost an arm in front of Sebastopol but I refused to take the doctor’s advice and still retain it. It was in protecting my horse during his feeding against the many hungry' mules that roamed around the camp that I received the injury referred to, but simple bread foments relieved and healed it “I remember Florence Nightingale at the Balaclava camp, and an incident when our water carrier’s mule tried to attack her while she was riding past on a small horse. The mule was stopped by an orderly who happened to be handy, and Miss Nightingale was saved from injury. “The trenches we occupied were on a rooky face, and were not too safe, the men having to double almost in two to move in safety. The battery kept in that position until Sebastopol fell. During a long march I became overheated and had to go into hospital, being there about two months before recovering. I was court-martialied for robbery during the campaign, but the

evidence of the Turk who accused me was contradictory and I was released. "I arrived in New Zealand in 1866,” concluded Mr Boyd, “and after a year on the Malvern Hills run shepherding, ■ I joined the police, serving in many places. One of my duties was gold escort ia Central Otago, and after removal from there I was stationer! at Mataura, having to investigate the Waikawa murder, which ended in the hanging of Welsh. After leaving the police force I was engaged in many businesses, some of which were failures and finally I was engaged by the Southland Education Board as Truant Officer, a position I held until I retired in 1906. Since then I have done some light work, but of late years have been content to do what I can around my home. I am going to try and be presented to the Prince on his arrival in Invercargill, as I believe I am the only Mutiny and Crimean veteran in Invercargill.