The back of the rebellion was broken after Delhi and Kanpur fell; however, resistance continued in isolated pockets. An army of rebels under Tantia Topi succeeded in capturing Gwalior, the strongest fortress in Central India in 1857. In January 1858, The British created The Central India Field Force to deal with these rebels and put Sir Hugh Rose in command. One web site described the campaign as follows: The Central India campaign was led by one of the most remarkable generals in the British Army - Sir Hugh Rose, a name almost unknown to military historians - and the fighting matched in its ferocity and daring anything that happened elsewhere.
In our quest for an understanding of the challenges that John Wighton faced, we are fortunate that a British Officer named Joseph Bonus (later, Major General Joseph Bonus) kept a detailed diary of his service with the Central India Field Force from January 10, 1858 to July 14, 1858. The following excerpts have been taken verbatim from a website on Joseph Bonus.
January 28th, Siege of Rhatghur, a rock fortress on the River Bina: Sir Hugh withdrew his troops from this area of the fort, except for the artillery and its support troops, which were in place to fire on the outer wall and eastern curtain of the fort. Sir Hugh ordered the artillery to open fire early on the 28th. The fire was so effective that it was evident that a breach would soon be made. This fact, combined with the several sharp engagements with the enemy in and around the town of Rhatghur, apparently convinced the enemy of the prudence of withdrawal. It was discovered in the morning of the 28th that the rebels had deserted the fortress.
The siege and storming of Jhansi, March 22 - April 3, 1858. The city of Jhansi was protected and commanded by a large fort that stood on a rock that rose from the plain to the west of the city. The fort's construction was of massive masonry with granite walls 10 feet to 12 feet thick. Elaborate outworks and turrets bearing guns surrounded the main fort. Except for the western side where the fort rock was an insurmountable barrier, a continuous wall ran around the city. This wall was 4 1/2 miles long, 6 feet to 12 feet thick, 18 feet to 30 feet high, and had flanking bastions throughout its length. The most important bastion was on the southern portion of the wall where it passed over a large mound. This bastion was semicircular in shape, armed with 5 guns, and was protected by a formidable ditch that was strengthened with masonry. The entire southern front of the wall was commanded by 27 guns manned by men of the mutinied 4/9 Bengal Artillery under an expert commander. The rebel garrison at Jhansi consisted of about 10,000 native levies and 1,500 Bengal sepoys of whom 400 were cavalry.
Bonus’s company left the camp on the Betwa on the 19th of March to help prepare artillery positions for the siege of Jhansi. They opened fire on the 25th of March and by the 30th had broken an appreciable breach on the west side. However, the expenditure of ammunition in the various bombardments was so great that it became evident that the city would have to be taken by storm, a most uninviting prospect. The assault arrangements were almost complete when a Sapper observation post spotted the advance of a rebel army. There indeed proved to be a force 20,000 strong under the command of the very capable rebel leader Tantia Topi, who was moving to relieve the garrison at Jhansi. While maintaining fire on the city defenses, Sir Hugh moved out to meet the rebel relief force and soundly defeated them in the brilliant action at the Battle of Betwa, along the Betwa River, on the 1st of April 1858. Two days later, after reestablishing his forces before Jhansi, Sir Hugh issued orders for the storming of the city at dawn on the 3rd of April 1858. (DW: The city fell that day but street fighting continued for two more days.)
The Central India Field Force remained at Jhansi for three weeks for a much needed rest and resupplying of men and materials. Finally, on the 25th of April 1858 the field force was again on the move, not only having to deal with the enemy, but also the major problems created by the severe heat that was moving onto the plains of India.
The Advance On Kunch And The Occupation Of Poonch, 25 April - 1 May 1858: These marches were terrible affairs. The sun was so strong that metal articles became so hot that it was painful to touch them. Throughout these marches the troops maintained their discipline and toiled onwards, parched by thirst and suffocated by dust, with many suffering sunstroke. ... The battle of Kunch was fought and won in a temperature of 110 in the shade, many of the combatants on both sides being struck down by heat apoplexy.
The Storming And Capture Of Loharri, 2 May 1858: Sir Hugh Rose, determined to make an example of the traitors of the garrison at Loharri, sent Major Gall's Field Force Detachment to invest, storm, and capture the fort on the 2nd of May 1858. The fort and the village of Loharri were situated on an extensive level plain with the village and the fort being separated by a clear space of ground of about 150 yards. The fort was about 100 yards square and was built of mud and sun-dried bricks. The fort square was flanked by round towers at the corners and had a ditch and a second line of works outside of the ditch. After attempts were made to induce the garrison into surrender failed, Major Gall ordered the fort attacked. His artillery was well placed and easily cleared the enemy from the walls allowing for the advance of a company of the 3rd Bombay Europeans across the open space.
The Action At Muttra, 16-17 May 1858: The heat of Central India continued to create problems for Sir Hugh in his efforts to march for Calpee. He had to keep pressure on the rebels and to accomplish this he was required to continue marching his forces at an exhausting pace. Several days previous to the action at Muttra, the 2nd Brigade lost its way and in consequence had to make a double march. Large numbers of the Brigade suffered severely from the extreme heat, including Brigadier Steuart and his whole staff.
The Battle Of Gallowlee, 22 May 1858: We, that is the Second Brigade, left Etowra at dawn on the 16th and almost at once the enemy appeared on our flank. My company of Sappers formed part of the rear guard. Our rear guard was composed of all arms, Cavalry, Infantry, Sappers and Artillery (2 guns). It was not too strong for the enemy was in great force; they had 5 guns, about 1500 Cavalry, and about a 1000 Infantry. If they had had the pluck to push their attack home they might have done us a great deal of damage. You see our business was not to fight an action but to protect the baggage and stores. The stores and supplies were nearly all in bullock carts. These move about 2 and 1/2 miles an hour under ordinary conditions. In our case the conditions were by no means ordinary; the cattle were half starved, the loads heavy, the heat extreme, and the road a mere cross country track deep in dust.
The Action at Morar Cantonments, 16, June 1858: After arduous marching, where the heat rose to 130 degrees in the shade, Sir Hugh reached Behahdurpore five miles east of the Morar Cantonments on the 16th of June. The troops had long been on the road, and the sun was already high when a patrol of the Hyderabad Cavalry reported that the rebels were at the Morar Cantonments. True to his nature, Sir Hugh determined to attack the rebel position at once. The enemy was holding the cantonments with cavalry, the diversified broken and hilly ground to the right and right front with infantry, and the belt of nullahs to the front concealed strong bodies of infantry. After two long, hot hours of fighting the Morar Cantonments were captured and the weary troops found welcome shelter in the cantonment buildings that had not been destroyed.
The value of Sir Hugh Roses Central India Campaign can not be overstated. Much has been written of the Lucknow and Delhi campaigns, but little has been written of Sir Hugh’s Central India Field Force whose operations saved Southern India, included the destruction of three rebel armies, and made possible the pacification of India north of the Jumna. Sir Hugh must rank as one of the greatest commanders of his day.
Sources
Lieutenant Joseph Bonus: http://www.reubique.com/Bonus.htm