THE INDIA GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1849-1895 TO PRIVATE SAMUEL WHEELER, 1ST MADRAS EUROPEAN FUSILIERS (THE POST 1857 1ST MADRAS FUSILIERS, POST 1860 102ND ROYAL MADRAS FUSILIERS AND POST 1880 1ST BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS), LATE 6TH MADRAS LIGHT

THE INDIA GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1849-1895 TO PRIVATE SAMUEL WHEELER, 1ST MADRAS EUROPEAN FUSILIERS (THE POST 1857 1ST MADRAS FUSILIERS, POST 1860 102ND ROYAL MADRAS FUSILIERS AND POST 1880 1ST BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS), LATE 6TH MADRAS LIGHT CAVALRY, WHO TOOK PART IN THE EXECUTION PARADE FOLLOWING THE SEPOY MUTINY AT SECUNDERABAD IN FEBRUARY 1842 AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE SMALL FORCE THAT INCLUDED TWO COMPANIES OF THE 1ST MADRAS FUSILIERS, WHICH SAW SERVICE DURING THE BURMA CAMPAIGN OF 1852-53 AT THE CAPTURE OF THE PEGU PAGODA 21ST NOVEMBER 1852, AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY BESIEGED AT THE PEGU PAGODA, 5TH TO 14TH DECEMBER 1852, SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDING THE BESIEGED PAGODA FROM A FORCE OF SOME 6,000 BURMESE INFANTRY, THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE MADRAS EUROPEAN FUSILIERS SUBSEQUENTLY BEING THANKED BY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED THEIR POSITION AT THE PEGU PAGODA.

India General Service Medal 1854-1895, 1 clasp, Pegu (officially named, impressed in serifed block capitals: SAML. WHEELER. 1st. MADRAS FUSrs). Obverse brooched at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock (removal of brooching resulting in erasure of obverse legend), scattered edge bruises, rim nicks and contact marks, otherwise Very Fine to Good Very Fine, and with a length of original ribbon.

Medal accompanied by biographical and service details from FIBIS, extracts baptism record, 1871 census and death record, and copied extracts from the regimental history, Neil’s Bluecaps, giving details of the services of the Madras European Fusiliers during the Secunderabad mutiny of February 1842 and the services of the detachment of the 1st Madras European Fusiliers at the Pegu pagoda in November and December 1852.

Samuel Wheeler was born in Over Norton, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in 1821 (baptised 14/10/1821), the son of John and Sarah Wheeler, his father recorded in the baptism record as a tailor. He enlisted into the Madras Presidency’s army in London on 20/4/1841.

Service papers record Wheeler as having first seen service under a Major Litchfield (6th Madras Light Cavalry) in 1843 at Arcot, and subsequently under a Major Hill at Pegu, where he was “surrounded ten nights”, and also under Lieutenant-Colonel J. Bell, who commanded the 1st Madras Fusiliers 1840-43, and Lieutenant-Colonel Spurgin, who saw service at Pegu as a Lieutenant and who later commanded the 1st Madras Fusiliers 1870-73. Wheeler never rose above the rank of Private and was eventually discharged at Bangalore in July 1859.

Service record also records Wheeler as having “served” with the “execution parade” following the Sepoy revolt at Secunderabad in February 1842 .

Medal also sold with details of a debate in the Houses of Parliament published in Hansard, regarding a Sepoy mutiny that took place in 1844, after which two of the mutineers were shot, one acquitted, one pardoned for giving Queen’s evidence and 13 sentenced to banishment for life. This mutiny also involved men from the 6th Madras Light Cavalry.

The Major Litchfield that Private Wheeler saw service under in 1843 was Major William E. Litchfield, who was promoted Major, 6th Madras Light Cavalry, 6th October 1828 and subsequently saw service continuously with the 6th Light Cavalry until he was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 8th Madras Light Cavalry on 11th September 1848.

The Lieutenant-Colonel Bell that Wheeler served under commanded the 1st Madras European Fusiliers 1840-1843.

The Lieutenant-Colonel Spurgin that Wheeler saw service under would be Lieutenant-Colonel (later Lieutenant-General) J.B Spurgin, who later commanded the 1st Madras European Fusiliers 1870-73 and saw service with the Madras European Fusiliers as a Lieutenant during the Pegu operations.

The Major Hill that Wheeler saw service under at Pegu is confirmed in the regimental history as having commanded the detachment of the 1st Madras European Fusiliers during the siege of the Pegu Pagoda, 5th – 14th December 1852.

Samuel Wheeler is recorded in the 1871 census as a 48 year old tailor resident in Over Norton, Oxfordshire, with his 38 year old wife and 80 year old mother. Samuel Wheeler died in March 1901, aged 78.

The regimental history confirms the 1st Madras European Fusiliers being present during the Secunderabad mutiny of 1842, when the 4th Light Cavalry and the 7th, 10th, 32nd and 41st Native Infantry all mutinied because their “Batta” payments for service outside the Madras Presidency had been suspended, the regimental history recording that “For three or four days some of these corps were almost in a state of mutiny, but the conduct of the 1st Madras European Regiment, their promptness in getting under arms, and the temper and tact displayed by all ranks were specially commended by General Fraser, British Resident at Hyderabad, and by Major-General Riddell, commanding the Hyderabad Subsidiary Corps”; commenting upon the reports forwarded by these two officers, the Governor-in-Council commended the regiment for its”steady and soldierlike behaviour upon this painful occasion.” and announced that the regiment had “received the most favourable notice of the government”

The regimental history records that during the second Anglo-Burmese war of 1852-1853 the 1st Madras European Fusiliers saw service along with the 5th and 7th Madras Native Infantry in Brigadier McNeill’s 2nd Brigade of General Steele’s Division and provides a detailed account of the capture of Pegu and subsequent siege of the Pegu pagoda, based on a subsequent written account by an officer of the Madras European Fusiliers, Jones-Parry, who saw service during the Pegu operations as a Second-Lieutenant.

The following description of events following the capture of Pegu in June 1852 has been extracted from the regimental history, “Neill’s Bluecaps”, that regimental history drawing on an account compiled by a Madras Fusiliers officer, 2nd Lieutenant Jones-Parry, who was present during the capture of Pegu and the siege of the Pegu pagoda:

“Pegu had been captured from the Burmese in June (1852) and had then been handed over to our Allies, the Talaings, who had been confident of their ability to hold it, but it had been retaken by the Burmese within a week and its defences greatly strengthened, General Godwin now dispatched a column to recapture Pegu before the main column moved forward from Rangoon. The column contained 300 of each of the Madras and Bengal Fusiliers, 400 sepoys, 70 sappers and two 24-pounder howitzers, and embarked on the evening on October I8th in four steamers, under command of Brigadier McNeill and accompanied by General Godwin. The Madras Fusiliers were composed of Nos. 1, 6 and 10 Companies, with Major Hill in command, and having with him the following officers of the Regiment: Captains Nicolay, Stephenson and West; Lieutenants Spurgin, Scott-Elliot, Daniell, P. A. Brown, Dangerfield, and Gosling; Second-Lieutenants Menzies and Bowen, and Assistant-Surgeon Cholmeley. On November 20th, after experiencing considerable and many difficulties, the steamers anchored 2 miles below Pegu, and early on the next day the troops were landed. There was a dense mist and it was not easy to find the way, but two men of the Regiment, Privates McClory and Kelly came across an old iron gun which the Burmese had been unable to remove, and clung to this ancient weapon with laudable pertinacity. On the arrival of the main body in front of the Pagoda a halt was called, when the attacking column, under Major Hill, was formed up and harangued by General Godwin.

“Now,” said the General to the two regiments of Fusiliers, “You are Bengalis and you are Madrasis. Let us see who are the best men.” A deafening cheer and a forward rush was the response. The enemy fired a volley at the oncomers, but the bullets took but little effect, and after three hours hard fighting the Burmese outworks were stormed through a gap on the south side. Later in the day the Madras Fusiliers, under Captain Stephenson, charged up the steps of the Pagoda and drove the defenders from the platform, Lieutenants Elliot and Daniell being, so it is said, the first to enter. In this action 12 men were dangerously wounded, 6 severely and 6 slightly. General Godwin now returned to Rangoon with the bulk of his force including No. 6 Company of the Regiment with Captain West, Lieutenants Scott-Elliot and Gosling, leaving as garrison at Pegu the two remaining Companies of the Madras Fusiliers, 200 of the 5th Native Infantry, a few gunners with two 24 pounders and some small ordnance captured from the enemy, and 30 sappers. The troops immediately began to clear the ground round the post and improve the defences. Major Hill was here in command with Lieutenant Dangerfield as staff officer. The Pagoda here was built on a height on the upper of two terraces, connected with each other and with the level country by flights of steps. Both the Pagoda and the town at the south-west angle were enclosed by a wall, much broken and overgrown with jungle, while the Pagoda itself was overlooked and commanded on two sides by higher ground. Gunboats had been left on the river to keep open communications. On the night of November 27th an attack was made simultaneously on the garrison, the gunboats and the river picquet.”

The following account of the subsequent defence of the Pagoda is taken from Jones-Parry’s “Memories.”

“No sooner had the firing commenced than Brown got the powder barrels, sacks of provisions together, and with some timber dragged from the river made a sort of breastwork, which prevented the Burmese from closing in on them. From this breastwork, at intervals when the moon, emerging from a cloud, allowed them to see the enemy plainly, he made vigorous sorties. In this work, and in saving the stores which caught fire, Private Clancy, of No. I Company of the Fusiliers, greatly distinguished himself.” But repelling the attacks on the stores was not the only difficulty that Lieutenant Brown had to contend with. The Burmese, by means of trees, sunken canoes, etc., attempted to block the river, which at that time was shallow, and so prevent the boats from getting down-stream. Brown by his judicious arrangements kept down the enemy’s fire until the sailors could remove the obstacles and get off safely.”

The regimental history, in continuing the narrative, describes in detail the precarious position the defenders now found themselves in.

“A curious feature connected with this gallant defence deserves to be noticed. The river piquet was attacked from both sides of the river, the banks of which were very high above the water at this season of the year. One half of our men had to front the river face, so as to keep down the fire of the enemy on the gunboats lying below. On their side the gunboats had to fire over both banks as occasion required, and when the Middies called out ‘Starboard ready!’ the whole piquet had to lie down flat on their faces, whilst the gunboats fired over them. Lieutenant Mason, R.N., had his necktie shot off, and in the morning the awnings of the boats were found to be well riddled by bullets. Lieutenant Mason reported to the Admiralty that if it had not been for the assistance rendered by the picket, the gunboats would have run a great risk of being captured. The attacks continued all night and even after daybreak – in fact until the piquet was strengthened from the Pagoda.”

On December 3rd Second-Lieutenant Jones-Parry arrived at Pegu with arms and provisions.

“On Sunday the 5th,” he wrote, “we had a busy day. We were employed cutting timber for a stockade to protect a large body of Peguers who had come in to seek protection the day before.” These numbered some 2,000 men, women and children, and such of the men as had matchlocks were told off to help in the defence, while the walls were strengthened and the gaps filled up with sandbags, barrels and even with sacks of flour and rice. On this day too a party was sent out under Captain Nicolay, Second-Lieutenants Parry and Bowen, to rescue twenty sepoys of the 5th Native Infantry who were in danger of being cut off while coming up the river with supplies. On returning the combined party was followed up by large numbers of the enemy and got back with great difficulty. Second-Lieutenant Jones-Parry was very nearly cut off and was rescued by Private McClory of No. I0 Company. From this date until December I4th the enemy closely invested the Pagoda with a force estimated at 6,000 men, made several vigorous attacks and kept up a very heavy fire on the upper terraces, Lieutenant P. A. Brown and three men of the Regiment being wounded. The men were greatly exhausted by the heavy duties and want of sleep and became very careless. ” One man in particular,” says Parry, ” Private McKinley, was for ever exposing himself. He was repeatedly cautioned. One day just as he left the mess he was hit and died from lockjaw.”

The gun found earlier by Privates McClory and Kelly was now brought into use. It was, Parry tells us, “a bulldog looking thing with a touch hole as large as the handle of a church door. We had an excellent instructor in one Bombardier Sale, as grand an old soldier as ever wore a belt. The men who volunteered to form a gun crew were from No. 10 Company and their names, as far as I can remember, were Liptrot, Vincent, G. Moore, Weir, Saunders, Dunsheath and Denis Kelly.” The fault of this infantry gun crew was that they were too fond of “loosing off,” thus causing a useless expenditure of ammunition, but it was difficult to check their ardour. On one occasion, however, Lieutenant Daniell was found seated on the gun, in front of an open embrasure, in order to prevent its being fired off unnecessarily. The post had been much harassed by fire from a large clump of bamboos in front of the north-west angle of the Pagoda, and gun fire upon it from the defenders seemed to have been of small effect. So one day Parry and Bowen collected all the dry wood and combustibles they could carry, and sallying forth, reached the clump, which luckily was unoccupied, and set it on fire, retiring hurriedly under a very hot fire from friend and foe. But relief was now close at hand and an account of how this was effected here follows, as drawn up shortly afterwards for Colonel Laurie, when writing his book, by the late General (then Captain) Neill of the Regiment.

“Two hundred and fifty Madras Fusiliers, under Captain Renaud, had been obliged to return to Rangoon in consequence of the disabled state of the river steamer Nerbudda in which they had embarked. These troops were transhipped to the Mahanuddy, a vessel whose boilers had seen rather too much service. It was not therefore until both these steamers had been repaired that the Headquarters in the Nerbudda and the Madras Fusiliers in the Mahanuddy were enabled to leave Rangoon. At noon on December 12th, I852, the Headquarters leading in the Nerbudda and the Madras Fusiliers following in the Mahanuddy set out from Rangoon. At daylight next morning, which was very foggy, all the boats conveying the other troops, under convoy of Captain Tarleton, R.N., proceeded with the Nerbudda up the river; the other steamer was supposed to be following not far astern. They approached the village of Lower Seedee as the mist was rising, which was found, as expected, occupied by the enemy, and the river staked abreast of it. We were quite prepared for the foe; guns loaded, and a party of 25 men on each paddle-box, the starboard furnished by the Madras, the larboard by the Bengal Fusiliers. We had evidently taken the Burmese by surprise; some of them were seen about the village, also a large party with some horsemen moving about on the plain. The left bank, near where the steamer was anchored, was an open plain, higher up and out of shot stood the village. The troops were soon landed, and it was speedily determined to occupy the village as affording shelter, it having been taken for granted that the enemy had retreated. The Bengal Fusiliers were therefore moved up to some of the nearest houses, when about 20 shots were fired on them from the high grass and jungle adjoining. One man was slightly wounded, but the Burmese escaped without being either seen or fired upon. The village was then occupied, the Madras Fusiliers being on picquet in advance. “The Mahanuddy not having yet arrived with the rest of the Fusiliers, the other steamer was sent down to bring the men up. The day wore on, and there being no appearance of the steamer, arrangements were made to pass the night in the village and picquets were thrown out; but no attempt was made to drive the enemy further away, or out of the village of Upper Seedee, about a mile distant. This village had on several occasions, particularly on the last when the boats were obliged to retire, annoyed the Navy considerably. “About midnight a volley was fired into some of the houses, by which one Bengal Fusilier was killed and another was mortally wounded. A sailor was also mortally wounded. Irregular firing now commenced, and the sentries at other points of the line also giving the alarm, some firing, which was fortunately put a stop to in time, had nearly caused considerable confusion. The steamer returned during the night with Captain Renaud’s party, their detention having been caused by the Mahanuddy unfortunately grounding. The troops were landed early in the morning, and by 7 a.m. the whole force advanced in the following order: Two ship’s guns dragged by sailors of the Royal Navy under Captain Shadwell, R.N.; 250 Madras Fusiliers under Captain Renaud; 150 Bengal Fusiliers under Major Gerrard; and 300 Sikhs under Major Armstrong, formed the advance of 700 men, General Godwin commanding, with Brigadier Dickenson. Two hundred of the 10th Bengal Native Infantry under Captain Monro, 450 Bengal Fusiliers under Colonel Tudor (650 men) formed the reserve under Brigadier-General Steel, C.B. ” The force moved off, marching away from the river so as to avoid Seedee, and on nearing a small village came upon the highroad leading to the south-west gateway of the mound or old wall round the ancient city of Pegu. In the outskirts of the village about 300 of the enemy were posted, and on the plain about 100 Cassay Horse. On the approach of our advanced troops, the enemy cheered and came on towards us, their infantry flanked by their cavalry. Our skirmishers pushed on answering their cheers, firing commenced, and the Burmese retired, the infantry into the jungle in our front, the cavalry keeping to the plain on our flank. As the head of the column was entering the jungle near the south-west angle of the mound a short halt took place; the guides had evidently been leading the column in the wrong direction for that point, and counsel was now taken of an excellent guide in Captain Renaud’s service, who having urgently represented that the defences at the west point were particularly strong (as was subsequently seen), and that the proper way, which he offered to show, was by the east side, he was at once directed to lead the column.

“The force continued its march, and after a very fatiguing morning’s work, reached the gateway in the eastern bund. Here the head of the column first came in contact with the enemy. Captain Renaud’s party quickly pushed over the bund, the Burmese came down through the jungle on the flanks of the column, and opened fire on the reserve. Their fire was speedily answered and they were compelled to retire. All then pushed forward and got within the bund. Firing had, up to the time of the column entering the bund, been heard near the Pagoda. Telescopes were now in requisition, but nothing could be seen of the garrison. A man was at last discovered on the Pagoda; he was made out to be a Burmese soldier, but was immediately afterwards declared to be a Madras lascar. General Godwin, who had been in a state of intense anxiety, was at once relieved. “The force now pushed on to the east gateway of the Pagoda, and it was not until a very short distance from it that we observed the garrison, and then learned that the line of bund and old Pagodas from which it was commanded had been occupied by the Burmese until within a few minutes of our entering the fortress, that we had taken them in reverse, and that, had we been aware of it, by detaching a party to our right on entering the first bund, we might have cut many, if not all, off.

“The troops were now dead-beat. Few out of the whole force were equal to more exertion during the heat of that day It had been a long and fatiguing march, but not yet was there to be a rest of any duration. All the troops crowded into the Pagoda and completely covered its area. The men were lying about, taking their rest, when about 4 p.m. a fire was opened upon them from the old commanding ground which the enemy had again occupied. In a few minutes several men were hit. and it became necessary to dislodge and drive the Burmese out of the defences along the river bank and south and west faces of the bund. These services were performed in a very brilliant manner by the troops employed. Lieutenant Jones-Parry’s account supplements the foregoing. He writes: ” On the morning of the I4th December we were all anxiety; it was not, however, till about eleven that we heard firing on our east face. It grew nearer and nearer. Presently we heard a cheer, then saw our men’s red coats, and in a few seconds more Elliot of ‘Ours’ was in through the embrasure of our No. I0 Company battery. General Godwin, on meeting Major Hill on the upper terrace, said ‘I had given you up till ten minutes ago.’ The fact was that the Burmese would not surrender their positions until driven out, and had General Godwin attempted the relief in any other direction than that indicated in Major Hill’s letter, his loss would have been very great; as it was, it only amounted to three killed and nine wounded. In his despatch to the Governor-General he remarked: I know few moments that have been more gratifying to me than when I met that excellent and brave officer, Major Hill of the Madras Fusiliers, in the Pagoda.’ “

The loss sustained by Major Hill’s party was surprisingly small, 2 officers being wounded and 45 soldiers and followers killed and wounded, while of the Madras Fusiliers one man died of his wounds and Lieutenant P. A. Brown and 3 men were wounded. In a General Order, issued at Pegu on December I7th, I852, General Godwin wrote as follows: “Major-General Godwin is most proud to express his admiration of the noble defence of the Pegu Pagoda (against a host of enemies) made by Major Hill and the brave handful of officers and soldiers under his command for so many days and anxious nights, cut off as they were from the succour of their comrades by the works of the enemy on the river, as well as by the distant communication with Headquarters of the Army. It is a fine example to this Army of what bravery under the direction of cool courage can do, giving, as Major Hill has done, confidence to all, by which alone the Pegu garrison has rained so much honour.” Then in a Notification, dated Fort William, January 4th, I853, it stated in Paragraph 3 thereof that “The Governor-General in Council particularly desires to record his high approbation of the gallant conduct of Major Hill of the Madras Fusiliers, and of the officers and men under his command, in their defence of the position they held at Pegu.”