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Auction: 6007 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 573

The Important Indian Mutiny Medal to the Legendary Pipe Major John McLeod, 93rd Highlanders, Veteran of the Thin Red Line at Balaklava; Who Struck up the Highland Charge (´On wi´ the Tartan´) at the Storming of the Secundrabagh Fortress at Lucknow and First Through the Breech at the Fortified Position of Begum Kothi, Where He Piped His Men to Victory Indian Mutiny 1857-58, two clasps, Relief of Lucknow, Lucknow (Pipe Major John McLeod, 93rd Highlanders), nearly extremely fine Estimate £ 2,500-3,000The Thin Red Line On the 25th October 1854 Russian Heavy Cavalry captured the Causeway Heights and its gun emplacements, overlooking the port of Balaklava. All that stood between the advancing cavalry and the vital supply port was an extended line, two ranks deep, of the 93rd Highlanders. Amongst Sir Colin Campbell´s men that day, were Pipe Major MacLeod and five other pipers. The 93rd did not form a defensive square against the enemy, but rather chose to deploy into a position capable of giving volley fire. As the cavalry charged downhill to attack their outnumbered foe, the Highlanders stood firm firing controlled volleys, as all the while the pipers played around them. The Russian Heavy Cavalry faltered and veered to the left exposing their flank to more of the devastating fire. A smaller brigade of British Heavy Cavalry finished the daring resistance with an uphill charge. MacLeod, a talented musician, was also inspired whilst serving in the Crimea to transcribe to the pipes The Green Hills of Tyrol, originally from the opera William Tell by Rossini, which has become one of the oldest and best known tunes played by pipebands today. MacLeod continued his service with the 93rd and Sir Colin Campbell, throughout the Indian Mutiny (1857-58), serving with particular distinction during the Relief of Lucknow. The Storming of Secundrabagh On the 14th of November 1857, Campbell´s force of just over 4,000 arrived at the besieged Lucknow. The mutineers arranged against them numbered in the region of 80,000; whilst the remainder of the British Garrision was still beseiged in the Residency. The road to the Residency was barred by two strong fortifications, the nearest of which being the Secundrabagh. Campbell´s troops spent the 14th advancing under heavy artillery and sniper fire to be in a position to assault the fortification the next morning. At dawn on the 15th, the 4th Punjabis had the honour of leading the assault. Before they had advanced more than a few yards, both their commanding officers were shot down and the charge halted in nervous uncertainty, "As soon as Sir Colin saw them waver, he turned to Colonel Ewart, who was in command of the seven companies of the 93rd, and said, ´Colonel Ewart, bring on the tartan-let my own lads at them´. Before the command could be repeated or the buglers had time to sound the advance, the whole seven companies, like one man, leaped over the wall, with such a yell of pent-up rage as I had never heard before nor since. It was not a cheer, but a concentrated yell of rage and ferocity that made the echoes ring again; and it must have struck terror into the defenders, for they actually ceased firing, and we could see them through the breach rushing from the outside wall to take shelter in the two storied building in the centre of the garden, the gate and doors of which they firmly barred. Here I must not omit to pay a tribute to Pipe-Major John McLeod, who, with seven pipers, the other three being with their companies attacking the barracks, struck up the Highland Charge.......On wi´ the Tartan. When all was over, and Sir Colin complimented the pipe-major on the way he had played, John said, ´I thought the boys would fecht better wi´ the national music to cheer them.´ (The Relief of Lucknow, W. Forbes-Mitchell, The Folio Society, 1962 refers). 2,000 mutineers were killed in the storming and capture of Secunderabagh. The Assault on Begum Kothi On the 6th of December 1857, Campbell´s forces defeated the rebels under Tantia Topi at Cawnpore, before proceeding once more to Lucknow. In an effort to regain total control of Lucknow from the mutineers, one of the fortified positions that had to be taken was Begum Kothi, which consisted of several palaces and courtyards surrounded by a breastwork and a deep ditch. On the 11th of March, after almost an entire day of shelling on the position, a breach in the outer wall was at last created, "The breach indeed was so narrow, and the defences behind it were so strong, that, if the men who lined them had been animated by a spirit similar to that which inspired the assailants, no general would have dared to attempt an assault....... The storming party consisted of those companions in glory, the 93rd Highlanders and the 4th Punjab Rifles. It was indeed fitting that to the men who, in the previous November, had stormed the Secundrabagh." (History of the Indian Mutiny, Vol IV, Kaye and Malleson refers). MacLeod came to the fore again, displaying his un-erring courage under fire, piping his beloved regiment onto victory once more, "no sooner were the right wing within the works than they found themselves in front of another high wall, and a close and destructive fire was poured into them from it. John MacLeod, the Pipe-Major, who had been the first man to push his way through the breach, at once began to play the bagpipes, heedless of the bullets that flew around him." (A History of The Indian Mutiny, Vol. II, G.W. Forrest, C.I.E., refers). Or indeed as Forbes-Mitchell puts it he played, "as calmly as if he had been walking round the officers mess tent at a regimental festival. Once Begum Kothi had been taken and over six hundred mutineers despatched, MacLeod received praise for his bravery from the divisional commander, General Sir Edward Lugard (The Relief of Lucknow, W. Forbes-Mitchell, The Folio Society, 1962 refers).

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