[Forty-one years in India by Frederick Sleigh Roberts]@TWC D-Link book
Forty-one years in India

CHAPTER XXIII
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I never let this man out of my sight, and made him show me enough of the road to convince me he knew the way and meant fair dealing.
The Alambagh now proved most useful; all our camp equipage was packed inside the enclosure, for we took no tents with us, and all our spare stores were left there.

A rough description of semaphore, too, was constructed on the highest point of the building, by means of which we were able to communicate with the Residency.

It was put in Orders that the troops were to breakfast early the next morning, and that they were to take three days' rations in their haversacks; while sufficient for fourteen days was to be carried by the Commissariat.
Just before we started on the 14th November we were strengthened by the arrival of 200 of the Military Train equipped as Cavalry, two Madras Horse Artillery guns, and another company of Madras Sappers.
Captain Moir, of the Bengal Artillery, was placed in charge of the Alambagh, with a garrison consisting of the 75th Foot, 50 of the regiment of Ferozepore,[3] and a few Artillerymen.

The 75th was the first regiment to move down from the hills when the news of the outbreak at Meerut reached Head-Quarters; it had done grand service, had suffered heavily during the siege of Delhi, and had well earned, and badly needed, a rest.

It was now only 300 strong, and had lost in six months 9 officers, in action and from disease, besides 12 wounded.
The officers were all friends of mine, and I was very sorry to leave them behind, particularly Barter, the Adjutant, a jolly, good-hearted Irishman, and an excellent officer.
We marched at 9 a.m., keeping to the south of the Alambagh and the Jalalabad fort.


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