'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎484] (503/622)

484
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
was in command of a small column, which, on the morning of
the 27th of September, 1858, halted at Khurona for breakfast
before attacking the enemy, who were encamped in force at a
small -village called Snhejnee, near Peeroo. Mr. Chicken
happened to be just then at Dehree, on his way to Buxar, and
■when Colonel Turner detached his Cavalry, consisting of fifty-
four troopers of the 3rd Sikh Irregular Cavalry under Lieu
tenant Broughton, and sixty-eight men of Rattray s mounted
police, under Lieutenant Baker, Mr. Chicken attached himself
to the column. On nearing the enemy, Lieutenant Baker first
retired, and, on clearing the village and jungle, suddenly
wheeled into line and charged the mutineers, who soon broke
and fled. In the charge, Mr. Chicken greatly distinguished
himself, and, in pursuit of the flying foe, plunged into, and
swam his horse through, a deep and wide nullah, and, galloping
through the village of Kussowlie, dashed into the clumps of
sugar-cane, and on through two miles of jungle and into the
deep tangled recesses beyond. Some few of the best mounted
sowars accompanied the daring sailor in his headlong ride for
the bauble upon which he had set his heart, but when he had
plunged 500 yards into the jungle, he found himself alone.
Alone, did I say! Rather not alone, but in the presence ot
twenty armed and desperate Sepoys Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. . This, however, was the
quarry which Mr. Chicken had come from Dehree to encounter,
and he, accordingly, charged into the middle of them without a
moment's hesitation. His sword fell rapidly as he laid about
him right and left like a Paladin of old, and quickly tour
Pandies rolled over In the death agony, and yet a mth le
desperately wounded. But here his career was cut short by
blows and thrusts from a dozen musket stocks and bayonets,
and, iust as he fell from his charger, severely wounded, and was
about to be despatched, four native troopers dashed m o e
melee, and having killed several of the mutineers, and disperse
the rest, rejoined the column at the skirts ol the jungle,
bringing Mr. Chicken with them. This officer and the tour
troopers were all wounded in the desperate fray, as we ^ e , a s
their chargers, but, probably, they made little account ot tlies
honourable mementoes of a glorious day, for the sowars received
the 3rd class of the "Order for Merit." . . , , *-i-
Colonel Turner, in forwarding to the Assistant Adj
General, the despatch of Lieutenant Baker, speaks o
charge as being " as gallant as any made during the war.
" The enemy," he says, " at the lowest estimate was seve^
hundred strong, well armed, and mostly old Sep y ^
56th, 47th, and 32nd Regiments Native In fant ^' of ^ hile
subahdar and eighty men were left dead ^ ^
the wounded, by native report, are stated to have bee
twenty to thirty more. Indeed, a spy from Jugdesp