'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎522] (541/622)

522
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
operations against the Waghers,^ received the war batta An extra allowance of pay granted to soldiers involved in special field service or to public servants on special duty. of their
respective ranks, and the following orders from the Governor in
Council and the Secretary of State for India, were published to
the Service by Commodore Wellesley :— " The Commander-in-
chief has much pleasure in publishing to the Service the
following extract of a letter to his Address from the Secretary
to Government in the Political Department, No. 5009, of the
26th of November, 1859:—'The Right Hon. the Governor in
Council has read the report of Commander Cruttenden with
much gratification; and I am desired to request you will be
pleased to express to that officer, and to the officers and men
who served under him in the Okhamundel Expedition, the high
sense w T hich his Lordship in Council entertains of the gallantry
and zeal exhibited by all, and especially by the Naval Brigade
under Lieutenant Sedley, in the operations against Beyt and
Dwarka.'"
" Commodore's Office, Bombay, the 11th of August, 1860 :—
Adverting to Government Order, dated December last, the
Commander-in-chief, Indian Navy, has much gratification in
publishing the subjoined copy of a letter from the Acting
Chief Secretary to Government, dated the 6th instant. No. 3111,
in the Political Department, stating that the commendation be
stowed upon Commander Cruttenden, and the officers and men of
the Indian Navy, who were employed in the operations before
# Lieutenant Gr. C. Sconce, Second-Lieutenant of tlie ' Ferooz,' writes as
follows of this little campaign against the Waghers :—"The Terooz' and
4 Zenobia' bombarded Beyt for, I think, three days, firing also occasionally during
the night; the ' Ferooz ' alone expended about fifteen hundred shot and shell.
The Engineer in charge, thinking the breach practicable, the troops were
ordered to land, and a warm reception we got, both in landing and storming
the fort, for we were driven back with the loss of about two hundred killed and
wounded in an hour's work. There were not troops enough, and the place
was not surrounded, so the Waghers bolted during the night, getting to the
mainland in boats, and then on to Dwarka, where we followed with the troops
a few days after. In the meantime, a large field-force had marched to Dwarka,
investing it to the southward. When we came up, before the troops could be
landed, a boat Expedition was sent to effect a landing and clear the jungle, which
was done by the c Clyde ' and boats of the ' Ferooz ' and 4 Zenobia,' under
Lieutenants Wilson and Hall; as soon as they had secured a small fort, the
larger boats were sent off to the squadron, and the troops landed the same
evening, the blue-jackets returning on board at once. A Naval Brigade was
landed at Dwarka, commanded by Lieutenant Sedley, with Lieutenants Crockett
and Hall, and several midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. . Lieutenant Nixon and Mr. Shuttleworth
also did good service with the rocket brigade. The 'Ferooz' and ' Zenobia'
bombarded Dwarka for some days, with special instructions not to fire at the
mosque, and when the Wagbers found the place too hot for them, they attempted
to cut through the Naval Brigade, but being there defeated, they passed on to
the Marines, who were also on the alert, but going further along the line, where
the sentries were not so close, they got away through the 28th Regiment, and, not
being followed till next morning, escaped into the boggy ground of the G-ulf of
Cutch. In the Naval Brigade we had several men killed and wounded. It was
a great shame the Grovernment refused the mutiny medal for Beyt, for it was
well known that many of the rebels were there aiding and abetting the Waghers,
who were very devils to fight."