Description
Indian Mutiny, bar Lucknow, India General Service 1854, bar Northwest Frontier, 1298 Private James Hopgood, 3rd Bn Rifle Brigade, born in Gibraltar.
Mutiny officially impressed: “Jas. Hopgood. 3rd Bn Rifle Bde.”
IGS officially impressed: “1298 Pte J. Hopgood. 3 Bn Rif. Bde.”
Both medals correct and confirmed on the rolls.
Indian Mutiny Medal rolls record he was present in “Action at Cawnpore” and also “Engaged in the operations against Lucknow”.
James was born on the island of Gibraltar, Spain during 1838. At the time his father Stephen was serving with the 81st Foot, who had just arrived there to reinforce the island, as neighbouring Spain was in the middle of the Carlist Wars.
Having been raised in the Army in Gibraltar (the 81st spent 9 years “on the rock”), he was later seen in 1851 living in Alfresford, Hampshire.
His father Stephen (born 1804 in Brown Candover, Hampshire) having now retired and become a Chelsea Pensioner had returned home to Hampshire to raise his family.
His mother Eliza was from Ireland, (Born 1808) probably met in the Army.
In 1851 James was noted as a 12 year old “Farmers Boy”.
Like his father, James enlisted into the Army at the age of 18, joining the Rifle Brigade on 1st August 1856.
He quickly immediately sent over to India, spending almost all of entire career there.
He served for 10 years 77 days in the Army, of which 9 years and 3 months were spent overseas in India or “The East Indies”.
On 7th June 1867, having been discharged in Muree and finished out his extra service of 234 days at the Depot he was fully discharged after finishing his 10 years contract.
After leaving the Army he returned back home to Alfresford, noted on the 1891 Census with his Irish wife Mary (born 1844 in Tipperary), along with 5 children, all daughters. Living at the Cottage, Mill Cross, Tichborne, Alfresford, Hampshire.
He is seen there again in the 1901 Census.
By the time of his death in Winchester during 1903, he had fathered 9 children, 2 sons and 7 daughters.
The regimental history recalls the Battle of Cawnpore regarding his battalion:
“The 3rd Battalion were in quarter distance column, and the first round shot fired at them passed between the companies, doing no harm to the, but wounding some native camp followers who were on the reverse flank.
However, the rebels had opened fire on them while halting in a walled enclosure near the bridge, and on their rushing out of the gate they were exposed to a sharp fire which brought down only one man as they were crossing the bridge.
Once over that the 3rd Bn wheeled to the right, both Bns deployed into line, and fixing swords advanced, and soon extended and cleared the woods and houses between the canal and the body of the town. As they advanced the enemy plied them with shot an shell, without however doing much mischief; but Colonel Horsford, who was leading his battalion, was wounded by a fragment of a shell. He however continued to lead his Battalion.
In about 10 minutes the the Riflemen had cleared the ground in their front, and not a rebel was to be seen there.
They then moved towards their left to connect with the force that had crosses by the other bridge, and where the enemy had some guns and a body of infantry in open ground. As they approached the Riflemen saw the rebels flying towards their camp, pursed by Highlanders and other troops. So continuing their advance in skirmishing order, the 2 Battalions swept the ground between the town and the Great Trunk road, passing the brick field, and through the suburbs and trees, till they came in view of the enemy’s camp. They then closed to their left, in order to hold possession of the camp which the rebels had deserted, while other troops pushed on in pursuit.”
The 1864 North West Frontier Campaign from the eyes of the 3rd Bn Rifle Brigade:
“The 3rd Battalion marched from Bareilly on January 15 (the detachment from Loohoo Ghât having previously re-joined), and formed part of the Governor-General’s escort at Agra on the 30th, and then marched to Umballa, where it was inspected by the Commander-in-Chief in India on March 30; after which it proceeded to Meon Meer, arriving there on April 16.
In the latter part of this year, some of the tribes on the north-western frontier, between British India and Afghanistan, manifested a disposition to be troublesome; they made incursions into our territory, and pillaged some villages. A force under Sir Neville Chamberlain was therefore sent up to chastise them. Unfortunately, the difficult nature of the mountain passes, and the warlike nature of the tribes occupying these hills, proved insuperable obstacles to the troops originally sent forward. Reinforcements were required; and with this object the regiments at some of the adjacent stations were despatched to the frontier under Sir John Garvock. The 3rd Battalion was in consequence sent up to occupy the place of one of these regiments. Accordingly, they left Meon on November 25, and proceeded to Googerat, which they reached on December 1. On the 4th they arrived at Jhelum, on the 18th at Rawul Pindee, and on the 19th reached Hoti Murdan, a frontier fort situated beyond the Indus. About the middle of December, Sir John Garvock, in two engagements, had completely defeated the offending tribes to the north and had (as it was supposed) terminated this frontier war. The Riflemen of the 3rd Battalion, therefore, not unnaturally concluded that their long and rapid march had been, so far as fighting went, to no purpose, and that they should return without having fired a shot.
At any rate, they expected to eat their Christmas dinner at Hoti Murdan in peace. But on that very morning of the 25th, at three o’clock, they were startled by hearing the bugle sound for ‘Orders.’ They were to march at once for Shubkudder, another of the frontier forts, pushed up, indeed, to the very border of our north-eastern boundary. The Mohmund tribe had shown signs of disquiet and had not long before made an incursion to Shubkudder, and killed an officer of Irregular Cavalry, who attempted with a party to cut them off before they could return to their mountains. The Battalion started at once, and marched on Christmas Day eighteen miles to their camping-ground at Nowshera. On the 26th they made a double march of twenty-four miles to Peshawur, and on the 27th reached Shubkudder, after a march of twenty-one miles, where they encamped. The Fort of Shubkudder is situated at the foot of a spur of the Bajour mountains, in a fork formed by the junction of the Lundye river with the Cabool, and not very far to the north of the Khyber Pass.
On the 30th the Mohmund tribes were seen assembling on the low hills which bound the plain and advancing in considerable numbers.
They did not, however, on that occasion come down from their mountain fastnesses; but the spies reported that an attack might be expected, as they had sworn to engage the force at Shubkudder.
Accordingly, on January 2, 1864, they were seen from the fort, early in the morning, descending the mountain paths, and collecting on a ridge about two miles off. Colonel Macdonell, who was in command of the force, sent Colonel Ross with a company of Riflemen and one of Ghoorkas, to occupy a village about 800 yards in front of the fort, to endeavour to entice them down. They accepted the invitation, and were soon seen creeping down from the hills in twos and threes; taking cover under every bank and inequality of the ground. They opened fire, which mostly whistled over the heads of the Riflemen, who returned it, probably with better effect. Meanwhile, their main body came down towards our left, and planted their standards on a mound about 1,000 yards off. Colonel Macdonell, seeing that they were not disposed to come on, sent a small body of cavalry and some skirmishers to turn their right. Three guns were sent to the left of the village and opened on them. They could not stand their fire; the flags soon disappeared from the mound, and the Mohmunds retreated in a disordered crowd. Then the remaining companies of the Battalion, with Ross’s party and the Ghoorkas, formed a long line in extended order, and with the guns, advanced across the plain, and followed the retreating enemy over the ridge and to a valley beyond. There the cavalry charged from the left right into them, and completed their defeat. The Riflemen gave them a hot fire as they ascended the passes into their hills. Whilst the cavalry and guns withdrew, the Battalion retired in alternate lines of skirmishers; but the enemy were so disorganised and disheartened that they made no attempt to disturb their retreat. On reaching the plain, the Riflemen closed; and they reached their camp at dusk. The Mohmunds occupied an extent of some two miles from right to left and are supposed to have numbered about 7,000.”
