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Sutlej Sobraon and Punjab 9th Lancers

Sutlej Medal, for Sobraon, Punjab Medal, 2 bars, Goojerat, Chilianwala, Private Henry Robinson, 9th Lancers. At Goojerat the 9th Lancers made a tremendous charge on the Sikhs capturing 2 standards.

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Origin: United Kingdom
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Sutlej Medal, for Sobraon, Punjab Medal, 2 bars, Goojerat, Chilianwala, Private Henry Robinson, 9th Lancers.

 

At Goojerat the 9th Lancers made a tremendous charge on the Sikh Army capturing 2 standards.

 

Sutlej Officially impressed: “Hy ROBINSON 9th LANCERS”
Punjab officially impressed: “H. ROBINSON. 9th LANCERS.”

 

With full tracing through his career in the relevant Muster Pay lists.

 

Slight edge bruising and wear otherwise good preserved condition for Cavalry service. On pieces of original silk ribbon, Sutlej very old and slightly frayed,

 

His full medal entitlement, seeing service from 1844-1855, and paying his way out of the Army just before the Indian Mutiny for £10, and having landed in India shortly after Maharajpore.

 

Private Henry Robinson, 9th Lancers, Service Number 1395.

 

A fresh recruit from London enlisted on the 16th January 1844.

 

He was amongst the new recruits that were to be sent over to India, to join their regiment.

 

“The Detachment from Maidstone Depot for Ship Judith Allen.”

 

The Judith Allen was posted to Bengal with some detachments of the Cavalry Regiments.

 

Not long after his arrival, the First Anglo-Sikh “Sutlej” War Began.

 

During the war, the 9th Lancers were engaged only at the penultimate Battle that won the war, The Battle of Sobraon fought on the 10th February 1846.

 

Those present earned this Sutlej Medal, with the reverse battle honour of “Sobraon”.

 

At the battle a rather amusing event was seen, Major Hope-Grant, later General and Sir, of the 9th Lancers, during the battle accused his own Brigade Commander, Colonel Campbell, 9th Lancers, of being drunk during the battle, and threatened to arrest him.
In retatalion, Campbell his superior officer then arrested Hope-Grant. The impasse was resolved by Lord Gough, who took no action to either officer. Hope-Grant who later became a legendary Cavalry Commander, Commanded the 9th Lancers in the Punjab War at Goojerat and Chilianwala.

 

He then rode through the “Punjab” Sikh War of 1848-9, being present at the battle of both Goojerat and Chilianwala, where the 9th Lancers made a good diplay of their cavalry skills.

 

After the war he continued on service around India, until he took the oportunity to leave the army, with an early discharge by payment of £10 on 9th January 1855 at Calcutta.

 

He had been a fine soldier, the pay lists noting he was commonly in receipt of Good Conduct Pay, but he had another 10 year to go before he could finally retire, having fought in 2 wars, he purchased discharge, paying off the rest of his contract to return home.

 

He was fortunate to take his leave at this time, as shortly afterwards the Indian Mutiny would break out.

 

 

 


At the Battle of Goojerat, the 9th Lancers executed a very successful charge against a large body of Sikh Infantry, capturing 2 of the enemy’s standards.

 

After the battle of Chillianwallah, the British and Sikh armies watched one another, until on 20th February 1849 Lord Gough decided that he was strong enough to give battle again to the Sikhs. This battle was fought at Goojerat on 21st.

 

The 9th Lancers with Lieutenant-Colonel J. Hope Grant in command, together with the 3rd Dragoon Guards, 8th Light Cavalry and the Scinde Horse were under the command of Brigadier White on the left flank of the line, supported by Duncan and Huish’s troops of Horse Artillery. Large bodies of the enemy cavalry threatened on the left flank and Major-General Sir J. Thackwell, who was in command of this section of the line, ordered a Squadron of the 9th, and the Scinde Horse, supported by another Squadron of the Regiment, all under the command of Hope Grant, to charge.
They drove everything before them and captured two standards. Both Gough, in his despatch, and Thackwell in his report on the battle, spoke in highly laudatory terms of “the most gallant, most brilliant, and most successful charge” of the Scinde Horse and the 9th Lancers at this turning point of the battle. By this fine achievement “the whole of the right of the Sikh line was turned, and the the day decided. The victory was ours, and the hostile army rapidly dissolved into flying fragments, before a relentless pursuit”. Various Squadrons of the Regiment took part in the final chase and defeat of the Sikh army.

 

At the battle of Chilianwala, the Second Brigade of Cavalry was under Brigadier Pope, with Hope Grant in Command of the 9th Lancers, the 9th Lancers rode with the 14th Light Dragoons and the 1st and 6th Bengal Light Cavalry.

 

Pope’s brigade at Chilianwala:

 

On the right flank Pope directed his brigade to advance in line of regiments; 2 squadrons of HM 9th Lancers on the right (the remaining 2 squadrons had been sent away towards the hills), 3 squadrons of 1st and 6th BLC in the centre and HM 14th King’s Light Dragoons to their left, with 10 guns of Huish’s and Christie’s troops of Bengal Horse Artillery on the extreme left of the brigade, retaining no unit as a supporting line. Pope led his brigade at the trot through the broken scrub without the precaution of skirmishers in advance. At the sight of a body of Sikh cavalry, the BLC squadrons in the centre of the line halted, forcing the British regiments on the flanks to stop in conformity. The Sikhs charged the BLC squadrons which turned about and made off. The two British regiments did the same, all attempts by the officers to halt their soldiers being to no avail.

 

The precipitous withdrawal of the cavalry regiments left the brigade horse artillery battery unprotected and in the confusion of limbering up, the battery was overrun by the Sikh cavalry who captured two guns. Eventually two other guns came into action and were sufficient to drive the Sikh cavalry back.

 

The retreating cavalrymen from Pope’s brigade found their way back to the camp at Chillianwallah, where they were rounded up by officers of the non-combatant services, including a padre.