The Course of the Siege
The epic of the siege has been often enough told, and it need not be followed here except so far as necessary to trace the services of the Pioneers. All July and August the troops on the Ridge stood on the offensive against the 40,000 Mutineers who gradually collected there, it being the custom for each new arrival to implement their accession by action, which usually took the form of an attack on the British outposts holding the edge of the Ridge nearest the City, or else from the suburbs and garden on our right flank.
The outposts on the Ridge followed its line and contour from a temple known as the "Sammy House" on the far right to the Observatory and Mosque on the left whence the line of outposts trended down to the Jumna along the edge of a nullah close to the Metcalfe House. In the centre of that portion of the Ridge held by the outpost line was the large bungalow owned by an Indian gentleman, known as "Hindu Rao's House", the Headquarters, during the siege, of Major Reid's Sirmoor Battalion of Gurkhas and they key of the holding position.
Between the time of the Pioneers joining the Engineer Brigade and the actual bombardment and assault, reinforcements from the Punjab steadily marched in, regiments of the Irregular Force, artillery raised from the old gunners of the Sikh Army, and such of his exiguous British garrison as Sir John Lawrence could spare. As authority was restored in the Punjab and the Bengal troops disarmed, the risk of sparing more Europeans could be run by the brave men at the head of that province - till Delhi fell, there was no saying that the Mutiny or the concomitant rebellion had been stayed ! On the 14th of August, drenched in the rain, the last accession from the Punjab strode in, no less than the movable column which John Nicholson had commanded since Neville Chamberlain had been summoned to Delhi. On September 4th, rumbled in from Ferozepore, the siege train that had been there prepared, escorted by the last soldiers that could come from the north. From the south all access was still barred as the troops from Calcutta were busy relieving that other centre of defiance, the "Residency" of Lucknow.
Between the arrival of the Sikh Pioneers on the 9th of July, and that of the siege train on the 4th of September, they had been constantly employed under the more expert supervision of the Sappers and Miners, in the daily 'chores' of the defence of the Ridge and the preparation for the siege that was to come. The regimental war diaries that are so useful in modern times to historians, were not, of course, kept. The Pioneer orderly room was an impromptu affair, even the nominal rolls were sketchy enough, and when one man died or was killed, another umedwar*, some waiting Mazhbi brought down by relative or friend, would take the dead man's name and place on the roll! Who cared? Heavy work was incessant and many another commanding officer would have rejoiced at this method of filling vacancies, which indeed probably occurred in such corps as Hodson's Horse and other irregulars. Thus, there are no accurate returns of the Pioneers' casualties, though so devoted was their service, so ready were they to drop pick and seize sword and musket, that there must have been a good many, in those rough and tumbles with the enemy which throwing up some new work would involve.
Especially were they engaged in the dangerous work of clearing the jungle and forest in front of the Sammy House portion of the Ridge, which were there very thick, and in bringing a breastwork round the right of the Ridge to the Crow's nest piquet, which they also erected, commanding the Sabzi Mandi, and in strengthening the serai, which was also held, close to the Mandi. During the constant attacks on the Sammy House and Hindu Rao's referred to, Lieut. Shebbeare, who raised the second Pioneer Corps, but was then serving with the Guide, was thrice wounded in the attack of the Mutineers, and his conduct highly commended by Major Reid, commanding the main piquet+.
Below the famous but now burnt Metcalfe House, on the high bank of the Jumna, and a hundred yards or so nearer the city, were the stables of the house. When it was decided to extend our advance line to this point it was the Pioneers who, without covering force, put the stables in a state of defence, a duty of considerable danger. It became a very valuable point in the line, especially when the time came to approach the city wall for breaching purposes in the following month.
*= hopeful one +Extract of report of Major C. Reid, commanding main piquet Hindu Rao's House, dated 12th August, 1857. "My acknowledgements are due to Lieut. Shebbeare, now commanding the distinguished Corps of Guides, who has been three times slightly wounded whilst on duty with me here."
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