RARE WOUNDED 84TH FOOT INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL DEFENCE & LUCKNOW SMITH BRITISH ARMY

Offered is an Indian Mutiny Medal to Lucknow defender Private John Smith, 84th Regiment of Foot, who further served during the mutiny and was wounded at Alumbaugh.

Indian Mutiny Medal (1857 – 59) with 2 clasps LUCKNOW, DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW, impressed named JOHN SMITH, 84^TH REG^T with period silver pin broach fitting. Comes with copy medal rolls, a large lot of research notes and a copy of ‘A Medical Officer in the Mutiny’ by Francis Innes the Surgeon for the 84^th Foot.

There is only one John Smith on the medal roll for the 84^th Foot during the mutiny.

John Smith was one of the 190 men of the 84^th Regiment of Foot that fought their way into Lucknow and joined the defenders. After the 2^nd relief of Lucknow and withdrawal of the defenders, he was involved in the fighting to recapture Lucknow being wounded at Alumbagh 25/2/1858.

February 17: Mutineers again attack Alambagh and are repulsed. February 21: Mutineers again attack Alambagh and are repulsed with heavy loss. February 25 Mutineers and Rebels launch a massive final attack on the Alambagh & the rebels were decisively defeated.

He was transferred to the 68^th Foot possibly due to the fact that the 84^th left India in 1857. The 68^th only arrived in India on 30/3/1858 and remained until August 1863, it then saw service in the Maori Wars in New Zealand. (There is a Pte John Smith 3843 on the 68^th NZ medal roll).

Indian Mutiny: The 84th Regiment was posted to Burma after the war of 1851 and was one of the first units to respond to the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny in 1857. Joining up with Havelock’s Column at Calcutta, it fought in every engagement until it reached the Lucknow Residency, this includes the storming and taking of Cawnpore after the massacre.

During one year of the mutiny the 84^th lost:

Killed by the enemy 90

Died of wounds 25

Died of sunstroke 25

Died of cholera 94

Died of dysentery and diarrhea 20

All other diseases 25

Invalided to England for wounds 10

Invalided to England for disease 41

A fine example of an Indian Mutiny medal to a soldier who saw some very hard fighting and service.