Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 1.djvu/368

 autumn of 1856 he had to go again to Meeranzie, and in March 1857 it became necessary to penetrate the Bozdar country, which no European had visited. By skilful handling he maintained a certain degree of order on the frontier with a minimum of bloodshed and exasperation.

In May 1857 came the Indian Mutiny. On the first news of it a movable column was formed to crush any outbreak in the Punjab, and Chamberlain was given command of it, with lieutenant (now Earl, Roberts as his staff-officer. But he soon handed over this command to John Nicholson, being appointed adjutant-general of the Bengal army, and he joined the force before Delhi on 24 June. He took a leading part in repulsing the attacks of the mutineers on 9 and 14 July. In the latter action, seeing that the men hesitated before an enclosure wall which was lined by the enemy, he set them an example by leaping his horse over it. They followed him, but he got a ball in his shoulder which partially disabled him for the rest of the siege. He helped, however, to stiffen the wavering purpose of the British commander during the storming of the city, and on 16 Sept. he took temporary command of the force, to allow General (Sir) Archdale Wilson [q. v.] some much needed rest. He received the thanks of the governor-general and the mutiny medal with Delhi clasp, and was made C.B. on 11 Nov. 1857. Chamberlain was disabled by his wound from taking part in the relief of Lucknow, and was obliged to decline Sir Colin Campbell's offer of command of the cavalry in the Rohilla campaign of 1858. He resigned the post of adjutant-general and was reappointed to the command of the Punjab irregular force with the rank of brevet-colonel on 27 Nov. 1857, and the local rank of brigadier-general. In August 1858 he nipped in the bud a dangerous conspiracy among the Sikh troops at Dera Ismail Khan, and received the thanks of the secretary of state. In December 1859 he led an expedition against the Kabul Khel Waziris, and another in April 1860 against the Mahsuds, forcing his way to Kaniguram, which they boasted that hostile eyes had never seen. His force was composed entirely of native troops, and included tribesmen under their own chiefs. The India medal with a clasp for north-west frontier was afterwards granted to the men who took part in these expeditions or in those to Meeranzie and the Bozdar country. On 11 April 1863 Chamberlain was made K.C.B. In the autumn of 1863 he was called upon to lead a force of 5000 men against the Wahabi fanatics, who had found shelter at Sitana and had been persistently troublesome. He decided to take one column from Peshawur over the Ambela pass into the Chamla valley, while another column co-operated from Hazara. He reached the top of the pass on 20 Oct., but found that the Bunerwals meant to dispute his advance and that other tribesmen were gathering from all the country between the Indus and the Afghan frontier. His force was not strong enough to overcome such opposition, and pending reinforcement he took up a defensive position on the top of the pass, with outlying picket posts on commanding heights. These posts were assailed again and again, taken and retaken. On 20 Nov. Chamberlain himself led three regiments (the Highland light infantry, 5th Gurkhas, and 5th Punjab infantry) to recover the Crag picket ; he succeeded, but received a wound in the forearm, which obliged him to hand over command. The governor-general, Lord Elgin, died on the same day, and his council decided to withdraw the expedition. Chamberlain thought such a step most inadvisable ; eventually reinforcements were sent up, and under General Garvock the Yusafzai field force completed its task. Those who served in it received the India medal with clasp for Ambela. Chamberlain went home as soon as he was fit to travel, and joined his mother and sisters at Versailles in July 1864. His mother died there on 28 Dec. 1867. He was promoted major-general on 5 Aug. 1864, and was made K.C.S.I. on 24 May 1866. Towards the end of 1869 he accompanied the Duke of Edinburgh, by Queen Victoria's wish, on his visit to India. He was promoted lieutenant-general on 1 May 1872, G.C.S.I. on 24 May 1873, and G.C.B. on 29 May 1875. Chamberlain returned to India in February 1876, to take command of the Madras army. When it was decided, in August 1878, to send a British mission to Kabul, he consented to go as envoy, being personally known to Shere Ali ; but the mission was stopped at Ali Musjid on 21 Sept. by the Ameer's orders. Chamberlain agreed with Lord Lytton that it must be shown 'that the British government loses no time hi resenting a gross and unprovoked insult,' and he acted for some months as military member of council. But he did not wholly approve of the treaty of Gandamak ; still less of the