Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 40.djvu/84

 guard nor themselves get back to Lucknow. Napier volunteered to rescue both, and Outram, who had assumed military command when the first relief was effected, feeling the difficulty of the undertaking, gave Napier permission not only to go, but authorised him, if it were necessary in order to secure the safety of the wounded, to abandon the siege train and baggage. On the afternoon of the 26th Napier set out, taking with him Captain Olpherts, one hundred highlanders, some Sikhs, and artillery. He reached the rear guard under a sharp fire, removed the wounded into Lucknow under cover of night, and finally got the whole of the baggage, train, and guard safely to the residency.

The union of the relieving force with the garrison was thus completed. This was the first relief of Lucknow; but their united strength was insufficient to overpower the besiegers or to convey the women and children in safety to Cawnpore. The second siege ensued. Frequent sorties were made. Napier headed a strong party that was sent out against Phillips's garden battery, which had proved particularly offensive. He carried it with very small loss, capturing the guns. Then the position occupied by the troops had to be extended and the defences advanced. The extension work was much of it, in the first instance, underground. It was work which had been carried out very efficiently by the engineers of the original garrison, and Napier undertook the general direction of it. The extent and effect of these mining operations in strengthening the position and counteracting the schemes of the enemy gave great satisfaction to Outram. On 17 Nov. 1857 the second relief of Lucknow was effected, and Napier on that day, when accompanying Outram and Havelock to meet Sir (afterwards Lord Clyde) [q. v.] across a very exposed space, was severely wounded. He accompanied Campbell as his guest to Cawnpore, where he remained in hospital for some weeks.

As soon as Napier was convalescent he rejoined Outram as chief of the staff at the position of the Alambagh, outside the city of Lucknow, which had been evacuated by the British. He drew up an outline of proposed operations for the reduction of Lucknow, which was submitted to Campbell, who summoned Napier to Cawnpore, and decided, in accordance with his views, to attack from the east side of Lucknow. Napier's arguments are given in the ‘Royal Engineers' Professional Papers,’ vol. x. Campbell commenced the attack on 4 March 1858, with Napier as brigadier-general commanding a brigade of engineers. On the 21st Lucknow fell, and the commander-in-chief in his despatch wrote that Napier's ‘great professional skill and thorough acquaintance with the value of his enemy have been of the greatest service, and I recommend him most cordially to your Lordship's protection. I am under very great obligations to him.’

A week later Napier submitted to Campbell memoranda of the defensive measures by which he considered the control of Lucknow could be secured with a garrison of three thousand men. Campbell had estimated in writing to the viceroy that ten thousand men would be required. For his services at Lucknow Napier was mentioned in despatches and made a C.B.

In the middle of May Napier went to Allahabad, where he received instructions to take over the command of the Central Indian force from Sir Hugh Rose, who had been invalided. Just at this moment the beaten army of Tantia Topi and the Ranee of Jhansi marched on Gwalior, defeated Sindhia, and took possession of the stronghold. Sir Hugh Rose threw up his leave and marched on Gwalior, and Napier joined him as second in command. He took over the command of the 2nd brigade at Bahadurpúr on 16 June, and the same day Sir Hugh Rose attacked the cantonments of Morar, and after a sharp action routed the enemy. Rose expressed his warmest thanks to Napier for his skilful management. On the 18th Rose left for Gwalior, leaving Napier at Morar to guard the cantonment and pursue the enemy on receipt of orders. Gwalior was captured on the 19th, and orders sent to Napier to pursue the flying enemy as far and as closely as he could. Napier, with seven hundred men, came up with Tantia Topi, who had with him twelve thousand men and twenty-five guns, on the plains of Jaora Alipúr. He took Tantia completely by surprise, and secured a signal victory, capturing all his guns, ammunition, and baggage. On 29 June Napier assumed command of the Gwalior division on the departure of Sir Hugh Rose from India. The country was now clear of any large organised force of rebels; but small parties continued to give trouble, and it was necessary to prevent their amalgamation. Napier dealt with this state of affairs by sending out flying columns, concentrating the body of his troops at Gwalior to rest and prepare for fresh exertions.

In August Rajah Man Singh of Narwár, with twelve thousand men, surprised the strongly fortified town of Paori, eighty-three miles south-west of Gwalior and eighteen miles west of Sipri, and garrisoned it with