Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/241

 had no power to order the British fleet to Constantinople, but proposed to inform the admiral as quickly as possible of the gravity of the situation at Constantinople, and the serious responsibility that would devolve upon him were he to decline to bring the fleet. The sultan's ministers were satisfied with Rose's suggestion, and, on the strength of it, declined that same night to sign the treaty. Menchikoff left Constantinople in May, and on 2 July Russia invaded Turkey.

On 5 Oct. England and France declared war with Russia, and on 8 March 1854 Rose was appointed queen's commissioner at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief of the French army, with the local rank of brigadier-general. Rose's duty was to act as organ of communication between the French and English commanders-in-chief in all matters relating to the two armies, but especially in carrying communications in actions and battles. He was instructed to send in reports on the operations and on all circumstances connected with the campaign to the Earl of Clarendon, British foreign minister, through the British commander-in-chief, for the information of the government. Rose drew up a plan of operations for the invasion of the Crimea which was submitted to Lord Raglan and the government, and later to the emperor of the French, who expressed entire approval of it when Rose had an interview with him in passing through Paris.

Rose joined the French headquarters at Kadi-Koi on the Bosphorus. He became very intimate with Colonel (afterwards General) Trochu, first aide-de-camp to Marshal St. Arnaud. For his conduct in extinguishing a fire at Varna in some buildings in the vicinity of an old tower in which the French small-arm ammunition was stored, Rose was recommended for the legion of honour. At the battle of the Alma he took part with Colonel Cler and the 1st Zouaves in the attack on the telegraph position, which was carried by the French with great gallantry. The following morning, on visiting La Maison Brûlée with General Canrobert, upon which a violent cannonade had been made by the Russians, Rose was wounded by the splinter of a shell (London Gazette, 6 Feb. 1855). At Inkerman he reconnoitred the ground between the left of Canrobert and the right of General Pennefather, riding with the greatest sangfroid under a withering fire from the whole line of Russian pickets down the Tchernaya road. The Russians were so struck with his courage that an order was sent along the line to cease firing at him. Rose had accomplished his task. Canrobert was desirous to obtain for Rose the Victoria Cross, but, as Rose had the local rank of brigadier-general and was a C.B., he was not considered eligible. He was, however, promoted for his services to be major-general on 12 Dec. 1854, and on 16 Oct. 1855 he was made a K.C.B.

Lord Panmure, in moving the vote of thanks to the army in the House of Lords on 8 May 1856, spoke with high approbation of Rose's service, of which Lord Clarendon had already written to him in terms of high praise (5 June 1855) and Marshal Pélissier had expressed warm admiration. Rose was given the local rank of lieutenant-general in Turkey on 30 July 1856, and on 2 Aug. was granted the royal license to wear the insignia of a commander of the legion of honour conferred upon him by the emperor of the French.

The following year, on the outbreak of the Indian mutiny, Rose volunteered for service in India, and was given the command of the Puná division in the Bombay presidency. He arrived at Bombay on 19 Sept. 1857, and was brought on the general staff of the army from that date. He was shortly after appointed to command the Máu column of the force acting in Málwa, called the Central India field force, and proceeded with Sir Robert North Collie Hamilton [q. v.], the agent to the governor-general, to Indúr. The force consisted of two brigades mainly formed of native troops; the first at Máu, under the command of Brigadier-general C. S. Stuart of the Bombay army; the second, at Sihor, commanded by Brigadier-general C. Stewart, 14th light dragoons.

Rose's orders were to march from Máu through Central India to Kálpi, about one thousand miles, subduing the revolted districts and reducing the forts on the way until he joined hands with the commander-in-chief. He was not, however, to start until another column under Brigadier-general Whitlock of the Madras army, whose base was at Jabalpúr and whose duty it was to clear the line of communication with Allahábád and Mirzápúr and cross Bandalkhand to Bandá, was ready to move. The time of waiting was not thrown away; the two brigades were organised, and the men, who had already had hard work and beaten every enemy, were given time to recruit their energies. On 6 Jan. Rose, accompanied by Sir Robert Hamilton, started from Máu to join the second brigade at Sihor. On 16 Jan., reinforced by about eight hundred Bhopál levies, he set out for Ráthgarh, a strong fort held by the rebels. He arrived before the place on the 24th, and, driving the rebels from the