Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research 99/397

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ARMY HISTORICAL RESEARCH

saw tears in the poor old man’s eyes, and he said, “God bless you, my brave boys, I love you.” Now, dear mother, farewell. – From your affectionate son till death, J Eaton. Letter 17: From Corporal Robert Grieveson, 2 February 1846 . 13 1439 Cpl Robert Grieveson. Born Hauxwell, Yorkshire, the eldest son of John Grieveson, landlord of the Dolphin Inn, Darlington. A ‘sharp, frolicsome, daring youth,’ he was educated at Darlington Grammar School. Although he claimed on attestation to be a silk mercer, he was in fact apprenticed to a draper, and therefore ineligible to join the army. He enlisted in the 16 th Lancers at Maidstone 9 September 1839 and joined the regiment in India in 1840. He was promoted Corporal 29 June 1845 and acted as Adjutant’s clerk. He served at Maharajpore and the Sutlej campaign. On return to England he purchased his discharge in 1847. 14 He first worked on the railways, before becoming landlord of the Half Moon Inn, Gateshead. Here he was renowned for ‘his geniality, his sparkling wit, and his power of graphic narration…’ As with many landlords, ‘he was too frequently drawn into convivial society, until his health failed’ and he died in 1860 aged forty. Camp, Aliwal, February 2 nd , 1846. By this time, I suppose, you may have read in the papers the whole of our fortunes and misfortunes. My last letter to my mother informed you that the war broke out so suddenly, that on the day we received our order to proceed home, we also received an order to march towards Lahore, commonly called the Punjaub. The regiments that were higher up in the country formed an army; and before we could reach them they had fought the actions of Moodkee, Ferozeshah, and Saultaum, on the 21 st , 22 nd , and 23 rd of December, three actions unparalleled in Indian warfare for bloodshed. The Sikhs were beaten out of an entrenched camp, and the whole of their guns taken, amounting to 123. We joined the army seven days afterwards. Then a division was formed, under Sir H G Smith, KCB, to proceed to Loodianah – which station and fort were invested, and in danger of being wrested from us. The enemy having intelligence of our coming, changed their position in the night; and next morning we were attacked. Our cavalry in front were knocked over like sticks, before any of us knew they were entrenched. The infantry were two miles in the rear; and they, poor fellows, had been making forced marches for weeks before, and a detachment of 3 rd Dragoons, who had only been seven months from England, and were never drilled at all, had to shoulder muskets and fight like old soldiers. 15 They were exhausted; and many laid 13 Originally printed in the Gateshead Observer 4 April 1846; reprinted in Henry Spencer, Men that are gone from the Households of Darlington (Darlington, nd – 1860s), pp. 322-324, with details of his civilian life. 14 TNA WO12/1275, 1279.