Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research 99/397

LETTERS FROM INDIA , 16 TH LANCERS , 1840 S

181

Letter 19: From James Eves, British Museum, 13 May 1847, to Lord John Russell. 20 My Lord It is with great anxiety that I assume [sic] to address your Lordship on behalf of my Brother Philmer Eves late of H.M. 16 th Lancers who had the honour to loose[sic] his hand at Aliwal with Sir H. Smith last year. his hand and lance falling to the ground together he also had a musket shot in the Shoulder and is now discharged with a Pension of 9d pr day he served eight years in India. he wore a good conduct stripe and had his discharge for good conduct in every way filled up. he has also Credentials from the Coll. of the Regiment and also from the Capn. of the troop, he is an inteligent young man, his age 26 years and he writes an eligible [sic] hand with the left hand and is very active. My object in intruding on Your Lordship’s valuable time is to solicit your kind aid to help him to some sort of imployment such as, Messenger or Porter Park Keeper Gate Keeper or any Situation about the Houses of Parlament or any other situation Your Lordship please to suggest. I must humbly implore forgiveness for thus soliciting Your Lordship’s favour but My Brother has no home but with me and I being an Attendant at the British Museum my income is very limited. 21 I trust your Lordship will sympathize with me seeing he lost his hand in so glorious a conflict. And I trust the Star, and Medal, which he is entitled to wear would seem in Your Lordship’s eyes and in the eyes of the Public a sufficient substitute for his lost hand. 22 That your Lordship will consider of this and pardon the liberty I have taken is the prayer Of Your Humble And Obedient Servant James Eves For Philmer Eves Late of H.M. 16 th Lancers Postscript: coming home Those men of the 16 th Lancers who were still fit and who chose not to volunteer to stay in India returned to Calcutta and England, as described in the Cowtans’ letters. Those who had been seriously wounded were returned in batches, as they became fit to travel. Private William Hall of the 14 th Light Dragoons was invalided just before his regiment took part in the Second Anglo-Sikh War. He travelled 20 QRL Collection. Russell, in 1847 the Prime Minister, had carried out a reorganization of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in 1830-1834, so might have been assumed to be sympathetic to a discharged soldier. The British Museum connections with the 16 th Lancers is interesting. The Assistant Keeper of Manuscripts at this time was the Rev. William Cureton, possibly a relative of Brigadier C.R. Cureton; both came from Shropshire. 21 Wages of attendants were from £52 to £105 per annum: Cowtan, Memories of the British Museum , p. 241. 22 The Gwalior Star was struck from bronze from the guns captured at Maharajpore and Punniar.