An Excessively Rare
INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL
(DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW)
-“ORIGINAL DEFENDER”-
(Killed in Action, 30th June 1857)
“BATTLE OF CHINHUT”
A CASUALTY PAIR
with
PUNJAB MEDAL, (MOOLTAN),
To:
JOHN STEEPLES, 32nd Foot Regiment.


[THE MEDALS]
Punjab Medal
(MOOLTAN)
J. STEEPLES. 32ND L.I. (officially impressed)



Indian Mutiny Medal 1857-1859,
(DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW)
J. STEEPLES. 32ND L.I. (officially impressed)
Killed in Action
30th June 1857 at BATTLE of CHINHUT

A Rare & Classic “DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW” Indian Mutiny Medal, to a 30th June 1857 Casualty at “THE BATTLE OF CHINHUT” Paired with his earlier Punjab medal for MOOLTAN.

John Steeples was Killed in Action during the infamous Battle of Chinhut on 30th June 1857. During this significant fight, a force ordered by Sir Henry Lawrence proceeded up the Faizabad road to meet an opponent force which was believed to be several hundred strong. However, the Lawrence force was suddenly fired upon by a force of over 6,000 rebels who were concealed in well prepared positions behind stone walls and in the village.

The 32nd Foot suffered heavy casualties in this savage action and at the critical moment many of Lawrence's soldiers, especially Indian artillerymen, betrayed him by going over to the side of the mutineers overturning their guns and cutting the traces on the horses: 484  men and the Sikh cavalrymen fled.

The retreat from Chinhut was thus the pivotal action that lead to the eventual Siege of Lucknow which would last until November 1857.


 [BIOGRAPHY]
—30th June 1857.
John Steeples embarked for India in the ship British Sovereign on 9th May 1846, and fought in the Punjab Campaign of 1848-1849, including the Siege of Mooltan. (Medal & Clasp)



Later serving during the Indian Mutiny, STEEPLES would be killed in action at the Battle of Chinhut on 30th June 1857.


 [THE BATTLE OF CHINHUT]

The Battle of Chinhut occurred when conflicting intelligence reports had indicated the approach of a small insurgent force towards Lucknow. Sir Henry Lawrence, who was in bad health, under pressure from subordinates and whose fighting days were well behind him, ordered a force consisting of three companies of the 32nd Regiment of Foot (later the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry), several companies of the 13th Native Infantry and detachments of other regiments, a small force of Sikh cavalry and European volunteer cavalry as well as Bengal Artillery (Europeans) and Native Artillery, to proceed up the Faizabad road with the intention of intercepting what he believed to be an opponent force several hundred strong. He was tragically ill informed as the British troops were outnumbered by 10 to 1.



 On approaching Ismailganj, Lawrences's force was suddenly fired on by the insurgents, who greatly outnumbered the British, by about 600 to 6,000. The rebels were in well prepared positions, behind stone walls and in the village, and soon inflicted heavy casualties on Lawrence's force, especially the 32nd Foot.

The regiment's acting commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel William Case, was killed, as were several officers. The 13th Native Infantry were slightly more successful in attacking to the right of the village, but the rebels were well entrenched and well led.

To this action can be attributed one of the few major victories which rebel forces obtained in open combat with the British, during the whole of the Indian Mutiny.



 At a crucial moment, many of Lawrence's soldiers, especially Indian artillerymen, betrayed him by going over to the other side, overturning their guns and cutting the traces on the horses, 484  and the Sikh cavalrymen fled. As the British retreated towards the bridge over the Kukrail stream, the only access they had to Lucknow, an outflanking movement by the rebel cavalry threatened to cut them off. A charge by the 36 volunteer cavalrymen, consisting partly of civilians, threw the rebel cavalry into confusion and a significant part of the force was able to cross the bridge and retreat towards Lucknow. Lawrence ordered a battery of European artillery to occupy the bridgehead, with the intention of dissuading his enemy from following him. The artillery had no ammunition left, but achieved their aim of giving the retreating force a breathing space.



On the retreat, feats of great courage were performed by those who helped wounded and exhausted men to escape. Prominent among the rescuers were the native troops of the 13th NI, who often abandoned their own wounded in order to help British soldiers. An officer of the 13th NI, then Lieut. William George Cubitt, would be awarded the Victoria Cross for helping save three men of the 32nd Foot.



 Seeing that the retreat would be generally successful, Lawrence left the force in order to organize the Defence of the Lucknow Residency. Brigadier John Inglis, commanding officer of the 32nd, who had opposed the 'adventure', was left to bring the survivors in. As a last attempt to break the momentum of the rebel pursuit, Lawrence ordered one company of the 32nd, which had not been at Chinhat, to hold the final bridge before Lucknow, over the Gumti river. The success of this company, under Lieut. John Edmondstone, and its orderly retreat under enemy pressure, probably helped save many lives.



By about 11:30 a.m, the retreat had been successfully completed. The British Residency at Lucknow, to which Lawrence withdrew, was then the scene of the Siege of Lucknow until November 1857.

[THE MEDALS]
-A SUMMARY-
This is without doubt one of the finest of the tiny number of extant Punjab & Indian Mutiny “Defence of Lucknow” Original Defender Casualty pairs that you’ll ever encounter.

A simply staggeringly rare surviving pair, of which we have never seen another example in the whole of our 47 year career. On the odd occasion that a Chinhut casualty medal shows up, it’s invariably just a single Mutiny medal, either split from its other medals or a stand alone single.

Both of medals John Steeples medals are about Extremely Fine with a superb and original time developed blue-black patina. Medals come with two copy rolls which confirm all the clasps and K.I.A. date of 30th June 1857 for John Steeples.

If you are a serious Indian Mutiny collector, you should certainly add this pair to your collection, as you will probably never see another similar pair ever again….we certainly haven’t seen one before.

Price on Request.
(All Enquiries by Telephone, Thank you.)

01342-870960
07837-621144

A similar (single) medal: (May 2024)
London medals….Pte Charles O’Keefe
(Asked at £5850….”just his single Mutiny only”)