'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎445] (464/622)

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HISTORY OP THE INDIAN NAVY.
445
Council, while deeply regretting the loss which the Detachment
has sustained, is happy to recognise the excellent services it
has rendered on this occasion; and His Lordship in Council
desires me to request that you will convey to Lieutenant Lewis,
and to the officers and men under his command, the thanks of
the Government of India for the gallant manner in which they
performed their duty. His Lordship in Council notices, with
approbation, the conduct of Mr. Midshipman An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. Mayo in leading
a charge against the enemy's guns." The Bombay Government
also, under date the 12th of January, 1858, issued the accom
panying complimentary order, signed by Mr. (now Sir) Henry
L.Anderson, Secretary to Government:—"I am directed to
inform you that the Right Honourable the Governor in Council
has perused with heartfelt pleasure the record of the gallantry
displayed by Lieutenant Lewis and the officers and men of the
Detachment of the Indian Navy at Dacca; and His Lordship
in Council has no doubt that the services performed by Lieu
tenant Lewis and his men will be appreciated by the Right
Honourable the Governor-General in Council."
Immediately on receipt of intelligence of these events. Lord
Canning despatched to Dacca, in a steamer and flat, three
companies of H.M.'s 54th Regiment, and on that and the
following day, two Detachments of seamen, with guns, also
proceeded to Dacca, whence they were pushed on to Rungpore
and Dinagepore, and, on the 4th of December, the Detachment
of the 54th Regiment also left for Sylhet. It is almost impos
sible to exaggerate the magnitude of the service rendered to
the State by Lieutenant Lewis at Dacca, but Sir Frederick
Halliday, in his Minute, has only done justice to the oppor
tuneness of his arrival and the brilliant service performed by
his handful of seamen.*
Government considering it advisable, at a later date, to
strengthen both Dacca and Sylhet, three companies of H.M.'s
19th Regiment were despatched to Dacca, and, on their arrival,
in August, 1858, the greater portion of No. 4 Detachment was
* The Lieutenant-Q-overnor—a man not given to exaggeration, and himself
described by Lord Canning, in his Minute of the 2nd of Juiy, 1859, on the " Ser
vices of the Civil Officers and others during the Mutiny," as " the right hand of
the Grovernment a °of India,"—saysjof the position of affairs at Dacca :—" Unlike most
other Divisions of Bengal, where in case of any outbreak, a temporary divergence
of troops intended for the Upper Provinces was sufficient either altogether to
prevent any outbreak, or at least to avert the more serious consequences, this part
of the country was far removed from any possible resource of this kind. All des
patch of aid must, therefore, be quite independent of any other movement, whilst
the only means of despatch was by a circuitous water route. The presence of the
sailors prevented any serious consequences that would have been otherwise certain
to arise from the mutinous outbreak which afterwards occurred, and which but
for their presence would probably have happened at an earlier and more embar
rassing time, and I need hardly say, been attended with much more serious con
sequences."