News of the second relief of Lucknow. Escape of the rebels, problem of restoring order after the Mutiny. Official recognition for Baird Smith's services. Feels some slight disappointment at this. Dated as: Roorkee 28 Mar 1858
Smith had been summoned to Delhi as Chief Engineer on 19 Jun 1857, after the man originally nominated was unable to take up his post. The letters describe his journey to Delhi, the daily progress of the Siege and his return to Roorkee after Delhi had fallen.
Baird Smith's arrival in Saharanpur. The only only part of the column that has broken down so far is that for which Drummond is responsible. The Gurkhas have killed 250 Gujars at a ghat on their route. Dated as: Saharanpur 27 Jun 1857
The march has not begun because of the rain. Baird Smith's party is to be separated from the main convoy and will go straight across to Karnal, while the convoy, under Brownlow and Willcocks, proceeds by a safer but longer route. Dated as: Saharanpur 28 Jun 1857
They left Saharanpur at 3.30 p.m. on Jun 28th, and covered 13 miles by nightfall. Now they are fording the river Jumna. Baird Smith hopes to make nearly 30 miles by daybreak, when the party should be within a few miles of Karnal Bank of the Jumna 2.30 pm. Dated as: Monday 29 [Jun 1857]
They arrived the previous night, after being on the move from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Baird Smith will ride on with Captain Robertson to Karnal, leaving the camp behind till later in the day. The crossing of the Jumna. A postscript, dated 1 p.m., notes arrival in Karnal. Dated as: Camp Koongpura near ...
Baird Smith finished the march about 1 a.m. and was roused at 4 by an urgent letter from Lieutenant G.T. Chesney, Brigade-Major of Engineers at Delhi, asking him to make the 50 miles to Delhi that night, as an assault was to be made on the city. This has been arranged by the acting Chief Enginee...
Baird Smith arrived at 3 a.m. to find the scheme of action was all over! The enemy is quiet, although an attack was intended it is rumoured they had had an internal riot. Dated as: Delhi 3 Jul 1857
The previous night the enemy detached a 'detached a party to our rear' to interrupt. They were attacked. Baird Smith is worried about his assistant Henry Marten and the party from camp, who were to have arrived at the place where the enemy attacked. The escort party Baird Smith sent out has been...