[Illustrated with over one hundred maps, photos and portraits, of the battles, individuals and places involved in the Indian Mutiny] The Letters and memoirs of the ferocious leader of cavalry Major William Hodson, whose exploits, deeds and misdeeds during the Indian Mutiny have remained the stuff of legend. “Hodson, the son of a clergyman, was born on 19 March 1821, near Gloucester, England. A Cambridge graduate, he entered the Company’s service in 1845 and saw action in the First Sikh War (1845-46) in the Bengal Grenadiers. As Adjutant of the Guides, he played an important role in the Second Sikh war ( 1848-49 ); he took command by 1852, creating jealousies... “A contemporary described Hodson as tall man with yellow hair, a pale, smooth face, heavy moustache, and large, restless, rather unforgiving eyes. The British General Hugh Gough thought of him a perfect swordsman, nerves like iron, and a quick, intelligent eye. Hodson delighted in fighting and his favourite weapon was the hog-spear. He was a brilliant horseman with the capacity to sleep in the saddle. “On the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny, Hodson was reinstated with a commission and raised a regiment of 2,000 irregular cavalry which became famous as ‘Hodson’s Horse’ and which took part in the siege of Delhi. As well, Hodson was Head of the Intelligence department and his spies reported accurately on rebel troop movements within the city and the damage done by British guns. “After Delhi’s capture, Hodson rode to Humayun’s tomb where he captured the aged Emperor Bahadur Shah and shot to death the Moghul princes as after the latter had surrendered at the same place. That act, plus his vengeful treatment of Indians during the Mutiny and unproved charges against him of looting, darkened his reputation. He then took part in the fighting before Kanpur, but was killed on 12 March 1858 during the successful British attack at Lucknow.”-oldmartinianassociation.

This memoir outlines the life of William Stephen Raikes Hodson, an officer in the British army who served in India in the mid-19th century. Known for his bravery and skill in battle, Hodson played a significant role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Readers will be captivated by this first-hand account of a pivotal moment in British colonial history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ... OF SIR HENRY LAWRENCE, K.C.B. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN, THE BRAVE SOLDIER, THE FAITHFUL FRIEND, THESE EXTRACTS FROM THE LETTERS OF ONE WHOM HE TRAINED TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS, AND WHO NOW RESTS NEAR HIM AT LUCKNOW, Bre dedicated BY THE EDITOR. They were lovely and pleasant in their lives, And in their deaths they were not divided. INTRODUCTION: Containing a Vindication from the Charges made by Mr. Bosworth Smith in his " Life of Lord Lawrence." In the Life of Lord Lawrence, which has recently appeared, his biographer has gone out of his way to assail the reputation of a man whose brilliant services and romantic exploits have taken a wonderful hold on the popular mind, and raised him to the position of one of his country's heroes--Hodson, of Hodson's Horse. It is difficult to account for the animosity which Mr. Smith has exhibited towards one with whom he could have had no personal relations. Those who knew Lord Lawrence best felt assured that he would have been the last man to sanction his biography being made the vehicle of so cruel an attack on the memory of a brave soldier long dead, and who had done good service to his country. Many who were themselves prejudiced airainst Major Hodson, condemned Mr. Smith's ungenerous conduct, in raking up old scandals without any regard to the feelings of his family and friends. Even if the charges themselves had been true, instead of being, as I hope to show, either utterly unfounded, or gross misrepresentations, the line which Mr. Smith has taken would be quite indefensible. Not contented with what he could find in the papers and correspondence of Lord Lawrence, he appears to have gone round to those whom he knew to have been ill-affected to Hodson in India, and collected all the stories to his...

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Twelve Years of a Soldier's Life in India" (Being Extracts from the Letters of the Late Major W. S. R. Hodson, B. A) by W. S. R. Hodson. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.