File:P13. The Seikh Yard Breach (cropped).jpg

English: Plate 13. The Seikh Yard Breach.

That part of this position which, the reader perceives, is protected by doors and shutters, was formerly occupied by a large terrace-roofed building, on the top of which was constructed a parapet, through which we used to fire on the enemy, who were stationed in the opposite houses, which were only separated from our wall by a narrow lane. It was here that Captain Orr and myself, with ten Christian drummers who formed part of the garrison, were blown into the air by the explosion of a mine. I can assure my readers that an involuntary ascent of some twenty or thirty feet in the form of a spread eagle is by no means an agreeable sensation; and I was very thankful when I kissed mother earth again, albeit I should have certainly considered it rather too warm a maternal embrace on any other occasion. My brother officer had an equally providential escape, but the poor drummers, who had been sleeping a few yards off, were not so fortunate. One of them was blown outside our defences, and was immediately decapitated by the enemy; and, with but one exception, all the others were burned under the ruins, where they lie to this day. In the mean time the Seiks had fled, and there was no one to defend the breach which had been caused by the explosion (and which was so practicable that a lady could have walked into our position without soiling her dress) except Colonel Master, who commanded about a dozen riflemen and musketeers stationed on the top of the “ Brigade Mess,” a two-storied building which commanded the breach on the left. If the enemy had advanced in anything like form, nothing could have prevented the capture of the place; but as they had not heart enough for this, and as the more adventurous who crossed the road were instantly struck down by the deadly rifles, under Colonel Master,— himself not the worst or the least active shot,— Brigadier Inglis had time to bring up his reserve, and the position was saved. The enemy, however, kept up such a heavy fire on the breach that it was impossible to make any attempt to rescue our buried comrades. It was not till nightfall that we could approach the place, and then, alas! all was still. The shutters were afterwards put up as some protection against musketry-fire, although the breach still continued to be perfectly practicable. On the other side of the Brigade Mess, in the same line of defences, the enemy had on a former occasion effected a similar breach, which was defended by the same garrison. I believe it is always considered a proof of extraordinary resolution on the part of a beleaguered force if they succeed in holding a practicable breach for a reasonable time. In fact, no quarter is usually given to the besieged if they persist in prolonging the defence after a practicable breach has been effected. Our garrison, although it is a very low estimate to say that it was outnumbered at least twenty to one by the enemy, held two practicable breaches for an indefinite number of days. On one of these we could bring no guns whatever into play, and it was only defended by the bullets from the top of the Brigade Mess; while on the Seik breach, the subject of the present sketch, we could only bring two nine-pounders to bear. I submit, therefore, that this fact alone renders the defence of the Residency of Lucknow unparalleled in the a-mmla of warfare.

Sketches & Incidents of the Siege of Lucknow. From Drawings Made during the Siege, by Clifford Henry Mecham, Lieutenant Madras Army, with descriptive notices by George Couper, esq. late secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Oude. First edition, tinted lithographed title with vignette, 27 views on 17 tinted lithographed plates, folio, Day & Son, published 1 Oct 1858.