They Did Not Get the Victoria Cross.

Evening Star, Issue 8530, 1 June 1891, Page 3

They Did Not Get the Victoria Cross.

It happened at Luclnow. Again and again the sepoys charged oar gallant men, and wain and again they were repulsed. Ballets were flying among the beßieged like hail. The height of the mud wall, behind which stood pillars of British pluck and bravery, was otly a little over 4ft, and one or two empty ammunition waggons which had been temporarily need as hospital vans were left out there being no time to fetch them in. Towards the close of the siege, one evening, tome sepoys managed to obtain 'P o*"* 0 *"*" 1 " 1 of one of these waggons, and w t nt at a doable down the hill with it, away from our encampment. This manoeuvre was watched by a youogoffieer of the line, who asked the captain hi command whether it was necessary to recapture it. The captain said " Certainly, thinking there were Borne invalids inside, and amidst a perfect storm of bullets, the gaTant lieutenant, with four trusty oorcorporals, jumped the wall and succeeded in bringing back the waggon, which, the captain and all thought, by the groans that issued from it, contained sick and dying eomrades. Praises were raised ou all sides wh»-n the brave quintet returned, and it was offioiilly whispered that the heroes would ba mentioned in the despatches, and ulti. matelv receive the Victoria Cross. However, an inspection of the waggon revealed th* fi.-f ■>■*■ the supposed human groans wer~ '■•:•!' ♦• ' -' ri - I' ?sb trrier, which, w..;-. 1,.,',. U ,K,-, n,d er.%> in*, the

jj waggon to die. The five comrades were the subjects of muoh merriment for a long time afterwards in their respective squads.