LIEUT-GENERAL SIR SAMUEL J. BROWNE, V.C., C.B., K.C.S.I.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3126, 24 February 1879, Page 3

LIEUT-GENERAL SIR SAMUEL J. BROWNE, V.C., C.8., X.C.S.I.

The appointment of Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel Browne, V.0., C.8.,K.C.5.T., to the command of tho troops now being massed in the Peshawur Valley, will be hailed with satisfaction by everyone who knows or who has served under that distinguished officer. Brought up in the 46th Bengal Native Infantry, the regiment which had the honour of training Speke and Grant, Sir Samuel served with it throughout the Punjab campaign, being present at the passage of the Chenab, the affairs of Ramnugger and Sadoolapore, and the battles of Chilianwallah and Goojerat. An active enthusiastic officer, an ardent sportsman, a brilliant and fearless horseman, tho young subaltern soon attracted the attention of his superiors, and on the organization of the Punjab Irregular Force was offered and accepted an appointment in the 2nd Punjab Cavalry to the command of which he shortly succeeded, and which he retained until 1864, when the enforced retirement, owinp; to wounds, of Sir Seville Chamberlain from the command of the Frontier force, caused that of the Guides to fall vacant. Colonel Browne was then nominated to the prize of^je Indian Army. With the 2nd Punjab Ca/ftalry, in December, 1852, Captain Browne served in the operations against the Oomurzae Vaziris off the Bunnoo frontier, when he wus mentioned in the despatch of Major John Nicholson; in the Bozdar Expedition, under Sir Neville Chamberlain, Captain Browne was again mentioned. On the outbreak of the ]Vfutiny, a squadron of his regiment, under Lieut. Dighton Probyn, was detached to Hindostan, and in the sirge of Delhi and subsequent affairs between that city and Lucknow earned for its young commander a Brevet Majority and Victoria Cross. But the services of Captain Browne were too valuable to be wasted in guarding the frontier, and early in 1858- he received the welcome orders to march down to join Sir Colin Campbell's army. At the siege and capture of Lucknow, the affairs at Koorsee, Eoowiah, Allygunge, and Battle of Bareilly, he commanded his regiment, and then being detached in charge of a small field force, consisting of the present 24th Punjab Infantry and a couple of companies of Rifles, planned and executed a brilliant attack on the rebels strongly posted at Sirpoorah on the 31st of August, 1858. The enemy were defeated with heavy slaughter, their camp and guns falling into our hands. For this action Major Browne was awarded the Victoria Cross for having, in the cold words of an official despatch, " while advancing upon the enemy's position at daybreak, pushed on with one orderly sowar upon a 9-pounder gun that was commanding one of the approaches to the rebel position and attacked the gunners, thereby preventing them reloading and firing upon the infantry who were advancing to the attack. In doing this a personal conflict ensued, in which Major Browne received a severe •word cut on the left knee, and shortly after another sword cut, which severed the left arm at the shoulder, not, however, before he had succeeded in cutting down several of his assailants." Had it not been for the heroism of two Sikh orderlies, Jatniyat and Shere Singh, the 2nd Punjab Cavalry wonld have had to deplore the loss of their brave leader, who for his conduct received besides the Victoria Cross the Companionship of- the Bath and a Brevet Lieutenant-Colonelcy. Until 1864 Colonel Browne retained command of his original regiment, when he was promoted to the Corps of Guides; and in 1869, on the Peshawur Brigade falling vacant, he sue- j ceeded General Donald Stewart in that post, relinquishing it on promotion to Major General two years afterwards. In 1875 General Browne was selected to j accompany his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to India, and for his services in connexion with the Koyal visit was, in conjuncion with his quondam Adjutant Dighton Probyn, selected for advancement to the knighthood of the Star of India. In the ranks of the 2nd Punjab Cavalry and Guides the name of " Sham Broon " is worshipped, and his fame of a daring cavalry leader, as a warm-hearted, kind commanding officer, as a marvellous shot, has spread from the Indus to the Sutlej, from the Kbyber to the Baman. The Sikh sowars of the 2nd will not readily forget the gallantry of their commander at Sirpoorah, nor do the Afghan troopers of the Guides fail to remember the rugged soldier who trained them so well in the Fort of Hoti-Mardan.

After the Prince's visit Sir Samuel Browne was nominated " Director of Remount Operations," and on the Lahore Division falling temporarily vacant, owing to the absence on sick leave of General Donald Stewart, he once more Succeeded that officer. Unfortunately juit about this time the Government of India was deprived of the serviced of Sir Edwm Johnson, the military member of the Viceroy's Council, who was compelled to take sick leave to England, and the choice of a successor fell on Sir S. J. Browne, whose wide experience of mountain warfare and intimate knowledge of the Afghan people peculiarly qualified him to advise Lord Lytton at this crisis. Sir Edwjn,^ however, is on the point of rejoininglhfihtppointment, when of course his locum tenens would be cast once more into the berth of Director of Remounts, which, though congenial enough in time of peace, would be simply heartbreaking in time of war to such a man as Sir Samuel Browne. The state of Sir Neville Chamberlain's health, sadly shattered by eight severe wounds and by a dangerous attack of cholera the year before last, prevents his assuming command of the forces destined for Afghanistan, and so his valuable aid will be given to the deliberations of the Supreme Council,'where calm military reasoning is much wanted, and his gallant comrade takes command at Peshawur. Sir Samuel Browne is. junior to General Donald Stewart, and so cannot be destined for the leadership of the whole army, which will, we believe, be assumed by Sir Frederick Haines in person on the expiration of the time for reflection now given to the Ameer. Lord Lytton may well be congratulated on having two such able military advisers in his Council as Sir Neville Chamberlain and Sir Edwin Johnson, both soldiers in every sense of the word, while Sir Frederick Haines in his three lieutenants —Generals Donald Stewart, Frederick Roberts, and Samuel Browne—possesses officers in whom the public may place complete confidence. There can be but one opinion regarding the selection of these, five officers, and that is that they are able representatives of (hat Army which has not only won and held India

for us, but which has also been tho training school of the best British Generals this century has produced.