Twelve years of a soldier's life in India : being extracts from the letters of the late Major W.S.R. Hodson; including a personal narrative of the siege of Delhi and capture of the King and Princes / edited by his brother, George H. Hodson.

  • Hodson, W. S. R. (William Stephen Raikes), 1821-1858.
Date:
1859
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Twelve years of a soldier's life in India : being extracts from the letters of the late Major W.S.R. Hodson; including a personal narrative of the siege of Delhi and capture of the King and Princes / edited by his brother, George H. Hodson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The Times correspondent (Mr. Eussell), in his letter of March 13th, writes :— ' When I returned to head-quarters camp this evening, I found that poor Hodson had died the ‘ previous day, and been buried the same evening. ' He was a zealous and accomplished officer, of ' great bravery, ability, and determination, an excel- ‘ lent judge of the native character, of a humane and ' clement disposition, but firm in the infliction of ‘ deserved punishment. ‘ The last time I saw him alive he expressed a ' decided opinion that Government must resort to an ‘ amnesty, or be prepared for a long continuance of ' disturbances.’ From the Bellti Gazette:— ' He was a perfect gentleman, an accomplished ‘ scholar, and we need scarcely add (what our columns ‘ have so often recorded), one of the most brilliant ' soldiers in this or any other army. His death is ^ not only a severe family affliction, but a national ' calamity, and it will be long before the name of the ' capturer of the King and princes of Delhi will ‘ cease to be mentioned with honour, and remembered ^ with regret.’ From private letters of condolence, which would fill a volume, I select a few passages, in which tlie writers seem to have seized with great felicity upon some of the more remark- able features in my brother’s character and actions.