A rare 4-clasp medal for the Second Mahratta, Nepaul and First Burma Wars to Lieutenant-General T. P. Smith, Bengal Native Infantry

Army of India 1799-1826, 4 clasps, Battle of Deig, Capture of Deig, Nepaul, Ava (Lt. Coll. T. P. Smith, 49th N.I.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, extremely fine
£6000-7000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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Collection

Ex Glendining July 1957 and North Collection (Baldwin 1969/70).

Approximately 47 clasps for the Battle of Deig and 103 clasps for the Capture of Deig were issued to European recipients. Of the 23 four-clasp medals issued to European recipients, the only other medal with this combination of clasps was that awarded to Sir George Pollock (qv).

Thomas Patterson Smith was born on 16 April 1783, and arrived in India as a Cadet on 20 August 1799. He was appointed Ensign in November, and was posted Lieutenant to the 1st Bengal European Regiment in 1801. After serving in the Second Mahratta War at the Battle and Capture of Dieg, he transferred to the newly-raised 25th Native Infantry and served as Captain with the 2nd Battalion in the 4th Division, under General Marley and Sir George Wood (qv), during the first two campaigns of the Nepal War. In Ochterlony’s victorious campaign of 1816, he commanded the battalion during its service with the 3rd Brigade, Centre Column, and was present at the Battles of Chirriaghati and Muckwampore.

In 1817-18, he took part in operations against the Pindarries and shared in the Deccan Prize Money. He became Major on 12 January 1821 while serving as Commandant of the newly-raised 1st Fatehgarh Infantry Levy. Having relinquished that appointment in 1822, he transferred to the 49th N.I. (late 1/25th N.I.) in 1824, as Lieutenant-Colonel, and commanded the regiment in the First Burma War. During operations in the Arakan, he was mentioned in despatches for leading a reconnaissance of several companies across the Jeyah River (London Gazette 1 October 1825). On 9 May 1825, he was removed from the 49th N.I. following an enquiry concerned with the mutinous conduct of the Sepoys, which the Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief agreed was due to the ‘culpable neglect of duty as Commg. Officer of Lt. Col. T.P. Smith...’ He was successively posted to the 2nd European Regiment, the 8th N.I. and the 18th N.I. From 1837 until his death, he was on the rolls of the 17th N.I. serving as regimental Colonel during the Second Sikh War with the Army of Reserve at Jagraon. Smith attained the rank of Major-General in 1838 and that of Lieutenant-General while on furlough in 1851. Lieutenant-General Smith died suddenly in Paris on 27 September 1852.

Ref: Hodson Index (NAM); Officers of the Bengal Army 1758-1834; IOL L/MIL/10/20.