The Indian Mutiny Medal awarded to Private James Taylor, 84th Foot, who was massacred at Cawnpore on 27 June 1857

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Jas. Taylor, 84th Regt.) extremely fine and rare £2,600-£3,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Robin Scott-Smith Collection of Medals to Casualties.

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James Taylor was massacred at Cawnpore on 27 July 1857.

Owing to the misguided confidence of Sir Hugh Wheeler in the loyalty of the sepoys, the European element of the Cawnpore garrison were placed in an impossible position. Despite the meagre nature of the fortifications, lack of artillery, munitions and food, coupled with an additional burden of some 500 women and children, the handful of defenders, numbering less than 500 of all ranks, sustained and defeated the bombardment and attacks of some 7,000 mutinous sepoys, from the 5th to 27th June 1857. It was only on receipt of promises made by the infamous Nana Sahib, that safe conduct would be granted, that the position was evacuated.

The story of the subsequent betrayal and massacre of men, women and children, needs no relating, the final survivors numbered only 2 officers and 2 other ranks; of the remainder all had been killed or died during the siege, or had been the victims of the final treacherous slaughter.