A very rare ‘Seetabuldee & Nagpore’ clasp Army of India Medal awarded to Lieutenant, later Major-General, L. W. Watson, 24th Native Infantry, who was Mentioned in Despatches for his gallantry during the heroic defence of Seetabuldee in November 1817, and was additional severely wounded by a sabre during the hand to hand fighting at the storming of the fortresses of Chandah, being again Mentioned here and at the taking of Mundelah in 1818. He subsequently commanded the troops in Penang, Singapore, and Malacca

Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Seetabuldee & Nagpore (Lieut. L. W. Watson, 24th N.I.) long hyphen reverse, impressed naming, very fine £5,000-£7,000

Fred Rockwood Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, October 2014.

Only 19 clasps for Seetabuldee & Nagpore were issued to European recipients. Another medal is known named to this recipient but with the short hyphen reverse (last sold by Dix Noonan Webb in June 2013). Both Long and Short hyphen medals are as issued.

Lewis Wentworth Watson, the son of Thomas Watson, M.D., was born in the Parish of Burwash, Sussex, on 30 November 1790. He was nominated a Cadet on the Madras Establishment by Sir Hugh Inglis, Bart., and granted a commission in the 24th Madras Native Infantry on 3 July 1807. Ten years later, Watson would play an important role in what would be one of the most celebrated actions against overwhelming odds of the era.

The Defence of the Residency at Seetabuldee
At sunset on 26 November 1817 Watson was present as a Lieutenant in the 1/24th Madras N.I. on the slopes of the Seetabuldee hills, the crowns of which stood some 400 yards apart. At the foot of these hills was the British Residency for Nagpore to which a small force of troops had been sent to defend under Lieutenant Colonel Scott of the 1/24th.

The total defending force consisted of two much reduced Battalions of 1/20th and 1/24th Madras native infantry (amounting to less than one full Battalion in total due to sickness!), three troops of Bengal Native Cavalry, four six-pounder guns manned by Europeans of the Madras artillery, Resident Escorts of two companies of volunteers of native infantry from Barrackpore, a reduced battalion of the Nagpore subsidiary force (mainly unarmed!) and other small detachments. Total fighting strength of between 1200 and 1315 all ranks. The Marathas forces consisted of around 18,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 36 pieces of artillery.

The larger hill of Badi Tekri was occupied by the 1/20th, half the escorts, a company of the 1/24th, elements of the Nagpore force and half of the escorts, under Lieutenant Colonel Scott. About 300 men of the 24th Regiment and two guns under Captain Saddle were posted on the smaller hill of Choti Tekri with one 6-pounder gun. The cavalry were posted around the residency, the bulk of the mostly unarmed Nagpore troops and other smaller detachments. On the other side of the hills to the Residency, the village suburbs gave cover to the Maratha troops, especially the Arabs, who throughout the day on 26 November were gathering in large numbers.

The Arabs began the battle in the evening by opening fire on Choti Tekri. The engagement lasted until the early hours of the morning, when it slackened somewhat. Several times during the night the Arabs tried to capture the hill. Although they were repulsed, they inflicted heavy casualties and Captain Saddle was shot and killed. As the ranks of 24th Regiment were thinned, reinforcements were sent down from the 20th Regiment, who were occupying the upper hill. At dawn on 27 November, the British troops were still holding on in an isolated position. At 5:00 am, the few remaining men of the 24th Regiment, being utterly exhausted, were withdrawn. Their place was taken by the Residents Escorts, with orders to confine their defence to the summit of the lower hill. The fight continued until 9:00 the next morning, when the Arabs charged and captured the hill. They turned the captured gun against the higher hill position inflicting numerous casualties.

The Maratha Cavalry and Infantry closed in from all sides and prepared for a general assault. The Arabs broke into the huts of the British troops, ransacking them and some Maratha cavalry entered the residency compound. Captain Fitzgerald, in command of three troops of Bengal Cavalry and some horsemen of the resident escorts, had been requesting permission to charge, but his request was repeatedly turned down. Seeing the impending destruction, he made a last request. “Tell him to charge at his peril,” Colonel Scott replied. “At my peril be it,” said Captain Fitzgerald. He and his troops then charged some of the enemy cavalry, killed some of their supporting infantry, and captured their two guns. When the infantry posted on the hill witnessed this exploit, they became freshly animated. Just then an explosion of ammunition took place amongst the Arabs on the lower hill and Colonel Scott ordered a counter-attack on the smaller hill. After a word of encouragement from the British Resident, Mr Richard Jenkins, Captain William Lloyd led a headlong bayonet charge led by the 1/24th, and the Resident’s Escort.

The British troops took two of their guns, and returned to their position. The Arabs rallied with the intention of attempting to recover the lost ground. As they were getting ready to come up, a troop of cavalry charged around the base of the hill, attacked the Arabs in the flank, and dispersed them. The British troops now advanced from the hill, drove the infantry from the adjoining hills, and by noon the conflict was over.

In what would be by far the most costly battle of the Third Maratha War with regards to numbers involved, the British lost 367 killed and wounded, including 16 officers. Watson, whose battalion suffered 149 casualties in the battle, was afterwards noticed in Scott’s report dated ‘Camp, Nagpore, 30 November 1817’ as one of the officers conspicuous in the counter-attack (London Gazette 7 August 1819). Lieutenant Watson was the only Officer of the 1/24th to receive a clasp for Seetabuldee for his Army of India medal.

For their gallantry at Seetabuldee, the 1/24th Madras were restored their title of the 1/1st Madras infantry, senior regiment in the Madras Army. They had lost this title in 1806 for their participation in the Vellore Mutiny of that year and had been renamed the 24th. Years later they were renamed the 61st Pioneers and were one of just two regiments to bear the battle honour of Seetabuldee on their colours.

Except for the flank companies, the 1/24th were on baggage duty during the battle of Nagpore on the 16 December 1817 and therefore did not participate in battle itself. However, they did take part in the siege and assault of Nagpore itself between 19 and 24 December 1817 for which Watson shared in the Nagpore Prize. It is not clear if Watson was in one of the flank companies or with the main body of the battalion.

A brief service as Assistant Adjutant General saw him at the taking of the fort at Mundelah in March 1818, after which he was duly ‘extolled’ for his services in General Orders by the Governor-General:
‘The able and zealous services of Captain Watson, Assistant Adjutant General of the Army, are entitled to the Major-General’s warmest acknowledgement, not only on the present occasion but during the whole of the time he has conducted the details of the division.’

In May 1818, having been appointed Adjutant of the newly renamed 1/1st Madras Native Infantry (ex 1/24th), he took part in and was wounded in the shoulder by a sabre during the assault on the fortress City of Chandah. Here the 1/1st N.I. formed part of the left column storming the breech and according to one of the despatches:

‘The resistance offered by the enemy was as your first correspondent justly observes, “at one time formidable” but from the account your second correspondent gives, it might be supposed that immediately after the columns separated to right and left to oppose the enemy, 800 of them flanked the breach and that here several of our officers were opposed hand to hand and it was at this time Capt Charlesworth (another hero of Seetabuldee) and Watson received severe sabre wounds…’

Including the above, Watson was again Mentioned in the despatches for Chandah a number of times, as published in the London Gazette:
‘... nor can he omit noticing the strenuous bravery with which Captain Charlesworth, Lieutenant Casement, and Lieutenant Watson (all wounded on the occasion), contributed to the fortune of the day.’

Watson advanced to the rank of Captain in 1824 and transferred to the 17th Madras N.I., which, in 1836-7, he commanded on field service during hostilities in the Ganjam District. In January 1841, Watson transferred as Lieutenant-Colonel to the 43rd Madras N.I. and in 1845 was appointed to the command of the troops serving in Penang, Singapore and Malacca. Watson was appointed as Lt Colonel Commandant of the 13th Madras N.I. on 16th December 1848. Promoted to Major-General in November 1854, and as Colonel of the 17th Madras N.I. in 1859. Major-General Watson, who was twice married, died without issue on 5 May 1859.

Sold with copied research.