Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Battery Sergeant-Major H. Rutherford, Royal Artillery, late Bengal Fusiliers

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Lucknow (1st Eurn. Bengal Fusrs.); Canada General Service 1866-70, 1 clasp, Fenian Raid 1866 (3044 Br., R.A.); South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (758 Sergt. Maj., N/6th R.A.); Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue (18968 By. Sergt. Maj., Dist. Stf. R.A.), this last with official correction to unit, contact marks and edge bruising, the first good fine, the remainder generally very fine or better (4) £700-900

Hugh Rutherford, who was born in Berwickshire, attested for the East India Company’s Service at Edinburgh in May 1857. Posted to the 1st European Bengal Fusiliers, he was subsequently engaged in the Indian Mutiny, and, more specifically, in the Lucknow operations, following which he obtained his discharge in consequence of ‘wishing to go home as he has the opportunity.’ Back in Edinburgh, however, in March 1860, he re-enlisted in the Royal Artillery, his attestation papers verifying his earlier service in the Bengal Fusiliers.

As part of 4th Brigade, R.A., he subsequently served in Canada between January 1862 and June 1869, including the Fenian troubles of 1866, and, following a period of service back in the U.K., arrived in South Africa with N/6th R.A. in February 1879, where he remained until November of the same year. He was consequently engaged with the Battery at Ulundi on 4 July 1879, when it ‘fired 68 rounds, doing considerable execution amongst the retreating enemy; its casualties during the engagement were one Driver wounded and two horses killed and two wounded’ (Shadbolt refers).

Rutherford, who was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in July 1884, was discharged in October 1892.