Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Indian Mutiny Medal pair awarded to Major-General D. S. Buist, Bengal Staff Corps, late Sylhet Light Infantry and 44th Native Infantry, who saw extensive service against the Frontier hill tribes and during the Bhootan Campaign, was Mentioned in Despatches, and received the Thanks of the Government of India

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Lieut. D. S. Buist, Sylhet Lt. Infy. Batn.); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Bhootan (Captn. D. S. Buist, 44th. Regt. N.I.) both with contemporary top riband bars, good very fine (2) £800-£1,200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Indian Mutiny Medals, the Property of a Gentleman.

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David Simson Buist was born in Perth on 20 September 1829 and was commissioned Ensign in the Indian Army on 20 December 1848. He was promoted Lieutenant on 23 November 1856, and served with the Sylhet Light Infantry Battalion during the Great Sepoy Mutiny.

The Indian Mutiny - with the Sylhet Light Infantry
Kaye and Malleson, in the History of the Indian Mutiny, give the following details:
‘Turning then westward they entered British territory at or near Mugra and made their way towards Singar hill, about one and a half days journey north of Komila and on the direct route to Sylhet. In their progress they had been much harassed but worse things were in store for them.
Harassed by the opposition of the Rajah of Tiparah and of the Zeminders of whom we have spoken, the Mutineers resolved to make their way to Manipur. On their way to that place they descended from the hills and attacked and plundered, on 15 December, a police station in British territory. This attack gave the British the information they had desired as to their position. Mr. Allen, the chief civil officer at Sylhet had the capacity to discern that the European troops would arrive too late to intercept the rebels. He took upon himself, then, the responsibility of ordering the Sylhet Light Infantry, commanded by Major the Honourable R. B. Byng, into the field.
That regiment left Sylhet in pursuit of the rebels that very day, 15 December 1857, and reached Partabgarh, a distance of eighty miles, by a forced march, in thirty-six hours. At Partabgarh, Byng received information from Mr. Dodd, who had accompanied the force for the special purpose of guiding it, that the rebels had changed their route and would be at Latu, a place which they had passed through on the night of that day, 17 December, or very early the next morning. Latu was twenty-eight miles from Partabgarh; the men who had made a forced march of eighty miles, but with one voice they expressed their willingness to return. The road led through jungles and swamps but setting out they marched back cheerily. Dodd who had ridden on in advance, met the column as it was entering the village of Latu at dawn on 18 December with the information that the rebels were close at hand.
Before the line could be formed, they were seen advancing in good order. The hostile parties saw each other simultaneously but before they could come to blows, the rebels made many efforts to seduce the men of the Sylhet Light Infantry – one half of whom were Hindustanis – to make common cause with them. But their persuasions were answered by the cold steel of the bayonet. Notwithstanding their long march, the loyal soldiers of the Sylhet regiment displayed vigour and an energy which carried all before them. In the early part of the action their gallant leader, Major Byng was killed. This occurrence only roused them to greater fury. The post he had held was filled by Lieutenant Sherer, and Sherer gave the rebels no breathing time.
After a fierce struggle, in which the rebels lost twenty-six men killed and still larger number wounded, he forced them to abandon the field, and to seek shelter in the close and difficult jungles which lie between Latu and Manipur. Into these jungles it was impossible to follow them. All that Sherer could do was to send detachments to watch the issues from the jungle into Manipur. Having seen to this, he returned to Sylhet. After their defeat by Sherer the Chitragaon mutineers marched north-eastwards and entered Manipur territory. There they were joined by one of the Manipur princes, with a few followers. The hopes they might have conceived from this accession of strength were, however, short of duration. On 12 January they were attacked by a party of the Sylhet corps, under Captain Stevens, and after a fight that lasted two hours, they were driven into the jungles with the loss of twenty men killed. Ten days later the same officer, having learnt where they were encamped, succeeded in surprising them while their arms were piled and putting them to flight, with the loss of all their arms and accoutrements. On this occasion they lost ten men killed. Eight days later another detachment of them was attacked and completely defeated with the loss of thirteen men by a small party of the Sylhet regiment, led by native officer, Jamadar Jagathir. This was the finishing stroke. Since their departure from Chitragaon, the rebels had lost two hundred and six men in battle. Those who survived were now blocked up in hilly country, the passes leading out of which were closed and there the greater number perished miserably.’

The recipient’s own Statement of Service reads:
‘When the 34th Native Infantry mutinied at Chittagong, plundered the treasury, and, with the prisoners whom they had released from the civil jail, moved on Sylhet, my Regiment (now the 44th Ghurkhas) was suspected, for we had many of Kanwur Singh's men in our ranks, and a wing of the 54th Foot, under Colonel Mitchell, was sent to disarm us. But before the 54th had arrived, hearing of the presence of mutineers in the district, my regiment moved off in pursuit, and, after a long and arduous march, overtook and defeated them; our commanding officer, Major the Hon. R. Byng, being killed while leading on his men.
On our return to Sylhet, H.M. 54th Regiment received us with military honours. The mutineers, having been reinforced by two Munipur princes and their armed retainers, attacked a detachment, of which I was in command, as we were hurrying forward for the defence of Silchar. The fight was a severe one, and the Munipur princes kept constantly shouting out: “Shoot the European officer in command, and the victory will be ours.”
The enemy was repulsed, and one of the princes was wounded by my orderly. The heavy firing was heard at the headquarters of the regiment, which were some distance off, and on their hastening to the place, the rout of the mutineers was complete.
In the course of the fight my two orderlies and myself cross the river Barak under a heavy fire and led the attack on the mutineers. For this they received the Order of Merit for conspicuous gallantry, and I was rewarded with the thanks of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, and those of the Commander-in-Chief for the services I had rendered on this occasion.’

The Cossiah and Jyntiah Revolt, April 1860
In April 1860, the Cossiah and Jyntiah chiefs revolted against the British Government, besieged the Garrison stationed at Jowaie, and having defeated a reinforcement sent to strengthen the Garrison, marched on the important military station of Cherra-Ponji. Owing to the severe illness of Major-General Richardson, C.B., and the absence of the Second in Command, Military command devolved on Buist.

The recipient’s own Statement of Service reads:
‘Leaving a party for the defence of the station and mustering every available man I moved out to meet the rebels. I soon came upon their advance guard and drove them back; but next morning when moving through a jungle, I was attacked on all sides by the rebels who numbered between 3,000 and 4,000 men. After a sanguinary encounter, they were repulsed on all points with great loss and as a result the garrison at Jorvaie was saved. Reinforcements having arrived, I determined to follow up my victory by attacking the strong hill fort of Nunjungie.
On nearing it, the hill men caught sight of us and rushing down the hillside sought to overwhelm my small force. The 44th, however, remained steady and the enemy was repulsed. The rebels then set fire to the dry jungle which surrounded the fort but by this means they also failed to destroy us. Placing myself at the head of the 44th Regiment we rushed up the hill to the gates of the stockade and throwing myself against them they gave way with a crash, and after a short fight the fort was taken.
Following up this success every stockade in the district was captured, and the enemy completely defeated and disarmed. For this service I received the Commendation of the Secretary of State for India in Council.’

The Jyntera Hill Tribes Revolt, 1862-63
In 1862-63 the Jynteah Hill Tribes revolted again, and Buist’s Statement of Service reads:
‘The operations involved the capture of many hill forts and in these operations I took an important part. At the capture of five stockades, viz, Moonsow; Ooksai; Nurnkrraie; Raielyand; and forth recapture of Moonsow, I had the honour three times of leading the very successful Gurkha storming parties and had the good fortune of being the first into the strongholds of the enemy on these occasions. In many cases the fighting was severe; especially in the taking of the strong fort of Ooksai which was only captured after a very severe hand-to-hand struggle. The enemy, however, before leaving had managed to set the place on fire and many of our wounded lay in every part of the fort unable to save themselves from the devouring flames. Hearing a cry that one of our Ghurkha N.C.O.s was lying in a blazing hut, the Commanding Officer and myself rushed to his rescue and just succeeded in saving him. Owing to our exertions all the wounded were saved from the conflagration.’

The Bhootan Expedition, June 1863
In June 1863 Buist commanded the right wing of the 44th Gurkhas at the capture of Dewangerrie under Major-General Tombs, V.C., K.C.B., in the Bhootan Expedition, and again his own Statement of Service reads:
‘I was then the only European officer present with the Regiment who had served with it during the Mutiny, and I may safely state that my men had as much confidence in me as I had in their unswerving loyalty in times of the greatest crisis to the British Government. The continuous heavy fighting, malarial fever, cholera and the numerous hardships inseparable from a campaign, told so much on the regiment, that a private who had formerly been my orderly obtained in a few years the highest post in the corps to which a native can rise, that of Subedar-Major. He was shot not long afterwards while gallantly leading on his men.
The above operations on the N.E. frontier taxed severely the resources of the British Officers; not only had they to lead and direct their men, but had frequently to fight at close quarters for their very lives. I was on several occasions recommended for Brevet Rank, and had Major-General Showers, C.B., survived the effects of the campaign of 1862-3, I feel confident that he would very strongly have urged my claim to some reward; as it is, I have only received thanks for all my services.’

Sold with an original publication of the recipient’s ‘Statement of Services’; a portrait photograph of the recipient, this slightly damaged; and small photographs of the recipient and his wife contained in a double frame.