| Major General Frederick Henry Smith |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Bengal Staff Corps and Commandant 18th Bengal Cavalry |
Frederick Henry Smith was born 6 March 1824, the son of John Smith of Devonport, a Solicitor, and his wife Charlotte. He was
baptized on 15 April 1824 at Stoke Damerel, Devonshire.
Having been educated at Eton, the then 17 year old Frederick Smith was nominated to be a Cadet in the Bengal Infantry by
William Astell, Esq., at the recommendation of the Rt. Hon. Baron Ashburton. Smith passed the examination on 17 February 1841,
and was commissioned an Ensign on 2 April 1841. He sailed for India to join his regiment and arrived in India on 31 July 1841.
baptized on 15 April 1824 at Stoke Damerel, Devonshire.
Having been educated at Eton, the then 17 year old Frederick Smith was nominated to be a Cadet in the Bengal Infantry by
William Astell, Esq., at the recommendation of the Rt. Hon. Baron Ashburton. Smith passed the examination on 17 February 1841,
and was commissioned an Ensign on 2 April 1841. He sailed for India to join his regiment and arrived in India on 31 July 1841.
In India, Smith was posted to the 34th Bengal Native Infantry and
serve with that regiment until it was disbanded in March of 1844.
He was then attached to the 9th Bengal Native Infantry until
February 1846. While serving with the 9th B.N.I. he was promoted
to Lieutenant on 10 January 1845.
Lieutenant Smith was posted to the 9th Infantry Levy at Mynpoorie
as Adjutant in February 1846, but only served in that position until
March of 1846 when he transferred to the 46th Bengal Native
Infantry. He only served with the 46th B.N.I. until July, when he
again transferred, this time to the re-embodied 34th B.N.I. at
Loodinah where he served until April of 1847, when he was appointed
as Sub-Assistant in the Stud Department until May of 1848.
Following his appointment with the Stud Department, Smith was to be
posted to a cavalry regiment and would never again actually serve in
an infantry regiment. In May of 1848, Smith, as was common, while
still a Lieutenant in the 34 B.N.I., was posted to the 16th Bengal
Irregular Cavalry. He was appointed Adjutant on 30 March 1854,
and was promoted to Brevet Captain on 2 April 1856, Captain on 11
December 1856, and Second in Command in May of 1857 (at the very
beginning of the Indian Mutiny).
serve with that regiment until it was disbanded in March of 1844.
He was then attached to the 9th Bengal Native Infantry until
February 1846. While serving with the 9th B.N.I. he was promoted
to Lieutenant on 10 January 1845.
Lieutenant Smith was posted to the 9th Infantry Levy at Mynpoorie
as Adjutant in February 1846, but only served in that position until
March of 1846 when he transferred to the 46th Bengal Native
Infantry. He only served with the 46th B.N.I. until July, when he
again transferred, this time to the re-embodied 34th B.N.I. at
Loodinah where he served until April of 1847, when he was appointed
as Sub-Assistant in the Stud Department until May of 1848.
Following his appointment with the Stud Department, Smith was to be
posted to a cavalry regiment and would never again actually serve in
an infantry regiment. In May of 1848, Smith, as was common, while
still a Lieutenant in the 34 B.N.I., was posted to the 16th Bengal
Irregular Cavalry. He was appointed Adjutant on 30 March 1854,
and was promoted to Brevet Captain on 2 April 1856, Captain on 11
December 1856, and Second in Command in May of 1857 (at the very
beginning of the Indian Mutiny).
It seems that it was soon decided that an all-Mahratta regiment was inadvisable, and Smith was allowed to raise at once a
squadron of Jats from the Bulanshahr district of the United Provinces. The Jats had done good service for us in the earlier
part of the Mutiny, and they were good material for cavalry. The regiment was apparently to consist of three squadrons, each
of two troops, one squadron being Jats and the other various classes; but the squadrons were raised, it seems, one at a time.
They must have been a somewhat strange assemblage. No attempts at uniform, or uniformity. Some trained soldiers of
different units, disbanded units perhaps with dress of varying colours and arms of every sort; for saddlery some had leather
saddles and bridles, others the felt-and-cotton quilts which we see in pictures representing the cavalry actions of the Sikh
Wars. Horses of every colour, age, class and soundness.
Their equipment and armament were rough and ready; even a year later, when more organized, one-third of each troop was
armed with sword and lance, the rest with swords only. Some twelve carbines in addition were issued per troop, the latter
being probably the only articles issued by the Government. Swords and lances, bits, bridles and at pinch, even carbines, could
be turned out by the village blacksmith; while saddlery, of a fashion, could be similarly improvised. But what the regiment
may have lacked in efficiency of armament was made up in the picturesqueness of its costume- a red cloth alkalak (blouse),
blue lungi, or turban as it was then called, with red flounce or fringe, multani muttee (orange coloured) pyjamas, jack-boots
and steel spurs.” (H. Hudson, History of the 19th King George’s Own Lancers 1858-1921)
The 2nd Mahratta Horse did good service during the Mutiny and was present at the defeat of the rebels under Feroz Shah at
Ranode on the 17th of December 1858 and the subsequent pursuit of Tantia Topee. For his services during the action at
Ranode, Captain Smith was mentioned in the dispatches of General Sir Robert Napier, K.C.B. (G.O.G.G. No. 183 of 1859, pg
106) He received the Indian Mutiny medal without clasp, named to him as a Captain in the 2nd Mahratta Horse.
(L/MIL/5/77).
squadron of Jats from the Bulanshahr district of the United Provinces. The Jats had done good service for us in the earlier
part of the Mutiny, and they were good material for cavalry. The regiment was apparently to consist of three squadrons, each
of two troops, one squadron being Jats and the other various classes; but the squadrons were raised, it seems, one at a time.
They must have been a somewhat strange assemblage. No attempts at uniform, or uniformity. Some trained soldiers of
different units, disbanded units perhaps with dress of varying colours and arms of every sort; for saddlery some had leather
saddles and bridles, others the felt-and-cotton quilts which we see in pictures representing the cavalry actions of the Sikh
Wars. Horses of every colour, age, class and soundness.
Their equipment and armament were rough and ready; even a year later, when more organized, one-third of each troop was
armed with sword and lance, the rest with swords only. Some twelve carbines in addition were issued per troop, the latter
being probably the only articles issued by the Government. Swords and lances, bits, bridles and at pinch, even carbines, could
be turned out by the village blacksmith; while saddlery, of a fashion, could be similarly improvised. But what the regiment
may have lacked in efficiency of armament was made up in the picturesqueness of its costume- a red cloth alkalak (blouse),
blue lungi, or turban as it was then called, with red flounce or fringe, multani muttee (orange coloured) pyjamas, jack-boots
and steel spurs.” (H. Hudson, History of the 19th King George’s Own Lancers 1858-1921)
The 2nd Mahratta Horse did good service during the Mutiny and was present at the defeat of the rebels under Feroz Shah at
Ranode on the 17th of December 1858 and the subsequent pursuit of Tantia Topee. For his services during the action at
Ranode, Captain Smith was mentioned in the dispatches of General Sir Robert Napier, K.C.B. (G.O.G.G. No. 183 of 1859, pg
106) He received the Indian Mutiny medal without clasp, named to him as a Captain in the 2nd Mahratta Horse.
(L/MIL/5/77).
In September of 1858 Captain Smith was appointed to raise and command the 2nd Mahratta Horse. The 2nd Mahratta Horse
became the 18th Bengal Cavalry and Frederick Smith continued to serve as Commandant until his retirement in 1876. He was
promoted Major on 2 April 1861, Lieutenant-Colonel on 2 April 1867, Colonel on 2 April 1872 and Major General on 14th June
1876.
Frederick Smith married Charlotte at Lucknow on 24 August 1846, the third daughter of General Sir Robert Henry Cunliffe,
4th Baronet, Bengal Establishment. She died at Torquay, Devon on 15 May 1883, without issue.
Smith retired on full pay on 2 April 1876. His total service for retirement was 32 years, 9 months and 24 days. In 1895, his
address was listed as Ravenscroft, Bathwick Hill, Bath, Somerset. His last entry in the Army List was in 1900.
Smith’s war service was extensive. He served in the Second Sikh War 1848-49 as a Lieutenant with the 16th Irregular Cavalry
with the force under Brigadier General H.M. Wheeler in the operations in Jullunder Doab. He was present at the storming and
capture of the Fort of Shahpore and the assault of the heights of Noorpore in September of 1848 and in the engagements at
Deenamuggur on the 28th of November and the heights of Umb on the 1st of December of that year. He was also present at the
storming of the heights of Dullah on the 16th of January 1849 when the 16th Irregular Cavalry volunteered and were permitted
to serve on foot during the storming. He received the Punjab medal without clasp named to him as a Lieutenant in the 16th
Irregular Cavalry. (L/MIL/5/72)
Smith next saw service on the North West Frontier of India in 1852 when the 16th Irregular Cavalry accompanied the force
under Colonel Mackenson, C.B. No medal or clasp was authorized for this expedition.
In March of 1855 Smith commanded a detachment of the 16th Irregular Cavalry which was employed against the Bussee Kheyt
and Aka Kheyt tribes in the Peshawur District. Mentioned in Lt. Col. Craigie’s dispatch dated 28 March 1855, “My best thanks
are due to (among others) Lieut. Smith commanding a detachment of the 16th Irregular Cavalry for their steady and gallant
conduct throughout. Received the India General Service medal with clasp North West Frontier, named to him as a Lieutenant in
the 16th Irregular Cavalry.(L/MIL/10/60)
During the Indian Mutiny, then Captain Smith raised and commanded the 2nd Mahratta Horse which served with the force under
General Sir R.Napier, K.C.B. in the Central India campaign. The Regimental History states:
“When, then, General Sir Robert Napier, commanding the Gwalior Division, found himself faced early in 1858 with the task of
restoring order in his own command, rounding rebels, putting pressure on recalcitrant chiefs, or breaking up possible
concentrations before they had time to materialize, he turned to the arm which he thought would serve him best- that was
cavalry, who were at that time the most self-supporting and independent branch of the Service; but he had not enough of them.
Cavalry required no magazines to support them- horses and men alike could exist on the country from day to day; they were
more or less independent of ammunition, for the firearms of those days carried only a few hundred yards, and the operations of
loading and firing were so involved that they made the action of cavalry with its arme blanche a comparatively safe one in such
guerrilla warfare. A sharp sword or tulwar, a sharp lance, a sharp pair of spurs and, above all, a good heart were what was
required, and it was for these that Napier looked.
To raise a regiment the first step is to find a Commanding Officer and a Second-in-Command. Captain F.H. Smith was selected
by Sir Robert Napier as Commandant and Lieutenant Hugh Gough was appointed Second-in-Command; in fact, the only other
officer appointed. The former was an officer of seventeen years’ service, but the latter was quite a youngster who, with his
younger brother Charles, had distinguished himself in the Mutiny, when both earned Victoria Crosses. The regiment was to be
known as the 2nd Mahratta Horse and was to be raised at Morar. It was, apparently, intended that it should consist mainly of
Mahrattas, but of late years that race seemed to have lost many of the fighting qualities which had made it formidable in the
early part of the century, and the Mahrattas were, moreover, considered not quite trustworthy.