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| Bengal Yeomanry Cavalry |
The Bengal Yeomanry Cavalry was raised by Lord Canning at Calcutta in July of 1857, after the start of the Mutiny to help
deal with the desperate need by the British for cavalry troops. As its name implies,the BYC was made up of European
volunteers. Some of the volunteers were high born and some were indigo planters displaced by the Mutiny. One source
stated that, "This splendid body of Yeomanry was raised from planters and other Europeans who had lost everything at the
outbreak of the Mutiny." They were especially prominent during the action at Amorha in March of 1858, when a large body
of Mutineers were advancing upon Azimghur. The BYC was disbanded in 1861, following the conclusion of the hostilities of
the Mutiny and the reorganization of the Bengal Army following the transfer of the HEIC forces to the Crown.
It has been said that the BYC was a regiment composed of rather unique individuals under the command of a brilliant leader;
they were somewhat ostentatious, but fought long and well. This is one of the most colorful cavalry regiments of the Indian
Mutiny. The service of the BYC is chronicled in the book Volunteering in India by J.T. Nash, which tells of the BYC's
gallant cavalry charges against vastly superior forces. The drawing shown above and the extract below is taken from the
book:
“At this critical time of national gloom, when there was mourning throughout the length and breath of England, and Upper
India was saturated with the innocent blood of our hapless fellow-countrymen, Volunteers - amid great demonstrations of
enthusiasm - cheerfully responded to the appeal contained in the above-quoted notification, and within a week of its
publication a cavalry regiment- composed not of “European adventurers and Eurasians,” as was at first surmised, but of
young military officers recently arrived from England, or those left idle by the mutiny of their regiment, of clerks in the
Government and mercantile offices, of midshipmen belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental and other companies’ ships, of
indigo planters, of some unemployed Europeans and Eurasians, of young men related to the best families in the country; and
most of these were excellent riders, good shots, and keen sportsmen - was actually formed, mounted, equipped, and ready for
service in the field.”
deal with the desperate need by the British for cavalry troops. As its name implies,the BYC was made up of European
volunteers. Some of the volunteers were high born and some were indigo planters displaced by the Mutiny. One source
stated that, "This splendid body of Yeomanry was raised from planters and other Europeans who had lost everything at the
outbreak of the Mutiny." They were especially prominent during the action at Amorha in March of 1858, when a large body
of Mutineers were advancing upon Azimghur. The BYC was disbanded in 1861, following the conclusion of the hostilities of
the Mutiny and the reorganization of the Bengal Army following the transfer of the HEIC forces to the Crown.
It has been said that the BYC was a regiment composed of rather unique individuals under the command of a brilliant leader;
they were somewhat ostentatious, but fought long and well. This is one of the most colorful cavalry regiments of the Indian
Mutiny. The service of the BYC is chronicled in the book Volunteering in India by J.T. Nash, which tells of the BYC's
gallant cavalry charges against vastly superior forces. The drawing shown above and the extract below is taken from the
book:
“At this critical time of national gloom, when there was mourning throughout the length and breath of England, and Upper
India was saturated with the innocent blood of our hapless fellow-countrymen, Volunteers - amid great demonstrations of
enthusiasm - cheerfully responded to the appeal contained in the above-quoted notification, and within a week of its
publication a cavalry regiment- composed not of “European adventurers and Eurasians,” as was at first surmised, but of
young military officers recently arrived from England, or those left idle by the mutiny of their regiment, of clerks in the
Government and mercantile offices, of midshipmen belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental and other companies’ ships, of
indigo planters, of some unemployed Europeans and Eurasians, of young men related to the best families in the country; and
most of these were excellent riders, good shots, and keen sportsmen - was actually formed, mounted, equipped, and ready for
service in the field.”
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