Thursday 4 August 2011

The Treasury



For practical purposes, I have designated this as the last stop - correctly, it belongs to the Bailey Guard gateway. It was commanded by Lieutenant Aitken and the brave men of the 13th N.I. 
The long room in the centre of the building was used for making Enfield cartridges – it is interesting to point out that at the beginning of the siege, there no provisions had been made to produce these and manufacture only started when Major North, of Havelock’s force provided a mould and a second was discovered in the compound. The rest of the building was used a store room, a treasury and last but not least as the barracks of the 13th N.I. and their commander.

There are some interesting memorials at the Treasury and worth taking time to read. Besides a tribute to Lieutenant Aitkens and the 13th N.I. there is also a grand marble column situated to the front of the Treasury and right of the Bailey Guard that should not be overlooked. It is inscribed in three languages and now sadly defaced, is not as supposed, a tribute to the British but to the Indians:

“To the Memory of
The Native Officers and Sepoys
Of the
13th Native Infanty, 41st Native Infantry
488th Native Infantry, 71st Native Infantry
The Oude Irregular Force,
Native Pensioners,  New Native Levies
Artillery, and Lucknow Magazine
Who died near this spot
Nobly performing their duty.”

And nor should they be forgotten.




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