John Nicholson | Page 5

mountains. Within a few hours they were safe inside the British
lines.
Nicholson duly marched with the main army to Cabul, and had the
satisfaction of seeing the Afghan capital suffer the punishment it justly
merited. On the way home, however, he experienced the first great loss
in his life. His youngest brother, Alexander, who had but recently
joined the Company's service, was killed in the desultory fighting
outside the city, and to Nicholson fell the sad duty of identifying the
boy's body as it was found, stripped and mutilated, by the roadside.

[1] Life of John Nicholson.
CHAPTER III.
ONE OF LAWRENCE'S LIEUTENANTS.
The three years that John Nicholson had spent in India had left their
mark upon him. The stripling had grown to man's stature. He was now
full six feet in height, black-haired and dark of eye, and with a grave
manner which the exciting experiences he had passed through had
intensified. Many people found the young officer too cold and austere
for their liking, but the haughty demeanour which characterised him in
reality covered a warm and sympathetic nature, of which those who
were admitted into his intimacy were fully aware. By this time he had
made several notable friends, including Major George Lawrence
(brother of the future Lord Lawrence), and a subaltern in the 16th

Native Infantry, named Neville Chamberlain, who was to make a great
name for himself in the stirring days to come.
To such as had followed his career Nicholson had come through his
baptism of fire with flying colours. He had shown himself possessed of
high courage, and had won admiration as much for his fortitude in
captivity as for his bravery in action. So far, indeed, the life of a soldier
had suited him; he was now to see the other side of the shield and
experience the peaceful but monotonous existence in cantonments at
Meerut and Moradabad.
In this distasteful period of inaction, he applied himself diligently to the
study of native languages, and was able to report to his mother ere long
that he had passed the interpreter's examination. What also eased the
irksomeness of his situation was his appointment as adjutant of his
regiment. The new duties that fell to his lot gave him plenty of
employment.
But the reign of peace was destined to be short. In the autumn of 1845
came the first signs of a great rising among the Sikhs, whose territory
was divided from the British by the river Sutlej. This warlike nation
had reached the height of their power under the famous Ranjit Singh.
After his death no fit successor was found to rule in his place, and the
turbulent soldiery quickly found an excuse to rebel against the British
Government which held them in check by the troops massed upon the
frontiers.
War was declared in November. In the following month occurred the
battles of Moodkee and Ferozeshah, in which General Sir Hugh Gough
was victorious over the Sikh army. At these fierce engagements
Nicholson was present as a commissariat officer, and not, to his regret,
as a combatant. Some weeks later followed the victories of Aliwal and
Sobraon, which resulted in the youthful Prince Dhuleep Singh, the
avowed head of the Sikhs, making his submission, and gave the British
a foothold in the Punjaub.
By one clause of the treaty which was concluded, the province of
Cashmere was ceded to us, but shortly afterwards it was made over to

the Maharajah Gholab Singh of Jummu for the sum of one million
sterling. At the request of the Maharajah, the Government now selected
two officers to assist the new ruler in keeping his subjects in order,
their choice falling on Captain Broome of the Bengal Artillery and
Lieutenant Nicholson. The latter owed this step to Henry Lawrence, to
whom he had been already introduced and upon whom he had made a
distinct impression. Colonel Lawrence himself had succeeded Major
George Broadfoot,[1] the distinguished political agent for the Punjaub,
and was installed as British Resident at Lahore.
The ostensible reason for the appointment of Broome and Nicholson
was the need for drilling and disciplining the Cashmere army, but they
soon found that their presence was required by the Maharajah simply to
show that he had the support of the British. It was highly desirable that
a display of such friendship should be made, for the Sikh inhabitants
did not take at all kindly to their new chief. After a stay at Jummu
Gholab Singh set out for Cashmere, accompanied by Broome and
Nicholson and a small body of his own troops. Before many days had
elapsed he was hastening back to his capital with such of his soldiers
who could escape from the insurgents, while the two British officers
just managed to avoid