The bravery medals of the last English soldier to leave the besieged Lucknow Residency during India’s First War of Independence in 1857 are being auctioned on Wednesday by British military and medal auction house called Bosleys at Marlow in Buckinghamshire.
Two medals awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Peach Waterman of the 13th Native Infantry are estimated to sell for £3,500 - £4,000, according to Bosleys. Waterman, who was 37 years old at the time, very famously had slept through the British withdrawal from the Lucknow Residency, which was besieged by 30,000 Indian rebel soldiers, to find himself alone on waking up.
His daring escape from Lucknow was chronicled in History of the Indian Mutiny, written by Charles Ball and published in 1859, Bosleys said.
Waterman’s Indian Mutiny Medal and Punjab Campaign Medal, which are mounted on a modern display frame along with a copy his photograph a copy of the original letter reissuing the Punjab Medal and a short narrative of his role in the Lucknow siege is on sale at the auction.
The first issue of the Punjab Medal, which he got for taking part in the Punjab disturbances, was lost during the Lucknow siege and he received an official replacement in February 1858.
Calcutta-born Waterman was one of the original defenders of the Lucknow Residency after the Indian uprising and was wounded in the left hand while commanding the Cawnpore Battery at Innis outpost.
British soon decided to evacuate the Lucknow Residency, which was surrounded by 30,000 Indian soldiers. However, on the night of November 22-23, 1857, Waterman he fell asleep in the Brigade Mess House and was inadvertently left behind by the rear party in the Residency, bsoleys said, quoting the details from Ball’s book.
Waterman was saved eventually after he fled the Residency and managed to catch up with the rear guard of the British troops.