Colonel William Battine writes from Fort William Calcutta 1837

 

Interior of Fort William

The vast and impressive second Fort William in Calcutta was for a century until 1858 the military headquarters of the British East India company; in 1837 Colonel William Battine of the Bengal Artillery lived there with his wife and family. In Queen Victoria’s 1838 Coronation Honours he was made a Commander of the Order of Bath (CB) and, still in India, died in 1851 with the rank of Major-General. Born in Wales sometime after 1785 he married a much younger Louisa Haig born in India in 1809. Their son Charles Battine born in 1832 became a Lieutenant in the 14th Bengal Native Infantry and during the Indian Mutiny or Uprising was one of those killed in the Cawnpore Massacre of 27 June 1857.

In this letter William Battine writes to his wife’s father Alexander Haig (1762-1840) now living in retirement in Bath after a career as a surgeon with the East India Company. The main topic of the letter are the affairs of Haig’s sons Charles (born 1806) and Alexander (born 1812) who are both in India and for whose welfare, financial and pastoral, Battine has accepted responsibility. The tone of the letter is warm but centres on the hard-headed business of funding the cost of getting military promotions; they had to be purchased.

In his conscientious efforts on behalf of Dr Haig’s two sons Colonel Battine did not foresee the First Anglo-Afghan War. Charles William Haig successfully purchased a Captaincy in the 5^th Native Infantry but was killed on 13^th January 1842 during the decimating retreat from Kabul; Alexander Haig, Adjutant of the Fourth Irregular Cavalry, died on 13^th August 1842 at Ferozepore towards the end of the war, whether as the result of enemy action, injuries or illness is not stated in the death notice posted in London’s The Spectator.

 

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Transcription

Addressed to: A. Haig Esqr, 14 Marlbro Buildings Bath England

Pr Renown [to be sent by the ship Renown]

Datelined: Fort William 5^th Octbr 1837

My dear Sir

It is now some time since we have had the pleasure of receiving any letters from Bath but the last which have come to hand gave rather favourable accounts of the health of the family and I trust as the summer approached you would all derive benefit from the greater warmth of the season.

In a letter which I wrote in July last I communicated to you the birth of our fourth son. Louisa I am happy to say got pretty well over her confinement and the infant is thriving well considering the very hot & trying season we have had – the heat this year has been excessive & even yet we have not had any thing like the usual quantity of rain. We have no late accounts from Charles, his last letter to me was dated early last month – he was then quite well & wrote in good spirits – he is very steady and makes a small remittance to me almost every month – accumulating a small fund which I believe he hopes to apply in purchasing out the Major of his Regt. I hope the Major may be induced to go as Charles will then be a Regt. Captain – a step which would be a great advance to him in every respect.

Alexander came up from Midnapore and passed about 20 days with us last month – he is I think very attentive to his duties and will I doubt not make an excellent Adjt [Adjutant] he really appears to be fond of it. In Col. and Mrs Simpson he has met with very kind friends.

I beg now to enclose a memorandum of Accounts shewing the Sums advanced by me to Alexander under your authority. Also the amounts received by me on Your Accounts from the Government Agents, the balance appearing to remain in my favor was 1495.1.4 [unclear if this is Pounds Shillings and Pence or Rupees Annas Pies]  & which I hope you will approve of. The Cash can be paid at your perfect convenience to Messrs. Palmers, Mackilop & Co Coleman Street London, or to myself when I may be in England. I discontinued making monthly payments to Alexander immediately on his drawing full Batta ["full batta" refers to the special allowance given to officers and soldiers in the field] in Novr. 1835 altho he was then on Ensigns allowances only. I did so as I thought it best (I had done all you authorized me to do) - all his debts having been paid off - that he should be brought into habits of economy and accustomed to live on his pay & I am happy to say Alexr. most cheerfully & readily came into the measure. Having stated this much I must mention again certain advances to Alexr. He is still in debt & it is probable he will be so for some short [time] to come – but he is doing very well & makes his remittances to me regularly every month. Alexrs. present debt to me has been caused by his having paid a considerable sum to the late Adjt. who went to the Cape on account of health & might have held the Adjutancy again on his return & have drawn half the Staff salary during his absence. Alexander also joined in purchasing out a Lieut of his Regt & thereby became a Lieut. For this step he had to pay about 700 Rs [rupees] all this was money well expended & I had pleasure in advancing it. We have some hope that he will be able to purchase out another officer & if he has I will advance the necessary funds, he is now so steady I have no apprehension of being repaid in a reasonable time.

We have had various reports of another Burmese War but I can see no probability of it. There are certainly no warlike preparations on our part. The Govr. Genrl. will leave Calcutta for the Upper Provinces about the 20^th Inst by Steam as far as Benares where his Camp Equipage will be ready. The whole of the Council remain in Calcutta. The Comr. in Chief has been on the Hills at Simla all the hot season but is expected on the plains about the end of this month. It is understood he will pass the next hot winds again at Simla.

Louisa desires me offer her best Love to Mrs Haig, yourself & her sisters in which permit me to join. Believe me yrs most affectionately W Battine

I find I have not said anything of what we may do in the cold season we are thinking seriously of quitting India for England Febry next, two of our boys must go [presumably to school in England]. Louisa has not been in very good health & I am inclined to think a change of air & scene may be useful to myself as well as the others so that now I think it highly probable we may make the move – we must now very shortly come to a decision WB

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References

Wikipedia: Siege of Cawnpore

William Dalrymple Return of a King (2012) on the first Afghan war

William Dalrymple The Anarchy. The Relentless Rise of the East India Company (2019) on the early history of the Company including an account of the destruction of the first Fort William.