enough of digression. Shortly after the roll was called at the
Martiniere, a most unfortunate accident took place. Corporal Cooper and
four or five men went into one of the rooms of the Martiniere in which
there was a quantity of loose powder which had been left by the enemy,
and somehow,--it was never known how--the powder got ignited and they
were all blown up, their bodies completely charred and their eyes
scorched out. The poor fellows all died in the greatest agony within an
hour or so of the accident, and none of them ever spoke to say how it
happened. The quantity of powder was not sufficient to shatter the
house, but it blew the doors and windows out, and burnt the poor fellows
as black as charcoal. This sad accident cast a gloom over the regiment,
and made me again very mindful of and thankful for my own narrow
escape, and that of my comrades in the Shah Nujeef on that memorable
night of the 16th of November.

Later in the day our sadness increased when it was found that
Colour-Sergeant Alexander Knox, of No. 2 company, was missing. He had
called the roll of his company at daylight, and had then gone to see a
friend in the Seventy-Eighth Highlanders. He had stayed some time with
his friend and left to return to his own regiment, but was never heard
of again. Poor Knox had two brothers in the regiment, and he was the
youngest of the three. He was a most deserving and popular
non-commissioned officer, decorated with the French war medal and the
Cross of the Legion of Honour for valour in the Crimea, and was about to
be promoted sergeant-major of the regiment, _vice_ Murray killed in the
Secundrabagh. His fate was never known.

About two o'clock in the afternoon, the regiment being all together
again, the following general order was read to us, and although this is
well-known history, still there must be many of the readers of these
reminiscences who have not ready access to histories. I will therefore
quote the general order in question for the information of young
soldiers.

HEADQUARTERS, LA MARTINIERE, LUCKNOW, _23rd
November, 1857_.

1. The Commander-in-Chief has reason to be thankful to the
force he conducted for the relief of the garrison of
Lucknow.

2. Hastily assembled, fatigued by forced marches, but
animated by a common feeling of determination to accomplish
the duty before them, all ranks of this force have
compensated for their small number,