TEETHING PROBLEMS, 1856–1867 61
over the armed forces in India, with three separate military commands, or
presidencies, operating three distinct military formations.^60
An additional problem was that not all of the sepoys revolted. Most of
the uprising was limited to Bengal; few of the native units in the two other
presidencies expressed any form of sympathy with the rebels, much less
joined in the rebellion. Even in Bengal a number of units remained true to
their salt.^61 Many of the sepoys and sowars that fought alongside the British
troops exhibited courage and loyalty far in excess of the value of their pay.
If all the Indian troops had risen it would have been simple to deny them
access to official recognition of their courage. That most had remained loyal
complicated the equation.
The government moved fairly quickly in opening the VC to troops
involved in putting down the Mutiny, but with characteristic vagueness. In
late October 1857 the Queen signed an amendment to the Warrant of 29
January 1856 that extended the VC to ‘be conferred on the officers & men
of the Naval and Military Services of the East India Company who may be
qualified to receive the same in accordance with the rules and ordinances
that govern the Victoria Cross for Royal Troops.’^62 This meant that some
recommendations from India for the VC might be entertained, but ‘may be’
implied a degree of discretion in the final decision on the part of the home
authorities as to which they would accept.
The troops in the field were by and large willing to pay tribute to the
courage of their native comrades. There is even one (probably apocryphal)
story in which the 9th Lancers nominated theirbhistifor the VC due to the
courage the water carrier had shown in tending the wounded at Lucknow.^63
The Governor-General, Viscount Charles Canning (who later got the nick-
name ‘Clemency Canning’ for his treatment of former Mutineers), quickly
determined to exclude sepoy and sowar from the Victoria Cross:
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th
instant, with copy therein enclosed of the dispatch from the Governor
General in India in Council to the Court of Directors of the East India
Company dated the 13th of October last, recommending that the decora-
tion of the Victoria Cross should not be extended to native troops in India;
and I have to acquaint you in reply that her Majesty’s confidential servants
are of opinion that in deference to the Governor General’s judgment the
native troops should not be considered as eligible for this decoration.
I do not therefore intend to take any steps with regard to the commu-
nications of the Governor of Bombay in Council, communicated to me in
your letter of the 24th ultimo, that the decoration of the Victoria Cross
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