TEETHING PROBLEMS, 1856–1867 69
a VC by Private Samuel Morely (no apparent relation to Thomas Morely)
of the Military Train was proof that a man could nominate himself for the
award and get it, providing he went through proper channels and he had
actually done something worthy of recognition. Private Morely had saved
the life of the adjutant of a Sikh cavalry unit on 15 April 1858 when the latter
had been dismounted, wounded, and surrounded by the enemy. Despite
having had his own horse shot from under him, Morely and another man
rushed to the aid of the adjutant and shielded him with their own bodies
until rescue arrived.^88
The other man, Farrier Michael Murphy had been severely wounded in
the incident and recommended for the VC by the commanding officer of the
Military Train. He was gazetted for the award 27 May 1859, which prompted
Morely to apply for a Cross for himself.^89 He did so with the permission
of his commanding officer and applied through regimental channels rather
than approaching the War Office, the Duke, or the Queen directly. The War
Office and Horse Guards decided they could hardly award one man and
not the other for performing the same deed, and on 7 August 1860 Samuel
Morely was gazetted as the newest recipient of the country’s highest honor.^90
The troop commitments required to quell the Mutiny also forced the
Army to shuffle its garrisons, which contributed to a major change in
the Victoria Cross warrant to include bravery beyond the battlefield as a
legitimate reason to award the Cross. The incident that provoked this change
was a fire aboard the troop transportSarah Sandson 11 November 1857. As
the fire spread from the galley and grew out of control, the women and
children accompanying the 54th Regiment were placed in boats and out of
immediate danger. In the proud tradition of the troops aboard the stricken
Birkenheadsix years earlier, the men of the regiment remained aboard rather
than risk swamping the boats carrying their dependents.^91
At sea and with no hope of immediate aid, the regiment fought the
fire. Foremost among them was Private Andrew Walsh, who helped empty
the powder magazine, carrying sacks of black powder through burning
companionways to toss them over the side. He also took part in slapping
out fires in the rigging with wet blankets atop the burning mainmast. The
54th fought the fire for 16 hours until it was finally extinguished and the
women and children could be brought back aboard.
The heroism shown by the 54th in the protection of lives and property
prompted a movement within the government to extend the Cross warrant
to include noncombat valour. The Duke of Cambridge made the first inquiry
on 5 April 1858, suggesting to the War Office that the warrant should be
so amended. His suggestion met a sympathetic audience:
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