The Heroic Garrison (Alexander Sheridan Adventures) (Vol 5)

259 Pages·2003·0.91 MB·English

by  V. A. Stuart

FICTION $13.95
V.A.
Stuart
Praise for V. A. Stuart
kk
The
“For historical accuracy, writing verve and skill, and pace Heroic
of narrative, [Stuart] stands alone.”
Garrison
—El Paso Times
Alexander
Sheridan
1857, Lucknow. General Havelock’s Moveable Column—a Adventures
force of barely a thousand men—has fought its way through to 5
the heroic garrison defending the Residency in Lucknow. They
bring hope and fresh soldiers, but supplies are running low,
and escape is impossible. They must hold firm until the reliev-
ing force reaches them.
Colonel Alex Sheridan volunteers for a dangerous mission,
but is captured. He is soon called upon to fight a much more
personal war—assassination of the very man who ordered the
deaths of his wife and child!
V.A. STUART wrote several series of military fiction and
numerous other novels under various pseudonyms, her settings
spanning history and the globe, from the Napoleonic wars of
Europe to India under the British Raj. Born in 1914, she was in
Burma with the British Fourteenth Army, became a lieutenant,
and was decorated with the Burma Star and the Pacific Star.
The Alexander Sheridan Adventures, No.5
McBOOKS PRESS
ISBN: 978-1-59013-030-8
www.mcbooks.com 91395
9 781590 130308
MCBOOKS
PRESS
Stuart5 3/5/09 2:09 PM Page 1
THE HEROIC GARRISON
k k
Stuart5 3/5/09 2:09 PM Page 2
Historical Fiction Published by McBooks Press
BYALEXANDERKENT BYDEWEYLAMBDIN
Midshipman Bolitho The French Admiral
Stand into Danger Jester’s Fortune
In Gallant Company BYDOUGLASREEMAN
Sloop of War Badge of Glory
To Glory We Steer First to Land
Command a King’s Ship The Horizon
Passage to Mutiny Dust on the Sea
With All Despatch
Form Line of Battle! BYV.A.STUART
Victors and Lords
Enemy in Sight!
The Sepoy Mutiny
The Flag Captain
Massacre at Cawnpore
Signal–Close Action!
The Cannons of Lucknow
The Inshore Squadron
The Heroic Garrison
A Tradition of Victory
Success to the Brave BYC.NORTHCOTEPARKINSON
Colours Aloft! The Guernseyman
Honour this Day Devil to Pay
The Only Victor The Fireship
Beyond the Reef Touch and Go
The Darkening Sea BYCAPTAINFREDERICKMARRYAT
For My Country’s Freedom Frank Mildmay ORThe Naval Officer
Cross of St George The King’s Own
Sword of Honour Mr Midshipman Easy
Second to None Newton Forster OR
Relentless Pursuit The Merchant Service
BYDUDLEYPOPE Snarleyyow ORThe Dog Fiend
Ramage The Privateersman
Ramage & The Drumbeat The Phantom Ship
Ramage & The Freebooters BYJANNEEDLE
Governor Ramage R.N. A Fine Boy for Killing
Ramage’s Prize The Wicked Trade
Ramage & The Guillotine
BYIRVC.ROGERS
Ramage’s Diamond
Motoo Eetee
Ramage’s Mutiny
Ramage & The Rebels BYNICHOLASNICASTRO
The Ramage Touch The Eighteenth Captain
Ramage’s Signal Between Two Fires
Ramage & The Renegades BYW.CLARKRUSSELL
Ramage’s Devil Wreck of the Grosvenor
Ramage’s Trial Yarn of Old Harbour Town
Ramage’s Challenge
BYRAFAELSABATINI
Ramage at Trafalgar
Captain Blood
Ramage & The Scaracens
Ramage & The Dido BYMICHAELSCOTT
Tom Cringle’s Log
BYDAVIDDONACHIE
The Devil’s Own Luck BYA.D.HOWDENSMITH
Porto Bello Gold
The Dying Trade
A Hanging Matter BYR.F.DELDERFIELD
An Element of Chance Too Few for Drums
The Scent of Betrayal Seven Men of Gascony
A Game of Bones
Stuart5 3/5/09 2:09 PM Page 3
The
Heroic
Garrison
k k
V. A. S
TUART
The Alexander Sheridan Adventures, No. 5
MCBOOKS PRESS
ITHACA,NEWYORK
Stuart5 3/5/09 2:09 PM Page 4
Published by McBooks Press 2003
Copyright © 1975 by V.A.Stuart
First published in Great Britain by Robert Hale Limited,London 1975
All rights reserved,including the right to reproduce this book or any portion
thereof in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical,without
the written permission of the publisher.Requests for such permissions
should be addressed to McBooks Press,Inc.,
IDBooth Building,520 North Meadow St.,Ithaca,NY 14850.
Cover painting:The Indian Mutiny,1857: Bengal Army Sepoys Rebel against
British Soldiers at Meerut,near Delhi.
Courtesy of Peter Newark’s Military Pictures
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stuart,V.A.
The heroic garrison / by V.A.Stuart.
p. cm.— (Alexander Sheridan adventures ;no. 5)
ISBN 1-59013-030-8 (alk.paper)
1.Sheridan,Alexander (Fictitious character)—Fiction.
2.British—India—Fiction. 3.India—History—Sepoy Rebellion,1857-
1858—Fiction. 4.Great Britain—History,Military—19th century—
Fiction. 5.Lucknow (India)—History—Siege,1857—Fiction. I.Title
PR6063.A38 H47 2003
823’.914—dc21 2002012358
All McBooks Press publications can also be ordered by calling toll-free
1-888-BOOKS11 (1-888-266-5711).
Please call to request a free catalog.
Visit the McBooks Press website at www.mcbooks.com.
Printed in the United States of America
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Stuart5 3/5/09 2:09 PM Page 5
For my good friend Jim Schaaf of Concord,California,in the
hope that,in the sharing of a mutual admiration for the deeds of
brave soldiers,this book may give him pleasure.
j
s •
Stuart5 3/5/09 2:09 PM Page 6
I N D I A
Stuart5 3/5/09 2:09 PM Page 7
T I B E T
Stuart5 3/5/09 2:09 PM Page 8
Stuart5 3/5/09 2:09 PM Page 9
AUTHOR’S NOTE
j
s •
WITHTHE EXCEPTION of the final episode—which could have hap-
pened—everything recounted in this book actually took place.
The only fictional characters are Alex Sheridan and Henri
Court; all the others are called by their correct names and their
actions are on historical record although,of course,conversations
with the fictitious characters and dialogue with each other are
imagined.As far as possible,however,such conversations are based
on their known views or actions.
Both General Wheeler’s two daughters were officially on record
as having died or been killed at or shortly after the massacre of the
Cawnpore garrison,the elder by her own hand,after she had shot
and killed the cavalry sowar who rescued her from the Suttee
Chowra Ghat and sought to make her his wife.A strong rumour
persisted for many years that the younger had been forcibly con-
verted to the Moslem faith and that,having married a sowar of the
Light Cavalry,she was living with him near Lucknow when the
Mutiny ended ...and that she had no wish to return to her father’s
people.It is possible that rumour confused her with Amelia Horne,
whose story—told later by herself—was exactly similar.
Another persistent rumour was of the presence of a European
officer with the mutineers during the siege of the Lucknow
Residency. His nationality was unknown but it was generally
believed that he was French or of mixed French and Sikh blood,
• 9 •