The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals

The North West Frontier campaign medal to Major-General L. S. Cotton, 22nd Regiment, who served as Aide-de-Camp to his father on the North West Frontier

India General Service 1854-94, 1 clasp, North West Frontier (Captn. & A.D.C. L. S. Cotton, 22nd Regt.) very fine £400-450

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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Lynch Stapleton Cotton, the second son of General Sir Sydney Cotton (see Lot 41), and Marianne, daughter of Captain Hackett, H.M’s 22nd Light Dragoons, was born on 21 December 1828, and was commissioned Ensign in H.M’s 22nd Regiment of Foot on 8 September 1846. Promoted Lieutenant on 27 May 1848, he served as Aide-de-Camp to his father from December 1857, when the latter commanded the Peshawar Division. He became Captain on 16 March 1858, and between 22 April and 5 May 1858 took part in the operations of the Sittana Field Force, being present at the destruction, without opposition, of the hostile strongholds of Chinglai on 26 April, and destruction of Mangal Thana on 29 April.

On 3 May he was with his father’s force when it moved to Khabal with the intention of destroying the last remaining Hindustani stronghold at Sittana, in cooperation with Major Becher’s column from the left bank of the Indus. An enveloping attack was made on the morning of the 4th by a portion of Sir Sydney’s force and Beecher’s men; the enemy were caught by a cross fire, and after a short hand-to-hand struggle, every Hindustani in the position was either killed or taken prisoner. Of this decisive engagement it is stated that the fighting of the ‘Hindustanis’ was strongly marked with fanaticism; ‘they came boldly and doggedly on, going through all the preliminary attitudes of the Indian prize-ring, but in perfect silence, without a shout or a word of any kind. All were dressed in their best for the occasion, mostly in white, but some of the leaders wore velvet cloaks.’

For services with the Sittana Field Force, Lynch was mentioned in despatches. He afterwards exchanged into H.M’s 97th (Earl of Ulster’s) and 63rd Regiments, becoming Major on 9 March 1867, half Colonel on 30 April 1873, and full Colonel five years later. He married, in 1855, Jane Gordon, daughter of James Inglis of Aberdeenshire, and was latterly Assistant Adjutant, Quartermaster-General, and Commandant of the Royal Hibernian Military Academy. Advanced to the rank of Major-General on 8 July 1888, Lynch Cotton died on 7 March 1899.

Refs: Hart’s Army Lists; Burke’s Peerage.