Thursday, January 25th, 1900
A Bit of History.
EDITOR REGISTER: -
In connection with the interesting account given in your issue of the 11th, of our Nova Scotian V. C, Mr. Hall, of Avonport, King’s County, it may perhaps be worth mentioning that Lucknow, the city where he won his great honour, was first besieged when in the hands of the British, when it was defended by about 1700 troops against a besieging force of some 10,000, and during the most of its 12 weeks trying experiences at that time was commanded by another Nova Scotian hero, Inglis, a son of our own Bishop Inglis, and at one time student of King’s College. After its relief by Sir Colin Campbell it was evacuated by the English, and on falling into the hands of the Sepoys it was fortified by them, and occupied by a large force. In March of the following year (1858) it was again beseiged, this time by the English under Sir Colin, who effected a partial entrance on the 4th, though he did not succeed in capturing it until the 21st, when the enemy escaped, abandoning their city.
Another fact in the history of our Nova Scotian colored hero is that before joining the British Navy, Mr. Hall was an able seaman in the Navy of the U. S., (of course before the Civil war), during which time he was shipmate with Captain Taylor Wood, of Halifax, whose singularly promising son, Lieut. C. C. Wood, of the Loyal Lancashire Reg., was so unfortunately killed near Belmont in the early part of our present war against the Boers, the first, and so far, happily, the only Canadian to give his blood on the battle field for our Empire in the present War in South Africa.
During the past summer, Captain Wood, while on a visit to Windsor, drove over to Avonport and had a long chat with his old comrade Hall, during which many an incident was recalled of the happy intercourse of the young Middy with the stalwart A. B. of the U. S. Navy.
S. WESTON JONES.
Windsor, Jan. 15th, 1900.