Siege of Lucknow

Siege of Lucknow, (25 May–27 November 1857), sustained assault and eventual relief of the British "Residency" (British governmental headquarters) in India’s northern city of Lucknow, part of 1857–58 Indian Mutiny against British rule. The relief of Lucknow consisted of two attempts by the British to rescue Sir Henry Lawrence and a contingent of British and Indian troops, along with several hundred civilians, from the center of Lucknow where they held out under siege conditions for six months.

With widespread mutinies underway, Commander Lawrence ordered all women and children of Lucknow to take cover in the Residency, the city’s chief fortress, on May 25, and Lawrence himself retreated there on June 30. The Residency was protected by battery positions but was vulnerable because a number of buildings surrounding it were occupied by rebel snipers and artillery. Despite this precarious position, and the death of Lawrence early in the siege, the troops and civilians managed to hold out thanks to the actions of a number of soldiers who were later awarded the Victoria Cross.

The first relief attempt occurred on September 25 when a force under the command of Major General Sir Henry Havelock fought its way across rebel-held territory to Lucknow. However, by the time he reached the Residency, Havelock had lost so many troops that he considered it too risky to attempt to evacuate the civilians. The relief force joined the garrison, improved the defenses, and waited for a second relief.

On November 16, a much larger force approached Lucknow, led by Lieutenant General Sir Colin Campbell. The force stormed the Secundra Bagh, a walled enclosure blocking Campbell’s route to the Residency. By now, the British soldiers had learned of the massacre at Cawnpore, and no mercy was shown to the rebels. The British reached the Residency on November 19 and began evacuations. By November 27, the residents had been removed and relocated to safe locations. Campbell would return in March and recapture Lucknow.

Losses: British, 2,500 casualties of 8,000 troops; Indian, unknown number of casualties of some 30,000 rebels.