Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 4, 1896

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
date employed in the defence of Balaclava, but
Sir John Ewart, who had passed through the
Staff College, having been appointed a Deputy
Assistant Quarter-Master General was present
at that battle ou horseback, and was riding
with Lord Raglan and the staff when a shell
burst in their midst, kilHng the horses of
Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, A.Q.M.G., and Cap-
tain Somerset, A.D.C , and mortally wounding
General Strangways, who commanded the
British artillery.
On the termination of the war Sir John
Ewart, who had previously been promoted to
the rank of Major, was made a Brevet Lieutenant-
Colonel, and was one of four officers of the 93rd
who received the French Legion of Honour and
Turkish Order of the Medjidie, and one of
three officers of the 93rd who received the
Piedmontese Silver Medal inscribed with the
words " Al valore militare," he having served
throughout the entire campaign without being
absent from his duty for a single day. He was
for some little time in command of the regiment
during the siege, in consequence of the absence
of the other three field-officers.
Whilst acting as a D A.(i.MG. he executed a
survey of the whole of the country l)etween
Balaclava and the liussian defences, being
repeatedly under fire whilst so employed, and
was with the 93rd when they did duty for two
months in the trenches after their return from
Kertch.
Sir John remained in the Crimea until the
veiy last, and on returning to England in July,
1856, after peace had been proclaimed, was
stationed at Aldershot and Dover until June,
1857, when the regiment was placed under
orders for China, forming part of an expedition
sent for the purpose of attacking Canton. On
arrival at the Cape of Good Hope the destina-
tion of the 93rd was suddenly changed to
India, in consequence of the breaking out of
the great mutiny of the native troops, and ou
reaching Calcutta the regiment was pushed on
hurriedly to Cawupore, with a view to the
rescue of the ladies and children besieged in
the residency of Lucknow, for although Have-
lock and Outran! had fought their way with
the 78th Highlanders and <me or two other
regiments into Lucknow in the month of
September, they were unable to make the
rescue complete and became themselves also
besieged.
On November 2n'l Sir .lohu was tng.iged