1842 Rajamundry HG 2 Cover

1842

The Battle of Chapu : 1842 (May 22) entire letter written by Captain Philip Anstruther, Madras Artillery, from Chapu to his cousin in Rajahmundry, India. There is no postal marking on the address panel. On the flap with boxed “AM” postmark, rectangular GPO transit (1841 Aug 27), boxed Madras Ship Letter transit and Rajahmundry arrival c.d.s. (handwritten date: 31 May 1842) . The writer documented the Battle of Chapu in which the writer, an artillery commander, underwent a difficult fight, “We could not get up with our infantry so as usual were of little use, though I tried my best and when the column scaled the city wall, we went up with our drag ropes and fairly lifted the gun, 5 of them, over the wall (which was not as high as Ben Nevis)”. The writer, Anstruther, was previously captured in the shipwreck of the Kite and was moved to Ningpo. He was released afterward in October 1841 as the Chinese abandoned the town when the British force advanced to Ningpo. He re-joined the troop and participated in several other warfares.