Morton & Eden

Auction 120  –  7 December 2022

Morton & Eden, Auction 120

Medals, Orders and Decorations

We, 07.12.2022, from 11:30 AM CET
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Description

The Important Group of 3 awarded to Major-General Sir Herbert Stewart K.C.B., 3rd Dragoon Guards, who served in the Zulu War and was later present at the Battle of Majuba Hill in 1881 where he was taken prisoner of war by a Boer Patrol. Serving also during the Egypt Campaign of 1882, he took part in several battles and led a key advance upon Cairo, taking possession of both the town and citadel, for which he was three-times mentioned in despatches, promoted to Brevet-Colonel, appointed C.B. and awarded the Order of Osmanieh 3rd Class. Given the additional honour of being made A.D.C. to Queen Victoria, he was killed in action on 19 January 1885 while commanding the camel-mounted Desert Column of the Gordon Relief Expedition. So promising was this officer, that General Sir Garnet Wolseley wrote afterwards: ‘No braver soldier or more brilliant leader of men ever wore the Queen's uniform.’, comprising: Turkey, Ottoman, Order of the Osmanieh, Third Class neckbadge in silver and enamels; South Africa, 1877-79, single clasp, 1879 (Capt: Herbert Stewart, 3rd. Dragn. Gds.); Egypt and Sudan, 1882-89, 5 clasps, Tel-el-Kebir, Suakin 1884, El-Teb-Tamaai, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea (Lt. Col: H. Stewart. 3rd. Dn. Gds. A.A. & Q. M. G.); Group loose, offered with related photo album, leather-bound with gilt-details and brass clasp containing 13 contemporary carte-de-visite photographic portraits, including three of the recipient himself, and 10 other important military and political figures of the period; with a quantity of contemporary prints, maps and illustrations from the Illustrated London News etc, significant enamel loss to arms of the first, both sides, with one slightly bent finial point, a few tiny marks and nicks to second and third, these two good extremely fine (lot) K.C.B. (Military): London Gazette: 20 May 1884 – ‘Aide-de-Camp to the Queen’ C.B. (Military): London Gazette: 17 November 1882Turkey, Ottoman, The Order of Osmanieh: 1882Major-General Sir Herbert Stewart (1843-1885) was born on 30 June 1843 at Sparsholt, Hampshire, the eldest son of the Reverend Edward Stewart, and the great-grandson of John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway. Educated at Brighton College, and then at Winchester College, he played first class cricket for Hampshire and joined the Army as an Ensign (by purchase) in 1863. After a period of service in India with the 37th Foot, and rising to the rank of Captain, he exchanged into the 3rd Dragoon Guards in 1873. He entered the Staff College and the Inner Temple in 1877, but was sent the following year in 1878 to serve as Brigade Major of Cavalry in South Africa during the Zulu War, later serving as Military Secretary and Chief of Staff to Sir Garnet Wolseley, and taking part in the capture of Sekukuni’s Town. He was promoted to Major on 13 February 1880, he was mentioned-in-despatches, and then given the brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel on October that year.In January 1881 Stewart was sent to serve on special duty in South Africa as Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master General, and was present at the Battle of Majuba Hill on 27 February 1881 where he and a number of other British soldiers were taken prisoner of war by a Boer patrol and detained at Heidelberg until the end of March. Upon his release, he was sent to serve in the Egypt campaign of 1882 on the Staff of the Cavalry Division as Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master General. During this time he was present at the engagements of El Magfar and Tel-el-Mahuta, the two actions at Kassasin, the battle of Tel-el-Kebir and capture of Cairo, where he personally received the surrender of the city of Cairo and of its citadel. For these actions he was mentioned-in-despatches, made C.B., and was awarded the Order of Osmanieh 3rd Class, as well as being appointed Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria. In January 1884 he was sent to Suakin in command of the cavalry under Sir Gerald Graham, and took part as Brigadier in the actions at El Teb and the advance to Tamaai. For these actions he was appointed K.C.B. and was made Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master General in the South-Eastern District of England from April to September 1884. Returning to Egypt and the Soudan late that year, he was promoted to Brigadier-General on 24 November 1884, joining the expedition to relieve Khartoum under Sir Gerald Graham. When news arrived from General Gordon seeking urgent assistance, Stewart was entrusted by General Wolseley to lead the Desert Column across to Metemma.The desert column set off from Gakdul on 14 January 1885 with 1,800 men and 2,888 camels, travelling across the desert towards Metemmeh with the intention of establishing a garrison from which a detachment could then be sent by river Khartoum. Discovering a large enemy force of 8,000 – 14,000 men near the wells of Abu Klea on the 16th, they formed a square ‘zareba’ with camels at the centre with men surrounding, and camel saddles and all nature of supplies and gear at the periphery to provide cover against long-distance enemy fire. Having formed a square, Stewart’s men moved on foot to seize the wells on the morning of the 17th, and seeing the enemy they commenced a ‘withering fire’ (as Stewart’s own despatch reported), as the enemy mounted a determined charge upon the square. Mid-manoeuvre, the British square was temporarily broken, however it held its ground and kept shape as brutal hand-to-hand fighting ensued. In the face of very heavy losses, the enemy broke and fled, all the while suffering losses from artillery and rifle fire and leaving 800 enemy dead in the immediate vicinity of the square alone, leaving Stewart and his men in possession of the Abu Klea wells.With the wounded left under guard, Stewart continued on 18 January towards Metemma, some 23 miles distant, and it was the next morning at 10.15am on 19 January, under intermittent enemy fire, that Stewart was mortally wounded. Passing command to Colonel Sir C. W. Wilson, he wrote a final letter to Wolseley asking him to look after his wife and family, making the stoic comment that his wound was ‘bad luck but glorious’. Stewart fought for survival for almost a month and received a final promotion to Major-General on 19 January 1885 before finally succumbing to his wounds on 16 February during the return journey to Korti from Khartoum, being buried near the wells of Jakdul. In the telegram reporting his death, Lord Wolseley summed up both Stewart's character and career with the words: ‘No braver soldier or more brilliant leader of men ever wore the Queen's uniform.’ Continuing in his despatch of 20 March 1885, General Sir Garnet Wolseley wrote that his death: ‘…deprived Her Majesty of one of Her bravest soldiers and most brilliant leaders and has caused amongst all ranks of the Army of the Soudan the most genuine and heartfelt sorrow… His death is felt by all here at once as a private and national loss. Leaders such as he are rare in all armies. It may be long before the service or the country can fill that gap which his death has caused.’A bronze cenotaph was erected in his honour at St Paul's Cathedral, London, and so moved was Queen Victoria by his death, that she privately commissioned a portrait of him by Caton Woodville (after an earlier painting), for her own private collection.

Estimate: GBP 3000-5000

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Price realized 17'000 GBP
Starting price 2'400 GBP
Estimate 3'000 GBP
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