CONCLUSION. 347 



mainly due to the Sikh and Punjabi element they 

 possess, the result of Hodson's great name and 

 reputation amongst the natives of the Punjab, 

 whereby he secured the best and most warlike 

 men to his standard."^ 



Meanwhile a committee of eminent officers 

 assembled at Calcutta in order to provide some 

 lasting memorial of their glorious brother-in-arms. 

 They decided that it should take the form of a 

 monument in Lichfield Cathedral, which was after- 

 w^ards erected from the designs of the late Mr 

 G. E. Street, P. A. On this he is represented as 

 receiving the sword of the King of Delhi. 



" It will doubtless excite surprise," as Mr George 

 H. Hodson naturally remarks, " that one whom 

 the commander-in-chief pronounced ' one of the 

 most brilliant soldiers under his command ' — one 

 whom all ranks of the army in India reckoned 

 amongst their bravest and most skilful leaders — 

 one whom the popular voice has already enrolled 

 amongst the heroes of the nation — one whose name 

 was ' known, either in love or fear, by every native 

 from Calcutta to Kabul,' — should have received dur- 

 ing his life, with the exception of a brevet majority 

 (to which he was entitled for services in 1849), no 

 recognition of gallant services and deeds of daring, 

 one-tenth part of which would have covered many 

 of fortune's favourites with decorations." ^ 



That his services, however, were not forgotten or 

 underrated by his countrj^men at home may be seen 

 from some of the tributes j^aid to his memory by 

 the statesmen and writers of his day. On the 14th 

 April 1859 both Houses of Parliament met to record 



1 Old Memories. ^ Hodson of Hodson's Horse. 



