MILITAEY SERVICES 321 
upset Hooker's plans ; his brief share in the abortive campaign 
appears in the following letter to his mother, dated January 
31, 1850 : 
Before the time of the General and staff coming up here 
I was asked repeatedly whether I would go into Sikkim 
with the troops ; I always say I did not wish to nor want 
to, but that if the General showed good cause for desiring 
it I would think upon it. Volunteer I could not and would 
not, being in another service and receiving pay from my 
own Govt, for very different work. Tom and I both 
went away from the station when the General was coming, 
but he had not arrived a day before he wanted me and 
sent the most urgent message through Campbell. I there- 
fore returned about ten days ago, and found the old gentle- 
man, Genl. Young, all in the clouds, as to carrying out 
his orders of occupying Sikkim with a military force. Mean- 
while 14,000 men. Sepoys and Europeans, had come up 
with headquarters of one Regt., guns, a whole staff of 
officers, and nothing but the * horrid din of arms ' was to 
be heard. 
Genl. Young is a very nice .old gentleman and greatly 
obhged to me for my counsel, maps, and information, which 
settled him to march as soon as possible and take the Rungeet 
bridge. Both he and Mr. Lushington (the special Com- 
missioner) begged me to conduct the troops which I refused 
except they sent me a written request specifying the urgency 
of the occasion, which I should forward to H.M. [Com- 
missioners of] Woods, &c., and meanwhile take upon me the 
responsibility of acting with heart and good will under 
the General's orders. I objected on Thomson's account 
who had come so far to see me, and he was immediately 
put into orders for medical duty in the detachment (advance 
guard) with myself. This is a capital arrangement, for it 
gives him time of service in India instead of leave which he 
is now upon, and every hour taken off the time he will have 
to spend in India on his return after furlough is so much 
added to his life. 
I went down with the troops the other day and took 
possession of the bridge over the Great Rungeet and camped 
some 500 men in Sikkim. As no further advance was to be 
