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The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals The Sutlej campaign medal to Captain J. D. Cunningham, Bengal Engineers, ‘Historian of the Sikhs’ Sutlej 1845-46, for Aliwal 1846, 1 clasp, Sobraon (Lieut. J: D: Cunningham Engineers) very fine £1200-1500 Footnote Joseph Davey Cunnningham, the eldest son of the author and poet Allan Cunningham, and brother of Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Cunningham (See Lot 36), was born in Lambeth on 9 June 1812. He was educated at Mr Robertson’s day school in Pimlico, and at Mr Law’s in Chelsea. Thereafter he was tutored by George Darley, who predicted a brilliant mathematical career for him at Cambridge. Cunningham, however, wanted to be a soldier, and at his father’s request a Cadetship was secured for him in the Bengal Engineers by Sir Walter Scott He led a dazzling career at Addiscombe, emerging after the usual two year period, in 1831, as ‘first engineer (or first scholar)’, with the first prize for mathematics, the East India Company’s sword for good conduct, and the first nomination to the Bengal Engineers. He was next sent to Chatham where young engineer officers received their professional training and where he was joined after six months by his brother Alexander. Both greatly impressed their instructors, Colonels Pasley and Jebb. The amiable Colonel Pasley said of them ‘some few officers have equalled them, but none have surpassed them.’ The Cunningham brothers also secured the friendship of Colonel Jebb, a well known expert on ‘prison discipline’. Joseph Cunningham arrived in India in February 1834 and was posted to the staff of the Chief Engineer in the Bengal Presidency, General MacLeod. Three years later, while still a Second Lieutenant, he was specially selected by the Governor-General, Lord Auckland, who was looking for a young man of promise to train for political work on the Sutlej frontier to assist Colonel (later Sir) Claud Wade with the special duty of fortifying Ferozepore. This duty naturally brought him in close contact with the Sikhs, the study of whose customs and manners he made the subject of his life’s work. His appointment afforded him a unique insight into Sikh affairs. In 1838, he was present at the interview between Auckland and the Sikh warlord Ranjit Singh. In 1839, at the start of the Afghan War he was employed with the troops passing through Sikh territory on their way to the frontier. He accompanied Wade at the forcing of the Khyber Pass and was promoted Lieutenant in May 1839. The following year he was placed in charge of Ludhiana under Wade’s successor, G. Russell Clerk, and accompanied Brigadier Shelton’s force, as Political Officer, on the march through Sikh territory to Peshawar and then on to Cabul. He then accompanied Colonel Hugh Wheeler with the deposed Afghan leader, Dost Mohamed, back to British territory. In 1841, he was entrusted with a special mission to Tibet to see that the Raja of Jammu surrendered certain territories, which he had seized from the Chinese of Lhassa. After a year’s absence, he returned to be present at the interviews between Auckland’s successor Ellenborough and Dost Mohamed, and also those between Ellenborough and the Sikh chiefs at Ferozepore in December 1842. The next year, he was appointed assistant to the new Political Agent at Ferozepore, and in 1844-45 held the post of British Agent to the native state of Bahawalpur. When the First Sikh War began in 1845, his specialist knowledge was keenly sought and he was first required to join Sir Charles Napier in Scinde, but after the battle of Ferozeshuhur he was summoned to join the headquarters of Sir Hugh Gough’s army and arrived in time to accompany the force under Sir Harry Smith which was detached to counter the threat being made by a Sikh force under Ranjur Singh on Gough’s line of communications. Consequently, Cunningham was present at the engagement at Badhowal, which cost Smith two hundred casualties, and also at the victory over Ranjur at Aliwal on