James John McLeod Innes

James John McLeod Innes
Born	(1830-02-05)5 February 1830 Baghalpur, British India
Died	13 December 1907(1907-12-13) (aged 77) Cambridge, England
Buried at	Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridge
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Bengal Army  British Army
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	Bengal Engineers Royal Engineers
Battles/wars	Indian Mutiny
Awards	Victoria Cross Order of the Bath
Other work	Author

Lieutenant General James John McLeod Innes VC CB (5 February 1830 – 13 December 1907) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Born in British India to Scottish parents Innes was educated privately, at Edinburgh University and Addiscombe where he was awarded the Pollock Medal and was commissioned into the Bengal Engineers in 1848.^[1]

Innes was 28 years old, and a lieutenant in the Bengal Engineers, Bengal Army during the Indian Mutiny on 23 February 1858 at Sultanpore, India, where he was awarded Victoria Cross for the following deed:

Bengal Engineers, Lieutenant John James M'Leod Innes

Date of Act of Bravery, 23rd February, 1858

At the action at Sultanpore, Lieutenant Innes, far in advance of the leading skirmishers, was the first to secure a gun which the enemy were abandoning. Retiring from this, they rallied round another gun further back, from which the shot would, in another instant) have ploughed through our advancing columns, when Lieutenant Innes rode up, unsupported, shot the gunner who was about to apply the match, and, remaining undaunted at his post, the mark for a hundred matchlock men, who were sheltered in some adjoining huts, kept the Artillerymen at bay, until assistance reached him. (Letter from Major-General Thomas Harte Franks, K.C.B., of 12th March, 1858.)

^[2]

He also Mentioned in Despatches three times for his work in the Mutiny.

He later joined the Royal Engineers and achieved the rank of lieutenant general. After he retired he wrote several books. His Victoria Cross is displayed in the Royal Engineers Museum at Chatham, England.

Works

• The Sepoy Revolt, Ad. Innes & Co (1 Jan 1897), ASIN:B0028SZ7UK
• James John McLeod Innes (1898). Sir Henry Lawrence: The Pacificator. Rulers of India series. Clarendon Press. 
• The Life and Times of General Sir James Browne RE KCB KCSI (Buster Browne), John Murray; (1 Jan 1905) ASIN:B001Q4DNMQ

References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• The Sapper VCs (Gerald Napier, 1998)

External links

• Royal Engineers Museum Sappers VCs
• Location of grave and VC medal (Cambridgeshire)
• Find-A-Grave
• ODNB entry