Lot 50727 – Anglo-Persian War: 1857 (Jan 14) entire lettersheet sent to England with 1854 4a cut-square incl. important contents

Anglo-Persian War: 1857 (Jan 14) entire lettersheet sent from a soldier to England with 1854 4a cut-square, fine to good margins, cancelled by slightly indistinct “55” numeral of Khandalla (Poona) and further datelined inside, with Bombay transit and London arrival, including important contents about the mobilisation of the British Expeditionary force to Bushire, Persia (see extract below), a very fine and historical cover.

Extract: “…we should have been on board ship by this time had it not been for the delay of the commissariat who have not yet provisioned the ships, as it is we expect to leave here on the 18th to proceed by railway from Campoolee…to Bombay where we shall embark for Bushire or Bussrah at present it is said the former…Where we are now they are making a railway up the Ghat mountain and it is I should say one of the most difficult undertakings even ahead in some places they are tunnelling through solid rock for several hundred yards and by having three charges of workmen for 24 hours they only get through one foot a day…The rumour is that there are fifteen thousand of the enemy before Bushire and they expect to be attacked so there is now a larger force going the 26thLI and 14th Lt Dragoons with ourselves forming a brigade under Col Hamilton of our Regt besides two other brigades one of which comes from Bengal under Col Havelock however as yet it is just as likely that we shall never embark as there is no knowing soon the Shah of Persia shall give in“.