ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>CORTLANDT HENRY CHARLES VAN (1814-1888)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="CORTLANDT,HENRY,CHARLES,VAN,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279CORTLANDT, HENRY CHARLES VAN (1814-1888), son of Colonel Henry Clinton Van Cortlandt of the British army, by an Indian wife, was born at Meerut in 1814, and was educated in England. In 1832, he returned to India and joined Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's army on a monthly salary of Rs 250, subsequently raised to Rs 800, with a monthly stipend of Rs 800 for his wife. Cortlandt participated in various campaigns including the battle of Jamr&#363d in which the famous general, Har&#299 Si&#7749gh Nalv&#257, was killed. During the reign of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh, Cortlandt's command was increased to two regiments and he was posted to Haz&#257r&#257. He was recalled to Lahore upon the murder of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh and his son, Part&#257p Si&#7749gh. While on leave in India in January 1845, he openly joined the British. During the first Anglo-Sikh war, he was sent to F&#299rozpur as political agent in which capacity he witnessed the battles of Ferozesh&#257h and Sabhr&#257o&#7749. On the conclusion of the war, he was reinstated in the Sikh army, promoted a general and made governor of &#7692er&#257 Ism&#257&#299l <u>Kh</u>&#257n. In 1846, General Cortlandt accompanied the British, with the Sikh force under his command, to Kashm&#299r to quell the revolt instigated by Waz&#299r L&#257l Si&#7749gh. During the Mult&#257n uprising (1848), he openly supported Lieut Herbert Edwardes. Similar was his role in the second Anglo-Sikh war. After the annexation of the Punjab, he was transferred to the British service as a civilian. He was made a companion of the Bath for his services in the 1857 uprising. Cortlandt retired in March 1868 and proceeded to London where he died in 1888.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Grey, C. , <i>European Adventurers of Northern India, 1785-1849</i>. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Gulcharan Singh, <i>Ranjit Singh and His Generals</i>. Jalandhar, n. d.<BR> <li class="C1"> Ganda Singh, <i>Private Correspondence Relating to the Anglo-Sikh Wars</i>. Amritsar, 1955<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Gulcharan Si&#7749gh <br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>