author

William Forbes-Mitchell

A Scottish soldier turned memoirist, he wrote with the directness of someone who had lived through the events himself. His best-known book offers a vivid firsthand account of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the siege of Lucknow.

1 Audiobook

Reminiscences of the Great Mutiny 1857-59 Including the relief, siege, and capture of Lucknow, and the campaigns in Rohilcund and Oude

Reminiscences of the Great Mutiny 1857-59 Including the relief, siege, and capture of Lucknow, and the campaigns in Rohilcund and Oude

by William Forbes-Mitchell

About the author

Born in Aberdeenshire in 1836, William Forbes-Mitchell served with the 93rd Highlanders in both the Crimean campaign and the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Later sources describe him as a soldier whose practical, unvarnished point of view shaped the way he wrote about war and military life.

He is best known for Reminiscences of the Great Mutiny, 1857–1859, a memoir based on his own experiences during the conflict, including the fighting around Lucknow. The book has endured because it combines eyewitness detail with a plain, readable style that feels immediate even now.

After his military service, Forbes-Mitchell settled in Calcutta and started a rope factory there. Art UK identifies him as the author of Reminiscences of the Great Mutiny, 1857–1859 and gives his lifespan as 1836–1905.