HODSON, WILLIAM STEPHEN RAIKES (1821 1858), known as "Hodson of Hodson's Horse," British leader of light cavalry during the Indian Mutiny, son of a clergyman, was born on March 19, 1821 at Maisemore Court, near Gloucester. He was educated at Rugby and Cambridge, and became a cadet in the Indian army at twenty-three. Joining the 2nd Bengal Grena diers he went through the first Sikh War, and was present at the battles of Moodkee, Ferozeshah and Sobraon. In one of his letters home at this period he calls the campaign a "tissue of mismanagement, blunders, errors, ignorance and arrogance" and outspoken criticism such as this brought him many bitter enemies throughout his career.
In 1847, through the influence of Sir Henry Lawrence, he was appointed adjutant of the corps of Guides, and in 1852 was promoted to the command of the Guides with the civil charge of Yusafzai. In 1855 he was charged with having arbitrarily imprisoned a Pathan chief named Khadar Khan, on suspicion of being concerned 'n the murder of Colonel Mackeson. The man was acquitted, and Dalhousie removed Hodson from his civil functions and remanded him to his regiment. He was also accused of malversation in the funds of his regiment. He was tried by a court of inquiry, who found that his system of accounts was "calculated to screen peculation and fraud." A later inquiry carried out by Major Reynell Taylor, found Hodson's accounts to be "an honest and correct record . . . irregularly kept." This particular charge may be declared "not proven." Other irregulari ties in money matters were from time to time charged against him.
Hodson's career seemed ruined when the Indian Mutiny broke out. At the outset of the campaign he made his name by riding with despatches from General Anson at Karnal to Meerut and back again, a distance of 152 m. in all, in seventy-two hours, through a country swarming with the rebel cavalry. He was then empowered to raise a regiment of 2,000 irregular horse, famous as Hodson's Horse, and was placed at the head of the Intelligence Department. In his double role of cavalry leader and intelligence officer, Hodson played a large part in the reduction of Delhi and consequently in saving India.
Hodson had the defects of his qualities. During the siege of Delhi a native, said to be an enemy of Bisharat Ali, to whom Hodson owed money, informed Hodson that Bisharat had turned rebel and had just reached Khurkhouda, a village near Delhi. Hodson thereupon took out a body of his sowars, attacked the village, and shot Bisharat Ali and several of his relatives. Again, after the fall of Delhi, Hodson obtained from General Wilson permission to ride out with fifty horsemen to Humayun's tomb, 6 m. out of Delhi, and bring in Bahadur Shah, the last of the Moguls. This he did with safety in the face of a large and threatening crowd. Next day with ioo horsemen he went out to the same tomb and obtained the unconditional surrender of the three princes, who had been left behind on the previous occasion. A crowd of 6,000 persons gathered, and Hodson ordered them to disarm, which they proceeded to do. He sent the princes on with an escort of ten men, while with the remaining ninety he collected the arms of the crowd. On galloping after the princes he found the crowd once more threatening an attack; and fearing that he would be unable to bring his prisoners into Delhi he shot them with his own hand. This is the most bitterly criticized action in his career. Furthermore he gave the king a safe conduct, which was afterwards seen by Sir Donald Stewart, before he left the palace. He was freely accused of looting at the time, but the charge is difficult to reconcile with the fact that he died a poor man, his effects being sold for £170. Hodson was killed on March II, 1858 in the attack on the Begum Kotee at Lucknow. The controversy relating to Hodson's moral character is very complicated and unpleasant. Upon Hodson's side see Rev. G. Hodson, Hodson of Hodson's Horse (1883), and L. J. Trotter, A Leader of Light Horse (19o') ; against him, R. Bosworth Smith, Life of Lord Lawrence, appendix to the 6th edition of 1885 ; T. R. E. Holmes, History of the Indian Mutiny, appendix N to the 5th edition of 1898, and Four famous Soldiers by the same author, 1889 ; and General Sir Crawford Chamberlain, Remarks on Captain Trotter's Biography of Major W. S. R. Hodson (19oI).