MOUNTED GROUP OF NINE MINIATURES AWARDED TO MAJOR GENERAL EUSTON HENRY SARTORIUS VC CB

MOUNTED GROUP OF NINE MINIATURES AWARDED TO MAJOR GENERAL EUSTON HENRY SARTORIUS VC CB. who was awarded the Victoria Cross for an action at Sliah-jui, Afghanistan on the 24th October 1879 when he led a body of men against a near inaccessible position on the top of a precipitous hill. Sold by direct order of the family Major General Euston Henry Sartorius VC CB was born in Cintra, Portugal on 6th June 1844. The son of Admiral Sir George Rose Sartorius, GCB and younger brother of Reginald William Sartorius VC CMG. Along with his brothers, he was educated at Victoria College, then Woolwich, and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. First serving as an Ensign in the 59th Regiment of Foot, his promotion to Lieutenant was gazetted on 29th June 1865. From December 1869 until he left for Indian in 1874, Sartorius served as a Staff Officer and Instructor at Sandhurst. He served as a Company Commander during the Second Afghanistan War, and at Shahjui on 24th October 1879, he recommended of the Victoria Cross. ' For conspicuous bravery during the action at Sliah-jui, on the 24th October 1879, in leading a party of five or six men of the 59th Regiment against a body of the enemy, of unknown strength, occupying an almost inaccessible position on the top of a precipitous hill. The nature of the ground made any sort of regular formation impossible, and Captain Sartorius had to bear the first brunt of the attack from the whole body of the enemy, who fell upon him and his men as they gained the top of the precipitous pathway; but the gallant and determined bearing of this Officer, emulated as it was by his men, led to the most perfect success, and the surviving occupants of the hilltop, seven in number, were all killed. In this encounter Captain Sartorius was wounded by sword cuts in both hands, and one of his men was killed.' Lieutenant Irwin of the 59th, who was under the command of Sartorius, wrote of the action: 'Captain Sartorius ordered his men to fix bayonets, and to clamber up. The hill was very steep, and when they got to within a few feet of the top the Afghans sprang up with a yell, and, sword in hand, slashing right and left, simply jumped down upon our fellows. For a few moments, all was confusion, friend and foe falling down together, but it was speedily all over. We had gained the hill, and the standards on it, not one of the enemy having escaped. We lost one man, and Captain Sartorius was wounded in both hands. The fanatics were splendid, though ferocious-looking scoundrels, and fought like fiends, having evidently made up their minds to die, and to do as much damage as possible before doing so." It wasn't the first time he had been decorated for gallantry. On 29th June 1869 along with two other men, he saved the lives of three girls at Broadstairs, Kent who were drowning. Sartorius was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal in Bronze. Captain Sartorius was invested with the Victoria Cross by Queen Victoria on1st of July 1881. While serving in the Anglo-Egyptian War, he was mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Egypt Medal and Khedives Star. He then served as Military Attaché to Japan, being awarded the Order of Bath in 1896. He retired from the Army as a Major General. With loose Royal Humane Society medal in Bronze Please see lot 306 for his brother's miniatures, lot 308 for his son's medals and lot 305 for his father's sword.