Greatly admired by his troops and one of Victoria's most competent field commanders, General, later Field Marshal, Frederick Sleigh Roberts, VC was photographed sometime after the end of 2nd Anglo-Afghan War (1878-80) since the most recent campaign medals evident are the four clasped Afghan Medal and the Kabul to Kandahar Star.

 

This photograph also appears to have been autographed by Roberts with his nickname "Bobs"  which was given to him by his men. There is no hint as to whom he had intended this photograph.

 

Roberts won the Victoria Cross during the Indian Mutiny. In addition to the Victoria Cross, he wears the Indian Mutiny Medal with four clasps, the 1854 India General Service Medals with three clasps, and the Abyssinian War Medal as well as the breast stars of three orders of knighthood.

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Cabinet Photograph
Poole - Photographer
34 Mall, Waterford, England
c. 1890

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Below: An autographed envelope in Robert's hand to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Benjamin Knowles of the 67th Regiment at the fortress of Bala Hissar. The fortress overlooked Kabul and was the site of the murder of the British envoy to Kabul, Sir Pierre Louis Napoleon Cavagnari, and his party in February 1879. The fortress was occupied by British forces after the capture of Kabul.

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Envelope

5 1/2 inches by 3 1/8 inches

(14cm x 8cm)

c. 1880

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