A letter of appreciation by 106 of the most prominent British inhabitants of Madras for Sir Scudamore Winde Steel (1789-1865), presented to him upon his departure from Madras, on 10 April 1856. Steel was seen by his fellows as "one of the most distinguished officers of the Indian Army". After participating in many Indian battles for the East India Company he was promoted to major in 1832 and was given command of the Madras army, which he successfully led during the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852-53. For this he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, promoted to major general and given the command of the Pegu division and the Martaban provinces in 1854. Not long after, as the present document tells us, he returned to England, where he was promoted to lieutenant general in 1861. The letter is signed by 106 of the most prominent British inhabitants of Madras. Included among the signatures is that of the Scottish surgeon, orientalist and pioneer environmentalist Edward Balfour (1813-1889).
9 folds, minor wear along the old folds, otherwise in very good condition.