Little is known about John Nicholson's early life except that he was born in Lisburn Ireland, and at 16, his uncle, a member of Parliament, bought him an officer's commission with the British East India Company's Bengal Infantry. Nicholson's first action came in the First Anglo-Afghan War of 1839-1842, where he led a platoon of Sepoy infantry at the siege of Ghazni, assaulting the fortified city under constant fire and engaging in close combat with the Afghan warriors defending the city. Nicholson went on to lead an ambush on Afghan forces and, after being captured in battle, escape captivity by bribing the guard. However, by the time Nicholson had made his way back to British territory, the British military had fled Afghanistan in defeat.
A few years later, however, in 1845, the British East India Company invaded the Sikh Empire in the Punjab region. Nicholson playing a major role in the taking of the cities of Multan and Attock, in spite of his sustaining a dagger wound in Multan. After the battle, he was made the colonial administrator of Punjab, at that time a lawless region. Nicholson learned to speak Urdu and learned the local customs, however, he was very harsh with his dispensation of justice, ordering executions without trial. He survived two assassination attempts, after one, when he discovered his food was poisoned, he had the whole kitchen staff hanged. He also personally killed a dagger-wielding assassin by shooting him at point-blank range with a rifle and engaged in personal combat with an outlaw, beheading him with his sword and keeping the severed head on his desk as a warning to those who opposed him.
Nicholson saw military action one final time when he was ordered to Delhi, which was in the midst of the 1857 Indian Mutiny. The rebels held the city, and the British and Gurkha forces in the area were demoralized and fatigued. Nicholson discovered the incompetent commanding general had not posted any troops to escort a supply train of artillery, so he personally led a force of 2500 men and routed a large 6000-man force sent to attack the supply train, losing only 800 of his own men. After the guns were delivered, the general still failed to attack, so Nicholson, who his troops now called "the General" though he was only a captain, appealed from the commanding general to be removed from power. After this, the general finally allowed an assault, in which Nicholson personally led a unit of Multani cavalry. During the battle, Nicholson was shot by a sniper and mortally wounded. He died nine days later.
Battle vs. Stonewall Jackson (by SPARTAN 119)[]
Stonewall Jackson: 
John Nicholson: 
John Nicholson and a squad of five British colonial soldiers walk through the streets of a war-torn 19th-century. Suddenly, a gunshot rings out and a Minié ball shoots through the forehead of a British redcoat. The dead man falls to the ground at once.
A British soldier spots where the Confederate sniper is hiding, in the window of a battered two-story brick building and fires his Enfield 1853, killing the sniper with a shot to the chest as he reloads. Seconds later, however, a second British soldier is killed by a sniper shot from the same building.
Nicholson orders his men to charge the building, arunning across the 100 meters to the building where Jackson and his men were hold up while they were reloading. Nicholson led his men in, Dean and Adams revolver in hand, and catches a Confederate guarding the door by surprise, shooting him twice at point blank range.
Nicholson, however, has his pistol knocked out of his hand by a Confederate armed with a Bowie Knife, who tackles him to the ground, knife raised. The Confederate, however, doesn't see one of Nicholson's Gurkhas come up behind him and split his skull with a Kukri.
A Confederate officer stands at the top of the landing off a staircase in the center of the entrance foyer and fires off two shots from his LeMat Revolver, picking off a British colonial soldier. The Confederate, however, is picked off seconds later, by a British soldier who his Enfield rifle, hitting him in the chest , as fire from Nicholson and another soldier's Dean and Adams drives Jackson and the surviving Confederates down a hallway.
Nicholson and the other four surviving British soldiers climb up to the second-floor corridor, only for Jackson himself to fire his LeMat several times from behind cover, killing the Gurkha in Nicholson's squad.
Suddenly, a Confederate soldier attacked Nicholson with a Model 1850 sword, making a slashing attack at Nicholson. Nicholson, however, manage to block the attack and struck back with his trademark iron club, stunning the enemy soldier and the shooting him in the face with his Dean and Adams.
At that moment, Stonewall Jackson leaned out from the room he was taking cover in, and shot Nicholson's last remaining soldier with the LeMat. Nicholson tried to return fire, but realized he had expended all five shots in his Dean and Adams.
Not one to give up, Nicholson charged at Jackson with his club. However, it did him no good- Jackson gripped his LeMat with both hands and shot Nicholson in the face with the underbarrel shotgun on his LeMat.
WINNER: Stonewall Jackson
Expert's Opinion[]
Stonewall Jackson won this battle because of his superior tactics and combat training. Also contributing to Jackson's victory was the large 9-shot capacity and underbarrel shotgun on the LeMat.