The Press. — London, England, 1858-01-23 00:00:00

THE PRESS, JANUARY 23, 1858: 78° brigadier (whose horse, wounded in two places, carried him with difficulty over the rough ground) was pushing on with all possible speed to the front, shouting," Now, boys, you have them !" when he received his mortal wound. As he was unable to keep his seat in the saddle some of his brave fellows carried him to the rear, while he continued to urge the troops to maintain the honour of the corps. At this juncture the enemy fell back on their reserve, which lay concealed in the parallels behind. Then occurred one of those blunders which neutralise the effect of the bravest actions. Two of our own guns opened fire on the 64th Regiment from the left, and at the same instant the enemy's cavalry, together with the overwhelming force of infantry in front, poured down upon the right, and compelled our troops to retire. Strange to say, Capt. Saunders and (I believe) Lieut. O'Grady escaped unhurt. After the death of Brigadier Wilson and Major Stirling, Capt. Saunders became the senior officer present, and his conspicuous gallantry to-day deserves not only honourable mention, but such reward as a soldier covets. The hospital to day is a perfect Aceldama. They were in such numbers, writes another officer, we could make no ground : While we were fighting with the main body a large force had taken position at the entrance to the town, for the purpose of intercepting our progress to the fort. We were a good way in front of the other regiments coming towards the town. When we arrived at the corner of a street we were tcld the enemy was in force in the houses ; we nevertheless charged round the corner, where we were received by a very heavy fire of musketry, which when we returned, the sepoys bolted and we after them. We literally butchered about 200 of them. I was in front with the Grenadiers, to which company I belong, and al though we received the volley we did not lose a man, but one officer, who was attached to us, and who was mortally wonnied in the stomach. We dashed after them like tigers. I myself shot three ; but the men were not con tent with wounding; they were so furious at not being able to " lick " them in the morning, that they bayoneted instead of shooting them, for the sake of revenge. It is perfectly miraculous how we escaped so well. A sepoy took deliberate aim at ins not fifteen yards off, but God warded off the bullet. When all was over we returned to town, and were not further molested during the night. On the 29th, at dawn, the oombardment of the intrenchment was renewed by the rebels, who now occupied and set fire to the town of Cawnpore. Help, however, was at hand in the form of Sir Colin Campbell, who during the previous evening had reached the other side of the Ganges from Lucknow. Sir Cohn crossed over the bridge of boats at noon on the 29th, and his arrival in the intrenchments was hailed with deafening cheers by our worsted and overworked troops. The bombardment was hot and heavy; the rebel artillery was ►superior to ours, and they pitched their shot and shell with precision. They even hit the bridge of boats : Sunday, Nov. 29. At dawn great guns began to play upon us. Soon after wards the cannonade became general, and by seven cm. it was something tremendous—shot and shell flying over us in all directions. 8.30 a.m.—Good news. Sir Cohn Campbell with a strong reinforcement, and 470 women and chit-ken from Lucknow, are on the other side of the Ganges, which flows under the northern parapet of our intrenchment. The troops with the commander•in-chief, Raid to number 3,000, are much needed here to-day. Looking over the wall for an instant (it is not very safe to show one's head) I see two bodies of horsemen in advance, and an ex ended line of troops, elephants, camels, bullock-waggons, and camp followers, stretching far away to the horizon. The banging of our own guns just at our ears is most deafening. Grape and round shot have been falling on the tree close to our tent. Some shells, I believe, have fallen on the hospital, which is unfortunately much exposed. Every square foot of the floor and ve randah of the general hospital is covered with wounded officers and men. 11.40 a.m.—Horse Artillery, 9th Lancers, 32nd, 53rd, and 93rd Regiments have crossed the bridge of boats below our fort. Heartily glad to see the kilts, the plumes, and the tartan. May God defend, direct, and bless my brave countrymen 2.15 p.m.—The cannonade has paused for half an hour. I bear Lucknow soldiers and their old comrades exchang ing greetings and congratulations in their rough but hearty style, and counting over the dead and wounded of their acquaintance. 235 p.m.—Cannonade commenced again. The Rifles have not ceased all day. Colonel Fyers and his men have done good service. They went into action on Friday as soon as they reached Cawnpore, althongh they had marched forty-eight miles almost without halting, and some were lame, many footsore, and all weary. Their arrival seemed to be the means of saving the fort, when our other troops were in full retreat. Colonel Woodford, an excellent officer, with whom I came from Benares to Allahabad, was killed in a hand-to-hand fight in the field yesterday. The church, I am just informed, was burnt last night by the enemy, and the assembly-rooms and school have been burnt to-day. There is a dense column of smoke ascending from the town, about half a mile off. 4 p.m.—One of the ladies from Lucknow has come in, and M— and I have given up the tent to her. She has a most touching story to tell, and she tells it most effectively. She gave us in half an hoar what might be the substance of an interesting volume. She and her husband have lost their all. 5.30 p.m.—The scene from the verandah of the general hospital is at this moment one never to be forgotten. A pro cession of human beings, cattle and vehicles, six miles long, is coming up to the bridge of boats below the fort. It is just about sunset. The variety of colour in the sky and on the plain, the bright costumes and black faces of the native servants, the crowd of camels and horses, and the piles of furniture, and so forth, in the foreground at my feet—all seen between two pillars of this verandah, which is raised some eight or ten feet from the ground—produce a very remarkable effect. But the grown of the poor fel- lows on charpoys and on the floor, behind and around me, dissolve the fascination of the scene. Slept again in my waggon. The appearance of the commanderin-chief changed the aspect of affairs. Sir Colini contented himself for that day with merely keeping the rebeleat a dis tance by the vigour of his artillery fire. He then crossed over his camp, and when he had safely despatched the sick, wounded, and women, to the number of 1,160, to Allahabad, he resumed the offen sive. On the 6th of December he advanced out of his intrenchments, and, by a series of the most brilliant manmuvres, drew the rebels from their fortified position, while he established a force in their rear, and, placing them between two fires, fought and routed them with slaughter, and the capture of six teen guns and a vast quantity of ammunition and stores. A newswriter of the Maharajah Scindia, who writes from Calpee, on the Bth of December, gives a very fair description of the battle and its results : • Three hurkarus came straight from Cawnpore to-day, and reported that the Gwalioi Contingent rebels, having collected all their force and stores at Bhoti, advanced thence to a place two coss nearer to Cawnpore, and left there, with fifty or silty men, their camp and bazaar. The whole force, including sepoys and chiefs, with their followers of all sorts, amounted to 15,000 men. Their plan was to fight with their guns up to twelve p.m., and then to assault and carry the intrenchments. At Mogul Serai, near Cawnpore, the English had a battery, and there the fight began. The rebels fought very bravely up to twelve p.m., when the English began to retire, and the rebels followed them until they were two coss from the rebel camp. Then 500 English with two guns advancing on the Allahabad road attacked the rebel camp, and cap tured it with all that was in it. Leaving a guard there, they then attacked the rear of the rebels, when the retiring English turned and attacked them in front. The rebels could not endure this double attack, and fled; and the English chased them to Sacheiniee, and took on the road their guns, baggage, magazine,—everything, Meanwhile, the two great guns which the rebels had sent for with ammunition from Calpee having reached Renniah, the English marched thither also, and captured them. The three hurkaras, who report this, were in the action, and with great difficulty saved their lives, but none of tl.eir property. And of the flying sepoys no village would admit a man within its walls—not even if it were, his own home. The hurkarus put up in the village of Muttabelpore, and there, at twelve at night, came Koor Dawlut Singh, but the people would not let him halt there. I cannot tell how many were slain, but shall hear to-morrow. The English fought in this battle as Roostum and Isfendisn, alone, fought before. The Sahibs dismounted amid the fire of the guns and slew the gunners with their swords, and, rushing upon the gunners, stopped them as they applied the match; while the English so worked their guns, that winking is a slow operation compared to the rapidity of their fire. They fired after the fugitives as their noise directed, and if they but saw a head, that head was crushed. The blood of the dead and w3unded flowed in streams. Whoever shall hear this news will rejoice, for these men, who injured and trampled on high and low, have received punishment from God proportioned to their cruelty. And great as was their bravery as signal has been their flight and destruction. The dead are doomed to dozukh. The rebels were pursued for fourteen miles, and Brigadier Hope Grant with a strong column fol lowed them up till the oth, when he came upon their rear guard at Serajgham, where they were beginning to cross over the Ganges. He attacked them in stantly with his cavalry and artillery with great spirit, and after half an hour's sharp firing, took fifteen guns, including one 18 pounder, eight 9-pounders, three 12 pounder howitzers, one 6-pounder--native— with all their stores, carts, waggons, large quantities of ammunition, bullocks, hackeries, &c. Bella Sahib, brother of the Nana, and who it is said was in command of the Gwalior rebels, who was wounded in the shoulder, took refuge in Calpee, where he has been since busy in bringing together guns, ammunition, and provisions. This is all that we know of the Gwalior defeat. With respect to Benares and Southern India, the report that the garrison at Futtehpore, between Allahabad and Cawnpore, have been obliged to leave their in trenchments, and take up another position, is con firmed, a force of from 5,000 to 10,000 rebels having advanced on the town. Benares was threatened by a force from Jaunpore, and a brigade was to leave on the 2nd December to reinforce the one at Jann pore. It is said the insurgents in the neighbour hood of Jaunpore are 20,000 and 40 guns strong. The Hurkaru has intelligence from Chittagong that the mutineers of the 34th have been joined by a number of Bundelas, and have taken the route to Monypore, not by the main road, but by the jungles. They intend, it is supposed, to ask for assistance from the Rajah of Monypore, and subsequently to join the Kookees, who are generally known to be a turbulent and barbarous race of men. A letter from Chittagong, of the 24th December, says that they are busy at work throwing up in trenchments, expecting the return of the mutineers, joined by a party from Tippers h, the M a h ratta ' s headman being supposed to he in league with N ana Sahib, who is said to be a relation of his. Some of the ladies and children have taken refuge in b oats and schooners, and the i nhab itants are crying out for reinforcements. A letter from Kiasengunge, Nuddea, states that a body of more than 600 men passed through that place into the interior, and some of the stragglers reported that 1,000 more were en route for Dam. The officer who was made prisoner by the 3&th at Chittagong was Captain Devaal, not Duval. His fate is uncertain. From Delhi'we learn that, on the 7th, a convoy for Cawnpore left Delhi, accompanied by the 7th l'unjaub Infantry, Blunt's troop of horse artillery, a squadron of the 6th Carahineers, and 500 of Hod son's Horse. From Meerut and Agra other convoys were sent at the same time, and the whole rendez. voused at Allyghur on the 11th of December, Colonel Seaton taking the command. By a telegram of the 15th December we learn that the convoy, when it reached Gungree, near Khasgun, twenty-five miles south east of Allyghur, was attacked by a body of insurgents, and a tight ensued on the banks of the Neem Nuddy. The rebels were routed, losing three out of four guns and 150 killed. Our loss, 3 officers killed and 1 wounded. The trial of the King of Delhi was to take place on the 14th or 15th December. Generally, courts. martial had been very busy, and six or eight rebels wore executed every morning. On the 9th December commenced the trial of the Nawab of Jhuggur. The departure of so many troops from Delhi leaves the garrison numerically too weak for safety, notwith standing the arrival on the 11th of the left wing of the Ist Belooch battalion, now located in the famous Jumma Musjid. The four regiments in quarters have not more than 250 men each. The same re marks apply to Meerut, where the fighting portion of the community consists of 300 of the 6th Dragoon Guards, 120 of the 60th Rifles, 4 guns of Tomb's Battery, and a detachment of Sikhs. Il9w soon it will be possible to bend a column into Rohilcund, under these circumstances, it is difficult to say. The actual murderer of the late Simon Fraser (a Hadjee) had been caught and cut to pieces outside the city by some villagers. Round about Agra there appears to he plenty of work for skirmishers. A letter from Futteeabad describes some recent proceedings : Camp, Fatteesbad, Dec. 3. We marched from Agra on the * Morning of the 2nd to this place, which is distant twenty-three miles. Our road lay past the Taj. Next morning, at three o'clock, we marched out of Futteeabad about five miles, and reached the enemy just at daybreak. They soon opened fire on us with their matchlocks and jingals ( which latter carry 8 or 10 ounce balls) from behind rocks and bushes. We then stood watching them, until our guns came up, when our artillery opened fire. The Sikhs went right and left in skin mishing order, and we advanced straight to the front. Through the village we went—regular deerstalking—such a chase you never saw. After we had driven them out of the village, we had to traverse ravines, climb rocks, and scramble over small mountains. The runaways buried themselves in bushes, with the women and children on top of them. We hauled them out, and killed between thirty and forty men. Horsemen were of no use in these rocky jungles. We burned three villages, and hunted the rebel ryots clean and clear out of the place. We took two prisoners—one of whom we shot and the other we hanged. On our side, one Sikh infantryman was wc.unded, and one man belonging to the 3rd Europeans. The latter was one of a guard of three men and a corporal, who were in charge of the ammunition, and were attacked by four sowers. After we had done this job we got our dram, and marched quietly home to breakfast, when some more work was cut out for us. The enemy numbered, as well as we could guess, about 400, including a few sowers. Onr party con sisted of about 200 Sikh cavalry, 200 ditto infantry, 100 Europeans, two 9-pounders, and two mortars. Dec. s.—We marched from Futteeabad iu the direction of Gwalior. We went down by the side of the Kharee, the same river to the banks of which Colonel Cotton chased the rebels on the 10th. Every time we have had a hunt these rebels always doer across the water. They are very shy in showing fight—firing a few shots and then off like deer. Leaving Futteeabad, we marched through jungles and ploughed fields, having natives to pioneer the way for us. That morning we marched ten miles. After pitching onr camp there wasa rumour that there were between 700 orBoo rebels, with six guns, in a village not seven miles from us. Twenty cavalrymen, with two officers, went out to recou noitre, who on their appearance got a salute of bullets from out the jungle-grass; end an artillery officer got one pollee through the skirt of his coat, the bullet taking a piece out of the horse's back. This morning we marched out to see what we could do with the rebels. They soon opened fire on us with their jingala, but hit nobody; our artillery treated them in return to a shell or two, and a few round shot. Then they made off. While the artillery were firing, we refreshed ourselves with a tot, and then went off in skirmishing order, driving them over the river. Cavalry are of no use in these rocky jangles, so our horse men dismounted and chased the fugitives on foot with the carbine. We followed in the hunt two or three miles. Returning we set fire to the villages that had fired on us. In the chase we killed about fifty. We had one Sikh wounded, one man of the 3rd shot through the arm. oar men behaved admirably, no unnecessary slaughter taking