The Press. — London, England, 1857-10-17 00:00:00

INDIA. THE BOMBAY AND CALCUTTA MAILS. The usual mails arrived in London on Thursday and Friday. The dates are from Bombay to the 17th of September, from Calcutta to tha 9th, an d Madras to the 12th. The following official telegram was received at the Foreign-office through the Admiralty, at 2.30 a.m. October 11: Cagliari, Oct. 9, 8.30 p.m., Malta, Oct. 8, 5 a.m. The Bombay arrived at Suez on the evening of the 2nd inst. tier dates are from Bombay, 17th September, and Aden, 26th September. The following intelligence has been telegraphed from Suez to Alexandria by Vice• Consul West : General Havelock gained his ninth victory on the 10th of August, driving the rebels from a strong position near Bhitoor, which they desperately defended. After the battle he retired to Cawnpore, where he awaits reinforcements before advancing to the relief of Lucknow, where the rebels were repelled with great loss, and the garrison are bravely holding out. General Outram arrived with strong reinforcements at Allahabad ou the Ist of September, and expected to reach Cawnpore on the 9th. The Dinupore mutineers have again been defeated by Major Eyre near Sasseran, and are trying to nuke their way to Delhi. Active preparations have been resumed before Delhi, and on the 26th of August, General Nicholson defeated the mutineers at Nujuffghur, capturing thirteen guns and their camp baggage. Lieutenants Lumstlen and Gabbett were killed. On the arrival of the siege train, which was ex• pected on the Ist of September, it is said that an assault will be made on the city. A small force which left Agra on the 21st August, under the command of Major Montgomery, defeated a body of the insurgents near Allyghur, and put them to flight. Ensign Marsi and Mr. Tandy, volunteers, were killed. The 10th Light Cavalry mutinied at Feronzerore (query Ferozepore ) on the 19th August, and murdered Nelson, the veterinary surgeon. The 51st Native Infantry mutinied at Peshawur on. the 28th August, but most of them were seized, and will be summarily dealt with. Herat was evacuated by the Persian troops on the 27th July. At Neemnch part of a squadron of the 2nd Bombay Light Cavalry mutinied on the 12th August, and the troopers were disarmed. The mutineers of the Joudpore Legion have marched towards Nusseerabad, from which troops were sent to intercept them. The rebels from Oude are threatening Allahabad and Benares, which are being put in a state of defence. The sth Bengal Irregulars mutinied at Bhaugulpore on the 14th August; the 55th Bengal Native Infantry were disarmed at Ghazeepore on the 10th August. Large bodies of troops are marching from Calcutta towards Allahabad. burl Elgin left Calcutta on the 3rd September, and sailed for Hong Kong in the steamship Ave. Her Majesty's 89th Regiment has arrived at Bombay from the Cape of Good Hope, and has been sent to Deese. The 95th Regiment is daily expected. Seventeen prisoners were executed at Sattara for treason on the Bth September. The Mohurrum has passed off quietly in all parts of India. The Madras and Bombay Presidencies are tranquil. The Pulijaub continues quiet. Bundelcund and Central India are undisturbed. • A private mess ige from Saez mentions the arrival there of Sir H. Leeke by the Bombay, and he states that affairs in India are a shade better. This intelligence, received from Acting Consul• General Green at Alexandria, dated 4 p.m., October ;l, for the Earl of Clarendon. (Signed) M. STOPPORD, Rear-Admiral. Consul Casio. A second telegram was received at the Foreign office October 12, at 12.30 p.m., from the British Vice-Consul at Trieste, which said : The .4lnta brings dates from Calcutta of the 10th Sep. tember ; Madras, 15th September ; Point de Galle, 27th September; and Aden, 30th September. The news from the north west provinces is not later than that reeeivvd via liornbLy. When the Ainid passed Glide li.M. ship 3 Penelope and Cleopatra, with troops on board, had reached that place, and 2.500 troops were reported to have already arrived at the Mauritius. The following official telegram was received at the East India-house on Tuesday, Oct. 13 : _ Calcutta, Sept. 9. CANVNPORE AND LUCKNOW. General Havelock was still at Cawnpore, waiting for reinforcements, and Lueknow still unrelieved. The 90th Regiment, about half the Fusiliers, and a 9.pounder bat. tery, in all 1,270 men, were at Allahabad on the :ird or 4th. Six hundred infantry and the battery were immediately pushed towards Cawnpore, and General Outram was to follow with the remainder of the infantry on the night of THE PRESS, OCTOBER 17,1857. the sth instant. He expects to join Havelock on the Ilth or Wth, and has directed the latter to have everything ready for crossing the river on his arrival. Meanwhile, we have intelligence from Lucknow up to the 'end instant, when the garrison were in good spirits, and sufficiently provided with food. They had recently repulsed a deter- mined assault, and had disabled the only heavy guns be- longing to the assailants. 'rite garrison have been told to hold out to extremity and we are now confident that they will be relieved about the middle of this month. BENGAL AND BEFLAR. The Rewah troops detached, as reported in last mes• sage, to intercept the Dinapore mutineers were not in time to arrest their progress; the latter crossed the Tonse River about the 20th ult., after some detention by high flood, and their march has been marked by plunder. They give out that they are going to Delhi. The rebel Koer Singh fled from Rohtas about the 27th or 2Sth ultimo, and sought refuge in Rewah Territory. The Rajah warned him off, whereupon most of his sepoy adherents deserted him. A column, consisting of a wing of the 53rd Queen's, 27th Madras NJ., and some guns, lett Raneegnnge on the ?,7th ult., and will clear the Trunk Road. The Nepaul Durbar has given 1,000 Ghoorkas to aid in the occupation of Chumparun and the districts on the left bank of the Ganges, which are endangered by the abandonment of Goruckpore by the civil officers. It is thought that the force stated. which left Katmandhoo on the 13th or llth ult., will suffice to restore order in those districts. DELHI. Our latest accounts from Delhi extend to the 28th ult. The Punjaub reinforcements mentioned in last message reached camp on the 14th ult., and more recently an auxiliary force of about 2,600 men from Cashmere has marched to join the force. It is expected to do good service. A new siege-train from Ferozepore is expected by the end of August, and the Chief Commissioner of the Pun jaub calculates that, by the middle of this month, the force before Delhi will be little short of 13,000 men. This estimate may be somewhat too high. There has been the usual skirmishing, with the same result. On the 12th tilt. a battery which was troublesome was taken, and on the 25th, Brigadier Nicholson attacked the insurgents, who were trying in a large body to get to our rear, entirely defeated and routed them, took twelve guns, with all the ammunition, equipage, and baggage of the enemy. The troops are in good health and spirits. Wounded doing well. Supplies abundant. It is said that some overtures have been made by, or on behalf ot, the King. They will not be entertained. The garrison have been levying contributions in the neighbourhood of Agra and north-western provinces. AGRA. Latest intelligence to the 25th August.—All still in the fort, and general health good. Nothing particular had occurred, except an expedition to Futtehpore, Sukree, and another to Heiress, which latter defeated the insurgents, but was not strong enough to reoccupy Allyghnr. The Furruckabad Nawab is said to be on the road between that place and Cawnpore with three regiments of mutinous infantry and one of cavalry. He will be dealt with by General Havelock's column, after relief of Lneknow. On the deserting of Goruckpore by the civil °Ricers, a chucks dar from Oude took possession. Anarchy and confusion in the district, and Chumparun consequently in some danger, as mentioned elsewhere. Azimghur and Jonnpore have been occupied by the Ghoorkas, who marched from Goruckpore with the civil officers of native States. The mutineers of the Gwalior Contingent, joined by those from I ndore and Mhow, reckoned at 4,5(1) infantry, 9(X) cavalry, and :10 guns, are still believed to be at Gwalior, held in check, it ;.s reported, by Scindia. The Political Agent, Major Macpherson, writing from Agra on the 7th ult., expresses a confident belief in his loyal and friendly attachment to us. The peace of Bhopal is imperilled by the open mutiny of the contingent. All the Bundelcund chiefs continue to behave well, as also the Nawab of.lowooh and the petty States of Dhar Dewass, &c., none having openly revolted except Anijhera. In Raj pootana, native chiefs quiet and apparently true. The conduct of the Nizam's government at Hyderabad is admirable. Mohurrum festival passed off without any commotion or disturbance whatever. Puttiala, and all his Sutlej chiefs, continue in active and zealous co-operation. Gholab Singh, of Cashmere, died on the 2nd of August; his successor is, as he was, our stanch adherent. PUNJAUB. Intelligence from the Punjaub is to the 15th of August. Punjaub and Cis Sutlej States quite tranquil. Large local levies are being raises to supply the place of the reinforce ments gone to Delt.i Gholab Singh. of Cashmere, before his death promise! .5 lace to the Six-per• Cent. Loan, and about 20 were expected in Cia•Sutlej. It will probably draw nearly a crore, which is the estimated want. The disarmed 26th Native Infantry at Lahore murdered their commanding officer on :10th July, and broke away from the cantonment. The troops sent in pursuit took the wrong road, but the mutineers were followed by the police and the people of the country, and in the first days of August were either destroyed or captured, and executed ; hardly a man has escaped. Fugitives of the 55th Native Infantry, at Peshawur, have been seized, and similarly dealt with. These vigorous measures will probably deter others from similar attempts. G. F. EnsioNwro•ez, Secretary to the Government of India. 0.40 a.m. Monday. RANKN. MILITARY DESPATCHES. A supplement this week to the Gazette contains various official despatches of recent military opera tions in India, and which have been received from 1005 time to time by the authorities. The first despatch is from General Wilson,detailing the incidents of the bat tle of Ghazee-od-deen Nuggur, May 31st. Several de • spatches from Colonel Neill relating the operations before Benares and Allahabad, and from the late Sir Henry Barnard, also occupy the earlier pages. In a despatch dated Delhi, June 13, from the Assistant Adjutant-General of the Army, the major-general in command trusts at that period to be " ere long " enabled to strike a " decisive blow." The last despatch from Delhi is from General Reid, July 13th, in which the returns of the effective force, and of the sick and wounded in the British camp, are given as follows : EFFECTIVE FORCE.—TotaI-11 field officers, 38 captains, 167 subalterns, 24 surgeons, 2 veterinary surgeons, 52 subadars, 31 jemadars, 621 non-commis sioned officers, 7,072 rank and file, 2,140 horses. SICK AND VOUNDED.—TotaI-3 field officers, 4 captains, 15 subalterns, 3 subadats, 4 jemadars, 30 non-commissioned officers, 518 rank and file, 213 horses, sick ; 1 field officer, 6 captains, 12 subalterns, 4 subadars, 2 jemadars, 20 non-commissioned officers, 298 rank and file, 28 horses, wounded. GRAND TOTAL.-583 officers and men, 213 horses, sick ; :132 officers and men, 28 horses, wounded. The more important despatches are those from General Havelock, detailing the operations of the force under his command. On the 12th July, from the Camp, Futtehpore, General Havelock writes to the Deputy Adjutant- General of the Artily : Sir,—By telegrams and reports in various shapes, the Commander-in-Chief has been kept informed of the opera tions of Major Renaud, lat Madras Fusiliers, on the Grand Trunk Road, between the Ist and 11th inst., at the head of a force of 400 British and 420 native troops, with two pieces of cannon. He has everywhere pacificated the country, by punishing the ringleaders in mutiny and rebellion, where ever they have fallen into his hands, and earned, as I venture to think, the best thanks of his Excellency. But on the 10th inst. his position became critical. Cawnpore had suddenly fallen, by an act of treachery unequalled in our annals, save by one fatal event beyond the Indus ; and the rebel force, thus freed from occupation, had rapidly pushed down a force to the vicinity of this place, within five miles of which the major would arrive on the morning of the 12th. He would thus be exposed to the attack of 3,50:) rebels with twelve guns. No time was to be lost; so on the 10th my column marched, under a frightful sun, fifteen miles, to Synee, and, resuming their course at eleven o'clock at night, joined Major Reiland on the road, by moonlight, and with him marched to Khaga, five miles from Futtehpore, soon after dawn, and took up a position. The heat was excessive, but there were now on a point 1,400 British bayonets, and eight guns, united to a small native force. The whole is detailed in the margin.* Our information had been better than that of the enemy, for when Lieutenant• Colonel I'ytler pushed a recon naissance up to the town they evidently supposed they had only Major lienaud's gallant but small farce in their front, for after firing on the lieutenant•colonel and his escort, they insolently pushed forward two guns, and a tome of infantry and cavalry, cannonaded our front, and threatened our flanks. I wished earnestly to give our harassed soldiers rest, and so waited until this ebullition should expend itself, making no counter disposition, beyond posting 100 Enfield riflemen (04th) in an advanced copse. But the enemy maintained his attack with the audacity which his first supposition had inspired, and my inertness fostered. It would have injured the morale of my troops to permit them thus to be bearded, so I determined at once to bring on an action. Futtehpore constitutes a position of no small strength. The hard dry Grand Trunk Road subdivides it, and is the only means of convenient access, for the plains on both sides are covered at this season with heavy lodgments of water, to the depth of two, three, and font . feet. It is sur rounded by garden inclosures of great strength, with high walls, and has within it many houses of good masonry. In front of the swamps are hillocks, villages, and mango groves, which the enemy already occupied in force. 1 estimate the enemy's number as set forth in the margin.+ I made my dispositions. The guns, now eight in num ber, were formed on and close to the chaussee, in the centre, under Captain Maude, Royal Artillery, protected and aided by 100 Enfield riflemen of the 64th. The detach ments of infantry were, at the same moment, thrown into line of quarter-distance columns, at deploying distance, and thus advanced in support, covered at discretion by Enfield skirmishers. The small force of volunteers and irregular cavalry moved forward on the flanks, on harder ground. I might say that in ten minutes the action was decided, for in that short space of time the spirit of the enemy was utterly subdued; the rifle fire, reaching them at an unexpected distance, filled them with dismay, and when • British.-3rd company 9th battalion Royal Artillery, 76; Ist Madras Fusiliers, 376 ; her Nl,kjesty's 61th Regiment, 433; nob Highlanders, Pt; 64th Regiment, 190; detachment Bengal Artillery, 22; Volunteer Cavalry, 20—total British. 1,403. Native.—Regiment of Ferozepore, 44i; 13th irregular. and 3rd Oude Irregular Cavalry, 95; Golundauze, 15—total native, 561. Grand total, 1,961. • Mutineers.-20d, 3rd, and 7th Light Gavairy and TrregularS 500; native infantry and artillery, ow ; arme d mordents I,6oo.—Total, 3,600. Iron And ban guns, 12.