The Press. — London, England, 1858-02-20 00:00:00

INDIA. THE BOMBAY MAIL. The following summary is from the Bombay OnPr land Times of Jan. 121: Sir Colin Campbell, with about 10,00 men, left Cawn pore on the 24th of December, and advanced westward through ltohileund. After clearing the country as they ad vanced, our force was attacked on the 3rd of January, at the bridge across the Kalee Nuddee, but the enemy were repulsed with loss. Lieutenant lonnghusband, Punjaub Cavalry, and Captain Maxwell, Bengal Artillery, were severely wounded. On the night of the 2nd the rebels vacated Furruckabad, which was occupied by our troops on the 4th without opposition. Many guns were captured in the various affairs with the enemy, besides much valuable property. After the subjugation of Rohilcund, the commander-in-chief was to advance again upon THE PRESS, FEBRUARY 20, 1858. is on the whole of a satisfactory nature. The rebels, it is true, appear just as numerous and as well pro vided with artillery as ever, but they are invariably defeated, and though they appear a few days after wards with as many guns and men as they possessed before their defeat, yet it is only to lose them once more. This of course must come to an end sooner or later ; and if the rebels, as they seem disposed, concentrate themselves entirely in Oude, it is just possible that the conquest of Oude may put the finishing stroke to the rebellion. Sir Cohn Campbell was conducting his operations with his usual success. He left Cawnpore with a force of some 8,000 men on the 24th December, and advanced towards Futty ghur. He arrived at Ohowbeepore, sixteen miles distant, on the 25th, at Poora on the 26th, at Urnowl, forty miles from Cawnpore, on the 27th. They found the country one sheet of cultivation, although the villages were deserted. The force under Brigadier Hope Grant, detached in the first instance to Bithoor, where it completed the demolition of the town, and routed out much hidden treasure and orna ments, the property of Nana Sahib, the most valuable portion of which had been intrusted to the care of a prostitute in the village of Lallpore, joined Sir Cohn Campbell on the 27th. On the 29th the force reached Jellalabad, a small village two marches from Futtyghur ; I here, for the first time, an enemy made his appearance in the shape of a large body of matchlockmen with several guns. No particulars of the affair have reached Calcutta ; it is only known that Sir Colin Campbell instantly attacked the rebels, and after a nominal resistance defeated them, capturing eighteen guns and a large quantity of small arms. On the following day lie continued his route to Futtyghur, but on reaching the Kalee Nuddee, about fifteen miles this side of the canton ment, the suspension bridge was found to have been broken down, and all the boats had been removed. A working party was at once set to work to open corn. munication with the opposite bank. The necessary repairs had almost been completed when the rebels attacked Sir Cclin in force. In an incredibly short space of time Sir Cohn filed his troops over the bridge and defeated the rebels, and captured their eight guns. Meantime Colonel Seaton, despatcned from Delhi to Futtyghur on the 13 .h December, attacked a strong force of rebels at Ghangheree, and with the loss only of twelve killed and fifty wounded in Hudson's Horse, who cut up the enemy in a splendid charge, completely routed them, captured their guns, and drove them into Putteeala, an intrenched position on the road to Futtyghur. On the 18th, Colonel Seaton, pushing on in haste, arrived at Putteeala, a town sixty miles north-west of Futtyghur. When within three miles of their position, Colonel Seaton halted and formed his line. The Horse Artillery• he placed on either flank, the cavalry on the right and rear. lie then advanced. As he came on, the enemy opened fire from a battery of twelve guns, which they had formed in front of the town. Our artillery replied, and under cover of their fire the infantry advanced. But the enemy did not await the charge of the " thin red line." Our light guns sufficed to silence their artillery, and then it was saute quiptut. Our Horse Artillery and cavalry dashed on with a cheer, and completed the rout. Their guns, standing camp, am munition and supplies were all captured, and seven or eight hundred men were killed. Our loss was almost nominal. This victory opened the road to Futtyghur. On the arrival of the commander-in chief at that place on the 2nd of January, Colonel Seaton, who had on the 27th December reoccupied Mynpoorie, after a brief contest, was able to open communications with him. The junction of the two forces was effected, and the rebels, after a feeble attempt at resistance, fled precipitately horn the city into Oude, leaving their camp, artillery, and a vast quantity of stores prize to Sir Colin Campbell, who occupied the city on the evening of the 2nd January. A rest was expected here before the march is resumed on Furruckabad. It is at this place that serious resistance is anticipated, the town, which can hold 50,000 inhabitants, being protected by a large mud fort. It is believed that Sir Colin, after he has taken Furruckabad, will cross the Ganges, and that be will march down from Rohilcund into Oude, and upon Lucknow. At the same time that these opera lions were being carried on with such success, Colonel Walpole had been despatched from Cawnpore by General Inglis to clear Etawah. He caught the enemy at Akbarpore, crushed them, took their guns, and captured twenty of Nana Sahib's immediate retinte. These gentlemen were instantly hanged, and the colonel pushed on to join the commander-in chief at Futtyghat. _ _ Turning to the southward of Cawnnore, we find General Franks' columns holding Jannpore and Azimghur, waiting the movements of the com mander-in chief in order to commence a combined movement upon Oude. _ _ Goruckpore was taken on the oth January by the fcrces under Maharajah Jung Babadoor. Tho enemy had intrenched themselves strongly, but made a feeble resistance. Seven guns were taken and 200 men killed. Our loss was only two Ghoorkas killed and seven wounded. A letter from one of the Eng- Lacknow. General Outram, at the Alumbagh, continued to hold his position, notwithstanding repeated attacks by the enemy. On the 23nd Dec. he attacked the enemy, about ,e,tl(X► strong, who had taken up a formidable position on his right flank, and completely routed them, killing 250, and capturing four guns. On the I•2th January General Outran was attacked by 30,000 of the rebels, who were re• pulsed with the loss of 400 men. The post of Alumbagh was again assailed on the 16th, and the attack lasted for eleven hours, the enemy being beaded by a Hindoo fanatic, who was wounded and taken prisoner. The insur gents were driven back with severe loss. With the force at his disposal, about 4,0t)0 men, General Outran' is fully able to maintain his position. On the 26th of December Colonel Rowcroft's column, consisting of part of the Naval Brigade and two Ghoorka regiments, attacked a body of rebels, 5,000 strong, in the Goruckpore district, and entirely routed them. This victory has cleared thr.t part of the country. Brigadier Campbell, with a small force from Allah abad, marched against the rebels in the neighbourhood, and attacked them on the 4th of January•, killing upwards of 350. The Rareilly insurgents, about 1,000 in number, at tacked Huldwanee, eighteen miles from Nynee Till, o❑ the let of January, but were driven off by the Uhoorkas, with the loss of twenty killed. A small force from D,esa, under Major Raines, marched against the village of Rowe on the Bth of January, and engaged the rebels collected the-e. After a sharp fire of musketry the villav was carried by storm and the enemy driven out. A few officers were wounded in this affair The Bhopal Contingent were disarmed at Sehore on the 12th of January by the force under General Rose. About Ved prisoners were tried by court-martial, and shot by musketry, and many others were killed in attempting to escape. The rescued gmxison of Lucknow arrived at Calcutta on the Ath January, and were received with much enthusiasm by the European inhabitants. The Bishop of Calcutta died on the 'lnd of January,and was interred on the 4th in St. Paul's Cathedral. The Bishop of Madras has been appointed to conduct the duties of the Metropolitan See. The Alth Regiment arrived at Kurrachee on the 11th of January, overland via Suez, in the steamer Oriental. The 7th Dragoon Guards have also arrived at Knrrachee. The iVunjauti continues quiet. The NiZ4132 . 11 dominions are tranquil. The Bombay and Madras Presidencies re main undisturbed. Some additional intelligence is given in the letters re•eived yesterday by the Indian mail. We make some extracts : Boxnav, Jan. '23. A letter received by Lord Elphinstone, dated from the camp of the commander-in-chief at Meerunki-Serai, in the Doab, on the 2ttth of December, and communicated to the local papers, contains this phrase—" The neck of the ' business all over the conntry is broken." The intelligence which this mail convey s to ycn is condensed in these few words. Now that th e overwhelming superiority of the British forces to those of the mutineers has been estab lished by the series of brilliant exploits that ended with the rout of the numerous and well-appointed and half victorious Gwal•or Contingent, a desultory and compara tively feeble opposition is all that is likely to be encountered in our progress towards the complete pacification of the country. The noel), which for so many months was abandoned to rebel chiefs and lawless soldiery, has been swept clear of the enemy. Bithoor, Etawah, Mynpoorie, Fitttyghur, Furruckabad—all in our hands. Their petty rulers and landholders, if still at large, are at least fugitives in Rohileunti or Ondt, and their lands have passed from them tor ever. The mutineers under Bahadoor Khan, at Bareilly, have next to be attacked : and here some resis tance may be met with but neither from them nor from the hordes whom Sir James Outram is holding in check at Alumbsgh, and whose destruction will be the latest event of the insurrection, do we look to receive anything more than a momentary obstruction to the re-establishment of the benign anti just rule of England. The district around Cawnpore is settling down, and is about to be traversed by a moveable column front that station. The command of the Benares division has, I believe, been offered to Sir Archdale Wilson. The trial of the es-King of Delhi bad been fixed for the 9th, but the prisoner being indisposed it was postponed till the 13111, and by this time has, no doubt, been brought to a termination. .... THE intelligence f rom 1 , 1 " by the mails from Cal cutta of the 9th January, and from Bombay the 13th, lish officers accompanying the force gives the 1,,i. lowing personal description ofJung Bahadoor and his troop : Yesterday we went to see the Maharajah in full Durtar. He is a very fine fellow, and made most favourable ire: pression on us all. He was most magnificently dressed, but at the same time in the very best tas t e. H e i s accompanied by two of his brothers, one of them second in command, and the other without any specific app o i ntment. The : army, which consists of about eleven thousand men, is formed into divisions, commanded by th e Jung's half relations Indeed, half the Durbar was composed of his blood relations. After the Durbin., which did not last half an hour, we went out to look at the troops. They Were drawn up in lines of regiments, one behind the other, the best of course in front, but we were very agreeably surorised both as to their state of discipline, physique, and equip ment. They marched as steadily as any troops I ever saw. Their double march was singularly steady, and they formed column and square, deployed, and passed in review in a most gallant and steady manner. Far from realising oar preconceived notions of Ghoorks diminutiveness, they, at any rate in the crack corps, were giants, and even those in the non-selected regiments were very much larger than in our Ghoorka battalions. I inquired about their com. position, and General Ilumheer Singh, the second in com mand, informed me that with the exception of seventeen, they were all pure Ghoorkas. The Jung is most anxious to get at the enemy. The state of affairs in Goruekpore is frightful. The people, released from all restraint, writes a corre spondent, are indulging in true Asiatic thirst for blood. Mohammed Hoossein, the rebel chief, cut off quiet folks' heads because they would not pay their revenue. His assistants cut off heads because those who do pay revenue will not pay taxes in excess of revenue. Jung Bahadoor is now cutting off the heads of Hoossein's followers. While, to crown the scene, the villagers massacre each other to reconcile long-standing feuds. Turning to Oude, General Outram, by the last accounts, was safe at Alumbagh. On the 22nd Dec. he executed a brilliant right movement, by which the enemy in an attempt to gain possession of the Cawopore road were corn pletely defeated, with the loss of four guns, and 100 killed. The defeat of the Gwalior rebels at Cawn pore by Sir Colin had had a marked effect upon the Oude peasantry, who now supply Sir James Outram's camp with every provision. It is reported from Agra that the surrounding districts are still in a disturbed state, that revenue has to be collected by force, and that justice has to be administered under the protection of a regiment _ _ of Europeans. From Bareilly, to the sth, we learn that Khan Bahadar Khan, who was Principal Sadder Atneen or chief native judge at that station before the rebel lion . broke out, is the chief of the rebels. He has, it is stated, thirty-five guns, 18,0(X) infantry, and 4,003 cavalry, 2,000 of the latter being old suwars, and the remainder new levies. At Delhi executions are of daily occurrence. On the 23rd Dec. the Nawab of Jhujjur was hanged in the presence of a large number of spectators, prin cipally Hindoos. Very few Mussulmans looked on. He is described as a fine-looking man, and is said to have submitted quietly to his deserved fate. His jaghire, which was granted to his grandfather by Lori Lake for services rendered against the Mali rattas, is of course forfeited to Government. Nothing has been heard respecting the trial of the King, whose life, it is now asserted by a writer in the Lahore Chronicle, was guaranteed to him on the express authority cf General Wilson. Most probably the gallant captor of Delhi acted under orders from superior authority. Newspaper correspondents con tinue to assert that Mahomedan scoundrels are admitted into the city without the least inquiry, and some even go so far as to say that many of those who are known to have fought against us have been re-employed in their old places. Several petty engagements had occurred in Behar and on the frontiers of Bengal. The Chittagorg mutineers had been almost destroyed by the Sylbet battalion. The Dacca mutineers were still trying to push westward by Boman, but their case was hope less, and their doom certain. In the Punjaub Sir John Lawrence continues to exhibit anxiety ; be has, it is said, written for the 6th Hussars, and he his brought together sufficient horses to mount that and another regiment of cavalry. A letter from Lahore, of Dec. 30th, says : We are drilling the troops here as fast as we von . get them. Sir John Lawrence has already raised some thin y five infantry and cavalry. The Guides who were b efore Delhi returned yesterday; truly a splendid body of men. They are marching through to their station up in the bilis, loaded with a decent amount of booty. The Lahore volun leers have been broken up. They mustered a body of 200 men. We have fteeivell no new European troops in the Punjanb yet. This is strange. I assure you Sir J. Lawrence is looking out most anxiously for them, for her Majesty's slst and the Artillery at kleean Meer are wor ried night and day, locking after the two regiments of Pandies. We want British trocps here, and cannot afford to be much longer without them. There are 13,000 dis armed troops in the Punjaub, and 3,000 scattered Europeans to guard them. We have one native regiment stanch — only one, the 21it Native Infantry, at Pesbawur. They have retained their arms altogether to this time, while four others had their teeth drawn. 178