The Press. — London, England, 1858-01-16 00:00:00

THE PRESS, JANUARY 16,1858. The Governor-General in council deeply deplores the loss of this able leader and truly brave man, who has been taken from the service of his country at a time when he can least be spared, though not before he had won for himself lasting renown, and had received at the hands of his Sovereiga the gracious and prompt recogni tion of his merits. untiring vigilance in their distribution after our difficulties hnd begun, prevented a waste which other wise, long before the expiration of the eighty-seven d a ys, might have annihilated the force by the slow process of starvation." The " splendid behaviour" of the soldiers is also brought before the special notice of the Government —viz., the men of her Majesty's 32nd Foot, the small detachment of her Majesty's filth Foot, the European and native artillery, the 13th, 413th, and 71st Regiments Native Infantry, and the Sikhs of the respective corps : The losses sustained by her Majesty's 32nd, which is now barely 300 strong, by her Majesty's tilth, and by the European artillery, show at least that they knew how to die in the cause of their countrymen. Their conduct under the fire, the exposure , and the privations which they have had to undergo, has been throughout most admirable and praiseworthy. " As another instance of the desperate character of our defence, and the difficulties we have had to contend with," observes Colonel Inglis, " I may mention that the number of our artillerymen was so reduced that on the occasion of an attack, the gunners—aided as they were by men of H.M.'s 32nd Foot, and by volunteers of all classes—had to run from one battery to another, wherever the fire of the enemy was hottest, there not being nearly enough men to serve half the number of guns at the same time. In short, at last the number of European gunners was only twenty-four, while we had, including mo rtars, no less than ihirty guns in position." With respect to the native troops, Colonel Inglis is of opinion "that their loyalty has never been sur passed " : They were indifferently fed and worse housed. They were exposed, especially the 13th Regiment, under the gallent Lieutenant Aitken, to a most galling fire of round shot and musketry, which materially decreased their numbers. They were so near the enemy that conversation could be carried on between them ; and every effort, persua sion, promise, and threat was alternately resorted to, in vain, to seduce them from their allegiance to the handful of Europeans, who, in all probability, would have been sacrificed by their desertion. All the troops behaved nobly, and the names of those men of the native force who have particularly distinguished themselves have been kid before Major-General Sir James Outram, G.C.11., who has promised to promote them. Those of the European force will be transmitted in due course for the orders of his Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief. Sir James Outram, on receiving the report of Colonel Inglis, issued an order of the day, dated Lucknow, Oct. 5, in which occurs the following noble tribute to the heroism of this unrivalled defence : The major-general believes that the annals of warfare contain no brighter page than that which will record the bravery, fortitude, vigilance, and patient endurance of hardships, privation, and fatigue displayed by the garrison of Lucknow, and he is very conscious that his unskilled pen must needs fail adequately to convey to the Right Hon. the Governor-General of India and his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief the profound sense of the merits of that garrison which has been forced on his mind by a careful consideration of the almost incredible difficulties with which they have had to contend. The term " illustrious" was well and happily applied by a former GovernorGenerll of India to the garrison of Jellalabad; but some far more laudatory epithet, if such the English language contains, is due, the major general considers, to the brave men whom Brigadier Inglis has commanded, with undeviating success and untarnished honour, through the late memorable siege; for while that devoted band of heroes who so nobly maintained the honour of their country's arms under Sir R. Sale were seldom exposed to actual attack, the Lucknow garrison, of inferior strength, have, in addition to a series of fierce assaults gallantly and successfully repulsed, been for three months exposed to a nearly incessant fire from strong and commanding positions, held by an enemy of overwhelming force, possessing powerful artillery, having at their com mand the whole resources of what was but recently a kingdom, and animated by an insane and bloodthirsty fanaticism. It is a source of heartfeltioatiatiction to the major general io be able to a certain extent to confer on the native portion of the garrison an instalment of those re wards which their gallant and grateful cominander has sought for them. and which he is very certain the Governor- General will bestow in full ; and though the major-general, as regards the European portion of the garrison, cannot do more than give his most earnest and hearty support to the recommendations of the brigadier, lie feels assured that the Governor-General of India will fully and publicly manifest his appreciation of their distinguished services, and that our beloved Sovereign will herself deign to con vey to them some gracious expression of royal approbation of their conduct. In acknowledging the above, the Governor-General in council, "in recognition of the heroism of the native troops engaged in the defence of the Resi dency of Lucknow, decrees that the soldiers of the 13th, 48th, and 71st Regiments of Native Infantry, .who constituted part of the garrison, shall be formed into one regiment of the line, to be called the Regi ment of Lucknow." As a mark of his approbation of the conduct of the defence, the Governor-General bestows upon the garrison a reward of—six months' hatta! and in the last paragraph If his general order remembers the death of Havelock in the following terms:— DESPATCH OF SIR COLIN CAMPBELL. Despatches from Sir Colin Campbell, G.C.8., de tailing his operatiots in the advance upon Lucknow, have been received. On the 18th Nov. Sir Colin writes from "Head-quarters, Shah Nujjeef, Lucknow," that having left Cawnpore on the 9th Nov., and having joined Brigadier Hope Grant, C. 8., the same day at Camp Buntara, about six miles from Alum bagh, he advanced upon the latter place, after re. calving all his reinforcements, on the morning of the 12th, with a force of some 700 Cavalry and 2,700 Infantry, of which about 1,800 were Punjaub native troops. He reached Alumbagh the same day, and, joined by about 700 more European troops, marched out upon Lucknow on the morning of the 14th. Aa he approached the park of the Dilkoosha, the enemy threw out skirmishers, and after a running fight of about two hours, the enemy were driven back beyond the canal, and the Dilkoosha and the Marti niere both occupied. On the morning of the 16th Sir Colin advanced upon Secunderbagh. This place, a high walled inclosure of strong masonry of 120 yards square, was carefully loopholed all round. It was held very strongly by the enemy. Opposite to it was a village at a distance of a hundred yards, which was also loopholed and filled with men : On the head of the column advancing up the lane, to the left of the Secunderbagh, fire was opened on us. The infantry of the advance-guard was quickly thrown in skir mishing order, to line a bank to the right. The guns were pushed rapidly onwards—viz., Captain Blunt's troop, Bengal Horse Artillery, and Captain Travers's Royal Artillery, heavy field battery. The troop passed at a gallop through a cross-fire from the village and Secunder bagh, and opened fire within easy musketry range in a most daring manner. As soon as they could be pushed up a stiff bank, two 18-pounder guns, under Captain Travers, were also brought to bear on the building. Whilst this was being effected, the leading brigade of in fantry, under Brigadier the Hon. Adrian Hope, coming rapidly into action, caused the loopholed village to be abandoned, the whole fire of the brigade being then directed on the Secunderbagb. After a time, a large body of the enemy, who were holding ground to the left of our advance, were driven in by parties of the 53rd and 03rd, two of Captain Blunt's guns aiding the movement. The Highlanders pursued their advantage and seized the bar racks, and immediately converted them into a military post, the 53rd stretching in a long line of skirmishers in the open plain, and driving the enemy before them. The attack on the Secunderbagh had now been proceeding for about an hour and a half, when it was determined to take the place by storm through a small opening which had been made This was done in the most brilliant manner by the re mainder of the Highlanders and the 53rd and the 4th Pun jaub Infantry, supported by a battalion of detachments under Major Barnaton. Thera never was a bolder feat of arms, and the loss inflicted on the enemy after the entrance of the Secunderbaghwas effected was immense—more than 2,030 of the enemy were afterwards carried out. The officers who led these regiments were Lieutenant-Colonel Leith Hay, her Majesty's 93rd Highlanders ; Lieutenant- Colonel Gordon, her Majesty's 93rd Flighlandera ; Captain Walton, her Majesty's 53rd Foot ; Lieutenant Paul, 4th Puojaub Infantry (since dead); andinajor Barnaton, her Majesty's 90th Foot. Captain Peel's Royal Naval Siege Train was then pushed to the front, and advanced towards the Shah Nujjeef, together with the field•battery and some mortars, the village to the left having been cle ared by Brigadier Hope and Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon. The Shah Nujjeef is a domed mosque, with a gat den, of which the most had been made by the enemy. The wall of the inclosure of the mosque was loop holed with great care. The entrance to it had been covered by a regular work in masonry, and the top of the building was crowned with a parapet. From this, and from the defences in the garden, an un ceasing fire of musketry was kept up from the com mencement of the attack : This position was defended with great resolution against a heavy cannonade of three hours. It was then stormed in the boldest manner by the 93rd Highlanders, under Brigadier Hope, supported by a battalion of detachments under Major Barnaton, who was, I regret to say, severely wounded; Captain Peel leading up his heavy guns with extraordinary gallantry within a few yards of the building, to batter the massive stone walls. The withering fire of the Highlanders effectually covered the Naval Brigade from great loss, but it was an action almost unexampled in war. --- Captain Peel, says Sir Colin, behaved very much " as if he had been laying the Shannon alongside an enemy's frigate." This brought the day's operations to a close. On the next day communications wero opened to the left rear of the barracks to the canal, after overcoming considerable difficulty. Captain Peel kept up a steady cannonade on the building called the Mess-house. This building, of consider able size, was defended by a ditch about twelve feet broad and scarped with masonry, and beyond that. a loopholed mud wall determined to use the guns as much as possible in taking it. About three p.m., when it was considered that men might be sent to storm it without much risk, it was taken by a company of the DOth Foot under Captain Wolseley, and a picket of her Majesty's 53rd under Cap tain Hopkins, supported by Major Barnston's battalion of detachments under Captain Guise, her Majesty's 90th Foot, and some of the Punjaub Infantry under Lieutenant Powlett. The Mess-house was carried immediately with a rush. The troops then pressed forward with great vigour, and lined the wall separating the Mess•house from the Motee Mahal, which consists of a wide iuclosure and many buildings. The enemy here made a last stand, which was overcome after an hour, openings having been broken in the wall, through which the troops poured, with a body of Sappers, and accomplished our communications with the Residency. I had the inexpressible satisfaction shortly afterwards of greeting Sir James Outran' and Sir Henry Havelock, who came out to meet me before the action was at an end. The relief of the besieged garrison had been accomplished. The troops, including all ranks of officers and men, bad worked strenuously and persevered boldly in following up the advantages gained in the various at tacks. Every man in the force had exerted himself to the utmost, and now met with his reward. "It should not be forgotten," adds Sir Colin, "that these exertions did not date merely from the day that I joined the camp—the :arious bodies of which the relieving force was composed having made the longest forced marches from various directions to enable the Government of India to save the gar rison of Lucknow. Some from Agra, some from Allababad—all alike had undergone the same fatigues in pressing forward for the attainment of this great object. Of their conduct in the field of battle the facts narrated in this despatch are suffi cient evidence,) which I will not weaken by any eulogy of aline." Sir Colin Campbell then enumerates the services of the gallant officers under his command, calling especial attention to Major General Mansfield, chief of the staff, " for the very able and cordial assistance he has afforded me and the service during these operations, and how admirably the very many and important duties belonging to his situation have been performed, for which his high talents and experience of service in this country so peculiarly fit him. Also to Brigadier-General Hope Grant, C. 8., " who was in immediate command of the division by which this service was effected. His activity in carrying out the details has been admirable, and his vigilance in superintending the outpost duties has been un surpassed." Also to Brigadier the Hon. Adrian Hope, who commanded the advance of the force ; as also to Captain Peel, C. 8., of the Royal Navy, who, " distinguished himself in a most marked manlier." Also to the officers commanding brigades and others engaged ; while a list of the men and non-commis sioned officers who particularly distinguished them selves was to be separately forwarded. A second despatch from Sir Colin, dated " Nov. 25th, Head-quarters ' Alumbagh," announces the a bandonment of the Residency at Lucknow by the forces under his command at midnight on the 22nd of November. In continuation of the previous re port, Sir Colin explains that on the night of the 17th November he secured the left rear of his position by the seizure of a building called Bank's House, and on the 18th completed his chain of posts, " which difficult and wdious operations, conducted as they were under a most galling fire and in cramped sub urbs," reflected " much credit on all the officers and men concerned, and secured the position." The same afternoon, the enemy made a smart attack on the pickets covering the centre of the line. " I supported them," writes Sir Colin, " with a com pany of her Majesty's 23rd and another of her Majesty's 53rd Foot, not having any more infantry at my disposal " : Captain Remmington's troop of Horse Artillery was brought up and dashed right into the jungle with the lead ing skirmishers, and opened fire with extraordinary rapidity and precision. Captain Rernmington distinguished himself very much. I superintended this affair myself, and I have particular pleasure in drawing your lordship's attention to the con duct of this troop on this occasion, as an instance of the never failing readiness and quickness of the Horse Artillery of the Bengal Service. During the next three days, Sir Colin, having thus secured his left flank, continued to hold the whole of the country from the Dilkoosha to the gates of the Residency, " with a view to extricating the garrison, without exposing it to the chance of even a stray musket-shot." "From the first," adds Sir Colin Campbell, "all the arrangements have been conducted towards this end":— The whole of the force under my immediate command being one outlying picket, every man remained on duty, and was constantly subject to annoyance from the enemy's fire ; but such were the vigilance and intelligence of the force, and so heartily did all ranks co-operate to support me, that T was enabled to conduct this affair to a happy issue, exactly in the manner originally proposed.