The Press. — London, England, 1857-12-19 00:00:00

1224 and that three of his sons, " who are known to have taken a prominent part in the atrocities attending the insurrection, have been this day captured by Captain Hodson, and shot on the spot." General Wilson bears testimony to the arduous nature and the un tiring exertions of all the men and officers engaged : The details of the operations have been so fully entered into in my previous despatch and annexed reports and returns from the various commanding officers that little remains for me to eay, but to again express my unqualified approbation of the conduct and spirit of the whole of the troops, not only on this occasion, but during the entire period they have been in the field. Fur four months of the must trying season of the year this force, originally very weak in number, has been ex• posed to the repeated and determined attacks of an enemy far outnumbering it, and supported by a numerous and powerful artillery. The duties imposed upon all have been laborious, harassing, and incessant, and notwithstanding heavy losses, both in action and from disease, have been at all times zealously and cheerfully performed. Lieutenaut-Colonel Baird Smith, Chief Engineer, " who, in ill health and while suffering from the effects of a'painful wound, devoted himself with the greatest ability and assiduity to the conduct of the difficult and important operations of the siege," is thanked, as well as many other officers whose names are familiar to us all. Brigadier Nicholson, Brigadier Chamberlain, Brigadier Showers, Colonels Seaton and Mackenzie, Major Cuke, and Brigadier Hope Grant are especially mentioned. The civil servants, also, in the camp are not forgotten. Sir H. Great bed, whese subsequent death the general " deeply laments;" Mr. C. B. Saunders, and Mr. R. Clifford, both of whom attended the general in action, and rendered themselves " most useful ;" and lastly, Sir J. Metcalfe, " whose gallantry in conducting Colonel Campbell's assaulting column through the city was conspicuous. Upon the commissariat and medical services General Wilson confers the highest praise : Under circumstances of peculiar difficulty, in a district the population of which has been inimical, and in which civil authority has ceased to exist, this force has. from the commencement, been kept well and sufficiently provisioned wish supplies of every description, the issue of rations to the soldiers having been as regular, both in quantity and quality, as in cantonments. And again With the medical arrangements of Superintending Sur- geon E. Tritton I have every reason to be satisfied, and he is entitled to my cordial acknowldgements. At such a try ing season of the year, and in a notoriously unhealthy locality, the sickness and mortality have, of course, been heavy. In addition to those suffering from disease, the hospitals have received almost daily accessions of wounded men. The labours, therefore, of the medical department have bt eu unceasing, notwithstanding there has not been at any time the slightest failure an the arrangements for the care and comfort of the very numerous patients. In conclusion, General Wilson expresses his deep obligations to several native Rajahs, especially the Rajah of Putteealali, the Rajah of Jbeend, and the Nawab Fishan Khan, " who, with his brave nephew, Sirdar Bahadoor Meer Khan, and their retainers, accompanied mt. from Meerut, was present at the actions on the Hintlun, and has since taken part in nearly every action in which this force has been engaged." Lastly, General Wilson trusts he shall be excused if he publicly acknowledge "the all important and invaluable aid for which lam indebted to the Chief Commissioner of the Punjaub, Sir John Lawrence, K.C.8., to whose indefatigable exertions in reinforcing me with every available soldier in the Punjaub the successful result of our operations is I unhesitatingly pronounce, attributable." General Wilson incloses the separate reports of the Akers commanding on the occasion. The most interesting is that by Colonel Baird Smith, detailing the operation of blowing in the Cashmere Gate. The party under the command of Lieuts. Home and Salkeld consisted of :—Sergeants John Smith, A. B. Carmichael, Corporal F. Burgess, alias Joshua Burgess Grierson, of the Sappers and Miners ; Bugler Hawthorne, H.M.'s 52nd ; 14 Native Sappers and Miners ; and 10 ditto Punjaub Sappers and :Miners : Covered by the fire of 11.11.'s 60th Rifles, this party advanced at the double towards the Cashmere Bate ; Lieutenant Home, with Sergeants John Smith and Car michael and Havildar Madhoo, all of the Sappers, leading, and carrying the powder hags, followed by Lieutenant Salkeld, Corporal Burgess, and a section of the remainder of the party. The advanced party reached the gateway unhurt, and found that part of the drawbridge had been destroyed ; but posing across the precarious footing sup plied by the remaining beams, they proceeded to lodge their powder against the gate. The wicket was open, and through it the enemy kept up a heavy fire upon them. Sergeant Carmichael was killed while laying his powder. Havildar ?dadlion being at the same time wounded. The powder being laid, the advanced party slipped down into the ditch to allow the firing party, under Lieutenant Salkeld, to perform its duty. While endeavouring to tire the charge, Lieutenant Salkeld was shot through the leg and arm, and handed over the slow match to Corporal Dui gess, who fell mortally wounded just as he had auccessfully per. formed his duty. Tank Sing, of the Sappers and Miners, was wounded, and Ram Beth, sepoy, of the MN amps, was killed daring this pert of the °radon. I, 'I'HE PRESS, DECEMBER 19,1857. The demolition having been most successful, Lieutenant Home, happily unwounded, caused the bugle to sound the regimental call of the ,Wnd Regiment as the signal for the advance of the column. Fearing that amid the noise of the assault the sound might not be heard, he had the call repeated three times, when the troops advanced and carried the gateway with entire success. I feel assured that a simple statement of the facts of this devoted and glorious deed will suttee to stamp` it as one of the noblest on record in military history. Its per fect success contributed most diaterially to the brilliant results of the day, and Lieutenants Home and Salkeld, with their gallant subordinates, European and native, will, I doubt not, receive the reward which valour before the enemy so distinguished as theirs has entitled them to. Lord Canning, at Calcutta, in publishing the de spatch, appends an Order in Council expressing his approbation of the conduct of the army, calling especial attention to the heroism of Home, Salkeld, and the party at the Cashmere Gate, and concluding in the following words : There is no mistaking the earnestness of purpose with which the struggle has been maintained by Major-General Wilson's army. Every heart was in the cause ; and whilst their numbers were, according to ordinary rule, fearfully unequal to the task, every man has given his aid wherever and in whatever manner it could most avail to hasten retri bution upon a treacherous and murderous foe. In the name of outraged humanity, in memory of inno cent blood ruthlessly shed, and in acknowlekment of the first signal vengeance inflicted upon the foulest treason, the Governor General in Council recoris his gratitude to Major• General Wilson, and the Brave army of Delhi. lie does so in the sure conviction that a like tribute awaits them, not in England only, but wherever, within the limits of civilisation, the news of their well•carned triumph shell reach. A Supplement to the London Gazette of Tuesday publishes the official reports of the various com manding officers on the different points where severe lighting lis.s taken place. Official lists of the killed and wounded are also given. highly the services he rendered to India by that single act." In conclusion he said : Brigadier-General Neil, during his short but active career in Bengal, had won the respect and confidence of the Go vernnieut of India. He had made himself conspicuous as an intelligent, prompt, self.relying soldier. ready of resoutce and stout of heart, and the Governor-General in Council offers to the Government and to the army of Madras his sincere condolence upon the loss of one who was an honour to the service of their Presidency. Of Nicholson, " the Lion of the Punjaub," Mr. Mangles spoke in the highest terms; — He was horn in 11;t3 and entered the service in 1830. He was simply a regimental captain, and yet, in spite of the jealousy which the system of seniority created, this gallant man, who was not thirty-five years of age on the day he unhappily died, had risen to the rank of brigadier general, commanding a division of the army before Delhi. I believe I may say that he held that command and exer cised his powers without exciting the smallest spark of jealousy on the part of any of his brother officers. Great must have been the force of his character. I believe that since the time when the senior officer surrendered to young Clive that command which by right belonged to him for long services there has never been a voluntary submission of command to so young a man, and that simply because of the fore sight of Sir John Lawrence, who eaw that he was the right man to be put in the right place lt is impossible to speak without deep emotion of the early death of so gallant a soldier, and of so admirable an officer. His whole life was one continued career of devotion to his duty. He was perfectly insensible to fear. But he fell as a soldier desires to fall, only too early for his country-- he fell in the discharge of his duty in pushing forward his long•victorious troops towards the consummation of a glorious victory. The Chairman then proposed the grant of 5001. each be made to Lady Neill and Mrs. Nicholson, the mother of the gallant hero whose loss we have to deplore. Sir F. Cunnis seconded the motion, and bore personal testimony to the great worth of Nichol son : He was a man of the highest personal courage, and the most reckless daring. These, to be sure, were mere military merits, but his judgment, his energy, his in domitable inflexibility, and as a natural consequence his influence over others, were such as he (Sir F. Currie) had never seen in any other man. Amendments were moved by Mr. LEvrrx and Mr. Lucite, M.P., to these proposals, on the ground of their insufficency, and on the ground also of the Directors intending by these pensions to supersede all others, of which Lady Neill and Mrs. Nicholson would be in receipt, aczording to the regulations of the service. Ultimately it was agreed that the pensions of 500/. a year should be clear of all deductions. PENSIONS TO COMPANY'S OFFICERS. A SPECIAL General Court of the East India Company was held on Wednesday, to lay before the proprietors resolutions of the Court of Directors granting to Major• General Sir Archdale Wilson, Bart., K.C.8., an annuity of 1,0001. ; and to Lady Neill, the widow of the late Brigadier-General Neill, and to Mrs. Nicholson, the mother of the late Brigadier-General John Nicholson, special pensions of 500/. per annum respectively. The CHAIRMAN first proposed the pension of 1,000/. a year to Sir Archdale Wilson, K.C.8., and in the course of his speech alluded to Sir Archdale's services before Delhi in the following terms : From the time that General Wilson took the command there was a marked alteration in the tactics of the siege. saw yesterday the only gentleman who has arrived in this country who was present at the siege and at the Istorming of Delhi, and who did not leave the place until it was completely in our hands. I allude t.) Captain Lowe asked that gentleman whether theme had not been at tee time of General Wilson's taking the command a marked alteration in the tactics of the siege ? He said there had been, but that be attributed no blame whatever to the former generals ; because, be said, it was necessary in the first instance to show our ability to attack the mutineers; and t'.at if we had shown ourselves open to their attack, and that we were liable to be cut off, they would have operated upon our rear, which would have led to the worst results. But at the time that General Wilson took the command the effect which had already been produced justified a different policy. But for all this we are indebted to the indomitable energy of Sir John Lawrence. You are as well acquainted, probably, with all the circumstances that led to the capture of Delhi as myself ; but it is im possible to speak upon the subject without using terms of the highest praise of the wonderful gallantry evinced by our troops and without bearing testimony to the credit due to the general commanding during those six days of most perilous conflict. Mr. R. D. Mangles, in conclusion, formally pro posed the following resolution:— That, as a special mark of the sense which this court entertains of the skill, sound judgment, steady resolution, and gallantry of Major• General Sir Archdale Wilson, Bart., Knight Commander of the Bath, in the operations which resulted in the storm and capture of Delhi, by which, under the blessing of Divine Providence, the re• putatiou of the British arms snd nation has been nobly sustained, an annuity of 1,000/. be granted to Sir Archdale Wilson, to commence from the 14th of September, 1857, the day on which Delhi was stormed. Sir F. CURIUE, depiit -chairman, seconded the motion. The question was then put, and the Resolution was unanimously agreed to, with cheers. In proposing the pensions to Lady Neill land Mrs. Nicholson, Mr. AIANGLES expressed the following opinion upon the services of those two gallant officers, the relatives of these ladies. Briefly relating in detail the services of General Neill, the Chairman spoke of the "extraordinary vigour and energy" he had displayed at Benares, whereby ho checked the insurrection in the bud, and saved not only the station but the province. "It is impossible," said ILL Msugles, ‘ 4 to estimate too MISSIONS IN INDIA. Tax adjourned meeting to promote the extension of missions in India was held at Willis's-rooms on Wednesday. The Lord Bishop of London presided. Lord J. MANNERS ' in rising to move the first resolu tion, spoke warmly against the " hindrances" thrown in the way of missions in India, and advo cated a great combined and concentrated mission movement against that stronghold of heathenism, wickedness, and crime, India. Hitherto the State had ignored the existence of Christianity in India. They had heard from the report that the society had nsemoralised both the Home and Indian Govern. ments to found and endow additional bishoprics in India He would not presume to foreshadow or foretell what the result of that application might be. If successful, as he trusted it might be, the society would go on its way re joicing, and spread abroad to the Indian breeze the banner of the Cross with renewed hope and vigour ; but if unsuc cessful—if the Home Government said in answer to this application it would not, and the Indian Government said it could not, find the funds for the endowment of these bishoprics, then he would respectfully ask that meeting what, under these circumstances, ought they to do? Should they sit down contented to witness the con tinuance, and perhaps the perpetuation. of three bishops to manage the spiritual concerns of '80,000,000 of people; or should they, after this fresh and convincing proof of the inability or the unwillingness of our governors to undertake this solemn and important duty, endeavour to do it for themselves? The greatest man who ever wrote or spoke upon India—he meant Edmund Burke—osee once cried out, in what might be called a frenzy of patriotism, New things in a new world!" It was rot a hazarded assertion. but an historical truth, that when once things were gone out of their ordinary course it was by acts out of their ordinary course that they could alms be re-established. Would that meeting, would the WC M - berg of the Church of England at large—catching some thing from the inspiration of Burke in the coniingeu :y to which he had alluded—come forward, and, following the example of the American Church, find the means fur sending out missionary bishops with a missionary clergy ? Who (be asked) could estimate the influence that would have been exercised by 10,000, or even 3,000, native Christian soldiers oa our "'algid army' :--