The Press. — London, England, 1857-11-21 00:00:00

THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 21, 1857. 1130 most important conquest, by which the wile•spread rebel lion of the mutinous Bengal army has received a complete defeat in Upper India. The days of Ciive and Lake are again revived among us. Neither the devastation of that terrible scourge, the cholera, nor the deadly stroke of an Indian summer sun, which have so grievously thinned the ranks of our small army during the past three months— the harassing and almost incessant duties of the camp— the ever-recurring combats with a highly-trained and veteran enemy, who outnumbered us by thousands in men and by hundreds in guns of all calibres—the stubborn and desperate resistance offered by the mutineers during and since the assault on the 14th instant—nothing has abated the ardour of our troops, European and native, nor quelled that indomitable courage and persevering energy which takes no denial and will brook nothing short of success. It wilt be for a grateful Government to acknowledge as they deserve the services of Mlajor•General Wilson and his army to the British empire in India, but the Chief Commissioner cannot refrain from offering them the warm tribute of his heartfelt admiration. Sir John Lawrence requests that a royal salute may be fired at all the principal stations in the Punjaub in honour of the capture of Delhi. Lahore, Sept. '23.—The last accounts from Gogaira mention the death of Mr. Leopold Berkeley, Extra Assis• tant Commissi•,ner, a most promising officer, whose loss is much to be regretted. lie fell fighting manfully, and cut down five or six of the enemy with his own hand, besides shooting llhawul, one of the leaders of the Fut- tianahs. No sign of a mutineer is now to be seen at Delhi. They abandoned their camp outside the Ajmere Gate ; in their hurry leaving all their sick and wounded who could not walk; ..heir drums, band in struments, clothing, bedding, cooking pots, &c., and all luxuries. Cholera has shown itself in the town. Dead bodies and carcases were being removed. The stench in some places is described to be unbearable. Lahore, Sept. is the painful duty of the Chief Commissioner to announce the death of Brigadier-General John Nicholson, on the morning of the 2:lrd instant. This officer, it is well known, led the attack on the memorable morning of the 14th inst., when the city of l)elhi was as saulted and captured. On this occasion Cr( neral Nicholson was mortally wounded. General Nicholson's loss is greatly to be deplored. lie was an officer of great promise. lie possessed some of the highest qualities of a soldier—brave, sagacious, and devoted to his profession. The Bengal army contains no more able or more noble soldier. Lahore, Sept. 27.—There is nothing of importance to communicate from Delin, where Mr. Saunders, the offi ciating commissioner, is engaged in reorganising a police, settling the count'', and rt-establishing order. A letter from Delhi, written after the siege, says : The city is completely deserted by all the mutineers, and in teet there are few natives of any sort to be found, excepting those of our army. All the city people found within the walls when our troops entered were bayoneted on the spot ; and the number was considerable, as you may suppose when I tell you that in some houses forty and fifty persons were hiding. These were not mutineers, but residents of the city, who trusted to our well-known mild rule for pardon. I am glad to say they were disap pointed. The mutineers abandoned their camp outside the city in such haste that they even left their sick and wounded to look after themselves. Their band instru- ments, bedding, clothing, in fact all they possessed, fell into our hands. It is said they have made off for Gwalior, and that a stand will be made at Bulluhgurli, where there is an independent chief of doubtful politics. I think most likely they have gone to their homes in Oude, and it is there se shall require a large force and great vigilance to hunt them down in the ensuing cold weather. In another we read : Women are flying frantically about in all directions, unmolested by our troops, but in awful fright ; property of great value lying about the streets everywhere, and the enemy in hundreds hurrying away from the doomed city, 631110 say to Gwalior, via Munro, where I suppose they will make another stand. The slaughter of the enemy has been very great ; and in the smaller thoroughfares, where our troops had to fight from house to house, the sepoys fell where they were found, entreating the Sahib 1)k, as they cailad our Europeans, not to give them the cold steel but to shoot them at once. The following is an extract from a letter, dated Sept. .25 : Riots occurring daily on account of plundering. Some men of a native corps actually fired en a guard of ours to-day, in consequence of the men preventing them from breaking into a house where valuables were secured. Our men wounded some, and took two prisoners, who will 110 doubt, according to order, suffer death. It is almost im poAsible to prevent looting, the city is so large. I have heard about some :tidies being murdered on our entering the city, but no authentic news of it. The Sergeant /460t of the 28th N. 1., the scoundrel who gave every assistance to the mutineers in Delhi (a European) during Vieir temporary occupation, was taken prisoner, endea vouring to effect his escape with the King. He was in native uniform. lie formerly belonged to the artillery, ala no doubt rendered good service to the rebels in the c 'pitchy of a guiltier. Ile is now in our guard in irons, and 1 hope the villainous traitoc may get his neck (halo c ; lie is a cutthroat-looking beggar, and no doubt his life has been spared for the present so as to pump him. I am just called, so must say good-bye. News from Delhi, via Lahore, has been received to the 3rd instant. Greathed's column was to move on to Anoopshuhur, on the Ganges, on the way to Rohilcund. General Wilson was reported to have resigned command of the field force from ill-health, and to have been succeeded by General Penny, C.B. An extract of a letter from a staff officer, dated the 17th September, completely supports the view we have held as to the impossibility of Delhi having been taken a day sooner, and supports his opinion with facts to which we venture to . call the attention of our readers : I only wish that those who have been decryinr , this little army and talking of the ease with which Dell'n was to be taken could but pay it a passing visit. There has been no such tough work, it is my opinion, since we first came to India. As to the strength of our force, I had a tabular statement made to show how we stood at different dates on the Stli. You see, when we made the first ad vance we had less than two thousand European bayonets, and of these about two hundred must have been pat hors de combat in the action of Bedlee Its Serai, when poor Chester was killed. To have tried to enter the city that day with the irregulars would have been mere madness ; though many blame General Barnard for not attempting it, and talk of Gillespie's gallantry in rushing into Vellore. Had we gone beyond the position we took up on the ridge, we should probably have lost half our force and all our baggage. There was such a howl and outcry, however, front every quarter about the absolute necessity of taking Delhi at once, and General Barnard was so urged on by one or two hot spirits in camp, who were always talking of the British spirit of the days of Clive, that he decided that an assault should come off on the 13th of June. You will see what our force was on that date; and with it we had not only to take and keep the city but to guard our large camp. Fortunately some accident occurred to delay a portion of the force, and the attack was postponed. You will see by the return that troops came in to join ns from time *o time in driblets, but we had never till the 3rd of August anything like a decent force..vith which to carry on operations; and the wonder to me is, our coming off sc well as we have done—and this Will be the universal impression when all is known about the siege. Wilson has shown himself a very good man for the occasion. Nicholson is out and out his best brigadier; and this rather militates against the arguments they are using in the House as to the impropriety of employing military men in civil capacities. for Nicholson has for many years been employed in the Punjaub civil service. - - • . - You may rely on the accuracy of the return ; and 1 dare say that the numbers entered on the sth as " fit for duty " will be very much the same as we had on the 11th, the day of the assault; for though Wyld's corps of Sikhs and two or three hundred Europeans joined in the interval, the sick increased up to about 3,000, and there were a good many casualties in the intervening period. Sickness is now, I am happy to say, on the decrease, and the men are coining out of hospital. I wish the mail was a few days later in leaving, that we might tell you of our occupying the palace, and this we expect to do in three or four days. There is said to be only one regiment of mutineers there. Several sepoys tried to pass our guard this morning dis guised as women. They were instantly shot. Numerical Abstract of the Non.commissioned Officers and Privates of the Field Force before Delhi, exclusive of the Jbeend and Cashmere Contingents. Camp before Delhi, Sept. 5. June 8. June 13.' July 2. July 17. Aug. 15.! Sep. 5. A A A A " c t lt 5 'et slt r 3 - ceT , e rr. pC., gC7 AI t .1d .2 :•;' 44' 15 2 0 .72 0 ; 2 o• la ao C 4 7. " ART. Euro. 467 3 450 33 556 46 560 65 627 7A Kati.. 19i 146 7 241 11 358 14 693 67 SAPS. Euro. 44 43 1 33 8 18 8 2C 5 Nate. 192 15 171 27 16 , 38 436 57 569 78 CAT. Euro. 617 26 611 35 585; 47 377 59 556 73 Nat'l. 242 26 42v 17 36: 35 505 66 880 74 1$?. Euro. 199 47 1017 189 2961 126 2144 510 3119 678 • • Nets. 411 25 765 103 112 135 1150 394 2821 380 8511 236: Total ,419: 212 .4359 112 11061 , ):7 ,6031 1103 9291 1433 8311 176, 127165 23C.5 • The sej details of this not given. Ot• the native artillery and cavalry present with theforce on the sth June it was found necessary to disarm a consi• derable portion. Since the sth September Wyld's regiment of Sikhs have joined the force; also the Jheend Contin gent, of about SOO strong, and part of the Cashmere Con tingent, of about 2,000, have joined. The number of sick and wounded amounted to about 1.500 on the llth Sept. The following is from an Engineer officer, who writes in excellent spirits : The Camp, Delhi, Sept. 21 to Sept. 27. Here we are at last, thank God, having kicked out those rascals neck and crop after a twelve days' attack. The 11th was the storming day, as I told you, and I got knocked over the day before, which prevented my being present. We list abott'. tit officers and 1,100 men out of :1,000 who went in. Some men say there never was harder fighting, and when we got inside the brutes disputed every inch, till yesterday we shelled them out of the palace, charged, and took it with no loss, and all the villains in the city bolted ; it is all ours now. Our men have been really most humane ; they would not kill a single man who was not a sepoy, and I am glad to say not a woman or child was touched: but when I saw sturdy brutes of men, the very el►sa who committed all the atrocities, allowed to pass not 1 could not help wishing some of the soldiers would drive their bayonets through them ; but I did not say so cut loud, as they are very apt to take you at your word. day, are fire, Sept. 23.—We have all moved down to a capital house on the bunks of the river in the city the breeze is delightf u l, and we are all getting as fat and jolly as if we were at home. We are getting on capitally ;we have got the King —the great Mogul—prisoner, and are only waiting 14 leave front Calcutta to hang him. His eldest son and heir, Mizza Mogul Beg, a most infernal scoundrel, who set the example of murdering the Europeans, was caught and shot like a dog, and his sun, a man of about twenty years old, as well as the King's second son, AI izza's brother. I saw all the three bodies exposed in the Kotwallie this morning. I am happy to say we are not so lenient as we were. Two of our native sappers were murdered in the city, an we went out and hunted up about fifty or sixty ineu—thorough rascals—and our men have been shooting them ever since. I saw twenty-four knocked over, all tied - together against the walls ; and when you hear those wretches, when they see they have no chance, coolly tell you, " Well, you may shoot me if you like; I killed three Europeans in the glorious massacre," you lose all honor at the sight, and only wish the:, had cat's lives to take them all. Only four Victoria Crosses have yet been given in the army—one to Lieutenant Home, Engineers; one to Lieutenant Salkeld, Engineers; one to Sergeant Smith, Sappers and Miners; and one to a bugler in her Majesty's 52nd. So you see we got three out ef the four in our corps. Poor Salkeld is so badly wounded lam afraid he will never wear his. However, the red ribbon hes been better than any medicine. I am sure I would have given my left arm for it, and I might have had a chance, as I should most probably have been with Salkeld, blowing up the Cashmere Gate, had it not been fur that wretched grape the night before. We are wonderfully comfortable in our new house ; it ; a powder manufactory in the days of the Mogul, and isequently our servants accidentally blew us up the other and killed one of themselves. But these little excitements necessary. After being three month, every day under the change is so great that we were thinking of paying n to fire at us daily, and so let ourselves down to a quiet life by degrees. . . about the back streets of Delhi, as yesterday an officer and myself had taken a party of twenty men out patrolling, and we found fourteen women with their throats cut from ear to ear by their own husbands, and laid out in their shawls. We caught a man there who said he saw them killed for fear they should fall into our hands, a nd showed us their husbands, who had done the best thing they could afterwards, and killed themselves. We took about 280 cannon, with shot, fie., for about three years. Without artillery they are no good; with it no despicable antagonists. There are no better gunners anywhere, as we discovered in this siege. By returns we lost 1,330 men and 64 officers during the assaults only. Tolerably bloody work. Our loss in the assault, out of IM officers on duty, was 1 officer killed ( poor Tandy), 10 wounded, many severely —one, I fear, mortally; 1 the day before the assault, 1 after. Total 13, out of 18; a tolerable number, for there were 7 or 8 who were on another pert of the work whom I don't count, and who are on the strength to assist the unhappy remaining 5 now. lam glad to say there is not much work for us just now. At present, indeed, cut up as we have been, we could not do it if we had much ; as, what with officers thoroughly done up since with fever, and others sent out with moveable columns, our 26 for duty are reduced to 4. An officer of her Majesty's 52nd Light Infantry, writing from Delhi on the 2snd of September, says : The wounded men are all going on beautifully, and the weather is comparatively cool. Fever is disappearing, and the men are coming out of hospital. At one time we had actually 340 men sick out of about 020; we now have only about 150, counting wounded. We lost one officer killeJ —Bradshawe, a very fine young fellow, who fell charging u gun in the streets. THE MARCH TO LUCKNOW. General Havelock has executed a brilliant march, and has succoured Lucknow. On the 19th September he crossed the river at Cawnpore with 2,700 men, Sir James Outram, with most creditable magna nimity, surrendering the command to his able subordinate : He himself commanded the volunteer cavalry, of whom about a hundred have reached Cawnpore. Generals Neill and Hamilton led the two brigades, one containing the sth Fusiliers, her Majesty's 84th, the Madras Fusiliers, and some light artillery ; the other, the iritlr Highlanders, her Majesty's 90th, the Ferozepore Regiment (Sikhs), and some artillery. On the 20th General Havelock received his heavy baggage and eighteen guns, but no tents. On the following day the enemy, who were strongly posted across the road, were attacked and driven back with the loss of four guns. Two were taken by General Outram himself, whose cavalry sabred l'2o of the enemy. On the same day the indefatigable general executed a march of twenty miles, and on the following one of fourteen, driving the enemy back upon Luckoow with the loss of all their guns. On the 24th a salute announced to the heroic garrison the prospect of relief, and on the 25th the relieving force entered Lucknow. Step by step they cut their wey to the Residency. It was time; the besiegers had run two mines, which in three hours would have laid the de fences open to a rush from the whole of the rabble collected round the city. The batteries still continued to play upon the building, and in carrying them biakorm General Neill was killed, a loss which almost ontbalinces the victory. The following particulars of the advance of Have lock's corps on Luckuow are given as supplementary to the narrathes of correspondents : ii