The Press. — London, England, 1857-09-05 00:00:00

resistance was useless, they surrendered. Nana Sahib barbarously murdered all the women and children, the remnant of the Cawnpore garrison, whom it appears he had kept as hostages. Agra is gone, that is, the city is in the hand of the rebels. The Europeans are, as far as we know, in the fort, which is strong enough to hold out for some time. At Saugor th Europeans are in the fort. Brigadier Sage, with grese forethought, has laid in six months' provisions. At Jubbult pore there is no fort, but the Europeans have intrenched themselves in the Residency under the political agent, Erskine. Futteyghur is gone ; in fact in the central pro- vinces we now hold Meerut, Lucknow, Agra, and Alll4llll - The good news is, General Havelock reports the enemy before him are running short of caps, which they cannot manufacture. The last a ccounts trom Lucknow stated the enemy there were short of round shot, also of powder, but of this last they continue to manufacture some within the city walls. The Eckford named as killed at Cawnpore must be Ensign Eckford, of the 56th. His father, General Eckford, was, when I last heard, at Landour, in the hills. The Jervis, too, must be an engineer officer, as I have heard Captain Jervis, of the 56th, came home two months ago. The Prendergast mentioned at Agra as being killed may possibly be Captain Prendergast, of the filth, which corps was, I think, stationed at Agra. Meantime active preparations were making at Allahabad for the relief of Cawcpore. On the Ist of July a column of Madras Fusiliers and Sikhs, under Major Renaud, started on their way to Cawnpore, to clear the road, a steamer, with 100 Fusiliers and two guns, keeping abreast of the force and protecting it. A body of irregular horse at the same time scoured the villages on the left, and reported them empty and the zemindars absent. Major Renaud drove all partial opposition before him, captured several sepoys of the oth NI., who paid the penalty of their lives, and then made his way as far as Khaga on the Stn. 0 the and Brigadier General Havelock reached Allahabad from Benares, and proceeded on the 7th to join Major Renaud, by forced marches. He had with him about 1,300 men of her Majesty's 81th and 61th, the 13th Irregular Horse, and the remnant of 0:ule Irregulars. On the 11th he reached Koh, and on the 13th joined Major Renaud at daybreak, within four miles of Futteypore. Major Renaud had marched nineteen miles during the night, and General Havelock twenty-four. A de tach►neut thrown forward to reconnoitre towards Futteypore, where Nana Sahib was intrenched, was met by the enemy, who marched forthwith to action. We subjoin the brigadier's official report of the gallant action which took place, and of the vigorous measures with which he followed up his victory : From Brigadier-General Havelock to the Governor. General, from Futteypore, by telegraph, dated Allahabad, _ kith July, 11.35 a.m. I have to acquaint your lordship that I have this morn ing attacked and totally defeated the insurgents, capturing eleven guns, and scattering their forces in utter confusion in the direction of Cawnpore. By two harassing marches 1 joined Major Renaud's advanced column three hours before daylight, and encamped about eight o'clock four miles front Futteypore, where, pitching our tents, the enemy advanced out of Futteypore and opened fire upon a reconnaissance under Colonel Tytler. I had wished to defer the fight until to-morrow, but, thus assailed, was compelled to accept the challenge. I marched with eight guns in the centre, under Captain Maude, Roy al Artillery, forming the whole of the infantry in quarterdistance column, in support. Captain Mautle's tire electrified the enemy, who aban doned gun after gun, arid were then driven by our skir mishers and column through garden inclosures and the streets of Futteypore in complete confusion. My loss is merely nominal; nut a single European touched. My column had marched twenty-four miles up to the ground I write from ; Major Renaud's nineteen miles. The conduct of the troops in sustaining the fatigue of so long a march, and enduring the heat of a frightful sun, is beyond praise. The enemy's strength is said to have been two regiments of cavalry and three of infantry, and eleven guns. It is stated that the native irregular cavalry with the brigadier's force behaved very badly in the action at Futteypore, and refused either to charge or lira upon the rebels. Several of them, it is reported, went over to the enemy. The remainder were at once disarmed. Upon the 15th a second battle took place, and the intrenched position of Nana Sahib was stormed, and on the next day General Havelock pushed forward, attacked Nana Sahib at Cawnpore, totally defeated him, and recaptured the city. We subjcin the general's orders: — From Brigadier General Havelock, Camp Kullenpore, THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 5, 1857. after a resistance of two hours and a half, during which the mutinous cavalry in considerable force made frequent attacks against my baggage, which compelled me to use every available detachment and gun against them. At noon we attacked their intrencliment at the bridge over the stream; the resistance here was short but spirited, and the two guns taken were of large calibre. The Madras Fusiliers particularly distinguished them- selves. From Brigadier General Havelock, dated Cawnpore Can- tonment, July 17. By the blessing of God, I recaptured this place yester- day, and totally defeated Nana Sahib in person, taking more than six guns, four of siege calibre. The enemy was strongly posted behind a succession of villages, and obstinately disputed for the 140 minutes every inch of the ground ; but I was enabled by a flank movement to my right to turn his left, and this gave us the victory. The conduct of the troops was admirable. Nana Sahib had barbarously murdered all the captive women and children before the encampment. He has retired to Bhitoor, and blew up this morning on his retreat the Cawnpore maga zine. He is said to be strongly fortified. I have not been yet able to get in the return of killed and wounded, but estimate my loss at about seventy, chiefly from the fire of grape. The gallant general published the following order of the day after the action of Futteypore July 14. We have taken every gun from the rebels at Futteypore, twelve in number. This has enabled me to equip and take into the field nine excellent guns, instead of six lighter, and with the facility of also bringing into action two light °•pounders. From Brigadier• General Havelock, Camp Pandoo Nuddy, dated July L 5. ➢ly troops were twice engaged this morning, and cap tured four more guns, with trilling loss. A strong ad. vaticed guard under Colonel Tytler drove the enemy out of all intrenched positions in front of the village of Osung MOVEABLE COLUMN. Morning Order, July 13, 1857. Brigadier.Gen!ral Havelock, U. 8., thanks his soldiers for their arduous exertions of yesterday, which produced, in four hours, the strange result of a whole army driven from a strong position, eleven guns captured, and their whole force scattered to the winds, without the loss of a single British soldier ! To what is this astonishing effect to be attributed? To the fire of the British artillery, exceeding in rapidity and precision all that the brigadier-general has ever witnessed in his not short career: to the power of the Enfield rifle in British hands, to British pluck—that good quality that has survived i* revolution of the hour—and to the blessing of Almighty Gud on a most righteous cause—the cause of justice, humanity, truth, and good government in I !Wis. So far our intelligence at present leaves the gallant general. His next effort, in ali probability, will be to relieve Lucknow or to capture Nana Sahib, who has retreated to Bhitoor. The garrison of Lucknow, it is said, could hold out twenty days from the 4th of July. It is distant fifty-three miles from Cawnpore, and the country is infested with powerful bodies of rebels. The passage of the river at first starting will be probably contested : riHo will have to cross the river (writes a correspondent from Calcutta, speaking of General Havelock), which I expect will be strongly contested, and, in an enemy's country, will have a march of fifty miles to Luoknow, to relieve our force there. A portion of the enemy's army, consisting of 12,000 men, with fortytwo guns, is, we hear, to dispute the way, but they cannot stand before Europeans. LUCKNOW. The death of Lawrence took place under peculiar circumstances, which show how little reliance can be placed upon any of the sepoys. We prefer to quote the following letter from a civilian in Lucknow Michee Maim Fort, Lucknow, July 6. Pressed by want of food and fuel, and reduced to the last extremity, a sortie was made on the 2tid inst. in the direction of the enemy's camp. Their advanced guard was taken by surprise and utterly routed, after two hours desperate fighting. A considerable quantity of provisions fell into the hands of our troops. This successful operation was conducted in person by our gallant and noble chief Sir Henry Lawrence, at the head of 2041 Europeans, chiefly her Majesty's 32nd Foot. Returning from the scene of action flushed with victory a.nd bearing the proceeds of their hard fight for the relief of the poor sufferers in the fort, just as our troops reached the town, the native artillery, who accompanied the expedition, suddenly wheeled round, and opened a deadly fire from the field guns on the unfortunate 3 . 2nd, and I regret to say that before they were able to recover themselves and face their assailants upwards cf sixty men rank and file were killed and several of our best officers severely wounded— iimongst the others our gallant general, who was severely cut in the leg by the splinter of shell, and died this day at four o'clock of lockjaw induced by the wound. The writer then gives a lamentable picture of the straits to which the garrison are reduced. We dare scarcely think of their too probable fate before General Havelock could reach them : We have been obliged to retire from the lines defending the town, and to abandon our strong positions in conse• pence of these sad casualties, and to fall back upon this old tort, which we very strongly intrenched, and shall be able to resist the enemy as long as we have provisions, which are expected fully to last (of course on a famine scale of distribution) for five weeks, but we roust not again venture beyond the walls, except it be to make one final and despe• rate attempt to cut through the hordes of villains and thousands of well-disciplined native troops drawn up against us in regular order of battle. The most painful consideration is the number of ladies and women, and helpless people, who have fled for protec• tion to the fort, and are now here. Upwards of 200 of 863 these poor creatures are crammed into this narrow place where it is impossible to describe their sufferings. Death would be indeed a happy release to many of them, and it is enough to melt the heart of the hardest soldier to witness their cruel privations, while it is wonderful at the sane time to see the patience and fortitude with which they are enabled to endure the unparalleled misery of their position . There had been great gloom cast over all by the death of Sir Henry Lawrence. A more amiable or devoted man to all that was good and glorious it would be impossible to find even in the long list of British heroes. Peace to his manes ! May the God of Truth and Justice defend us and enable us to be avenged for his blood, and give us an opportunity to destroy those murderers and burn up their cities. We are in daily hope of being relieved, from Alla habad, but fear at times we cannot be very sanguine, knowing the condition of things there and all around us in this country. Our poor soldiers and officers are fightir g with literally neither a coat nor shirt on their backs, and. this too in such awful weather as we now have. 1 shall say no more ; but if you never hear again from me, do all in your power to aid the sufferers and avenge their blood. The blood of thousands of poor innocents cries for vengeance to their fellow countrymen in England. The writer of the Calcutta letter quoted above discusses the chances of relief for Lucknow. The subject is of such incense interest that we offer no excuse for quoting his observations at length : Meanwhile Lucknow, besieged by a force variously com• puted at from 12,000 to 20,000 men, especially strong in cavalry•, has lost its best head in Sir Henry Lawrence. That gallant officer and thorough Englishman, against his own judgment, and yielding to the entreaties of some of the civilians who were with him in the fort, made a sally on the 2nd of July, with two companies of her Majesty's 32nd Foot and the native troops who had re mained faithful to him up to that moment. No sooner had he come up with the enemy than his native troops turned upon him ; others attacked his rear. He was compelled, therefore, to abandon his guns and fight his way back. He did this at the expense of several officers and sixty men killed ( amongst the former Major Case, of her Majesty's 32nd Foot), and, what was of infinitely more importance, of his own valuable life. Be was brought in mortally wounded, and died a few days after wards. One consequence of this unsuccessful sortie was that he had to abandon a great part of his detencea, give up the city of Lucknow to the insurgents, and con fine his efforts to the preservation of the Residency. The possibility of such a catastrophe had been foreseen, and that place been strongly fortified. Major Banks, who has succeeded Sir Henry in a political capacity, writes that he is prepared to hold out for six weeks. This was written on the Bth inst. _ . Now, General Havelock was at Cawnpore on the 17th of July. Lucknow is fiftylwo miles distant. He has, therefore, a full month before him to reach that city. Let us calculate his chances of success. Ist. Should he cross the river at once or march upon Ithitoor ? If be prefer the former alternative, W 3 must suppose that the means of crossing are at his disposal. We will go further, and imagine him on the left bank of the Ganges. He must take his whole force with him, for he has but 1,000 Europeans, and he has to face 20,000 men. He cannot leave a man for the protection of Cawn pore. What, then, would be the result of his crossing at once ? Why, that Cawnpore would be immediately reoc cupied by the Nana with his 0,000 or 7,000 men, that he would cut off all Havelock's communications, meet and destroy the 280 men advancing under Neile, and, leaving Havelock to be dealt with by the Oude mutineers, march himself, avoiding Allahabad, upon the undefended Mirza pore and llenares districts, where everything is ripe for a rebellion. It is plain, then, that General Havelock can not advance into Oude so long as the Nana remains with his force lying on his flank intact at Phitoor, only six miles distant from Cawnpore. We must inquire, then, what are his chances of success against Bhitoor ? 13Intoor is a very strong position, commanding the river and the road. This latter lies over a series of ravines artificially bridged. We must suppose that the Nana has taken the precaution of breaking down the bridges. This will render the place itself very difficult of access. How ever, General Havelock has, as far as 1 can see, to make the choice setween attempting a very difficult task or leaving our countrymen at Lucknow to their fate. He is not the man to hesitate. The sight of our murdered, violated, and mutilated countrywomen has been quite suf ficient, we may be sure, to infuriate our soldiers. They will dare anything in advancing against such a monster, and we may expect to hear in a few days that he has been hanged on a turret of his own castle, and that Havelock, perfectly easy as to his communications, is in full march to Lucknow. _ _ The effect of such a measure and such a move would be incalculable. AGRA. The report that the Neemuch and Nusseerabad mutineers had marched upon Agra and fought a battle under the walls of the fort is confirmed. The whole affair upon our part appears to have been as rash as it was gallant. Our force was too weak, and our ammunition failed at a critical moment.' The mutineers, amounting to 10,000 men, with eight guns, encamped within four miles of the city, on the 3rd July. That evening the Kotah Contingent in Agra revolted and joined the .mutineers. The following letter front an officer of the Gwalior Contingent gives the most spirited account of the affair : Next day the enemy had advanced to within three miles of us, and 00 of the 3rd and D'Oyly's battery went out, I with them. They were very strongly posted at a village,