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

THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 21,1857. an eddy, and nothing more was seen of them. Previous to the main body crossing, the Sikhs and two companies of the 78th Highlanders had taken up a position on an island; the enemy fired upon them with their guns, but our 24-pounders seemed no favourites with them, as they became more respectful, notwithstanding they continued at intervals taking pops with their matchlocks, sheltered from sight by the long grass. No one, fortunately, was killed, beyond one Sikh, who was shot through the head. On the main body crossing, or rather after haying crossed, a horse gun opened fire, but that was soon silenced. The enemy occupy a village named Mungulwar, which by to-morrow will be in our hands. It is my opinion we shall not have overmuch fighting till we reach Nuwabgunge ; report says they are strongly intrenched there. They are said to have a monster gun of fabulous size, " reaching to the sun ;" whatever it is it will be our property before long. I think two days or so will see us in Lucknow. What a pleasur- I able moment that will be when we have relieved so many of our countrymen ! We are to be ready to start ere day light. Gen. H. commands the force. Neill has the right brigade, consisting of Ist Madras Fusiliers, 84th, and de tachment of 84th, and sth Fusiliers. Colonel Hamilton the left, comprising Regiment of Ferozepore, 90th Light Infantry, and 78th Highlanders. Major Cooper commands the Artillery, composed of Capt. Mauds's Battery, Major Olphert's Battery, Major Eyre's Battery, Barrow's Volunteer Cavalry, and 12th Irregulars. The following is a copy of service message received by electric telegraph : FROM SIR JAMES OUTRAM TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, From Camp, Bagagunge, Sept. 22, dated Cawnpore, Sept. 24. 5.5 p.m. The rebels along the road are flying before our force; which marched twenty miles, and yesterday fourteen miles; their retreat too precipitate to enable them to destroy the Bunnee bridge. Only four more guns taken, but many have been thrown into wells, and only four passed the Bunnee bridge. Firing at Lucknow distinctly heard, and royal salute by our 24-pounders to announce oar approach to our fricnds. Our army will have reached Lucknow either last night or this morning.—Poonah Observer Extra, October 9. The force under General Havelock (says the Hurkaru), skirting the city, forced their way to the Residency against strong opposition, and relieved the brave garrison on the evening of the 25th. The relief was, providentially, just in time, as subsequent examination showed that two mines, all ready for loading, bad been run far under our chief works, which, if sprung, must have placed the garrison at the mercy of the rebels. On the 26th the batteries of the besiegers were assaulted and taken, and the ex-King's sons fled towards Fyzabad. The loss has been heavy. The brave and de termined General Neill is killed ; also Cowper, of Artillery; Webster, 78th Foot ; Packenham, 84th ; Bateman, 64th ; and Warren, 12th L.C. The enemy are deserting the city in thousands. In a letter dated Cawnpore, Sept. 20, it is said : "We have just had news from Lucknow that the rum is out, and the beef will be finished on the 24th ; otherwise all well. All quiet below (Cawnpore). Troops coming at 100 a day by bullock train, so the rebel pack had better look out. A correspondent of the Hurkaru, writing from Cawnpore, says that in more than one place on the walls of the chambers in which the English ladies and children were confined previous to their murder, is scratched, " Remember us," " Revenge us." The telegraphic despatches conveying the latest intelligence are obscure. Colonel O'Brien, on the 26th, says : -• • - Lucknow Residency, Sept. 26. Yesterday Havelock's force, 2,000 men of all arms, the rest being in occupation of Alambagh, charge (sic) of Sikhs and force (sic) the way into the city under serious opposi tion, skirting the city to the right to avoid enemy's de fence. The force was much opposed up to the Resi dency, which was attained in the evening, just in time, for an after examination showed two mines all ready for loading had been run far under our chief works, which, if sprung. must have placed the garrison at the mercy of the rebels. Loss severe. About 400 killed and wounded. Amongst the former General Neill, Cowper (Cope ?), Artillery ; Webster, 78th; Packenham, Sith ; Bateman, 64th ; Warren, 12th Irregular Cavalry ; Lieut. Wilde, 40th Native Infantry. Wounded slightly, Sir J. Outran. To- day taking batteries being on (beyond ?) garrison, which are held, till assaulted and continued (continue?),to fire on the Residency. Thousands of the enemy deserting the city. The late King's sons fled to Fyzabad. Cavrnpore, Oct. 1, ria Agra, Oct. 4. Letters just in from Lucknow. I3ellee Guard relieved on the 25th, and garrison rescued apparently by an advance made on the left of the Goomtee Progress being already made towards the possession of the whole city. On the 29ih the right quarter occupied and seven guns taken. Man Singh, contrary to expectation, has taken an active part against us, and has, I am glad to say, been wounded in two places. Our despatches, dated 27th ult., announcing the com plete fall of Delhi, had been received at Cawnpore. The latest despatch received appears in a Calcutta paper of the 9th of October, in which there is a paragraph, furnished by Government, to the following effect : From Cawnpore, Oct. 7, 11 a.m.—Malaghur captured. A native messenger who left Lucknow on the 4th reports favourably of our progress in clearing the city. raom BUIOAD lER-GENERAL HAVELOCK TO OENLAAL MANSFIELD, CHIEF OF THE STAFF. Bassarutgunge, Sept. 21. T havo to request that you will inform his Excellency the C o mmander•in.Chief that i was joined by my reinforce. month on the 15th and 16th inst. On the 10th I crossed first to the island on the Ganges, and then to its left bank by a bridge of boats which had been laboriously constructed by Captain Cromelin, Field Engineer. The enemy retired after a very feeble (in fact a nominal) resistance, to his position at Mungulwar. The two brigades of my force occupied an alignment with the right centre behind sandhills, the centre and left on a plain, extending to the road from the Lucknow Ghat to Mungulwar. My heavy guns and baggage were passed over on the 20th. This morning I attacked the enemy, turned his right, and drove him from his position, with the loss of four guns, two of which and the regimental colours of the first Bengal Native Infantry were captured by the Volunteer Cavalry in a charge headed by Sir James Outram. The loss on our side was trifling. The enemy suffered severely; about 120 were sabred by the cavalry. The succeeding letters from private corre spondents : Caw apore, Sept. 18. We are now all bivouacked on the bank of the river, waiting the completion of the bridge of boats to an island in the centre of the river on which our guns and skir mishers are now engaged with the enemy, who have two guns firing upon us in our front. Their camp is visible at a village some two or three miles further in. We hope to cross this evening or tomorrow morning. Major Hall burton, of the 78th Highlanders, is in command of the advanced troops on the island, where the advanced skir mishers of the rebels fired upon us during the evening, killing one of our Sikhs. After dark, the advanced troops and guns under Major Haliburton retired for the night to the sandbank and the bridge of boats. _ _ Sept. 19. Before daylight this morning the advanced troops, com manded as yesterday, pushed on again, feeling their way up the Lucknow road, where they remained in skirmish ing order, covering the advance of the main force ; par tial musketry firing during this time on both sides, the enemy mainly occupying a ridge of sandhills on the right. After a time, two guns of the enemy posted in a village on the right front commenced playing upon us ; their shot fell close amongst the advance, and at times even passing over the column forming in rear ; but no casualties oc curred. After about an hour of this pretty scene, a suffi cient force having crossed, the advance was ordered, diverging towards the right along two ridges of sandhills, behind which the rebels were posted. They made a show of endeavouring to maintain themselves, sending detach ments of cavalry out to their left and to the farthest removed point from the line of retreat. The advance of our skirmishers, however, supported by the column and the Enfield Rifles of the former, were too much for their courage. A strong attempt was made by the leading men of the rebels on horseback to induce their men to advance on our skirmishers—Sikhs and Highlanders—between the two lines of sandhills ; a simultaneous cheer passed along their line, Jack Sepoy advanced with a shoot—about twenty yards, and no more !—and then went to the right about, keeping up a smart, spirited, hut harmless fire. Our troops occupied the sandhills, where they encamped for the day to enable the stores, baggage, and heavy guns to join them. One Mile from Cawnpore on the Oude side, Sept. 20. .lust a few lines to tell you we crossed yesterday over a bridge of boats, a very good one, erected by the engineers in a very short time. We had a brush with the enemy atter crossing. All their shot fell wide or went over our heads; their shells did not burst. Not a man of ours touched—about twenty on their side killed by our skir mishers and artillery. We drove in their skirmishers and guns ; they appeared to have one heavy gun and some 9-pounders horsed. All the scrimmage was over by about ten a.m. They were popping away at us all day yesterday, and to-day they opened with their guns on the cavalry reconnoitring party, but did no harm. We shall com mence our movement to Lucknow in real earnest to morrow, when I hope all baggage and heavy guns will be over. It has been awful work getting the heavy guns across, and ammunition. We are formed in two brigades, one consisting of the 90th, the 18th, the Sikhs, and 9-pounder battery, horsed, and the Irregular Cavalry under Colonel Campbell ; the other con sisting of the sth and Ist Madras Fusiliers, detachments of 01th and 81th, another 9-pounder battery, horsed, and the Volunteer Cavalry. Besides this there are foul 24-poundets and two 81-inch howitzers tinder the command of Eyre. If this force does not walk into Lucknow it's a pity. The weather too is getting under, favourable mornings atid evenings decidedly cool. We arc all very shoat of baggage, every one having gone as light as possible. Generals Ontram and Havelock have accompanied the force, the command having been made over to the latter. A cossid has just arrived to say they can hold out at Lucknow easily till the Ist October. I fancy we shall make as long marches as possible to Lticknow. One of the Volunteer Cavalry was drowned yesterday. The letter from which the following extract is made, dated as that preceding it, is by another corre spondent : We crossed the river yesterday by a bridge of boats, constructed pour !'occasion by Messrs. Cromelin, Watson, and other ei'gineers. Ono of our cavalry, who was acting as ordzrly to the general, was drowned. His horse jumped off t h e bridge, and he and horse were drawn down by 1131` SECOND EDITION• SATURDAY AFTERNOON. LATEST INTELLIGENCE (By Electric Telegraph.) ELMS, Saturday Morning. The Legislative Session, which commences on the 28th inst., being only a preparatory session, will not be opened by the Emperor in person; but his Majesty will open in person the session of the 15th January, 1458, for the despatch of public business. The Moniteur publishes an Imperial decree pro mulgating the convention concluded on the 28th September last between France and Denmark for the suppression of the Sound Dues. The sum to be paid by France for the redemption of those dues amounts to 1,219,003 rix-dollars (2fr. 79 2-10ths c. each) ; and, as already stated, it is to be paid in 40 half-yearly instalments of 124,416 f. each—the first on the Ist October, 1437, and the last on the lst April, 1877. The Moldo-Wallachian Divans are preparing a memorandum upon the recent Danubian events, for the consideration of the approaching Congress at Paris. CHINA. Cagliari, Nov. 21. The Noma arrived at Suez on the 1 2 th inst. Her dates are—Hong Kong, ( t. 5, Galle, Oct. 23. Lord Elgin was at 1-1 Ig Kong :t board the Ara. The aspect of politics' . ifairs Ica. unchanged. The Australian aud United Kingdom troop•trans ports had reached Point de Galle. Silk was twenty taels per picul lower. Price of teas unaltered. The total exports show a decrease of two millions of chests from all China. Exchange at Shanghai, six shillings and nine pence. The Post correspondent from Naples, November 10, writes : People in Naples are wondering what amount of uncourteous treatment the British Government will accept from King Ferdinand. His Majesty has, it is reported, given orders that the consular agents of France and England are not to communicate with any of the higher officers of Government than those of commissary of police when complaints occur con cerning British subjects. The King has expressed himself to a foreign ambassador thus—" England and France have no longer any diplomatic relations with Naples; their agents here (as consuls) are com mercial agents." The Madrid journals which have reached Paris confirm the intelligence already received. They state that extensive reforms and important savings in the war department are being projected by the present Minister. Complaints continue to be made of the dearness of provisions. The authorities of Seville intended asking permission to import sheep in considerable numbers, in order to reduce the price of meat. THE BISHOPRIC OF Sr. ALBAN . B.—In connection with the proposed episcopal changes, the Govern ment bill to be introduced next session will probably provide for the erection of a new bishopric, of which St. Alban's will be the seat, and from which the new bishop, whoever ho may be, will take his title. The see will be endowed out of the funds which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have in hand, arising out of the recent falling in of episcopal and capitular estates; while 100 ml. have been subscribed towards the restoration of St. Alban's Abbey, on condition that it be made a cathedral, as recommended by Archbishop Cranmer to HenryVlll. The new diocese will be formed out of the present sees of London and Rochester, and will include the important towns of St. Alban's, Rom ford, Royston, Hounslow, Brentford, Uxbridge, Berk hampstead, Rickmansworth, Welwyn, Hitchin, Bishop's Stortford, Ware, Hemel Hempstead, Hert ford, and the adjacent parishes. The new bishop will be subject to the arrangement entered into with Parliammt on the erection of the see of Manchester —namely, that there shall be no accession to the number of bishops in the House of Loris ; so that when the diocese of St. Alban's is created there will always be two bishops who will not have seats in L Parliament. ma oru..triy to the general, was drowned. His horse jumped — Our despatches, dated 27th . g , announcing the com- alwa y s be two bisho p s who will not have seats in off the brid ge , an d h e an d h orse were d rawn d own b y plete fall of Delhi, had been received at Cawnpore. Parliament.