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

1200 INDIA. THE BOMBAY MAIL - ADVANCE OF SIR COLIN CAMPBELL. THE following telegram was received yesterday at the East India House. For the latest Indian intel- ligence, we must refer our readers to the " Post script ": TO SIR JAMES MELVILL, EAST INDIA HOUSE. ALEXANDRIA, December 5, 1857. Intelligence from Bombay to the 17th of November:— Sir Cohn Campbell reached Cawnpore on the 4th of No- vember, crossed the Ganges on the 9th, en route to Luck now, with 5,000 men of all arms. General Windham commands the reserve at Cawnpore. Colonel Greathed's column arrived at Cawnpore on the f 26th of October, and proceeded, on the 31st, under com mand of Brigadier Grant, being reinforced by 5,000 strong, with a large supply of provisions, to Alumbagh, where it awaits the arrival of the commander-in•chief. The l)inapore mutineers were driven from a strong position at Binder, near Futtehpnre, by a detachment of nearly 500 men under Colonel Powell, 53rd Foot ; two gins captured, but with severe loss. Colonel Powell The accounts from Saugor anti Jubbulpore unsatisfac tory. Major Erskine has earnestly demanded assistance. Brigadier Stuart's column, on its route to Mhow, has been directed to proceed thither. The contingent at Mahedpore mutinied on the Bth of November, ar.tl killed two of their officers; but a telegra phic despatch, just received, states they were attacked by the Mhow field force, and routed, with loss of all their guns. Mhow And Indore all quiet. No further outbreaks in Raipontana, but the Rewah Thakoor and Jodhporu mutineers are still in force. A reinforcement of 500 Infantry has proceeded from Guzerat to aid General Lawrence. All quiet in Bombay, with the exception of the Bheels in Khandeish, which are being put down. The Genghis Khan arrived at Bombay with a detach ment of 3rd Dragoons and N6th Foot. MI quiet in &Mae and Punjaub, as also in the Nizam's country. Dates from Calcutta direct to the 9th of November; nothing of importance. H. JOHNSON. Trieste, December 11, 9.13 a.m. RAVEN. An unexpected mail received this week from Cal cutta brought intelligence, up to November Ist, of one week later date to that previously received. The following official message, received at the East India House at the same period as the mail itself, explained to a certain extent the position of affairs up to the !Um. October:— CALCUTTA, Oct. 31. T,UCKNOW. Communications still difficult, and no certain intelli gence from Lucknow of later date than the 21st. of October received in this office. On that date food was running short, and it would seem that the gun-bullocks were being slaughtered. Rut relief was approaching. Colonel Greathed's column, after reoccupying Mynpooree, putting the Rajah to flight, and recovering much property and two and a half lace of treasure, reached Cawnpore on the 26th. For some time past troops have been leaving this daily for the same destination, and the commander-in•chief started on the 27th. THE PRESS, DECEMBER 12, 1857. The Gwalior mutineers left Gwalior on tae 15th and 16th, with siege -train, field guns, and much ammunition, and have been heard of thirty i six miles from Gwalior. Major Burton, the Political Agent at Harrowtee, has been foully murdered, with his two sons, by the itaj troops. the Rajah is sail not to have been concerned in the act. Jodhpore mutineers have gone to wards the Sambhur Lake, and the Indore mutineers, who were defeated at Agra on the 10th, have fled to Ilajpootana. G. F. EDMONSTONE, Secretary to the Government of India. From the correspcudence received by the Cai cutta mail, and which dates one day later, Nov. 1, than the official intelligence, we gather that great alarm existed at Calcutta for the fate of Havelock and Outram, and the garrison at Lucknow. " Never," writes one correspondent, was our posi tion there more critical :" It now appears that although General Havelock suc ceeded in relieving the garrison at Lucknow, it was at an enormous sacrifice of life, 26 officers and 200 men being, killed, and 39 officers and 700 men wounded. Still he succeeded, and earned the credit of saving our country. men and women from death. No sooner, however, was their safety apparently secured than he was himself be sieged. Ho is now occuping the position so long held by our garrison, but of his whole force there are barely 700 fit fur duty, while the attacking force numbers thousands, and is daily being reinforced by the baffled garrison of Delhi. These latter, although worsted in every encounter with our troops, are creeping gradually into Dude, deter mined to make their last and fiercest stand in the land of their birth. " So completely is the force there beleaguered," writes another correspondent, " that the old device of inclosing letters in a quill has been of necessity abandoned. The only message received for weeks was written on a piece of paper three inches square, and concealed by a device it may be prudent as yet to keep private." The few facts so reported are somewhat discouraging. That Sir James Outram's force has been terribly reduced is allowed on all sides. The Time 4 correspondent writes, that when Havelock relieved the Residency on' sth September, he did it at a frightful cost of life This feat was accomplished by pressing on through gardens, small bazaars, knots of houses, and other inclosed places. The enemy fought as Asiatics always do fight be hind stone walls. The bullets literally rained upon the advancing force, and that single movement cost 400 men; 10 officers of the 90th were killed or placed hors do combat, and almost all the superior officers of the sth Fusiliers. I have heard many of the names, bat refrain from exciting the regret of their friends at home till further information can be obtained. There had been some hard fighting before the relieving force reached the inclosures, and the total number of soldiers killed or disabled cannot be fixed at less than 700. The force therefore, even after its junction with the garrison already iu the Residency, cannot be more than 1,4(K) strung, and this small party must be embarrassed by the erica of sick and wounded, women and children, to a number in excess of its own. There are besides some 800 men at the Alumbagh, with a great array of camp followers, but they are believed to be wiihout the means of communi cating with the Residency. Since this time we know little positively, and that little is obtained solely from native gossip. The rumours, however, all point to one fact, — that General Outram, during the second week in October, attacked some large building, probably one of the palaces, and was driven back with further loss of life. I have neon one letter in which the writer, himself in Oude, states this as a fact, but I warn you that this and all other accounts must be received with caution till confirmed. It is nearly certain that there are 70,300 men, sepoys and armed re tainers, around and in Lucknow. This, there is no concealing it, is a very hazardous state of things, and, to add to the dangers of the garrison, they are threatened with want of provision. It is certain that Outrarn and Havelock's force, in light marching order, took into Lucknow nut more than a few days' provision. The stock of the gar rison then was almost exhausted, and the result we learn from the telegraphic despatch above, which states that on 21st October they were slaughtering the gun bulloaks, and that their provisions could not last longer than the 10th of November. Under these circumstances the question arises, what are the prospects of their relief? It is out of the question that, encumbered with such a body of sick and wounded, and in the face of an enemy so numerous, any attempt to cut their way out would be made by the garrison. They must be relieved; and so urgent was the necessity of the case that Sir Cohn Campbell had left Calcutta on 27th October in the greatest haste for Cawnpore, in order to put himself at the head of such a torte as he can gather together, and advance at once to the relief of Lucknow. Sir Colin, it appears, arrived at Cawn pore on 4th November. Of the position of affairs at Cawnpore, the Daily News correspondent writes : Colonel Greathed's column, which was especially strong in cavalry, after all but destroying the Indore and Nee much rebels at Agra, had marched on to Cawnpore. It arrived at the latter station on the morning of the 2fith, and expected to march into Oude the next day, taking with theta yhe :3111 Fusiliers suit other detaohtuonts which were daily arriving there. Intelligence, however, reached Government that the Gwalior mutineers, no longer restrained by the Maharajah, were at Calpee, and were marching with all haste on Cawnpore, taking a siege•train with them. This intelligence apparently decided the movements of the commander-in-chief. lie seat orders, it is believed, to Colonel Greathed to remain at Cawnpore, await his arrival there, and act if neces. anry against the Gwalior rebels. He himself started the following evening (the 27th) in a dak carriage, and has before this in all probability reached Benares. General Garrett has been left to act for him during his absence in the way of despatching regiments up country, pro vidiug employment for the many officers of the Cora pany's army who arrive in this country and find them selves without regiments. The column is at the outside not more than 1,500 strong, and it would appear to be no longer under command of Colonel Greathed, for a despatch re ceived from iNlynpooree, October 20th, titates as follows : FROM COLONEL WILSON TO TILE CHIEF OF THE STAFF. Camp, Rlynpooree Cantonments, Oct. 20. The moveable column now commanded by Brigadier Hope Grant marched twenty-four miles into this place yesterday, and reoccupied it without opposition. The Rajah fled a few hours before our arrival, leaving behind him a good deal of property, a brass 0-pounder, several small native guns, and about 14,0001 b. of gunpowder, to gether with two Inca, 200,000 rupees, the trrasure left here when the outbreak first took place. We march on Hewer to-morrow, and if all goes well undertake to reach Cawnpore by the 28th instant. A body of mutineers with eight guns were reported to have taken up a position at Hewer, but are now said to have fled. The Gwalior troops are believed to be making for Jhansi, and a large number of Delhi fugitive mutineers were at Meermum, the force between this and Cawnpore a few days ago being doubtful whether to march into Oude or to make fur Banda and that neighbourhood. In addition to this column from Delhi, some 3,000 men were collected at Cawnpore, and at the head of these Sir Colin advanced to the relief of Lucknow on the 9th November. As to any other forces arriving to Sir Colin's assistance, we need simply ask at what rate are reinforce ments arriving at Calcutta, and at what rate are they being forwarded up country? Since the last dates there have arrived at Calcutta, on the 23rd Oct., the screw steamer Sidney, from Woolwich, 14th August, with 287 men, Royal Artillery ; on the 25th, the Bucephalus, from London, Ist July, with 221 men of the 35th Regiment; and the Areta, from London, 18th June, with 214 men ; on the 29th, the Ulysses, from Portsmouth, 11th July, with 260 meu of the 88th; on the 30th, the Surrey, with 369 men of the 88th ; and the Australian screw steamer, with 304 men of the 42nd. In all 1,655 men in one week. These troops are being transported up country "gradually," writes the Times correspondent ; at the rate of" about 100 men a day," writes the Daily News correspondent ; "as fast as carriage can be secured for them," says the Bengal Hurkaru. Perhaps if we take an average of about 500 men a week, or 2,000 a month, we shall not be far wrong, assuming a well organised land transport to be in existence. Whether the land transport is in that condition or not., we can judge from the Times cor respondent, who writes : One Transit Company has agreed to take fifty a day in catriages. Hundreds of carts are constructed (?), and all along the Trunk Road, Bengal may be said to be in requisition. Porters and carts are impressed everywhere, to the extreme anger of the landhohlerii, who would see the empire perish sooner than lose a penny a year. It does not appear quite clear from this that trans port so obtained can be relied on for continuous application ; but assuming that it be, and also that the most rapid rate of conveyance (thirty miles a day) be kept up, reinforcements cannot reach Cawn pore, 050 miles from Calcutta, under a month. The position of affairs, then, at Lucknow may be briefly summed up. Outram and Have lock, straitened for provisions, reduced in force, and encumbered with sick and wounded and women and children, are shut up in the Residency, sur rounded by 70,000 fanatics thirsting for their blood; Sir Colin Campbell attempts their relief at the head of, it is reported, 5,000 men. Time whole point turns of course upon whether that force will be sufficient to effect Havelock's relief. With respect to the rest of India, the intelligence is not very clear. In Bengal, writes the Times corre spondent, the insurrection is "dying out;' and the revenue is being paid. On the other hand, we find the Gwalior rebels in full march from Calpee for Cawnpore, and the Delhi forces flocking into Oude. We are still gaining successes, writes the Hurkura, over the rebels, who are still showing every de termination not to be subdued if they can help it : As we told our readers on the 22nd inst., the rebellion is by no means put down, neither are the rebels showing the smallest signs of being disheartened. They are still threatening our forces at all the principal points in Bengal and the north-west. In the other Presidencies, as in the Punjaub. there is but little disturbance of the outward tranquillity whioh has generally prevailed, though in Botu. bay some traitors have been discovered among the impel's, and some severe executions have been the result, BRIGADIER. SHOWERS' COLUMN. The force, of about 1,200, from Delhi, under Brigadier Showers, occupied I)adree on the Vith October, taking six guns; and then, being joined by Cashmere troops, took possession of Jhujjur, with twenty-one guns and touch ammunition. The Nawab surrendered himself. On the 20th they seized Kanoo.l, cutting off 400 of the Nawab's troops, and taking five lacs of treasure. DELHI. There is no doubt that the King's life has been guaran teed. He will be sent to Allahabad, for conveyance to Calcutta. Particulars have been called for. The arrival of the Madras troops at the Kuttra Pars put everything at llewah into the Political Agent's hands. The sirdars submitted, and gave tip the prisoner whom they had forcibly released. The 113jah expressed extreme regret, and quiet was restored. The Political Agent intended to return from the camp at the Kuttra Pass to Itewah on the 2:ith. The troops were to march from the camp towards Cawnpoze. NicrivE STATES. An agent of the Nana Saint) has put himself at the head of the mutineers of the tiwalior Contingent, anti it is thought probable that be, may form a junction with the Ilinapore mutineers at Bauda, or that he may march ajreot ou Calpee, ih.. . • MI