The Press.
London, England, 1858-03-27 00:00:00

THE PRESS, MARCH 27, 1858.

his staff, pushed on in advance of the army, escorted
by the 9th Lancers and a troop of Bengal Horse
Artillery, and, covering from twenty to twenty-five
miles a day, arrived at Cawnpore on the 4th. A
private letter, from an officer of the staff, describes
Sir Colin as in excellent health and spirits.
When at their last halting-place before entering
Cawnpore—at or near Sheorajpore—the party had
intelligence of our detested enemy, Nana Sahib.
According to the natives, he was on the opposite side
of the river in Oude, in the last extremity of de-
spair .
Deserted by, or having himself dismissed, all his
followers, but a few Mahratta Irregular Infantry, he
wanders about the country with such precipitation and im-
patience of delay that, in the expressive native phrase,
" He dines in one place and washes his hands in another."
By thus constantly shifting his position, and by equally
constant changes in his dress and accoutrements, he seeks
to lessen or to counteract the increasing chances of cap-
ture by an enemy against whom he knows that he has
sinned too deeply to be forgiven.
Sir Colin having pushed on from Futtyghur for
Cawnpore, the troops followed him with all possible
speed. The 82nd, with Sikh horse and foot, re-
mained at Futtyghur. Walpole's Brigade was
withdrawn across the Ganges from the right hank of
the Ranigunga, on the further bank of which river he
had been watching a large but inactive body of
Rohilcund rebels and the bridge removed to Fatty-
ghur. Hope's Brigade, which on the S3th January
overthrew with loss a body of Mussulman fanatics
at Shumsabad Mhow, twenty-five miles from Futty
ghur, marching on the Ist, reached Cawnpore on the
7th. The Calcutta Government supplied the Cal.
cutta press with the following details concerning this
brilliant little affair :

Extract from a telegraphic message from the commander-

in-chief, dated FUttyghur, 27th January, 1838.

I despatched Brigadier Hope, the night before last, to
Shunedhabad to break up a body of rebels which had been
crossing the river for several days in small parties. He
found them about 4,000 in number, attacked them instantly
according to my orders; and dispersed them, killing a great
number, and took four brass guns, eight-pounders. His
pursuit seems to have been very sharp and successful.
Officers wounded—Captain Hodgson severely, Lieut.
McDonald dangerously, Lieutenant Gough severely, Ilodg-
son's horse, Captain Steel, 9th Lancers, severely, Surgeon
4th Punjaub Infantry several. Pursuit not yet ended at
the date of Brigadier Hope's despatch. The credit appears
to belong to the Cavalry and Horse Artillery.

General Walpole, after bringing up the bridge from
the Ramgunga, marched on the 41h, and arrived at
Cawnpore on the 10th and 11th. His strength was
the 2nd and 3rd battalions Rifle Brigade, the 23rd
Fusilier;, 2nd Punjaub Infantry, Hodson's Horse,
four of Captain Peel's guns, two troops and two field
batteries of artillery. Sir Cohn went down on the
Bth to see and confer with t'e Gfive►nor.General at
Allahabad, but before that date two bridges had
been thrown across the river, and the movement into
Oude had commenced. A brigade under Colonel
Campbell of the Bays crossed on the 4th, composed
of the 7th Hussars, 79th Highlanders, and Major
Anderson's troop of Horse Artillery. On the 6th
went over the 9th Lancers, Ist Bengal Fusiliers, and
Remington's troop of Bengal Horse Artillery ; on the
10th, the 42nd and 93rd Highlanders, Hodson's
Horse, and another troop of Horse Artillery. On the
12th, Sir Colin had returned from Allahabad, but
appears to ha‘a crossed into Oude at once, at the
head of from 12,000 to 15,000 men, and about 140
guns, some 80 of them pieces of heavy metal, and the
remaining sixty field-pieces, the whole under the
command of Sir Archdale Wilson. The road to the
Alumbagh he would find quite clear, strong bodies of
troops being stationed at Oonao, Busserutgunge, and
the Bunnee-bridge.

The Hurkaru states that the town of Lucl:now is
to be destroyed :
Palaces, domes, mosques, temples, all are to be levelled
with the ground. The orders are definite. No exception
is to be made. Powder and shot are to do their work
alike on the dwelling of the noble and the peasant. fhe
Lucknow which in years gone by we raised to the dignity
of a kingdom is to be hurled from her proud pedestal.
Dust to dust we commit her to her final rest. In future
time some shepherd boy may whistle his lay on some
mound of brick and mortar which once composed the
palace of a king or the dwelling of some proud Eastern
noble.

From the Alumbagh itself our latest news is of
the 21st, when all was well. An attack had been
made by the enemy, the first since their bloody
repulse on the 10th of January, and had been again

repulsed.
Meanwhile, Jung Bahadoor, with his Ghonrkas,
who was left lying before Fyztbad, in Eastern Onde,
but, fur want of ammunition, was unable to take the
place, had received supplies from Benares, and was
to cross the Gogra on the 18th.

General Franks was expected to be at Sultanpore
on the 22nd, and, having formed a junction with
Jung Bahadoor, to reach Lucknow by the 27th,
wheu it was hoped the bombardment would com-
mence'

Rumours, writes the Daily News correspondent,
were flying about concerning the wishes of the Oude
zemindars to surrender; and Maun Singh, the
grkatest of all the zemindars, had sent in to Jung
Baliadoor some fifty English and Anglo-Indian
captives, whose lives and honour he had protected
since the outbreak, with a request to be permitted to
retire and end his days in Nepaul. A correspondent
of the Englishman confirms a statement made
some days before by the Phenix, relative to the
actual capture of Maun Singh. He says

You will be glad to hear that information htla been re-
ceived of the capture of the great zemindar, Maun Singh,
who was surprised at a village one march from our in-
trenched camp at Alumbagh. This is a most enceuraging
piece of news, and cannot fail to dishearten his rebel ad-
herents. Two cther men of note were taken at the same
time. Maim Singh was a must powerful man, and had
some seven or eight thousand sepoya in his pay when
Oude belonged to the Nawab ; lie also owned several forts,
and about twenty guns. He has two brothers—one, I:am
Udditi, who is older than himself, and who used to live in
Benares, is described as being poor and unambitious. The
youngest brother, named Rugbur Diall, is his direct oppo-
site, and is, the natives say, proud and haughty, and a
great rascal to boot. The father of thew three worthies,
Dhursun Singh, now dead, was one of the Nawab's chnkle-
dam. No wonder he left money behind him.
In the Doab and Rchilcund, which yet remain to
be tranquillised, we find that five Sikh regiments of
foot, with horse and artillery, are moving down the
roads from Lahore ; and already within the bounds
ries of the province, and without the aid of the Sikh
force, a considerable blow has been inflicted upon
the rebels of Bareilly. In fact, we have had three
engagements, all of which were of the utmost in-
fluence on the plans of the commander in•chief.
They were all successes. On the 10th of January
Major Ramsay moved out of Nynee Tal with the
06th, 30 Ghoorkas, 300 of Jung Baliadoor's men,
and some irregulars—in all about 1,200 or 1,400
met. The whole force united was under the orders
of Colonel M'Causland, and attacked Khalee Khan's
army, posted some fourteen miles distant, and
utterly routed it, killing 500 men and taking three
guns, with a loss on our side of 35 killed and
wounded. The two other engagements were with
Calpee rebels, near Etawah and Calpee, and though
only partial, were yet successful. The Calpee rebels
evidently begin to feel the pressure of the advance
made by Generals Rose and Whitlock from the west
towards them. There is not much besides these two
engagements to notice in the Doab. The rebels
were up to the latest date quietly in possession f the
other side of the river, though their reign was con-
sidered likely not to last many days longer. Abdool
Luteef Khan, who assisted in arming and strengthen-
ing the fort of Malaghur close by, which was taken
on the 29th of October last by Greathee's column,
was to be tried by a military commission. His vast
possessions will, of course, be confiscated to Govern.
ment if the char e is proved.

Further to the eastward in Central India, Sir
Hugh Rose and General Whitlock ere pressing on,
helping to confine into an ever-narrowing circle the
yet blazing or smouldering fire of rebellion. S:r
Hugh, after relieving Saugor, before proceeding up-
wards, moved to the eastward against a strongly-
situated fort called Garrakotta, some twenty five
miles off, supposed to be occupied by the remains of
the mutinied 52nd Bengal Native Infantry. He
was proceeding to invest the pleze—which,
such was its strength, a far larger force than lie
would have found it difficult or impossible completely
to effect—when it was abandoned by its occupants.
" Before the fort of Garrakotta could be invesz.ed,"
says Sir Hugh in his despatch, "or any arranue-
ments for its attack be completed, the rebels fled
from the fort in a south-westerly direction, inclining
round, I believe, to the north of Saugor "

I had time and no more to invest the north-west anti
north-east, which were the probable points of the garri-
son's escape ; but it is fair to state that such is the im-
practicable nature and extent of the ground round Gsrra-
kotta that no investment made by a three of my numbers
could have been complete. Two flying detachments are
in pursuit of the rebels. Garrakotta is a place of extra-
ordinary strength, between two rivers, with a large finest
on its north side. Brigadin. Watson, in 1814, failed in
making a practicable breech in the tiefenc s of the fort
with twenty-eight pieces of artillery, anti Major Boileau,
commanding engineer, is of opinion that if the garrison
had made a resolute defence, its capture would have cost
much time and involved a great loss of life in infantry.
There are twelve guns in the fort, and large supplies of
ammunition and grain. The left flank of Saugor is now
free from denger ; the villagers show a very friendly feel-
ing, and come out to meet the troops. The enemy re-
sisted our advance to the fort, but were completely driven
from their positions by my artillery and infantry. A flying
detachment under Captain Hare, consisting of horse artil-
lery and I ith Light Dragoons, which I sent after the rebels
retreating from Garrakottn, came up with their rear and
killed from seventy to a hundred. Many of them were
eepoys of the :11st, 42nd, --)2nd, and iOrh Bengal Nanite
Infantry. Their English muskets and quantities of copper
caps have been taken. The country people showed our
trocps the way. Major Boileau is demolishing Garrakotta
as much as he can. Great supplies of wheat and wain.

Wr74

salpetre and sulphur, and four cartloads of ammunition,
have been found in the fort.-o.oicial Despatch.
From Garrakotta, the detachments reassembled
shortly afterwards ate believed to have left Saugor
for Jhansi, in which direction Orr's and Stewart's
brigades had already proceeded, and effected a junc-
tion with Osborne's Rewah force at Bijrajoogltur—
a fort recently captured by Captain Osborne. Ninety-
four prisoners were taken and shot:—
They had been ninety-five, but one of them committed
suicide on the way. In the evening they were all executed,
two by hanging and ninety-two by musketry. The latter
all fell at the first volley, but a go )d deal of indiscriminate
shooting was necessary before life was extinct. One min
was found alive this morning, and hung. Amongst the
prisoners was the Killadar of Bijrajoogbur. The rajah
managed to escape before the fort was invested.
Jhansi will be remembered as having been in June last
year the theatre of a scene scarcely paralleled elsewhere.
The 12th Native Infantry and 14th Irregular Cavalry were
quartered there. They massacred several officers in can-
tonments, and the fort only yielded a temporary refuge to
the remainder, who sought to protect the trembling women
and children. The Ranee joined the rebels, and gave them
guns, which are said to have been buried for three years.

A secret door was treacherously given up, and the Euro-
peans were forced to surrender. They were promised their
lives, but, as in the case of Cawnpore, the promise was not
kept, and the wretched prisoners all perished in a general
massacre. One European, Lieutenant Ryvea, of the I:2th
Native Infantry, escaped out of seventy-two souls.—Pricalc
Letter.

Jhanst, which was built by the Mahrattas, is sur-
rounded by a wall. The fort occupies a rock over-
looking the town, and is a lofty mass of stone build-
ing, surmounted by a huge round tower, in which
the Europeans at last took refuge, without a chance
of successfully resisting. From Jhansi to Calpee is
only seventy miles.
In Rajpootana our movements have been from
west to east as in Central India. Colonel Blood's
little force from Hydrahad, in Scinde, has reached
Jessulmeer, and the Deesa division, now reinforced
by the 72nd Highlanders, is moving on Kota.
Major Raines has moved from Nusseerabad, and was
on the 11th at Lheeru. Some unmistakeable symp-
toms of disaffection in the 10th Regiment had been
promptly suppressed. When the force will come
before Kotah cannot at present be ascertained.
There is every reason to believe that our force will
meet with no opposition in the passes leading from
the north-west towards Kotah, and that no obstacles
will be found to an advance along the left bank
the Chumbul; but there will be some considerable
difficulty experienced in crossing the Chumbul to
attack these Kotah rebels :
At Kotah it is a large and deep stream which must be
crossed by swimming, even elephants making the passage
in that way. Six miles lower down, however, there is a
ford, of which Mr. Thornton says, " Hunter crossed it in
the end of March," finding it " stony, uneven, and slip-
pery." Above Kotah there is no passage nearer than the
Gnjrat Ghent on the road from Neemuch to the Mokun-
darra pass, where the stream is fordable ; but from thence
to Kotah an army would be forced to march through Mo-
kundarra, the most dangerous defile in all Rajpootana,
celebrated in our Indian annals by the retreat of Cohnel
Manson before the army of Jeawunt Rao Holkar. Kotah
in itself is not a very strong place, bat still might offer
considerable resistance, being inclosed by a strong ram-
part with bastions and a dry ditch. The rampart on the
water-face runs parallel to the bank. Within its southern
face is the fortress, inclosing the Maha Rao's palace, which
is embellished by numerous cupolas and slender minarets.
The Mahrsttas once spent three months in the siege of
this place, and were forced to retreat (1744) without
taking it ; but from the experience we have had of feeble
resistance from strong forts such as Awah, Ratghur, and
Garrakotta, our troops need not anticipate much difficulty
here. Our attack on Kotah may, however, be looked for-
ward to as en interesting episode in the reduction of Raj-
pootana.—D. News cur.
In the Bombay Presidency nothing has occurred
of much importance. Since the occupation of Sho-
rapore, and the capture of its chief at Hyderabad,
the Southern Mahratta country has not been dis-
turbed. A successful attack had been made upon
Bheels in Candeish by Major Pottinger, where thirty-
three of these troublesome hill-men were killed,
though their leader, Bagojee, escaped. The Sena-
puttee at Sattara has been arrested for holding
treasonable correspondence with the Nana Sahib.
He seems to have been one of his chief agents in
the Deccan. A letter from the Nana to his address
was found after a very rigorous and protracted search
concealed in the house of the prisoner, in which a
plot for the massacre of all the Europeans at Sat-
tars and Poonah is fully developed. The complicity
of the Senaputtee and several other influential
persons in the plot is, we understand, capable of the
fullest judicial proof, and there can be no doubt of
the awful fate that awaits them should this be the
case. The Nana has been sustaining the hopes of
his deluded agents in this part of the country by
assuring them that he is now on his way to the
Deccan at the bead of a large army, and that he will
positively cross the Nerbudda on the 10th of March
All is quiet in the Punjaub, with Sikh regiments
marching down into Hindostan and English ones
to take their place. Sir

sailing up from Ku