The Press.
London, England, 1857-12-05 00:00:00

INDIA.

LU C KNOIN'DELIII-CALCUTTA.

As usual, the detailed accounts received this week
present the picture of affairs in India in altogether a
different and darker light from that thrown upon
them by the early telegrams. From the telegram
last week, Outram and Havelock in Lucknow ap-

peared to he as safe as if they were in Calcutta, and
that nothing now remained to be achieved but the
pacification of the country around them. By our
letters we learn that all we can do, after four months
of continued effort to bring of the garrison of Luck•

now, is to prolong the miseries of the besieged,by leav-
ing them and the relieving army under Outram and
Havelock in a most precarious position. We do not
stop to enter here into that question of pressing im-
portance, why in four months the efficient relief of

the garrison has not been eirected,.but we pass on at
once to details.

It now appears that Outram and Havelock crossed
the Ganges at the head of some '2,500 men, and,
marching on Lucknow, became so encumbered with
their sick and wounded that they were compelled to
leave them with a guard, numbering in all some 300
men, at Alumbagh, a post distant three miles from
Lucknow. This place had been strongly fortified by
the rebels, and they were only driven out, on the 25th
September, after a desperate contest. Having cap-
tured all their guns and driven the enemy to a
distance, and Alumbagh being found sufficiently strong
to be held by a party of the 641 h Foot, under Major
Sibley, it was decided that here the sick, the wounded,
and the baggage should be left behind. Betwixt Alum-
bagh and Lucknow is an extensive plain, traversed
by a wide canal. Havelock, with the main body of
the force, crossed this by the bridge on the 26th Sep •
tember. On nearing the city the English troops
made a detour to their right, in order to turn the
principal defences of the rebels outside the Residency.
Notwithstanding this precaution, our loss before
the Residency was reached was extremely severe ; its
exact extent has not yet been published. Outram then
occupied the Residency, and Havelock garrisoned the
Balee Guard in advance. The next day after their
arrival they found it necessary to attack the intrench-
menes of the besiegers, in order to relieve themselves
from the incessantfirekept upon the Residency. These
being capture.i at the point of the bayonet, and with
a terrible loss of life—Neill, Hamilton, Perrin, Gra-
ham, Preston, and about forty officers, falling here,
with upwards of 500 men killed and wounded—Have-
lock proceeded to drive the enemy out of the city,
and by dint of hard fighting contrived in the course
of tour days to advance about two miles, when he was
compelled to desist for want of force and from a des-
perate attack on the Queen's palace having been
repulsed with heavy loss. Outram was wounded
in the shoulder. The loss on these four days
is not stated. Lucknow is about six miles in
length, in the direction from S.E. to N.W., the Resi-
dency being situated nearly at the south-eastern
extremity. It would appear, therefore, that it was
only out of this south eastern portion of the city that
Havelock had succeeded in expelling the enemy.
The old town, by far the most favourable part of the
city fur that fighting under cover to which the enemy
are most partial, is therefore still intact. It is also
stated that at one time all communication between
Outram at the Residency and Havelock at the Balee
Guard had been rendered impossible. They had re•
united their forces when the last intelligence was
sent off, but were unable to communicate with Alum-
bagh, the rebels having broken down the bridge
across the canal. That the two divisions of the
Lucknow force have effected a junction would seem
certain, but General Outram has now barely 2,000
men with him in the Residency. This force may be
strong enough to defy any native enemy, but it is
doubtful if it is sufficiently provisioned. Their
very existence, in point of fact, tarns upon the ra-
pidity with which assistance can be afforded them :