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

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
Commander•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 the bridge, and he and horse were drawn down by

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