The Press.
London, England, 1858-01-02 00:00:00

THE PRESS, JANUARY 2,1858.

cordingly. But every day spent by them in inaction now
is a clear gain to us, for after a while we shall be able to
hem them in if they attempt a southward movement by
columns from Cawnpore, Kamptee, and Indore.—Times cur.
Official despatches forwarded to Calcutta describe
the contingent as still occupying Calpee, whilst the
letter from Cawnpore of the 15th November, alluded
to above, states " that the Gwalior and other forces
at Calpee had rapidly repaired the bridge of boats at
that place, crossed the Jumna with all their guns,
and marched downwards to the Ganges. This,"
adds the letter, " accounts for the employment of
additional Europeans on the intrenchments of Cawn-
pore, and the recall of 400 men sent on the day before
to Lucknow." Lord Eiphinstone's last communi-
cated news seems to c •nfirm the intelligence in the
following words :—" Gwalior mutineers at Calpee ;
General Windham supposed to Lave left Cawnpore
to attack them." The Mojusailite of Nov. 21 adds
more detailed information, saying that the Gwalior
mutineers had at length advanced from Calpte in the
direction of Cawnpore. On the 15th ult. their main
body, estimated from 8,000 to 12,000 men, was
About thirty-five miles south-west of that place.
They had left their siege train and spare ammuni-
tion in the fort of Jaloun, under a guard, taking
with them only twenty•four light guns. Nana Sahib
had sent an advanced guard of 2,000 men to operate
in conjunction with the Gwalior troops, and he him-
self was expected to follow with a larger force from
Guile, and would probably put himself at the head
of the rebels. Of the position and plans of the
mutineers the Mofassilite says further :

The Dinapore mutineers from Banda, lately beaten at
lihnjwa, are en mute to join, if they have not already done
so. and about 1,000 cavalry from Delhi were posted, ou the
15th, between Shewlee and Sikundra, forming with the
Shewlee and Gwalior force a complete cordon across the
Doab from the Ganges to the Jumna, and a complete line
of communication between Futtehpore Chowrasee, where
the Nana was by last accounts, and Jaloun. It was be-
lieved that the moment Sir Colin Campbell attacked
Lucknow a portion of the mutineers would fall back by a
detour on Cawnpore, which they would simultaneously,
with the above•mentioned troops, attack, after breaking the
bridge of boats behind them, so as to prevent Sir Colin
recrossing the Ganges. The Nawab of Furruckabad, it is
imagined, will send his troops to join in the hostile move-
ment, though he is too sick to accompany them himself.
Letters from Agra of Nov. ?3rd state that the rebels
had again retreated to Calpee.

The Delhi Gazette and the Hurkaru contain the
following extracts of letters from Brigadier Hope
Grant's camp. They are interesting, as showing the
nature of the enemy in Oude with whom we have to
deal :

Camp, six miles from Alumbagh, Nov. 3, 18-17.
We had our first fight in Oude yesterday, but it was the
mildest affair that has taken place since we left Delhi. We
marched from our last ground at seven o'clock, with tne
intention of encamping on a large plain a mile and a half
nearer Lucknow, there to await Sir Colin Campbell. We
had not gone a mile before our advanced guard was fired
upon by the enemy, who had taken up a position in a large
village near the road. We were soon in the thickest of it,
and were not long in tinning our friends the Mattadeens
out of their position, after which we could not persuade
them to come within musket-shot. It was with great diffi-
culty our cavalry managed to come up to their rear. We
bagged upwards of 101) of them in the village, and after-
wards took the only two guns they had. Our loss
amounted to one killed and about ten wounded. Some of
the 44th Native Infantry men were killed fighting against
us, and actually had their leave certificates on them. We
have taught the zernindars, a number of whom were op-
posed to us yesterday. a lesson they are not likely to forget
in a hurry. Every village for miles round has been burnt
to the ground, and the whole country seems as if it was on
tire. After pursuing the fmetives to within two miles of
Alumbagh, we retired to this place. Sir Colin is expected
out to-day, and if he arrives we shall probe)), move on to
Alumbagh to-morrow morning. We can hear the Lucknow
guns quite distinctly. There has been very heavy firing
there this morning. The men of the Punjaub regiments
are delighted with the 03rd Highlanders, who are certainly
splendid men, and always march in their kilts and bonnets.
The Punjenbees call them " Tape wallas," and the
" Tuintslia ka Pultun." They admire the bagpipes more
than anything. and want to have a Rajah like it.
The following is from a correspondent of the
Hurkant, with the relieving force in Conde :
Camp about twelve miles from Lucknow, 4th Nov.
We have been encamped here for three days waiting for
Sir Colin, who is expected in camp to-day.
We have hitherto met with no opposition, though our
movements are most narrowly watched by the evaporating,
enemy. On the 3rd they expected us to march as we
always do at four or three in the morning, and had filled a
villee,e on the road with infantry, intending, it is supposed,
to allow our column to pass and then to attack and to loot
our luggage. As luck would have it, an order came which
caused us to break up our camp and march at delight, so
we disappointed our friends, and instead of plundering as
they expected, they were killed and burnt out them-
selves

Yesterday some al:ie.-in villages were burnt mind our
camp. We have never done this where unopposed, but op-
position rules the men, and incendiarism is a sure collie-
gitenze. Now we are io Onde we can scarcely make a mis-
take. The whole country is risen, under their chiefs,
against us; and unless we show that to be a losing game,

they will fancy that we are weak and unable to punish;
from what I saw on the 3rd, the enemy we have to deal with
here is utterly to be despised away from their loopholed
walls and cover. I never saw large bodies of men absquotu-
late so suddenly in my life ; like figures in a magic lantern,
they are here and in a moment vanisn entirely. This is a
good deal to be accounted for by the fact of the greater part of
the country being covered by high jower crops, so high that
an army can hide itself although close to you. The sugar.
cane katea are also splendid cover, and save hundreds of
wretches from the sabres of our cavalry.

Another writer gives a vivid description of the posi-
tion Wheeler so gallantly defended at Cawnpore :
Just on the right hand side of the road, beyond the
12:th milestone from Allahabad, stand the old Dragoon
barracks, and if anyone were to give a true photograph of
them, no one could persuade them that for twenty-two
days th 'se barracks were held by hardy soldiers ; that
tendetly-rearei English ladies could have braved it out
there would be incredible. As for the intrenchment
one heard of, a child would ride his pony full gallop over
it, and not know he had left the level plain. One barralk
has no roof—it was burned and fell in; it is just like the
Meean Meer barracks, centre and verandah rooms in three
long wards. 1 never saw buildings so riddled with ball;
not a foot of the surface but is hit; all the verandahs
beaten down—a little bit stands to show there was a
verandah; every side is equally smashed ; on all sides the
cowards poured shot on that little band whom they bad
not pluck to attack. About the floor lie mementoes,
children's clothes, socks, shoes, scraps of letters and papers,
music.books. G. picked no Wheeler's lest pay certificate,
B. a book having on the titlepage the name of a lady he
knew, and so on. Low down on one wall is the scar of a
ball ; all iound it the blood and brains and hair of young
Wheeler, who, lying on the floor wounded, his sister kneel-
ing over and fanning him, was killed by this ball. T., one
of the survivors, is here now. and can point out everything
to us. The Cliabootra of the well is smashed to bits,
showing how that was a special mark. In one corner of
the inclostire lie the hones of animals, bullocks. Really
no one can imagine the nothingness of the intrenchment
and the utter smashing of the buildings until he sees them.
As we walked through those rooms we didn't speak ; I, fur
one, could not : I should have sobbed with pity and rage—
nearly all the latter in attempting it. One felt inclined to
vow one's life to revenge, to swear to kill so many a day of
that cursed race, to tear all pity from one's heart : it made
one's heart stone and one's brain are. I would, not go
again there for anything.

Of the rest of India a rapid sketch only must
suffice.
The insurrection in Western India has not
yet attained the proportions to be anticipated.
'The campaign against the insurgents of Mundesore
has been successfully opened, and one object at least
completely attained. Neemuch is relieved, Mehid-
pore and Muudesore reoccupied.
This rapid success will enable Sir Hugh
Rose to turn eastward, instead of following
the enemy beyond Neemuch. A sufficient force
left in the latter place will keep the rebels
now at Naghur in check, and the main body
is now doubtless on its way to Sehore. Brigadier
C. Stuart's column will move on Hoshungabad, as at
first arranged, and prevent the insurgents from con-
centrating themselves against Saugor, which is still
in a perilous position. One of the first operations to
be undertaken in this quarter will he to clear
Oodeypoor of malcontents. The Minister writes
from thence that the cantonments have beeen burnt
and plundered, and that the few houses left un-
destroyed by the Bengal sepoys have been levelled
with the ground. The fort of Oodeypoor bad been
surrounded by insurgents, many of them Mekranees
from Mundesore, who had erected batteries against
it, which, fortunately, were soon silenced, probably
because the ammunition failed.

Joudpore, the capital of another principality,
north-west of Oodeypoor, is in a position equally
critical. The political agent remains there, however,
as usual, and his position will no doubt he improved
by the defeat of the rebellious legion of that State.
This corps concentrated itself after the mutiny of
September, and took the direction of Delhi. Follow-
ing the western ridge of the Aravulli-hills it left
Geypore on the right, and finally reached Narnsnl, or
Narnol, on the road from Hansi to Neemuch. Re-
cruiting its force from the fugitives of Delhi,
Rewarree, Kanoud, Dadree, and all the places lately
taken by Showers' brigade, it mustered at last a
force of 5,000 men, with five or six guns. The latter
were distributed on the roads leading from Ajmere
and Delhi. Showers' brigade, when it left Kanoud,
heard that the Joudpore legion was in the vicinity,
and marched accordingly to Rewarree, where tho
legion was not. The brigadier's proceedings are well
described in the following letter :
Some report about the Joudpore legion being at
Naniol was current in eamp, and this was the reason
assigned for our looking up Rewarree. Thence we went
to Goorgaon, twenty miles from Delhi. The Carabineers
leaving the column halted, started to Furrucknuggnr,
where twenty of the Newel'''. sowers were abet. Auer
this, instead of skirting the hills, we entered them, crossed
a tract of bills running without order, and at a range of
from 9.00 to 300 feet high, with here and there a peak of
500, until we quitted them again at Sonah. Our object
was to punish the wild Mewattees who inhabit these hills,
and whose natural trade is plunder. As we found every
town had been burnt and gutted by the Mewattees, we

returned the compliment by setting their villages on fire,
and at Taroo, as 1 sat smoking in the evening, I counted
no less than five huge bonfires whose light stretched alm ist
round the horizon. At Taroo, among the ruins of what
was a substantial stone-built town, only seven months ago;
and which we were ordered to clear, we found and shot
thirty fair-skinned Delhi fellows. One day was spent
between Taroo and Sonah ,five miles) in hunting the
hills for Mewattees—we were fired upon by one village,
less, I believe, because those gentlemen like fighting than
because they were anxious to cover the removal of their
cattle. Here is the only point at which they are vulner-
able ; catch them you cannot, burn their villages you may,
and in a week they are re-thatched. All this is idle;
seize their cows aul goats, if yon want to bring them to
their senses.
The Guiles—such active fellows !—heat for Mewattees
up and down the sugar-cane fields and over the most dan-
gerous ground, in a way which Europeans could not have
done. About sixty of our friends were killed. A hand-to-
hand fight took place, which excited a goof deal of amuse-
ment. A Mewattee, huge fellow, armed with shield and
sword, was put up in a cane-field. Twenty shots were
fired, but the bold fellow held steadily on, springing from
rock to rock, descending to the bottom of the dell, and
then mounting the oppotite face. He was so close that
we could distinguish the rope fastened round his body
which these people use in climbing about the ravines in
which they live. Just es he was reaching the crest of the
hill, a man of the Guides suddenly came round an elbow
of the ravine, and five words explained to him the proximity
of the Mewattee. There were not four yards between
them when they met. The Guide fired; down ducked his
friend. The shot missed, and then followed the sweep
of the Mewattee's sword upon the Guile's head, at the
same moment the snide giving him the bayonet. A
second flash of the sword, and down went the Guide, as we
thought. A howl of rage rose from the lookers-on. In
another minute the Gulue was seen standing over his foe.
His head had been saved by a thick turban, and the second
cut was, thanks to his lunge of the tiayonet, of no great
strength. When lie stooped, it was to pick up his turban.
From Sonah we had another day's hunt; such hard work
I never bad in the lulls. Falls I bad at least a dozen.

At Sonah we left the Glioorkas to keep the district
quiet, and then came on to Bullubghur, the Rajah of which
place had been sent a prisoner into Delhi.
A fresh column of 1,500 men, under the command
of Colonel Gerrard, was ultimately sent to Rewarre
in pursuit of the Joudpore Legion. On the 14th
November, the rebels, 5,000 strong, attacked our
troops about four miles from NarnGl. The actbm,
atter " several hours hard fighting," resulted in the
total defeat of the rebels, with the loss of all their
guns. Our loss was 15 killed and 45 wounded.
Among the former, we are sorry to say, was Colonel
Gerrard, the only officer who fell.
On the 21st ult. the Mundesore rebels, who had
besieged Neemuch for a fortnight, attempted to take
the place by escalade. They were repulsed with
heavy loss, and immediately raised the siege.
The attempt of the rebels at Neemuch, by esca-
lade, was probably urged by the knowledge that the
dhow column, now known as the Nerbudda Field
Force, under Brigadier Stuart, was approaching their
own head-quartees. On the same day, the 21st ult.,
it encamped near Mundesore, and was attacked by
the insurgents there, whom it defeated and drove off.
On the 22nd and 23vd there was fighting in various
positions taken up by our troops about Mundesore,
and the end was that the enemy evacuated the place
and retreated to Naghur, in the Chumbul.
With respect to Central India, the country is
iu utter confusion, and the disaffection " very
general ":

The jungles swarm with insurgents, who have broken
down bridges and erected barricades on the Mirzapore
road. They lie in ambuscade, and pick off officers going
with detachments, as in the case of the unfirtimate Major
Jenkins, who commanded a party of .4th Light Cavalry
and 33rd Madras Native Infs.-Ail., sent out with two guns
from Jubbulpore to Kuttingee. He was shot from a tree
by a man who was afterw,ula hung, with five others, for
his misdeed. . . . The hills are interspersed here end
there with forts held by insurgent chielii. One of the
largest of these is Gurhskota, near Saugor, the stronghold
of the Sliagor Rajah's people. None but a numerous
force will suffice to destroy these, to open up the country,
and r.storo our broken communications. —D. News cur.

" The campaign in Central India is yet to begin,"
writes the Friend of India :
Certain towns and districts are garrisoned, and that is
all. The liatuptec column tlo not consider n advisable to
leave Jtibbal;sme ; the Dhow column attempts to pacify
Malwa by undertaking a trifliag expedition against I thar ;
the Edlabal firce, after long inaction, are encamped
somewhere in the I)eocan, ni one knows precisely when...
In fact, the tally boast that the commanders of these
troops seem likely to make is that of Admiral Sir Charle3
Napier,—they will hive brought them back safe.

"In the Bombay Presidency," writes the correspon-
dent of the Daily News," matters have changed but
little '—
The Nassick llbeels have lei: their old haunts, and gone
dawn towards Anrungabad, and Stuart's field force (le-
t:wiled two companies frost them some time ago to hunt
them up in the vicinity of Kunhnr. As regards the South
Mahratta country, this only Call be said, that, though it is
Titet, dissffection is still very dangerous there. Mr. Seton
Carr hes found it necessary to order the whole of the 15th
1S mbuv Native Infantry and 100 of the .2nd Europeans
into the districts. The head-quarters of the 2nd Euro-