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

cast in his lot with the rebels. He, by his revolt, roused
sill the rest, and our countrymen had scarcely obtained
possession of Lucknow than they found themselves be-
sieged there.

A letter from the intrenched camp of Cawnpore,
dated October lllth, and published in the Mr-
Lou, speaks in reference to Lucknow as follows :

This prolonged silence bodes no good, I fear, fur our
brave fellows at Lucknow ; day after day glides away and
still no news of them. The truth must out, and it is this :
that our force at Lucknow has been—whether wisely or
not I cannot pronounce—allowed to be separated, and each
division is so hemmed in that, from the overwhelming
numbers of the enemy, they cannot rejoin each ether.
After the fight of the 25th ult. it appears that our force
held three distinct positions, viz.—the Balee Guard, the
Residency, and Alumbagh ; since that time I have learnt
that after a severe tight, that portion of the Residency were
enabled to form a junction with those at the Baleu Guard.
Still, however, they are separated from those lying in the
Alumbagh, and we have no communication with either
portion of the force.
A few days ago a hundred men of different regiments
came in, escorting baggage, camels, elephants, (tc., bring.
ing with them a letter front a friend of mine now lying in
Alnmbagh. I extract the following from it :—" The sick,
wounded, commissariat stores, officers' servants, and bag-
gage are all left in this place—a large garden. The force
went on to Lucktiow, which is three miles from this, on the
25th ult.'to relieve the unfortunates, and which we succeeded
in doing on the 20th, after hard fighting and severe loss.
Poor General Neill fell ; also Brigadier Cooper, of the
Artillery. They took two days' rations with them, and we
expected them to rejoin us again in two or three days;
but here is the sixteenth (lay and no signs of them yet.
Captains Macbeen and Freeling went with the force,
and Gardener with them. The officers took nothing
with them but the clothes they stood in. All their servants
are here." _ _

This, and the bare fact that we have no means of com-
munication with Lucknow, and are in complete ignorance
of what is daily enacted there, will enable your readers to
judge of themselves in what position our army at Lncknow
stands. There can, l think, be little doubt that they are

in great straits, and it is the imperative duty of the Govern.
ment to push men up here as rapidly as possible, artillery.
men particularly.

Round Cawnpore itself the rebels were once more
congregating. Colonel Wilson, in command at
Cewnpore, had been compelled to move out on the
night of 17th Oct. once again upon Bithoor and
attack the rebels who were posted there in force.
The troops arrived on the ground on the morning of
the 13th, and after an hour's hard fighting the rebels
were driven back, and their guns and ammunition
captured :
The 19th was occupied in destroying I3ithoor. On the
morning of the 20th the victorious and gallant little band
returned to Uawnpore. On their way back the village of
Sheo-Rajpore was destroyed, and in a house filled with
straw five of the rebels were discovered by the men of the
01th probing the mass with their bayonets. They dashed
out sword in hand, when they were immediately de-
spatched.
Two of the prisoners brought in were hanged : ono
of them was the bearer of letters from Nana Sahib
to the people in and around Bithoor, calling upon
the people to provide ammunition and have supplies
ready for his arrival, expected in the course of lilteen
days. Such then is the position of affairs before
Lucknow.