The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-24 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF LUCKNOW.

THE details received of the capture of Lucknow do
not add so much to our information as might have
been expected. Our artillery fire was so crushing
that at the moment of assault there was little resist-
ance to the bayonets of our troops. The first de-
cided step towards the reduction of the place from
the south took place on the oth of March. Sir James
Ontram, on the night of the 7th, had crossed over
the Ooomtee twenty two heavy guns, and on the
morning of the oth, under cover of their tremendous
fire, he assaulted And captured the Badshahbagh.
Sir Colin Campbell and his staff watched the opera.
tions from the top of the Dilkoosha:—

Whilst we were watching and waiting to get a glimpse
of Outram, whose guns, mingled with incessant musketry,
had kept up their thunder since daybreak, a diversion was
effected on the roof of the Dilkoosha in the advent of
Fulwan Singh, brig dier of the Ghoorkas of Franks's divi-
sion, a very gallant gentleman indeed. In white kid
gloves, a bright olive tunic trimmed with gold lace and
fastened across the breast with a clasp of diamonds ; tight
olive pantaloons, with gold stripe ; a gay little olive skull
cap, with a gold lace tim, in front of which—mines of Gni-
conda!—there glittered, broad and large as one's hand, an
aigrette of great diamonds, into which was fired jantily a
light graceful plume of bird of Paradise feathers, the ends
of which were curved in a gentle wavingbend by the weight
of pearls and emeralds attached to them—a scimitar with
jewelled hilt and sheath, and jewelled pistols by his side—
what a contrast did our friend present to plain Sir Colin
in Lis pith helmet, a plain blue frock-coat with buttons,
and corduroy trousers, whose only mark of command was
his air and his trusty old sabre lucked under his arm!—
Times Idler.

That same afternoon the Martiniere was assaulted
by the 4th Brigade, and carried by the bayonet in less
than ten minutes. Just before the assault Captain
Peel, of the Naval Brigade, was severely wounded
by a musket-ball in the thigh :
Every one heard of the accident with grief—" What !
Peel wounded ?► what a loss to us to-day !" Such was the
universal

nation. Our guns were now thundering
howitzers, and 24.- the •

,•pounders—at pits,
huts, and Martiniere, from which the enemy kept up an
incessant fusillade of the weakest sort—the only thing re-
markable about it being its pertinacity. The time wcre
on, and at last the Highlanders and Sikhs came marching
from their camp, and drew up behind the Dilkoosba. The
chief, General Mansfield, and staff were on the roof, but,
as the moment approached, Sir Colin went down, and on
foot among the men gave his last orders to the officers.
And now just observe this fact :—The enemy had remained
steady in their trenches under the fire of six mortars and
ten heavy guns and howitzers. But the instant they
caught sight of our bayonets, and that the lines of the
Sikhs and Highlanders came in view, we observed them,
by twos and threes, and groups, and at last in masses,
running and marching at the double as fast as they could
clear out of the works, and moving to the rear or stealing
off under cover of their parapets. The commanderzin-
chief came up to the roof again just in time to see the
complete success of his plan. The orders were obeyed
beautifully. We saw the Highlanders, with skirmishers
thrown out in front, advancing rapidly, without a sound in
their ranks, towards the Martiniere, while the Sikhs on
their flank, agile as panthers, ran at full speed towards the
trenches, from which the enemy, firing a few hurried shuts
from their muskets, were flying so fast that not a man
was left inside by the time our troops were within 200
yards of the Martiniere. But their gunners on the
right of the Martiniere, along the canal works, had seen
the attack, and they began to pitch round shot up to
us, and to plump them among the dhooly-bearers and
light baggage advancing in rear of our column. In less
than ten minutes we saw Highland bonnets among the
trees in the park, and the Sikhs rushing through the
ruins in the rear, looking in vain for an enemy. I should
have mentioned that just before the assault took place an
officer came in to say that the enemy in the canal
trench, behind the Martiniere, fearing an enfilading firo
from Outram, had abandoned the works, but our glasses
told us that there were aepoys still in the Cavalier Bastion
and behind the high parapet which ran across the head of
the canal. The commander-in-chief therefore sent the
following order to Sir James Outran at one p.m. :

It is still pordble to make out people (the enemy) on it(' line
of the :anal. The commander•iu chief requests that guns may
be placed in posluou to enfilade lt.

These orders were soon obeyed. and while the High-
landers, advancing to the wall of the Martiniere park on
the left, gained the whole enclosure, another body of them
and the Sikhs took possession of hula in the rear of the
building, and engaged the enemy lining the parapet of the
canal trench. But soon round shot and shell from
Outram'i. guns, sweeping the whole of the left of the line,
forced the enemy to abandon the works they had con-
structed with much care and labour, and on which they
had relied with such confidence. The chief, and his
staff and followers, now galloped over to the Martiniere.
Mounting to the summit we had a splendid view of the
position, but the enemy opened two gun• on us, and Sir
act
Colin ordered all officers not on . down at once.
Ontram was creeping on, and his g' u ing almost up
to our skirmishers, with repeate• . fig, ea swept every
inch of the enemy's front on tt....fr rat .s, rushed them

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