The Press.
London, England, 1858-03-06 00:00:00

4rtlattb.

THE EARL OF EormirouN has intimated to Lord
Carlisle his intention of arriving iu Dublin in time to
preside at St. Patrick's Ball.
THREE CONSERV.tTIVE CANDIDATES are in the field
for Dublin University, Mr. Gayer, Q.C., Mr. Joy,
Q.C., and Mr. A. Lefroy, son of the Chief Justice.—
Mr. Napier has been appointed Lord Chancellor,
and Mr. Whiteside Attorney-General. Mr. F. Fitz-
gerat has refused the Solicitor-Generalship. The
Attorney-General is unopposed at Enniskillen;
Colonel Taylor unopposed in Dublin County ; and
Lord Claude Hamilton in Tyrone.

Ntfraturt.

The Defence of Lucknotc. By a Staff Officer.

London : Smith and Elder.
WHEN the history of the great rebellion in
India is written by its Napier, there will be
Da more thrilling chapter than that which
details the defence of Lucknow. In the annals
of war there is not to be found a more ferocious
siege, a more determined defence. That a
few hundred Englishmen and women, deci-
mated by sickness and shut up in a confined
and feeble position, should have held their
own unaided for eighty-seven days, surrounded
by a bloodthirsty populace, and attacked day
and night by a numerous and well-disciplined
army whose sharpshooters swept the position
from neighbouring houses—who possessed a
powerful artillery, planted round at short dis-
tances, in some places actually within fifty
yards of the defences, and who brought every
means that engineering skill possesses to effect
a breach—who four times assaulted and
attempted to escalade the weakened defences of
the garrison, to be met on each occasion with
equal skill and baffled at each attempt by
superior bravery—is one of those enigmas in
the history of war which sets all rules at
defiance, and proves how superior to art is
undaunted courage. Here was a position
which, according to all the rules of war, should
have fallen in a week. An army of fanatics,
steeped to the shoulders in the blood of
our countrymen, surround and besiege,
batter and assault incessantly for eighty-
seven days and nights a few acres of sand-
bags, defended by some thirty guns and
some three hundred Englishmen. After
struggles of which the fame shall be impe-
rishable, this handful of brave men, who by
dint of superhuman effort have hurled back the
prodigious masses of the enemy on each assault,
though weakened for want of food, and ex-
hausted by watching and labour, maintain to
the last the honour of their arms and the glory
of their country, and in the end force their
freedom from the foe. Rarely has the history
of war given us such a tale of suffering forti-
tude which so excites our sympathies, so
commands our admiration.

It will be in the memory of our readers that
the outbreak at Meerut and the seizure of
Delhi was followed on the 30th of May, 1857,
by the revolt of the native troops at Lucknow.
Sir Henry Lawrence, after a vigorous effort
to drive the rebels out of the city, commenced
at once to fortify the Residency and the
Muchee Bhawun, a garrison post about three-
quarters of a mile distant. Sir Henry had
resolved so to prepare for an insurrectim in the
town that he should have a fortified post to
fall back on. For the first fortnight in June
the most vigorous exertions were made to put
the Residency and the Muchee Bhawun it a
state of respectable defence. Ammunition
and provisions were rapidly collected and
stored, batteries were traced, guns mounted,
and everything prepared for the worst. He
had not long to wait. The events then taking
place at Cawnpore, and the revolt of the
troops at Fyzabad, hastened a catastrophe
which every one foresaw. On the 30th of
June a rebel army was heard of encamped a
few miles beyond Lucknow. Sir Henry Law-
rence resolved to attack them. Ile moved
out of his intrenchments the following morn-
mg. encountered the enemy in force at the
villago of Kocaralee, was worsted in the battle
that ensued, and compelled to retreat within
111,4 lines. From that day the siege and de-
fence of Lucknow commenced. The rebels,
following close on Sir Henry Lawrence,
swarmed round the Residency, threw up a
howitzer battery, and opened a bombardment
that never fairly ceased till the retreat under
Sir Colin Campbell in the November fol-
lowing.
The first blow to the garrison was the death
of Sir Henry an the morning of the 4th of
July. He had received his death wound on
the 2nd, according to the Staff Officer, under
the following circumstances :

About eight a.m. Sir Henry returned to the Residency,
and being much fatigued, lay down on his bed. Soon
after an eight•inch shell from the eight•inch howitzer of
the enemy entered the room at the window, and exploding,