The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-31 00:00:00

THE PRESS, OCTOBER 31, 1857.

The actual proceedings of the lith, 15th, and 10th
of September we're kn3wa officially at Bombay on
the 3rd of October, by telegraph from Lahore, but
beyond those dates the statement of th 3 capture of
the city rests only on native report and on an express
from the Rajah of Jeypore of the 23rd S'pt., an-
nouncing the complete occupation of the city on the
20th. As' the natural sequel of the opratioas of
the previous days, the statement seems worthy of
credit.

Much of the heroic tale of the capture of the city
must remain untold until next mail, but meanwhile
we have received sufficient intelligence to enable us
to give a general outline of the movements of our
army.
After the battle of Nuzuff4hur, on the 26th of
August, in which General Nicholson defeated the
rebels in their attempt to seize our siege train en
route from Phillour, matters remained tolerably
quiet in camp up to the 31st, when the rebels
sent in a flag of truce to ask for terms, of-
fering to give up all actual murderers. The
answer was as follows :—" The British Govern-
ment will hold no terms with murderers,
rebels, and mutineers. Surrender must be uncon-
ditional. Any other rebel coining to propose other
terms will be hung. All future negotiations will be
carried on at the muzzles of our guns." The
siege-train arrived safe in camp on the 4th
September. It consisted of between thirty and
forty heavy guns, howitzers, and mortars, with large
quantities of ammunition, escorted by the remaining
wing of the Bth Foot, two more companies of the
Gist, and a wing of the Ist Beeloch battalion of the
Bombay army. On the 6th, from Meerut., a most
valuable reinforcement of 200 of the 60th Rifles and
100 artillery recruits joined General Wilson; to the
latter were added 45 men of the 9th Lancers. On
the following day the army was further strengthened
by the 4th Punjaub Rifles, under Captain Wilde, and
by some troops of the Jheend Rajah. On the night
of the 7th, the advanced batteries intended for the
destruction of the Moree Bastion and the adjacent
curtain were armed with ten heavy guns, at about
650 yards from the bastion, and an inclosure within
half that distance of the walls, called the Koodsea
Bagh, was occupied by a detachment of infantry and
artillery. In these operations we sustained a loss of
something under fitly killed and wounded, two
officers being among the former. The neat day was
marked by the opening of the advanced batteries on
the Moree Bastion acd by the arrival in camp of the
Jurnmoo or Cashmere Contingent. Meanwhile the
engineers were hard at work in the erection of other
batteries. On the 11th, a mortar battery opened on
the Moree from the Koodsea Bagh at little more
than 300 yards, and upon the Cashmere and Water
Bastions a fire was commenced from sixteen heavy
guns and howitzers and ten large mortars, planted
at two points in front of the inclosure known as
Ludlow Castle. On the 12th the attack on the
Water Bastion was strengthened by four
18-poun lers and two light (5;!-inch) mortars
(increased afterwards apparently to eight of the
former and twelve of the latter), planted at 200 and
250 yards from the wall and the Custom-house Min •
pound near the river. The enemy replied to our
fire with igreat vigour and determination. On the
" 10th and 11th they attempted two sorties, but were
repulsed. Fur two days longer our artillery con-
tinued to play on the city, until, on the 12th, the
Cashmere Bastion and half the adjacent curtain were
in ruins. Preparations were now made for the
assault, and General Wilson, in an order issued a
few days previous, laid down the line of conduct to
be pursued by the troops. No quarter was to be
given to the mutineers, but the women and children
were to be spared, while all the booty taken was to
be handed over to the prize agents of the regiments.
This arrangement seems to have prevented Indiscri-
minate plunder, and to have kept the army in hand.
On Sept. 12th and 13th the following despatches
reached Lahore:—
It was before reported that the eighteen-gun battery,
No. 11., in front of Ludlow Castle, had, with the aid of
heavy mortars, quickly silenced the Cashmere Bastion.
That bastion has not since replied, and heavy salvoes
are continually directed against it. No. I. battery con-
tinues to fire into the Moree: it is a heap of ruins, but
the gunners manage to fire light guns from different
parts.
No. 111. at the Custom-house has not yet opened. Some
alterations nail to be made in it. It is expected it will be
ready this evening.
The enemy have not made any more sorties, but
they keep up a brisk fire of musketry in front of the
bastions from rifle-pits and among the jungle, and they
have a flanking fire from field-pieces on the right, and from
a heavy gun and mortar on the other side the river.
Selimghur and the Water Bastion also fire on the left
and centre batteries. Rockets are occasionally fired from
a martello tower in front, an-. there are single light guns on
two others.
All this does not retard the progress of the siege, or
lead to any interruption of fire. And, though the delay