The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-05 00:00:00

LUCKNOW.

The death of Lawrence took place under peculiar
circumstances, which show how little reliance can be
placed upon any of the sepoys. We prefer to quote
the following letter from a civilian in Lucknow

Michee Maim Fort, Lucknow, July 6.
Pressed by want of food and fuel, and reduced to the last
extremity, a sortie was made on the 2tid inst. in the
direction of the enemy's camp. Their advanced guard
was taken by surprise and utterly routed, after two hours
desperate fighting. A considerable quantity of provisions
fell into the hands of our troops. This successful
operation was conducted in person by our gallant and noble
chief Sir Henry Lawrence, at the head of 2041 Europeans,
chiefly her Majesty's 32nd Foot. Returning from the
scene of action flushed with victory a.nd bearing the
proceeds of their hard fight for the relief of the poor
sufferers in the fort, just as our troops reached the town,
the native artillery, who accompanied the expedition,
suddenly wheeled round, and opened a deadly fire from
the field guns on the unfortunate 3.2nd, and I regret to say
that before they were able to recover themselves and face
their assailants upwards cf sixty men rank and file were
killed and several of our best officers severely wounded—
iimongst the others our gallant general, who was severely
cut in the leg by the splinter of shell, and died this day at
four o'clock of lockjaw induced by the wound.
The writer then gives a lamentable picture of the
straits to which the garrison are reduced. We dare
scarcely think of their too probable fate before
General Havelock could reach them :
We have been obliged to retire from the lines defending
the town, and to abandon our strong positions in conse•
pence of these sad casualties, and to fall back upon this old
tort, which we very strongly intrenched, and shall be able
to resist the enemy as long as we have provisions, which
are expected fully to last (of course on a famine scale of
distribution) for five weeks, but we roust not again venture
beyond the walls, except it be to make one final and despe•
rate attempt to cut through the hordes of villains and
thousands of well-disciplined native troops drawn up against
us in regular order of battle.
The most painful consideration is the number of ladies
and women, and helpless people, who have fled for protec•
tion to the fort, and are now here. Upwards of 200 of

863

these poor creatures are crammed into this narrow place
where it is impossible to describe their sufferings. Death
would be indeed a happy release to many of them, and it is
enough to melt the heart of the hardest soldier to witness
their cruel privations, while it is wonderful at the sane
time to see the patience and fortitude with which they are
enabled to endure the unparalleled misery of their position .
There had been great gloom cast over all by the death
of Sir Henry Lawrence. A more amiable or devoted man
to all that was good and glorious it would be impossible
to find even in the long list of British heroes. Peace to
his manes ! May the God of Truth and Justice defend us
and enable us to be avenged for his blood, and give us an
opportunity to destroy those murderers and burn up their
cities. We are in daily hope of being relieved, from Alla-
habad, but fear at times we cannot be very sanguine,
knowing the condition of things there and all around us in
this country. Our poor soldiers and officers are fightir g
with literally neither a coat nor shirt on their backs, and.
this too in such awful weather as we now have. 1 shall
say no more ; but if you never hear again from me, do all
in your power to aid the sufferers and avenge their blood.
The blood of thousands of poor innocents cries for
vengeance to their fellow countrymen in England.
The writer of the Calcutta letter quoted above
discusses the chances of relief for Lucknow. The
subject is of such incense interest that we offer no
excuse for quoting his observations at length :
Meanwhile Lucknow, besieged by a force variously com•
puted at from 12,000 to 20,000 men, especially strong
in cavalry•, has lost its best head in Sir Henry Lawrence.
That gallant officer and thorough Englishman, against
his own judgment, and yielding to the entreaties of some
of the civilians who were with him in the fort, made a
sally on the 2nd of July, with two companies of her
Majesty's 32nd Foot and the native troops who had re-
mained faithful to him up to that moment. No sooner
had he come up with the enemy than his native troops
turned upon him ; others attacked his rear. He was
compelled, therefore, to abandon his guns and fight his
way back. He did this at the expense of several officers
and sixty men killed ( amongst the former Major Case,
of her Majesty's 32nd Foot), and, what was of infinitely
more importance, of his own valuable life. Be was
brought in mortally wounded, and died a few days after-
wards. One consequence of this unsuccessful sortie was
that he had to abandon a great part of his detencea,
give up the city of Lucknow to the insurgents, and con-
fine his efforts to the preservation of the Residency.
The possibility of such a catastrophe had been foreseen,
and that place been strongly fortified. Major Banks, who
has succeeded Sir Henry in a political capacity, writes
that he is prepared to hold out for six weeks. This was
written on the Bth inst. _ .

Now, General Havelock was at Cawnpore on the 17th
of July. Lucknow is fiftylwo miles distant. He has,
therefore, a full month before him to reach that city. Let
us calculate his chances of success.

Ist. Should he cross the river at once or march upon
Ithitoor ? If be prefer the former alternative, W 3 must
suppose that the means of crossing are at his disposal.
We will go further, and imagine him on the left bank of
the Ganges. He must take his whole force with him, for
he has but 1,000 Europeans, and he has to face 20,000
men. He cannot leave a man for the protection of Cawn-
pore. What, then, would be the result of his crossing at
once ? Why, that Cawnpore would be immediately reoc-
cupied by the Nana with his 0,000 or 7,000 men, that he
would cut off all Havelock's communications, meet and
destroy the 280 men advancing under Neile, and, leaving
Havelock to be dealt with by the Oude mutineers, march
himself, avoiding Allahabad, upon the undefended Mirza-
pore and llenares districts, where everything is ripe for a
rebellion. It is plain, then, that General Havelock can-
not advance into Oude so long as the Nana remains
with his force lying on his flank intact at Phitoor, only
six miles distant from Cawnpore. We must inquire,
then, what are his chances of success against Bhitoor ?
13Intoor is a very strong position, commanding the river
and the road. This latter lies over a series of ravines
artificially bridged. We must suppose that the Nana has
taken the precaution of breaking down the bridges. This
will render the place itself very difficult of access. How-
ever, General Havelock has, as far as 1 can see, to make
the choice setween attempting a very difficult task or
leaving our countrymen at Lucknow to their fate. He is
not the man to hesitate. The sight of our murdered,
violated, and mutilated countrywomen has been quite suf-
ficient, we may be sure, to infuriate our soldiers. They
will dare anything in advancing against such a monster,
and we may expect to hear in a few days that he has been
hanged on a turret of his own castle, and that Havelock,
perfectly easy as to his communications, is in full march
to Lucknow. _ _

The effect of such a measure and such a move would be
incalculable.

AGRA.

The report that the Neemuch and Nusseerabad
mutineers had marched upon Agra and fought a
battle under the walls of the fort is confirmed. The
whole affair upon our part appears to have been as
rash as it was gallant. Our force was too weak, and
our ammunition failed at a critical moment.' The
mutineers, amounting to 10,000 men, with eight guns,
encamped within four miles of the city, on the 3rd
July. That evening the Kotah Contingent in Agra
revolted and joined the .mutineers. The following
letter front an officer of the Gwalior Contingent gives
the most spirited account of the affair :
Next day the enemy had advanced to within three miles
of us, and 00 of the 3rd and D'Oyly's battery went out, I
with them. They were very strongly posted at a village,

884

We came within 500 yards, and then the infantry were
ordered to lie down, and our guns, three on each flank,
opened. This continued for three hours, during which
their cavalry (we had none but a few volunteers) came at
us several times and once charged through us from the rear,
very nearly' boning" me. As I was on a grey mare, I
presume I attracted notice. Yon never heard such firing;
the shrapnel' shells, round shot, and grape, to say nothing
of hundreds of musket balls, were flying about our ears as
thick as hail. I was with our left buttery when they blew
up two of our tumbrils and dismounted one of our three
guns. What a cheer they gave ! Then from behind the
village out dashed a party of cavalry. Up jumped a com-
pany of the 3rd and gave them a volley, which empted half
their saddles, and sent them to the right about. At length
the order was given to assault the village in two canning.
I went with the left one. Lord, what a peppering we got !
I don't know how on earth so tew were killed. Well, we
drove them from the village and spiked a gun. I saw this
Nat the time, awl galloped back to tell the brigadier they
were flying in confusion. He ordered me instantly to
bring up the guns. I went, but, alas! not a round of ammu-
nition remained.

I certainly thought that we were done, and that not a
man would reach Agra alive. Of course we retreated at
once, they walking into us with a 6-pounder as we went.
Thomas, the major of the :Ird, was shot at the village.
Poor D'o2.ly was mortally wounded ; many others were done
for Altogether, we lost one man in six.
. .

We passed straight through the cantonments into the fort.
Soon all the splendid barracks and houses were in a flame,
but we were left unmolested. All the women and children
are safe in the fort.
I am now a COWL
I have of it.
This is a war of extermination. The Mahomedans have
made tools of the Hindoos, and now are showing in their
true colours. Their hope is not to leave a single Christian
alive. Please goodness, they'll be acid yet! They'll have
no mercy from me. I've already fairly killed with my sword
between twenty-five and thirty of them, besides having cut
down a good many more. My only wound of consequence
is a sword•cut in the left arm, which I received when
storming a village on foot. The fellow fought well, but I
at length killed him with a blow which nearly cut his head
in two. This was on the Ist inst., just before our regi•
went mutinied. I was very savage that day. Just as I
bad done with the chap I wounded I had a turn up with
four more. They knocked over the only sowar who was
with me with a sort of battle-axe. I had one pistol with me,
with which I blew the head of one of them to pieces, and then
turned and ran ; but my foot slipped, and down J came.
Luckily, I was up again before they could polish me off;
but I felt too done to run any more, so turned on them
and wounded two in a moment. To my intense delight
they then ran off, but were met by some sowars hunting
for me, and all killed.

officer, and precious hard work