The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-26 00:00:00

to get if possible further reinforcements. Unhappily,
none to any extent could be afforded him.
A letter from a gentleman volunteer attached to
Brigadier-General Neill's camp at Cawnpore, dated
August l, gives us a reliable picture of the state of

affairs :
On the 30th ult. General Havelock's force had proceeded
about twenty miles towards Lucknow. In the morning of
that day they came across a large body of the rebels in•
trenched at a bridge; the rascals surrounded our gallant
little band, but were beaten to nothing. Our force ad-
vanced, and in the evening attacked the rebels, who were
in a second intrenchment. Our side gained the day, of
course, and captured in all nineteen guns, but our loss
was heavy, eighty five killed and wounded ; the guns were
spiked or destroyed, and the general has retired to within
four miles of us. Cholera is raging fearfully among our
poor fellows, the casualties being reported at sixty per day.
The enemy is said to be in tremendous force on the Luck•
now road, so 1 presume the general will not advance
against them until reinforced and he is relieved of his
wounded. I believe it is the general's intention to bring
away if possible all our poor people from Lucknow, and
abandon Oude altogether for the present. This appears
to me to be a very judicious plan, and I think Government
should make it publicly known, because the rebellious
scoundrels in the north-west would then make at once for
their darling Oude, and leave our upper provinces quiet.
A rumour is current here that Delhi has at last really
been captured. I hope this may prove to be a fact. We
are in daily expectation of reinforcements fr )m Allahabad.
If they don't come soon our position here will be a very
ticklish one just now ; there are only about 30:; men here,
and the rascally niggers are said to be again collecting at
Bhitoor. We have sent the Berhampooter steamer, with
fifty Europeans, twenty five Sikhs, two guns, and a mortar,
up the river to dislodge them ; we are in constant expecta-
tion of being attacked—have to stand to arms at night. It
is said that the Nana's people have sworn to come and re•
take the place, or perish ; they had better not attempt it,
for 300 men with a commander like General Neill would
give them something to do.
It' his sick were at the rate of sixty a day, we can no
longer be surprised at his return to Cawnpore.
Another officer writes from Benares, Aug. 3rd :
We have just heard very bad news. Havelock is obliged
to suspend his advance. He says he has only 700 effec-
tive men left. As it is impossible that he Can be reinforced
from this side foe a fortnight it is a regular fix. Both his
force and Lucknow look very fishy. It is the worst news
we've had yet. If it had not been for General —'s
fatuous idiotcy strong reinforcements would have been past
Allahabad already. I really should not wonder if that
Dinapore fully does not end by losing Lucknow, Havelock,
and Agra.
And then, alluding to the melancholy mismanage-
ment of the Dinapore affair, adds :
Havelock will get no reinforcements and will be driven
back. Fenwick, of the 10th Queen's, has taken command
at Dinapore. We are working like mad in getting our
stores, &c., down to Raj Ghat. It is my private opinion
that this place and Allahabad stand a chance of being the
only two places in our occupation between Calcutta and the
Punjaub, unless that Delhi foove does something quick.
I have no fear of the ultimate result, of course, for 1 be•
lieve God does not mean us to lose the country, but we
are very shaky just now.
An extra despatch from Calcutta, August the oth,
states that Havelock was to re-advance on the 3rd,
and a note states positively that he had again advanced
towards Lucknow on the 4th. The following is the
Government despatch :
General Neill writes to the Commander-in•Cicief on the
Bth inst., that General Havelock was to advance again to•
wards Lucknow the following day.
To this the Phenix Extra appends a note :
We have ourselves received the following most satisfac-
tory news :—" General Havelock left Cawnpore again on
the 4th of Augnst for Lucknow, having replaced his sick
and wounded with fresh men.
It will be apparent to all that ;Neill, with only a
few men at Cawnpore, could not afford to reinforce
Havelock to that extent which sickness and loss by
war rendered necessary. However, the next mail will,
it is to be hoped, clear up all doubts. For our own
parts,if cholera is among Havelock's troops, we believe
it is in the highest degree improbable that he should
succeed in relieving Lucknow. If the rebels con-
tinue to dispute the ground with him inch by inch as
they have done, he must fall back upon Cawnpore,
and await those reinforcements which should be with
him, but by the latest advices are stopped at
Dinapore.
Of the state of Lucknow nothing definite is known.
Up to the 20th of July they were known to be safe.
Major Banks, the commandant who succeeded on the
death of Sir Henry Lawrence, is killed. The garrison
could hold out, some team say, to the 6th of
August ; others that it is provisioned for six months.
In itself it is a strong position, but the Government
nave published no facts showing the real situation of
the besieged. The Calcutta Englishman publishes
the following translation of a native letter received
from Lucknow
On Sunday, 12th Inly,l boat e'ght o'clock, I left Luck •
now; up to that time all was well. The Europeans were