The Press.
London, England, 1858-01-16 00:00:00

IN DIA.HOUSF. DESPATCHES.

The following despatches were received on Monday
morning :
TO THE HON. SECRET COMMITTEE, EAST INDIA
HOUSE, LONDON.
BOMBAY CASTLE, Dec. 8, 1857.
Postal communication between Bombay and Calcutta
cut off.
Four of Holkar's regiments disarmed.
Sir B. Hamilton has resumed charge of the Central

Indian agency. •
All quiet in the Punjaub, Scinde, Agra, Nizam's country,
and Madras.
13licels in Kandeish still in rebellion, but no great ex-
cess reported.
An armed band has attacked Peinth (?) and plundered
the Treasury. Surat troops have been sent from Madras
and Bombay, and police from Tannal and Nassick to re-
store order.
Outbreak in Kollapore country on the oth of December ;
gates closed by a large body of Mnngo and Kamooses.
Colonel Jacob blew open principal gate, attacked and dis-
persed insurgents. Fifty priscners taken, and thirty-six
immediately tried and executed. In three hours tranquil-
lity was restored.
The rising of Berunds entirely crashed, after a body of
them had been severely chastised at Hulfullee.
H. L. ANnEtisoN,
Secretary to Government

The following additional telegram from Calcutta
was also received at the India-house. It will be
seen that a considerable portion of the intelligence
arrived by the last mail :

CeLcurra, Dec. 10, 1837.
The commander-in-chief, having relieved the Lucknow
gsrriaon, returned to Cawnpore with the women, the
wounded, and the State prisoners, twenty-three lacs of
rupees, and the King's jewels; also, all the guns worth
taking away. Sir James Outram had been. left with a
strong division at Alumbagh, in the vicinity of Lucknow.
All the women and children from Lucknow, and most of
the wounded, have safely reached Allahabad.
On the 2 ith General Windham attacked and routed the
first division of the Gwalior Contingent, 3,000 in number,
which bad arrived near Cawnpore, after crossing the Jumna
at Calpee, taking all their guns except one light field-

piece.
On the 27th of November the main body of the Gwalior
Contingent entered the civil station of Cawnpore, and
burnt down the —of three of our regiments. They
were repulsed, with severe loss, in an attack they made on
our intrenchments on the 28th of November. The Rifles
captured two of their 18-pounders.
The 04th Regiment suffered severely.
Brigadier Wilson was killed. Sir Colin Campbell
reached Cawnpore on the evening of the 28th of Novem-
ber. He despatched the women and wounded towards
Allahabad on the 3rd of December, and on the 6th he at-
tacked and completely routed the Gwalior Contingent,
pursuing them for fourteen miles along the Calpee
and capturing their camp, sixteen guns, and an ime&cnse
quantity of ammunition, park stores, grain bullockms, ~
with all their baggage. Our loss was insignificant.
General Hope Grant pursued the fugitives of the Gwalior
Contingent, and came up with them as they were begin-
ning to cross their guns over the Ganges at Sera Ghent.
He attacked and totally routed themiti, capturing fifteen
guns, and all their stores and ammunon, without himself
losing a man.
Sir Henry Havelock died on the '2sth of November.
The Jaunpore frontier having been threatened by a large
body of rebels, Colonel Longden fell back on Jaunpore.
He was immediately reinforced by European troops.
This had a great effect ; and up to the Bth of December
all was quiet on the Irontier. Colonel Franks has been
appointed to command the troops there.
The Rewah troops have twice defeated the Mre rebels,
capturing the forts of Kiinchynpore and Zorah.yhe
Mehidpore was attacked by rebels on the Bth of Novem-
ber. The contingent behaved badly, and their officers
were forced to escape. The rebels captured all the guns
and plundered the cantonment. They were, however,
pursued by a portion of the Hyderabad Contingent Cavalry,
under Major Orr, and on the 12th of November were cut
up after an obstinate fight, leaving a hundred dead on the
field. All the guns and plunder were retaken.
Colonel Durand, with the column from Mhow, advanced
on Mtindeaore on the 23rd of November. The rebels
were attacked and defeated
emwith heavy loss. Five of their
guns were captured. Neuch, which was threatened by
these men, has thus been relieved, and the remnant of
the insurgents, who still hold the fort of Mundesore, are
much dispirited. Killed—Lieutenant Redmayne, her
Majesty's 14th Dragoons. Wounded—Lieutenants James,
Martin, and Prendergast.
CILITTAGONG.
The detachment of the 34th Nutive Infantry mutinied
on the 18th of November, released the prisoners, and
plundered the treasury. They have fled towards Sylhet.
No lives have been lost. On hearing of the Chittagong
mutiny it was determined to disarm the three companies


of the 73rd Native Infantry stationed at Dacca. They
resisted, but were overpowered, and fled towards Jelpigories
the bead-quarters of their regiment, leaving sixty killed.
Three sailors were killed. A detachment of the 73rd
Native Infantry, with 50 Ohoorkas and 80 Irregular
Cavalry, have marched to intercept the mutineers from
Dacca. The troopers fled during the night, but were fired
upon by the rest of the party. The Europeans from
Barjeellaing (?), with three guns, have been sent to Jelpi•
gorie. Europeans have also been sent from Calcutta to
Chittagong and Dacca.
Two thousand seven hundred and four men from Eng-
land have arrived since the last mail.

BRIGADIER INGLIS'S NARRATIVE OF THE
DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW.
The narrative of the defence of Lucknow has been
published at Calcutta by order of the Governor-
General of India. In a general order, bearing date
December 8, the Governor-General in announcing it
remarks :
The Governor-General in council believes that never
has a tale been told which will so stir the hearts of English-
men and Englishwomen as the simple, earnest narrative of
Brigadier Inglis. It rightfully commences with a soldier's
testimony, touchingly borne, to the chivalrous character
and high deserts of Sir Henry Lawrence, the sad detail of
whose death is now made known. There does not stand
recorded in the annals of war an achievement more truly
heroic than the defence of the Residency at Lucknow
described in the narrative which follows. That defence
has not only called forth all the energy and daring which
belong to Englishmen in the hour of active conflict, but it
has exhibited, continuously, and in the highest degree,
that noble and sustained courage which, against enormous
odds and fearful disadvantages, against hope deferred, and
through unceasing toil and wear of body and mind, still
holds on day after day and triumphs. The heavy guns
of the assailants, posted, almost in security, within fifty
yards of the intrenchrnents—so near, indeed, that the
solicitations, and threats, and taunts which the rebels
addressed to the native defenders of the garrison were
easily heard by those true-hearted men; the fire of the
enemy's musketry, so searching that it penetrated the
innermost retreat of the women and children, and of the
wonnded ; their desperate attempts, repeatedly made, to
force an entry after blowing in the defences ; the perpetual
mining of the works ; the weary night watching for the
expected signal of relief : and the steady waste of precious
lives, until the number of English gunnel' was reduced
below that of the guns to be worked ; all these constitute
features in a history which the fellow-countrymen of the
heroes of Lucknow will read with swelling hearts, and
which will endure for ever as a lesson to those who shall
hope, by treachery, numbers, or boldness in their treason,
to overcome the indomitable spirit of Englishmen.
Colonel Inglis commences his narrative by a brief
detail of the disastrous advance of Sir Henry Law•
rence, on the 30th June last, to attack the rebels at
Chinhut, a email village distant about eight miles
from Lncknow, on the road to Fyzabad. It will be
remembered that on this occasion the native artillery
of our force turned traitors at the most critical mo-
ment of the battle which ensued, and compelled Sir
Henry Lawrence, " completely outflanked on both
sides by an overpowering body of infantry and
cavalry, which actually got well out," to retreat with
severe loss. "The heat was dreadful," remarks
Colonel Inglis ; "the gun ammunition was expeuded,
and the almost total want of cavalry to protect our
rear made our retreat most disastrous." gal-
lant colonel then proceeds to relate the siege The opera-
tions from that fatal day. It appears to have been
the original intention of Sir Henry Lawrence to oc-
cupy not only the Residency, but also the fort called
the Muchhee Bhowun, " an old dilapidated edifice,
which had been hastily repaired for the occasion,
though the defences were even at the last moment
very far from complete, and were moreover com-
manded by many houses in the city." But the un-
toward event of the :10th June so far diminished the
whole available force that a sufficient number of
men did not exist to occupy both positions. The
brigadier•general, therefore, on the evening of the
Ist July, signalled to the garrison of the Muchhee
Bhowun to evacuate and plow up that fortress in the
course of the night. The orders were ably carried
out, and at twelve p.m. the force marched into the
Residency, with their guns and treasure, without the
loss of a man, and shortly afterwards the explosion
of 240 barrels of gunpowder and 6,000,000 ball-car-
tridges, which were lying :tithe magazine, announced
to Sir Henry Lawrence and his officers, who were
anxiously waiting the report, the complete destruc-
tion of that post and all that it contained. "If it
had not been for this wise and strategic measure,"
writes Colonel Inglis, " no member of the Lucknow
garrison, in all probability, would have survived to
tell the tale, for the Muchhee Bhowun was com-
manded from other parts of the town, and was, more-
over, indillerently provided with heavy artillery am-
munition, while the d.fficulty, suffering, and loss
which the Residency garrison, even with the rein-
forcement thu; obtained from the Muchhee Bhowun,
has undergone in holding the position is sufficient
to show that, if the original intention of holding both
posts had been adhered to, both would have inevi-
tably fallen."

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Two days after the lamentable repulse at Chinhut,
Sir Henry Lawrence met his death, not, as is gene-
rally supposed, in the trenches, but from the acci-
dental bursting of a shell within his own room at
the Residency :

On the Ist July, an R-inch shell burst in the room in
the Residency in which Sir 11. Lawrence was sitting.
The missile burst between him and Mr. Couper, close to
both, but without injury to either. The whole of his staff
implored Sir Henry to take up other quarters, as the Resi-
dency had then become the special target for the round-
shot and shell of the enemy. This, however, he jestingly
declined to do, observing that another shell would cer-
tainly never be pitched into that small room. But Pro-
vidence had ordained otherwise, for on the very next day
he was mortally wounded by the fragment of another shell,
which burst in the same room exactly at the same spot.
Captain Wilson, Deputy-Assistant-Adjutant•General, re-
ceived a contusion at the same time.

Sir Henry Lawrence lingered until the 4th July,
when he expired in great agony. Colonel Inglis, by
Sir Henry's previously expressed desire, at once
assumed military command of the garrison, Major
Banks taking upon himself succeeding Sir Henry as
Chief Commissioner. Within three weeks, on the
21st of July, Major Banks, "while examining a
critical outpost," was shot through the head by a
bul'et, and died without a groan. Colonel Inglis then
pooeeds in his narrative :
The description of our position, and the state of our
defences when the siege began, are so fully set forth in the
accompanying memorandum [not received by Govern-
ment], furnished by the garrison engineer, that I shall
content myself with bringing to the notice of his lordship
in council the fact that when the blockade was commenced
only two of our batteries were completed, part of the
defences were yet in an unfinished condition, and the
buildings in the immediate vicinity, which gave cover to
the enemy, were only very partially cleared away. Indeed,
our heavies► losses have been caused by the fire from the
enemy's sharpshooters stationed in the adjoining mosques
and houses of the native nobility, the necessity of destroy-
ing which had been repeatedly drawn to the attention of
Sir Lleary by the staff of engineers; but his invariable
reply was, " Spare the holy places, and private property
too, as far as possible;" and we have consequently suffered
severely from our very tenderness to the religious preju-
dices and respect to the rights of our rebellious citizens
and soldiery. As soon as the enemy had thoroughly com-
pWted the investment of the Residency, they occupied
these houses, some of which were within easy pistol-shot of
our barricades, in immense force, and rapidly made loop-
holes on those sides which bore on our post, from which
they kept up a terrific and incessant fire day and night,
which caused many daily casualties, as there could not
have been less than 8,000 men firing at one time into our
position. Moreover, there was no place in the whole of
oar works that could be considered safe, for several of the
sick and wounded who were lying in the banqueting hall,
which had been turned into a hospital, were killed in the
very centre of the building, and the widow of Lieutenant
Duch.' and other women aatl children were shot dead in a
room into which it had not been previously deemed pos-
sible that a bullet could penetrate. Neither were the
enemy idle in erecting batteries. They soon had from 20
to 25 guns in position, some of them of very large calibre.
These were planted all round our post at small distances,
some being actually within fifty yards of our defences, but
in places where our own heavy glans could not reply to
them, while the perseverance and ingenuity of the enemy
in erecting barricades in front of and around their guns
in a very short time rendered all attempts to silence them
by musketry entirely unavailing. Neither could they be
effectually silenced by shells, by reason of their extreme
proximity to our position, and because, moreover, the
enemy had recourse to digging very narrow trenches about
eight feet in depth in rear of each gun, in which the men
lay while our shells were flying, and which so effectually
concealed them, even while working the gull, that our
based sharpshooters could only see their hands while in
the act of loading.
From the Ist to the 20th July the euemy kept up
this incessant fusillade in order to cover their mining
operations. On that day, at ten a.m., they exploded
their first mine close to the Water Gate. From that
until the arrival of Outram they continued with un-
ceasing watchfulness and audacity to pour upon the
devoted garrison an incessant storm of shot and
shell, besides making three separate and desperate
attempts to carry the defences by assault. The first
mine, says Colonel Inglis, which was close to the
Redan, and apparently sprung with the intention of
destroying that battery, did no harm, but as soon as
the smoke had cleared away the enemy boldly
advanced, under cover of a tremendous fire of can•
non and musketry, with the object of storming the
Redan

But they were received with such a heavy fire, that after
a short struggle they fell back with much loss. A strong
column advanced at the same time to attack Innes's post,
and came on to within ten yards of the palisades, affording
to Lieutenant Loughnan, 10th N. 1., who commanded the
position, and his bravo garrison, composed of gentlemen
of the lincovenanted service, a few of her Majesty's 3'Lnd
Foot and of the 13th Native Infantry, an opportunity of
distinguishing themselves, which they were not slow to
avail themselves of. and the enemy were driven back with
great slaughter. The insurgents made minor attacks at
almost every outpost, but were invariably defeated, and at
two p.m. they ceased their attempts to storm the place,
although their musketry fire and cannonading continued
to harass ns unceasingly as usual. Matters proceeded in
this manner until the 10th of August, when the enemy

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