The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-17 00:00:00

THE PRESS, APRIL 17, 1858.

SOUTHERN MAHRATTA COUNTRY.

The Chief of Chamk Hundee, one of the great Patwur
Dhan family, has been arrested, and his fort occupied.
A. D. ANDERSON, Secretary to Government.
Bombay Castle, 21th of March.

ALLAHABAD, MARCH 213.,

Commissioner Yeh reached Calcutta on the 22nd inst.,
and will be under surveillance until further orders.
Mehundie Ale Khan, styling himself Prince of Ram.
poor, who was arrested on the 2nd, has been released from
confinement, and required to live under surveillance.
F. G. EDMONSTONE, Secretary to the
Government of India.
V. G. MONTANARO.
By Weiner Eurine, Malta, April 14.

We have but few further details than the above of
the capture of Luck .ow. A series of telegraphic
despatches from the commander-in-chief gives some
slight insight into the nature of the dispositions
made by Sir Colin, and of the defence made by the
rebels. Sir Colin Campbell appears to have been
checked in his advance upon Lucknow, first from his
anxiety to see the Agra convoy of ladies safe on their
road to Calcutta, and next from his desire to hear of
Sir Hugh Rose's arrival at Cawnpore, of Jung Baba-
door's arrival at head-nuarters,and of the force advanc-
ing from Delhi under Brigadier Chamberlain opening
communications. While waiting for the completion
of this plan of campaign, Brigadier Franks on the
19th of February crossed the Oude frontier at
Singramow. Opposed to him was a force of 25,000
men, with twenty-five guns, under the Nazim
Mehndee Hussein. By skilful mano3uvring the
brigadier succeeded in completely dividing this force
and defeating it in detail in two actions fought on the
morning and evening of the same day. On the 21st,
by a forced march, he got ahead of the enemy, and
took possession of the strong fort of Badhayan. The
Nazim followed and took up a strong position in
front of the town of Badshahgunge. On the 23rd
Brigadier Franks, by making a detour of ten miles,
turned the Nazim's right, and, getting into his rear,
attacked and defeated his force with immense
slaughter, capturing twenty guns and the whole of
his baggage and standing camp. On the same day
that Brigadier Franks achieved this brilliant success,
Brigadier Hope Grant took by storm the fortified
town of Meeahgunge, capturing four guns and kill-
ing some five hundred rebels. On the 25th the
enemy attacked the Alumbagh in great force, but
were as usual repulsed with heavy loss, abandoning
four guns in their flight. On the next day they
again made a formidable demonstration, and this
time Sir J. Outram, "letting out" his cavalry, in-
flicted a severe lesson upon the rebels. On the
night of the 27th the order of march was issued at
Cawnpore, and at midnight the army was in full
march for Lucknow

It was a strange scene—not to be described or imagined.
The moon was shining brightly on the vast array, which,
when in motion, became comparatively silent; but the
ground, indeed, thundered with the beat of many feet,
and now and then the shrill neigh of a charger provoked a
thousand responses. The camels, looming to a gigantic
size in the light, passed noiselessly like spectres. As we
approached the road—narrow for such a host—the clamour
uprose again, and dhoolies, haekeries, ox carts, and baggage
animals became involved in immense confusion, which was
not diminished by the efforts of the baggage gnard to re-
store order by commands issued in the vernacular, and
enforced now and then by the aid of a musket stock—" Will
yer keep in line, ye niggers ; don't yer hear me speaking to
yer 7' Or," I'll nook yer bairns cot an ye dinna attend to
me." At last we got into files upon the road, and rode on
in clouds of dust. Presently in front we heard the joyous
clash of a brass band playing a quick step, and getting off
the road we managed to join our old friends of the Rifle
Brigade, and renewed acquaintanceship with talk of old
matches in the Crimea. As the sun rose upon one side
and the noon set upon the other, the spectacle assumed a
weird, unearthly aspect which not all the hard reality around
us could quite destroy. We were marching over historic
ground. We trod the very earth which had felt the tread
of Havelock and Outram's gallant little columns, and be-
fore us were positions made memorable by their valour.
Oonao was succeeded by Busseemtgunj, and at every few
hundred yards spots were pointed out, even trees identified,
as the places [were " We caught sight of the enemy's
sowers," or "where Havelock gave the men such a
wigging for straggling a little in the ranks." Through dust
and smothering pillars of pulverized earth we went on, but
fast as we went we heard that an hour before Sir Colin,
with General Mansfield and a small staff, accompanied by
his little escort of Irregular Horse and a solitary English
lancer, had dashed on towards Bunthurah. They bad
started from Cawnpore soon after midnight, and at a
swinging gallop had passed through the regiments on the
march.—Times special cor.

Sir Colin is by all accounts a man of hard work
and—success. " He wears aiserviceahle air," writes a
correspondent, "which bespeaks confidence and
resolution ":

Everything about him is for service, even down to the
keen•edged sabre in a coarse leather sheath, not dangling
and clattering from his side and hitting the flanks of his
horse from gaudy sling belts, but tucked up compactly by
a stout shoulderbelt just over his hip. Not that Sir Cohn
wishes to be thought a beau sabreur—he would " drop on" to
NI of his staff whom he saw tidos about with his sword

drawn—bat that he thinks most likely if a man wears 4
weapon it ought to be as handy and as ready as may be ; And
so of his nether man, not clothed in regulation with gold
stripes, but in stout brown corduroy, warranted to wear in
any climate. The chief of the staff and the officers of the
staff for the most part follow the example of the comma.
der-in-chief, who leads the fashion in camp.

The camp at Bunthurah was reached in three
marches, and on the 2nd of March Sir Colin pushed
on to Lucknow, and, reaching the Dilkoosha, en-
camped out of reach of the enemy's guns, covering
the advance of his prodigious materiel, and the host
of animals which move the train of the COMMißBa-
riat. An entire week was spent in preparations.
Sir Colin, at the Dilkoosha, faced the canal, which
had been heavily fortified with earthworks. On his
right lay the Martimere. Sir James Outran), by
crossing the Goomtee below the Martiniere on a bridge
of boats, was enabled to move into a position to enfi-
lade the whole of the rebel works on the canal and
batter the Martiniere from the south, whilst Sir
Colin pounded it from the north-west. On the 10th
of March the preparations were sufficiently complete
to allow of an advance towards the canal. This was
done along the road leading from the Dilkoosha to
the Residency. The force crossed the canal at its
narrowest part, and without much resistance occu-
pied Banks' House on the other side within the line
of the canal works. These movements are thus
related in the despatches :

Lucknow, Thursday evening, March 11.
The commander•in-chief is making gradual progress
against the multiplied defences of the enemy in Lucknow.
Yesterday Banks' House was occupied, and an advanced
position taken up in its front. Sir James Outram has
pushed his advances on the other side of the Goomtee.
The resistance is reported to have been stubborn, and the
enemy to be in great numbers. It was arranged that Jung
Bahadoor should move into line to-day.
From Fort St George—horn Chief Secretary to Bom-
bay to Lord Elphinstone.—The following intelligence
received from Allahabad, dated 9th of March Sir
James Outram'a division crossed the Goomtee on the 7th,
and, driving out the enemy, took up a position on the
Fyzabad road. On the Bth rebels came out, but were
repulsed as usual with the greatest ease. Major Percy
Smith, of the 2nd Dragoon Guards, was killed. Sir Hope
Grant then, as had been previously arranged, made a
wide sweep with cavalry and horse artillery to the north-
east, through the cantonment : he was unopposed. The
'- for attacking from both sides of the Goomtee
_ .

arrangements
are nearly ready, and the ground has been reconnoitred
by the commander-in-chief. Marvell's column was to
cross into Oude this morning from Cawnpore. N.B.—The
word Marvell's supposed to be Markwell's.'

On the same day apparently when Banks' House
was occupied, Sir James Outram had so effectually
operated on the line of the canal works. and on the
Martiniere, that those two positions were considered
a certain prize. The operation was accomplished
with ease, Sir Edward Lugard assaulting the Mar-
tinidre with the second division, whilst the canal
works were occupied by another part of the force.
This important result is described in the following
laconic despatch :
From Allahabad, March 11.
Sir James Outram having effectually turned and enfi-
laded the enemy's first great line of works, the Martiniere
was stormed by the Second Division, under Sir Edward
Lugard, after it had been heavily cannonaded. The action
was one principally of artillery. The line of works on the
canal has been seized by our troops. Sir James Outram
has been ordered to shell the Kaiserbagh. He will com-
mence to-morrow ( 12th March).

From that moment successes rapidly followed
each other. Sir James, having moved higher up the
left bank of the Goomtee, shelled with ease the old
palace of the Kaiserbagh, towards which approaches
had been directly made ou the 11th, b 3 the storming
of the Begum's Palace :

Lacknow, Sunday evening, March 14.
The 42nd and 93rd Highlanders stormed the Beguat
Palace on the 11th. Captain Macdonald and Sergeant
Major Hodgson killed. About 100 killed and wounded ;
loss of enemy 500. At the same time General Outram
crossed the Goomtee, and cut up a west number of the
enemy, losing Captain Cooper, of the Rifle Brigade, and
Captain Moorsom, of the staff. On the 11th he took the
buildings in front of the Begum's Palace. On the 13th a
sap was run up to the Imambarra, which was bleached by
artillery. The Ghoorkaa joined in all the operations.
Yesterday, the 13th of March, the 93rd Regiment stormed
and entered the Kaiserbagh. The fight lasted all day.
Twenty-two guns taken. Outram has crossed the iron
bridge, and is crushing the flying enemy. Our loss is very
small, and them can be no doubt but that Lucknow
is
taken by this time.

FROM ♦LLLHAILD, FROM CI. F. EDMONSTONE, TO CHILE

SECRETARY, DOMDAY.
March 14th, 7.30 p.m.
A message dated three p.m. of to-day bas been received
from the commander-in-chief, who reports that a breach
having been effected, the linambatra was stormed at nine
a.m. The troops, following close on the retiring enemy,
entered the Kaiserbagh witty him ; they were quickly sup-
ported, and the commander-in-chief was in complete oc-
cupation of the palace mentioned at the time of writing.
Sir James Outram has been ordered to cross the iron
bridge, and to pass (pursue ?) the enemy. The imam-
bans is adjoining the walled inclosure of the lisiserbagit
palace, in which the king used to reside. - •