The Press.
London, England, 1857-12-12 00:00:00

THE PRESS, DECEMBER 12, 1857.

1202

the way I took with me the Ist 2nd and sth Punjaub
Cavalry, extending the infantry in skirmishing order with
their supports. I took the cavalry to the open space near
the European infantry barracks, with directions to wove as
circumstances would permit. The 6-pounder Agra
battery had by this time come up. I advanced them in
support of the infantry on the road leading from the Ar-
tillery Parade•ground to the Dholepore road, and the skir-
mishers advanced and cleared the compounds to their
front. The Punjaub Cavalry, under Lieutenant Watson,
had then the opportunity of making a most gallant charge,
driving off the enemy's sowers and capturing four guns.
After this the rebels made no stand on the right, but the
left continued to be hotly engaged, and the enemy's sowers
advanced with great determination on the guns, one of
which was disabled from its gunners having been cut
down, and for the moment in the possession of
the enemy. It was, however, instantly recaptured,
and the 9th Lamers charged the sowars and drove them
from the field. 1 regret to say that two most excel-
lent officers, Lieutenants French and Jones, were wounded,
the former mortally, and I fear that little hope can be en-
tertained of the recovery of Lieutenant Jones. I ad-
vanced during this time on the Dholepore road, capturing
guns as we went on, and the 9th Lancers and artillery,
supported by the 75th and 2nd Punjaub Infantry, advanced
on the left, taking four guns on their way. The whole
line now moved to the front, the Punjaub Cavalry, as usual,
performing most excellent service on the flanks, till we
reached a village three miles hence, where we halted for a
short time, the whole of the enemy being then in full
flight. We were now joined by the 3rd Europeans, and
Colonel Cotton, commanding at Agra, came up and took
command of the whole of the troops. The enemy's camp
was descried about two miles in advance, and we marched
upon it, the road strewed in all directions with baggage and
carts ; the infantry was ordered to halt at the camp, and
the cavalry and artillery pursued the enemy to the Kharee
Nuddee, ten and a half miles from Agra. The enemy had
crossed the river before we reached it, leaving behind him
all Ins guns, a return of which is attached. The artillery
fired grape and round shot at the retreating enemy across
the river with good effect. The country all round was
covered with fugitives, of whom a large number were cut
up; they have all now crossed the Kharee Nuddee. After
a short halt we returned to camp, and the captured guns
were all brought in during the night. I have not been
able to estimate the enemy's number, as, in addition to
the Indore force and the Neemuch and the Nusseerabad
brigades, sepoys were found killed belonging to the Kith
Grenadiers, Hurrianah Light Infantry, Gwalior Contin-
gent, and several others. The whole country as far as one
could see was covered with fugitives, but of these many
were probably camp followers and rabble. I have never
seen such a rout, and had our artillery and cavalry been
fresh, few would have crossed the Kharee Nuddee ; but
they had marched forty-one miles in less than thirty hours
before arriving at Agra. It is impossible to say too much
of the excellent conduct of the whole of the troops, officers,
and men, and I trust it will meet with the approbation of
the major•general commanding the field force at Delhi.

It is my intention, as soon as I have been joined by
the detachment now on its way from Delhi, to proceed
towards Futtehghur, with a view of effecting a junction
with General Havelock's force, subject to the approbation
of General Panny.—l have, &c.,
E. H. GREATHED, Lieutenant• Colonel,
Commanding Moveable Column.

The following extracts from a private letter, date d
Peshawur, September 18, may prove interesting to
our readers as showing the nature of recent military
appointments in India :
This mail will carry home, please God, the intelli-
gence of the fall of Delhi. The want of European
troops of all arms, the scarcity of carriage and
material which has caused this unfortunate delay,
should be a warning to our rulers not to trust
entirely to chance, or luck, or to our prestige.

All the later revolts—i.e., all subsequent to the
middle or the end ofJune—are directly attributable to
the non-capture of Delhi on the arrival of our troops
before it, and the delay of their arrival lies at the
door of the late commander in-chief. Had he, on
the first information given, moved rapidly, with all
the Europeans, Ghoorkas, and Sikhs he could have
collected, on Delhi, before the rebels had gained
confidence, the gates might have been blown open
and the place stormed; but when General Barnard
arrived, too many reinforcements had reached the
garrison. The imbecility and utter ignorance of the
late commander-in-chief in military matters on
service was apparent to all. He had plenty of
advisers, but he was unequal to the emergency.
Wilson is out and out the best of the commanders;
but some people feel a little impatient. Nicholson
is also a first-rate fellow : there are not two cpinions
about him. One ought to be surprised at nothing
now-a-days ; but the appointment of Outram to suc-
ceed Sir H. Lawrence and to the major-general's
command did certainly astonish some of us. It
looked something like the amalgamation of the two
Presidencies, Bengal and Bombay. He must have
most wonderful talent for business, with great power
of übiquity. Ills command extends from Futteh-
Our to Hazarebagh, and from Bundelcund, includ-
ing Mhow and Saugor, to the Nepaul frontier and to
Tirhoot. He cannot do his duty efficiently as Com-
missioner of Oude, and make his tour of inspection

and half-yearly report of the state of the troops
placed under his command. The two appointments
are incompatible ; and a Bombay officer holding one
of the largest commands in Bengal (not one Bombay
soldier being present) is assuredly a novel state of
affairs. This appointment may, however, be a mere
temporary measure during the present crisis. Any-
one would suppose that the Company's treasury was
overflowing, from the novel and useless appoint-
ments made at home—l conclude at the Horse
Guards. First, that of "Chief of the Staff " is a
mischievous appointment, and one likely to create
great discontent. The officer appointed knows
nothing of Indian matters. It is to be hoped the
Adjutant-General of the Army will insist on his
rights as such. That there will be bickering and
squabbling there can be no doubt, although Major.
General Mansfield, the chief of the staff, is said to
be a shrewd and clever man.

While on this subject I cannot help going a little
out of my way to ask if you recollect those disrepu-
table and scandalous letters published years ago,
with the signature " One of 1,200," filled with abuse
of the officers of the Company's service. They were
in the Naval and Military Gazette. Two officers
were suspected as the author. One of them bad, I
think, brothers and cousins in the Indian army,
men of distinction ; the other has been lately nomi•
nated to a high staff situation under the com-
mander-in-chief in India. But to proceed.

Hitherto when officers on the staff in India
obtained the rank of lieutenant-general they vacated
their staff appointments ; but Lieutenant-Generals
Ashburnham and Beresford are appointed to the
staff in that rank. Major Generals Windham,
Cotton, Havelock, and Michell (being two above the
authorised number) are appointed to the staff. Then
come a major general of artillery with his aide-de.
camp, and an assistant-adjutant•general, anti a
deputy -assistant- quartermaster-general. The last
appointment was never before heard of for the
artillery at any of the Presidencies ; and the appoint.
ment of a major-general to command the artillery at
any of the Presidencies has ceased many years. I
am told there is also to be a major-general to com-
mend the cavalry—quite a novel appointment. Surely
the Horse Guards or the Home Government must
suppose that the mutiny of the sepoys has greatly
enriched the Indian Government, and that these
additional and useless appointments can well be
afforded. If the Court of Directors have approved
of these innovations, they have not acted fairly by
their own officers. The colonels of the Royal
Artillery sent out entered the service subsequently to
many of our captains of artillery. It is quite obvious
that supercession is to be the order of the day, and
that the Fano major-general system is to be played
over again.
Many of the sepoys of the native regiments were
stanch until the: were led to believe by false repre-
sentationc that we were losing ground in all direc-
tions, and, in fact, that our raj was over. The 40th
at Sealkote was one of those regiments so cajoled.
When the outbreak there occurred, they took Colonel
F— and another officer to the lines of the Gre-
nadier company and protected them, and afterwards
escorted them to the fort. Whilst in the lines they
tried to tempt these officers to enter the service of
the Delhi potentates. The terms were, "You shall
have 2,000 re. a month between you, and leave to go
to the hills during hot weather."
The Government have had many warnings of
what at length appears to have taken them by
surprise. I daresay you recollect hearing of the
occurrence which took place more than a year ago in
Calcutta, when Mr. Fergusson, Judge of the 24 Per-
gunnah, was shot at by a sepoy of the Calcutta
Militia, while sentry at the gaol. The ball fortunately
missed him. The man was seized. He said, "'The
Feringhees were taking all the country, and had
unjustly seized on Oude." He had more cartridges
in his pocket, and said ho hoped to have killed as
many English as he had cartridges. The man was
sent to the madhouse as insane. I don't know what
has become of him since, but there appears to have
been some meaning in his madness.

The additional mails to and from India will corn
mence in January next, and will be despatched from
London as follows :—Those intended for the I3cmbay
packets, on the evenings of the 2nd and 17th of each
month ; and those intended for the Calcutta packets
including the mails for Ceylon, Madras, and China),
on the evenings of the 9th and 25th of each month,
as already announced. The Southampton mails will
also continue to be made up as usual. The following
table shows the several dates upon which the mails
for India will be despatched from London, both by
the route to Marseilles and by that of South-
ampton

Date of despatch from London. Destination.

Vii Marseilles Via Southamp- 2 4
s..
evening of ton morning of
~73
2nd Bombay.
4th = y Calcutta,&c.
Calcutta,&e.
12th Bombay. El
Bombay. gig
.54 Calcutta, itc.
25th ;73 Calcutta, 47c.
When the 4th, 12th, or 20th of the month falls on a
Sunday, the mails will be made up on the previous
evening, and when the 2nd, oth, 17th, or 25th of the
month falls on a Sunday, the mails will be made up
on the following evening. The homeward mails will,
in like manner, leave Calcutta and Madras four times
a month, and at nearly equal intervals, being de-
spatched twice by packet to Suez, as at present, and
twice via Bombay.

flth

17th -
20th