The Express.
London, England, 1858-04-03 00:00:00

HEADS OF INTELLIGENCE.

The bombardment of Lucknow has by this time
commenced, and the doomed city is moat likely in
our possession.
Sir Colin Campbell left Cawnpore on the 28th
February, and arrived before Lucknow on the let
March, and hostile operations immediately com.
menced. His Excellency was at Dilkoosha, one of
the suburbs of Lucknow, on the 6th March.
Sir James Outram, with 6,000 men and 30 guns,
crossed the Goomtee on the 6th March, when he was
attacked by the enemy, who were repulsed. Several
spirited affairs occurred at Alumbagh during the
last fortnight, which invariably ended in the defeat
of the rebels. On the 26th the enemy attacked the
position in great strength, but were driven back with
the loss of two guns.

General Franks, after a series of brilliant vic-
tories, joined the Commander-in-Chief at Lucknow
in the beginning of March. On the 19th February
he successively defeated two bodies of the enemy at
Chanda, and captured six guns. On the 23rd, he
again attacked them at Sultanpore, killing nearly
two thousand men, and taking twenty guns. After
this, he proceeded by forced marches towards Luck-
now, and arrived there about the 4th or bth inst.
General Hope Grant, being detached in pursuit of
a body of rebels, who attempted to cross into Rohil-
cund, took Mungeree, the stronghold of the Nana,
by storm on the 23rd February. Five hundred of
the rebels were killed, and four guns captured, while
our casualties only amounted to sixteen. The Nana
has fled, it is supposed towards Bundelcund, but his
whereabouts is not accurately known.
The Goorkhas, under Jung Bahadoor, were pre-
paring to cross the Gogra, into Oude, on the 2nd
March, and would immediately advance upon
Lucknow.

Colonel Mitchell occupied the fat of Rhotasgnrh,
in the Shahabad district, on the 17th February, the
enemy having retreated and dispersed before his
force.

General Roberts, with the greater part of the
Rajpootana field force, is at Nusseerabad, and is pre•
paring to lay siege to Kotah, where a large body of
rebels are assembled.

The brigade under Sir Ilugh Rose has left Sangor,
and is advancing towards Jhanai via Shahgurh.
The Punjaub is tranquiL Sir John Lawrence
arrived at Delhi on the 24th February, to settle the
disturbed districts of Rohilcund.

The Peninsula and Oriental Company's steamer
Ava, with the Calcutta and Madras mails for Eng.
land, was wrecked off Trincomalee on the 17th
February, but the passengers were saved. The
mails, however, and about 180,0001. of treasure, are
totally lost.
The Governor-General was at Allahabad on the
7th March, and the Governors of Madras and
Bombay are at their respective presidencies, which
are quite undisturbed. Sir Henry Somerset is in
Bombay, bat Sir Patrick Grant is on a tour in the
provinces of Madras.
The 92nd Highlanders, from Gibraltar, arrived at
Bombay cia Suez on the 6th March, and will be
stationed at the Presidency. The 71st Highlanders
have left for Mhow, to join the Central India Field
force. The 18th Royal Irish remain at Poona.
The money market continues easy ; our import
market has improved, and contracts for goods to ar-
rive have been entered into at advanced prices;
tonnage is abundant, and the rates of freights have
not improved.

SUMMARY.
The interest of our present intelligence is confined
mainly to the position of matters at Lucknow, which
is either under assault or in our possession,
at the time we write this. General Outran,
who has held the post of honour and of danger se
long at Alambagb, and triumphantly repelled, with
his small force, a series of almost ceaseleu attacks
made upon it during the last three months, has
taken commend of the first infantry division Of the
army under Sir Colin Campbell, now before the
devoted city. Our latest intelligence is derived
from an official despatch, dated Allahabad, the 7th
inst., from the Governor-General to Lord Elphin-
stone, and is as follows :
" General Outram crossed the Goomtee below
Lucknow yesterday, with 6,000 men and 30 guns.
He has since been attacked, but repulsed the enemy.
The Commander-in-Chief is at Dilkoosha. General
Franks had joined him. The bridge for Jung
Bahadoor, at Sultanpore, was completed on the 2nd,
and the Goorkahs were to cross on the 2nd or fol-
lowing day.*
It is seldom in our history that we have sent into
the field a force of such numerical strength as that
now assembled before Lucknow, while it may be
fearlessly asserted that its condition and appoint-
ments are altogether unprecedented. The many
distinguished leaders, too, who command this force
constitute a new feature in our military history, and
the brilliant constellation of generals around Sir
Colin Campbell forms a striking contrast to our 1116•
mories of the Crimean staff, where bravery was
never wanting, but generalship constantly. The
army of Oude has been organised as follows :
ARTILLERY DIVISION l,our Brigades
Under hisjor.oeneral Bir A. Wilson, Bart.— ix troopsof
Horse Artillery; ten companies of Foot Artillery; the Naval
brigade under Captain W. Peel, C.B. •, two companies el
Royal Engineers; Bengal Poppers and Miners; Punjab
Sappers sad Miners; corps of Pioneers.
CAVALIT DIVISION (Two Brigades.)
Under Brigsowr-General Sir J. H. Gnat, K.C.B.—H.M.
9th Lancers; H.M. tad Dragoon Guards; H.M. 7th Has.
ears; 2nd regt. I'ncjaub Cavalry; detachment dth Light
Cavalry ; 2nd batt. Military Train ; Hodson's Horse ([an-
gular ; Wale's do. do.; the Volunteer Cavalry, &c.
FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION (Two Brybeedee.
M.
Under General Sir James Outran, O.C.
Fusiliers, H.M. 84th Regt. Foot, H.M. 78th Highlandws,
H.M. 90th Light Infantry, H. 8.1. Co.'s Ist Madman-
millers, Regiment of Ferocepors.
SECOND INFANTRY DIVISION ger:Brigselesia
H.M.
H.M. 34th Rftt. Foot, 63rd . Foot, H. . 42ed
Highlanders, H.M. 93rd Highlanders, 4th Rest., Pannell)
Riess.
THIRD INFANTRY DIVISION (Two Brigades).
Under Brigadier-General Walpols.—ll.M. 23rd Regt.
Foot, H.M. 79th Highlanders, H.E.I. Co.'s Ist Bengal Fu-
siliers, two battalions Rifle Brigade, 2nd Regt. PuMmtb
Infantry.
The artillery comprises a heavy siege train, and
numbers about forty light field pieces and nearly
sixty heavy guns. If we compute the rest of the
force at fifteen hundred European sabres and ten
thousand European bayonets, with three thousand
native horse and as many native infantry, wo shall
probably be within the mark :
European. Native.
Artillery
Cavalry 1,600 .... 3000
Infantry
Giving a total of about twenty-two thousand men
of all arras, of whom fifteen thousand are Europeans.
Since the above organisation of the force was noted
in general orders, General Franks has joined the
Commander-in-Chief, and will probably be appointed
to the command of Second Infantry Division. The
accession of this column will augment the European
force to nearly twenty thousand men, it being
' formed as follows :—One troop of Royal: Horse
Artillery; one company of Foot Artillery; H.M.
10th Regt. Foot (one wing) ; H.M. 20th Regt. Foot;
H.M. 97th Regt. Foot.
In addition to this reinforcement, news of which
reached us yeeterday, the Nepaulese auxiliary force
of 10,000 Ohoorkas, under Jung Bahadoor, must
have reached Lucknow by this time, and its arrival
will bring our force up to 40,000 men, with an
overpowering artillery. The general impression if,
that as many of the rebel heat as can will wake
their escape from Lucknow ; the desertion of large
numbers, in view of the concentrating storm ap-
proaching the city, being already reported. It
seems to be very generally recognised at last, in spite
of the violent counsels which ruled a little while