The Express.
London, England, 1857-08-31 00:00:00

THE

DIAN MUTINIES.

NARRATIVE OF EVENTS SINCE
THE LAST MAIL.

(MAY A 9 TECIAL

BOMBAY, JuLv 28.

This letter will tell you of sad reverses and great
misfortunes ; but the melancholy nature of its con-
tents will be relieved by the recital of some victories,
and the gradual suppression of rebellion. Death
has deprived us of men high in rank, whose loss to
the military and civil services of India will be
severely felt. Incapable leaders raised to great
commands under the system of seniority have been
replaced in every quarter by men of experience and
determination. We may therefore now hope with-
out presumption that, with our army strengthened
by numerous reinforcement', energetic measures
will be taken finally to punish the insurgents, and
re-establish throughout this country the dimmed
prestige of England.
Disorder and confusion—the result of disaffection—
have unfortunately impeded the ordinary channels
of communication, and the news which is here
brought together must be taken subject to future
revisions or contradictions.
The painful forebodings with which the position
of Sir Hugh Wheeler was contemplated, the fears
which were entertained for his safety, surrounded
as he seg by an imposing body of rebels, have been
unhappily realised. Notwithstanding the silence of
the government respecting the fate of Cawnpore,
there seems to be little doubt that the following de-
tails are substantially correct :—Sir Hugh Wheeler
had succeeded in concentrating in a fortified work,
expressly raised for the purpose, a small European
force, consisting of 90 men of her Majesty's 84th
Regiment, 17 men of the Madras Fusiliers, and a
company (the Ist) of the 6th battalion of artillery—
a total of 200 Europeans. The wives and children
of her Majesty's 32nd Foot, numbering upwards of
a hundred souls, were also with him. Sir G.
Parker, Bart., of the 74th Native Infantry, the
magistrate, seems to have been the only officer there,
As early as the 17th of June this small face was
attacked by overwhelming numbers, but the assault,
although twice repeated, was successfully repulsed,
not, however,without considerable loss to the British.
Mmes to Allahabad to inform the officer in command
there of the desperate nature of the English posi-
tion. One of these messengers arrived, and to his
coming we doubtless owe the statement made in my
last letter, that communications were open with
Cawnpore on the 24th of June. Several officers, ac-
cording to the information of the messengers, had
already met their death. These were Lieutenant-
Colonel Jack, Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, of the
66th N. I.; Major Prout, 56th N. I. ; Major Lindsay,
10th N. 1. • Assistant-Adjutant-General ; and, Sir
G. Parker, Dart.
Between the 24th and 28th of June another assault
must have taken place, for it is said that Sir Hugh
\Wheeler was shot through the leg and died of his
wounds, and that the following officers and others
were killed :—Quinn, Ensigns and Supple,
Ist N. 1.; Captain. Halliday, 66th N. 1.1 Captain
Reynolds and Ensign Prole, 53rd N.I. ; Lieutenant
Smith, Ist N.I. ; Colonel Eckford, 66th NJ. ;
Dempster, Captain Jervis, 56th N.I. • Chalwin,
and Major llillersdon, 63edN.I. The rebels had at
this time conferred the supreme command on Nana
Sahib, of Bhitoor, the author of the massacre perpe-
trated on the Futteyghur fugitives, an old pen-
sioner of the British government and the adopted
son of Bajerow, Peishwa, at Poona, where the
Mahratta rule existed. A reference to Indian
history. will show you the ticachery of Bajerow, his
unceasing effort to subvert our government in the
Deccan, and his hatred to everything British.
England generously gave him Bhitoor, and 80 lace
of rupees yearly, and allowed him to keep a small
park of artillery. These privileges were partly
extended to Nana Sahib, who was deprived of the
pension of 80,000 rupees. lie seems to have in-
herited all the wiliness of a genuine Brahmin. lie
professed delight in English society, invited English
officers to shooting parties at Ithitoor, and concealed
under these appearances of friendship a deadly
hatred, sad more than usual ferocity.
The English force, shorn of its strength by the
death of its officers, received overtures from the Nana
Sahib, on Sunday the 28th of June, and although
I can scarcely believe it possible that Englishmen
should so far trust to the faith of a Hindoo
as they are stated to have done, the details
of the surrender are given as follows :—The Nana
swore, by the oaths usually binding on a Brahmin,
that if the garrison would trust him and surrender,
their lives would be spared, and they should be
• allowed to embark themselves and treasure (2} lace
of rupees) on board of boats and depart down the
river to Allahabad. These terms were accepted by
the British, who were accordingly supplied with
boats in which they stowed themselves and embarked
their treaeure. They were allowed to push out into
the middle of the stream when, at a signal from the
Rajah, guns were opened upon them from the right
bank of the Ganges. The people in the boa thus
treacherously assailed, made for the left bankt, s,
where
some of them succeeded in landing. but death met
them in another shape. A body of cavalry placed
there for the purpose charged and cut them to pieces.
Rumour is silent as to the number of those who
were allowed to take to the boats. 1 believe that
Nana Sahib saved the lives of the women and chil-
dren that he might have hostages for his own fa-1
tune safety.
In the meanwhile active preparations had beau
made at Allahabad for the relief of our countrymen,
and the imposing forces were assembled for dint
purpose. Colonel Neill succeeded in pacifying the
town. He recovered a great part of the
stolen property and furniture by issuing a
proclamation in which severe punishment was
awarded to all persons found in possession of
it. Daimits or gangs of thieves in the neighbour-
hood were dispersed, and all that were caught
hanged. On the Ist of July a column of Madras
Fusiliers and Sikhs, under Major Renaud, started on
their way to Cawnpore, to clear the road, a steamer,
with 100 Fusiliers and two guns, keeping abreast of
the force andprotecting it. A-dy of Irregular HMO
at the same time scoured the Tillages on the left, and
reported them empty and the reminders absent.
Major Itenaud drove all partial opposition before
him, captured several sepoys of the 6th NJ. who
paid the penalty of their lives, and then made his
way as far as khaga on the 9th. On the 3rd, Bei-
gsdier-General Havelock reached Allahabad free
Bemires, and proceeded on the 7th to join Major
Renaud, by forced marches. He had with
him about 1,300 men of her Majesty's 84th
and 64th, the 13th Irregular Home, and the
remnant of Oude Irregulars. On the 11th he reached
Koh, and on the 13th joined Major Renaud at day-
break, within four miles of Futteypore. Major
Renaud had marched 19 miles during the night,and
General Havelock 24. A detachment thrown for-
ward towards Futteypore with orders for Colonel
Tytler to reconnoitre, was met by the enemy, who
marched forthwith to action. beneral Havelock
would have declined this engagement and given rest
to his troop., but Le was compelled to fight, and
therefore prepared to give the enemy a warm re-
ception. The rebels came out with a force of three
infantry regiments, two of cavalry, and two batteries
of field pieces. General Havelock advanced with
eight guns in the centre, under Captain Meade,
R.A., forming the whole of his infantry
in ;Garter distance column in support. The
action was opened by the artillery, "which
completely electrified the enemy." They fled, and
were pursued amidst gardens and enclosures into
and through the stteets of Futteypore ; their guns
and ammunition being abandoned one after the
other. Such was the panic, that no resistance Metal
to have been made. Not an English soldier was
killed, and the only deaths we had to deplore were

those of seven men of the 64th, and more of the Vith
from sunstroke. The conduct of the troops, in sup-
porting the fatigue of a long march and enduring
the heat of a terrible sun, was admirable. Theenemy

last eleven guns.
Speedy advantage was taken of the victory, and
an immediate advance made on Cavmpore.
On the 15th the rebels were again encountered,
severely handled, and deprived of two guns. They
fled after this defeat and the loss of many lives, aid
were met a third time on the 17th—about 10,000 in
number, attacked and routed by General Base-
lock. They lost six guns, and fled, aban-
doning the blackened rums of Cawnpore, which
were re-occupied. Not a trace of the unfortunate
Wheeler or he, men was found. They had all been
killed; but still more terrible to relate, the rebels
had laid their clutches on the defenceless women and
children. No fewer than 240 officers' and soldier.'
wives and children were sold by public auction iu
the streets of Cawnpore and afterwards massacred.
The blood of English wives and babes cries for re-
venge on the relentless enemy, who has outraged
every sentiment of humanity and honour. Nana
Sahib, retreating to Ithitoor with the remnant of
the rebels, is still at large. Should not a price be
set upon his head? The disastrous tale is not all
told, however. Three officers, who escaped from the
first massacre, were caught at some distance from
Cawnpore, driven back thither at the point of the
bayonet, and two of them blown from guns. In the
last engagement the 78th Highlanders lout two men
killed and fourteen wounded. One of the latter.
Sergeant Tulloeb, is since dead.
From Cawnpore General Havelock will doubtless
proceed to relieve Lueknow, which still held out on
the 18th or 19th of July. enfortunately the general
will no longer find there the gallant Sir H. Law-
rence, that energetic officer having died, on the 4th,
of tetanus, from a wound in the leg, received on the
2nd, during a sortie when the native artillery turned
against the European infantry and killed several
men. Major Banks had assumed command, and it
was generally believed that the garrison, undia-
couraged by its great and irreparable loss, would
have sufficient numbers, food, and ammunition to
hold out until relieved. There is no doubt that the
position of Lucknow is far more tenable than that of
Cawnpore, in which the unfortunate Sir Hugh
Wheeler and his companions met their death.
The movements of General Havelock will be
secured in the rear by the despatch of fresh troops
recently arrived at Calcutta. Iler Majesty's
steamer Simoont, with her Majesty's sth Fusiliers,
from Mauritius, reached Calcutta on the nth of July,
having left the 37th in place of the Fusiliers. Her
Majesty's 33th had been for some time at Calcutta
from Moulmein, and the Himalaya, with 1,500 men
on board, arrived on the 20th inst. Her Majesty's
29th was expected from Pegu every day. Thus,
independently of the troops that are now expected
to be forwarded overland, we shall have a sufficient
force to maintain our present positions, and thus
check the further progress of rebellion.
Notwithstanding some partial acts of insuboidi-
nation in the districts of Bengal, about Dina-
pore, nothing has occurred to create disturbance
of an important nature. Her Majesty's 10th Foot
at Dinapore has hitherto acted as a check on the na-
tive regiments there, and Huish's battery of Euro-
pean artillery adds not a little to our security in
that direction.
An attempt at a riot in Patna proved unsuccessful
on the 6th of July, although it cost 1)r. LyeU,
assistant opium commiasioner, his life. Sixty Euro-
peans of her Majesty's 10th, from Dinapore, Lave
been sufficient to restore order here.
Mirrapore, deserted by all but the plunderers
amongst its use inhabitants, has been restored to
order by the energy of a young civil servant from
Bcnares, whose initiation to active life in the dis-
petrict was a coma with six or seven rebelhous
ople, of whom he killed two and wounded the
remainder.
The Septa' country is quiet, but was very pro-
perly abandoned by ladies and children, who were
taken on board of a steamer and sailed down the
Ganges to Calcutta. This is no useless precaution,
as the murder of Sir Norman Lesly testifies. It
cannot now be expected that crime will decrease
while the attention of the government is concen-
trated on points of vital importance. Three Eng-
lish gentlemen, one of them a Mr. Moore, were
massacred in the early days of July in the vicinity
of the road from Bermes to Allahabad. The head
of Mr. Moore was cut off and carried away. The
perpetrators were probably part of a gang of 600 or
700 men stationed at a village called Kotwah, who
were subsequently dislodged by a detachment of 100
of her ajesty's 78th, under Captain Hay, and 30
Stkhs. M
They marched to Sydabad and found ti esti
insurgents strongly posted in Kotwah, and defended
by artillery. They affected to contemn the small-
ness of the European force, and advanced to attack
it. This rash proceeding proved fatal to them. tor
our men charged into and dispersed them, killing
and wounding several.
Until Oude is re-occupied in force and Lucknow
relieved, the whole country east of the Jumna up to
the hills of ltohileund will remain closed against us.
You may calculate, indeed, that the relief of Luck-
now will be the utmost that can be achieved before
the periodical rains set in and render operations in
the field impossible,
The monsoon, which usually commences in June,
was this year unusually light, and allowed our troops
to move on the disaffected districts north and east of
Poonab. But now that the rains are falling in
earnest and the rivers filing, military operations
must be impeded or partially stopped. The Bombay
government have succeeded in assembling two
columns of troops intended to overawe the province
of Candeish and the borders of the Nisam's territory
in that direction, and occupy the whole of the moun-
tainous tract, including North Berar and part of the
Gwalior territory south of the Nerbudda ; whilst
the Madras government assembled a third column on
the north-west frontier of North Serer. The posi-
tion assigned to the latter is Edlabad, near Ellich-
poor, where Major William Orr has concentrated a
force comprising the 2nd, 3rd, and sth infantry regi-
menta of the Hydrabad Contingent, the let and 4th
cavalry Irregulars of the same corps, and twelve
6-pounder guns.
The column at Auraingabad, under Col. Stewart,
of 11. M:s 14th Light Dragoons, is composed of one
wing of ILM:s 12th Lancers,half a troop of Leslie's
Horse Artillery, a detachment of Sappers and Miners,
the 24th Boniba, N.I. headquarter wing, and the
6th infantry regiment of the Ilydrabad Contingent.
The most important force is destined to relieve
Mhow and chastise the Gwalior mutineers and
Indere rebels as soon as weather permits military
movements. In the meanwhile the troops are ae-
sembhal at Asseenghur, or in its vicinity, forming a
field force, under Brigadier C. S. Stuart, 6th Bom-
bay N. 1., composed as follows :—H.M.'s 14th Light
Diagoons, one wing from Aurungabad ; H.M.'s 86th
Foot, 230 men, under Major Keane, from Poona 3rd
Europeans, Bombay army, 300 men, under Major
Landon, from Poonah, rid Ahmednuggur ; sth
ifom-
bay N. 1., 250 men, under Major Symons, from Mal-
Bram ; 19th Bombay N. 1., two companies, under
Lieut. Blair; 25th Bombay N.I. ; 3rd Irregular
Cavalry, Hydrabad Contingent, part at Seerpore,
under captain Orr, part at Asseenghur, under Lieut.
Clerk ; and a large number of the 'Sheet corps.
Berne will thus be the base of operations for the
army of the Deccan, Boorhampoor and Aseeengtsur,
on the southern slope of the Boom Mountains, being
the chief strategic points. Asseenghur is the key of
the Ikecan.
This with the small force at Ajmcer we have a
cordon of troops round the disaffected states of Indere
and Gwalior, whose rajahs are favourable to us, but
unable to control the men of their contingents, raised
as our own Bengal army has been amongst the
Ilindoo and Mussulman population of the Ganges
valley. The Nerbudda, however, flows between us
and the disaffected states, and this season that river
is impassable, except by boats, whilst the roads
become utterly impracticable from rains. These dis-
advantages are common to the enemy and to our-
selves. As if in expectation of unfavourable
weather, the rebellious contingents of (lsvalior and
Indere have concentrated themselves at Gwalior,
abandoning the vicinity of Mhow, and committing
the greatest excesses. The details of the massacre
of Indere (July 2), made public a short time since,
are not lees horrible than those of other bar-
barities perpetrated elsewhere. Thirty-four persons
were kill 4 and the majority arm so muti-