The Express.
London, England, 1857-09-17 00:00:00

CAWNPORE.

The following extract is from a letter dated Cawnpore, the
111th of July, by an racer of the let Madre Fusiliers .
"On Thursday we marched against the enemy. about
6,000 stream who were in position about five mile. from
Cawspore, end this was the hardest day's work we ever
had. They had six or eight gun*, in two separate batteries.
We advanced straight against them, and they poured grape
and round shot into as, like so many hailstones, yet our loss
was not very great. We be down and then advanced against
their first battery, which vas taken in fine etyle. I
went off with a small party (about forty. men) to the right
flank, where the cavalry were threatening us, and some
of their infantry had a strong position. We kept them at a
distance with our rake, and once, when some of the cavalry
(about 600) came down upon us, we funned equate, and they
did not dare conic near us. This elicited great applause from
the general and everybody My party then joined the main
column, and we now advanced against the other battery.
When we came within range, down poured the round shot
and grape. We were ordered to lie down, bat the scoundrels
had got their distance so well that several were wounded.
Six men of her Mejesty's 64th Regiment were killed, and
poor Captain Curried the 84th, severely wounded by a round
shot. We had several men wounded. I had a bullet on my topie
(felt hat), which provident ially glanced off, and Cupten Itaiks
had • potion of his sword-hilt carried away. Well, fancy!
when they saw us down again they thought we w ere &fetid
to advance; so they sounded the advance, and then the
double. The Generel (Havelock) now gave his order—' Rise
up! advance ' The whole line gave a sheer—sorb a cheer !
it must have made the villains tremble frost Lead to foot—
and advanced in line against their battery, under a heavy
cross fire, which they kept up very well, but did not do us
much damage, as they fired so high. They evacuated their
battery and fled in every direction. We fired into them till
they were out of range, and then rushed tip the bill, and
found, to our joy, Cawnpore about ball a mile to front.
"We bivouacked on the rising ground fur the night. You
should have heard the cheer we gave as our gallant com-
mander General Havelock, rode down the lines ; it wite in-
deed a tine sight. He on every erasion praises our men,
and is going to mole a special report of us to the Com-
mander-in-Chief. Only fancy our horror oa hearing that
the same night we gave them such a booing at Fut teypore,
they killed or rather muorryeti, all the ladies whom they
hitherto had spared in Cavnipore (except five or six who were
emacealed by their native servants). Mire Wheeler, the
daughter of Sir H. Wheeler, they say, killed five of these
fiends with a revolver before they could get near her. What
an heroic spirit she must bare had. The sight of the place
where these poor ladies were murdered is indeed awful. Long
trews of her—dresses covered with blood—here and there a
workbox or bonnet."

Extract of letter, dated July 17th:
" Thi. force in eight days has marched 126 mile., f night -
four action., and taken twenty-four guns, light and heavy,
and that too in the month of July In India.
"We nurchet.: on the 16th, and then learned that the
enemy had come out from Cawnpore to make their last
stand at the Islam where the grand trunk rout forks to Cawn-
pore end Delhi; that they had there entrenched themselves
in a very strong petition, with heavy guns in front and fluke,
to sweep the road, and that all the force, upward. of 4,000
men, had turned out to make their last stud. So it
was determined to try and turn their flunk. Accord-
ingly we struck off the road at an angle, and then
turned down towards them again. We hi,e nwked under
the trees, and started at xj p.m. The heat was fearful.
Many men dropped from the effects of the sun. At last the
enemy caught sight, and opened a very heavy and well-
directed fire on no, which we had to pass till we got to the
turning point. Then we moved down in line uponthem, and
opened fire on their guns, ehich were in a very strong poet-
Goo in • village. R e sileneed two with our artillt ry ; but
all we could do we couldn't get at the third heavy gun,
it was so well masked. The 78th were ordered to
charge and take the gun. I never maw anything so
fine. The men went on, with sloped arms, like a
wall ; till within a hundred yards not a shot was fired.
At the word Charge,' they broke just like an eager
pink of hounds, and the village was taken in an instant. I
was up almost as soon as they, and one man told rue, with a
grin, be had just killed three DIM out of one house. The
enemy were now in retreat, for we had turned their puition,
but the fight wassail hard, for their cavalry came round down
upon our rear, and the guns had to be halted and opened on
them. After that we got so fa forward towards Cawnpore that,
without knowing it, one of their heavy guns in position was
passed, and they managed to aloe it round and open fire on
our rear. So we had to turn, and go back and take it. This
was done by the 64th. In Met it was, in point of heavy
fire and fatigue, a very hard tight, but the end wu that we
took eight gun. In all, end utterly routed the enemy, who
evacuated Cawnpnre during the night, and blew up the
arsenal and magazine. We bivouacked on the field, with
little bed and supper, and marched into Camila-ire this morn-
ing, where we hold a position—the barracks. AU the force
is knocked up, and must rest a day.
"Alas, alas I all the women and children were murdered
by these devils yesterday, when they fmnd the day going
against them. 'Their bodies were thrown into the Ganges."