The Express.
London, England, 1857-09-30 00:00:00

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

THE

INDIAN MUTINIES.

We have received our letters and papers from
Bombay in anticipation of the Overland Mel.
Thtre are no advice, from Calcutta by this arrival.
The following is the summary of the Bombay
Times of August 31 :

I)uring the last fortnight, the aspect of affairs in
India has not improved, and the intelligence which
we send home by this mail is certainly of a dims-
trona character. The flame of rebellion, which was
then thought to be dying out, burns with as much
fierceness as ever, and sparks from the blazing pile
are lighting up the fires of discord and insurrection
in the neighbourhood of the conflagration. We
had at first congratulated ourselves that the
armies of Madras and Bombay were staunch and
loyal, and that they could be depended on in the
'WORM tefth their insurgent brethren ; bat symp-
toms of disaffection are now being exhibited among
the Sepoy regiments of both the minor presiden-
cies, which convinces us that, although they may
not break out into open mutiny, they can scarcely be
trusted to fight against their rebellious countrymen.
We may yet hope, however, that the snivel of
large numbers of European troops, of which we
have received several fresh accessions, will confirm
the wavering loyalty of those regiments still
serving under our banners, and prevent them from
'coining the cause of the mutineers. This is the only
consolation we have under the gloomy circumstances

of our present position, for the
home government to send the Indian reinforcements
by the Cape route, instead of despatching them
overland, will postpone the day of reckoning by
several months.

of the

The force under General Havelock, which had ad-
vanced from Cawnpore towards Lucknow,to rends r
as-
aistanee to the besieged garrison of that place, has been
obliged to retrace its steps. After the brilliant vie •
tory on the 29th July, at Ilueserut Gunge, of which
we gave an account in our last summary, the gal-
lant general, having no cavalry to follow up his ,
successes, and being hampered with sick and
wounded, commenced a retrograde movement ,
towards Cawnpore, which he reached in ,
safety. He advanced again on the 4th of
August, and was met the next day by about 3,000 ,
men, whom he engaged and defeated, taking their
guns. He then pushed on to the village of Busserut
Gunge, but hearing that the enemy were in consider-
able force in the neighbourhood of Lucknow, and ;
feeling that, with scarcely a thousand Europeans, he
could not cope against such fearful odds, he resolved to ,
fall back on Cawnpore and await reinforcements. •
General Havelock's retreat was slow and deliberate,
and the Imlay everywhere fled before him. On the
12th August, however, they attacked him with two
guano the northern side of the river, before crossing ,
liVer to Cawnpore. In this action we suffered some loss, ;
bat ersetaded in capturing the enense'egunawhich the ,
Highlanders did in gallant style. The next morn-
ing the troops crossed the Ganges, and arrived in
Cawnpore, where General Havelock was to rems'n
until he could receive reinforcements from Lower
Bengal. During Havelock's absence Cawnpore bad
been threatened by a body of the enemy ; but when
General Neill advanced to meet them, they took to
flight. It is evident, from all these circumstances,
that Oude is the focus of the rebellion, and that
it will reqe'es a large European force to re-con-
quer it. The regiments which mutinied at Cawn-
i pore and Lucknow, joined by the warlike inhabi-
t tants of the province, have been organised into some
kind of order, and the country seems to swarm with
hordes of rebels. It would have been madness
in General Havelock, with the diminished force
under bim, to have encountered the immense array
of the enemy, as his troops might have been
destroyed, and the safety of Lucknow and Cawn-
pore imperilled. No intelligence bas been re-
ceived from Lucknow, the communication with
which is cut off, but it is supposed that the garrison
is still holding out. It is said that the Goorkhas
from Nepaul have relieved the besieged troops, but
this may be considered to be doubtful.
The mutineers from Dinapore, who were allowed
to retire from that place without molestation, al-
though there were 1,200 European troops in the
cantonment, retreated towards the Saute, and
destroyed the railway bridge across that
river. They next proceeded to Arrah, where they
destroyed the bungalows, and besieged a fortified
position to which the Europeans, and a small party
of Sikhs, had retired. A native proclaimed himself
Rajah at Arrah, and assumed the functions of
royalty. In the meantime, a detachment of her
Majesty's 10th and 37th Itegiments, consisting of
250 men, under the command of Captain
Dunbar, 10th Foot, were sent in a steamer
to the neighbourhood of Arrah, to chastise
the mutineers. This detachment fell into an
ambuscade, and was almost entirely destroyed,
about 140 of them having been killed. The troops
were landed from the steamer in the dark, a native
having brought a false message, which the com-
manding officer believed, that the magistrate of
Arrah had sent for relief; and shortly afterwards,
without being able to defend and protect
themselves, they were shot down in dozens
by the rebels, who were in ambush behind
a wall. Must of the officers being killed, the
survivors of the unfortunate party made their way
towards the river, and succeeded in getting on board
the steamer. More than 50 men were killed, and
many of those who escaped were wounded. One
officer and about sixteen men, being separated from
the others, proceeded by land to Dinapore, which
they reached in safety. Amongst the officers killed
were Captain Dunbar, her Majesty's 10th Foot;
Lieutenant Anderson, late 22nd ; Lieutenant Ingilby,
late 7th, Ensign Sale, her Majesty's 37th, and En-
sign Erskine, her Majesty's 10th Foot. The mate
of the steamer and a railway volunteer were also
killed. Lieutenant Sandwith, her Majesty's 10th,
Ensign Vernon, late 40th, Dr. Jackson, and Messrs.
Garvin and Macdonald, volunteers, were wounded
in this melancholy affair. The rebels hung the
dead bodies of the Europeans to trees, and took
their Enfield rifles, greased cartridges and
all, which many of them used. They did not, how-
ever, long enjoy their triumph, as they have had a
severe beating by Major Eyre, who attacked them
at Arrah. He had 3 guns, 50 gunners, 150 of the
sth Fusiliers, and 12 gentlemen volunteers from
Bazar. The mutineers numbered 2,500, some
of them with Enfield rifles. They fought des-

perately, charging the guns, but were beaten back ;
mil the little garrison at Arrah, consisting of forty
foe Seikhs, twelve gentlemen, and a lady, were
rescued by our brave little force. The rebels have
gone to Sasseram, on the Grand Trunk Road. Some
ieports say that the mutineers are entrenching them-
wives ; others that they are marching towards the
Turrumnaesee. A party of Europeans is going after
tern from Bemires. They have cut the telegraph
vire, and stopped the dak, in consequence of which our
communication with Calcutta was interrupted for
teveral days. The conduct of General Lloyd, who
commanded at Dinapore when the mutiny occurred,
aid who is inditeetly responsible for the disaster at
Arrah, has been severely criticised by the Indian
press. The supreme government have also taken
notice of his conduct, having suspended him from
command, and he is also, it is said, to be brought to
tral for letting the mutineers escape. The system,
however, which places incapable and imbecile men,
wlo ought to be on the retired list, in important
oonmasds in India, is chiefly at fault ; and unless
a radical change be male by sweeping it away,
no good can arise from the prosecution of
individuals after the mischief has been
done. Sir James Oatram, who has again been
nominated Chlsl Ommbsisace is- 9•44- bar beak
appointed to the Dinapore command pro tern.; and
will no doubt discomfit the mutineers, as seventeen
hundred troops had arrived from China, and were
being seat up towards the d4turbed districts.
The people of England, who have been anxiously
expecting to kw of the capture of Delhi, will be
disappointed to learn that the city is still in
the possession of the mutineers. With the
small force under the command of General
Wilson, an assault on the place could not be made
with safety or the certainty of success; and oar
operations lave not, therefore, extended beyond
strengthening our position. The enemy continued
to annoy our troops by repeated sorties, but were
invariably driven back with great slaughter. On
the Ist August, • body of the enemy made • sue-
session of &tacks on out right front, but were
repuLled on every occasion. In this affair, Captain
Travers, of the let Punjanb Infantry, was killed, and
the other :asualties amounted to ten killed and
thirty-six wounded. The enemy afterwards kept
up • fire of artillery for several days, when
Lieutenant Brown, 33rd NJ., was mortally wounded,
and several other officers were hurt. The explosion
of the powder-manufactory in the city, when

15,0001b5-. of powder were destroyed, is likely to

cause serious

to the rebels. A Most

successful alai, took place on the 12th, when a
force under Brigadier Showers surprised a battery
of guns, placed between the Cashmere gate
and Metcalfe Pickets, which had for some
days annoyed our outposts. Four guns were
taken from the enemy, and were safely brought
into camp. There wcre 112 killed and wounded
among our men, several officers being also placed
hors de combat. At the date of the last advices from
Delhi, which reach to the 12th August, Brigadier
General Nicholson's column, consisting of European
troops and Seikh levies, was daily expected to join
the force, being then within one day's march
from the camp. On the arrival of these rein-
forcements, our army would be able to assume the
sad, if practicable, attempt an smolt.
The sliter of the Zitb wenn to ba an Indication that
active measures are about to be taken, and it was
doubtless a preliminary to a more arduous struggle
for the mastery of the city.
We have received advice, from Agra to the 7th
inst., when all remained quiet in the neighbourhood
of that fortress. The mutineers from Neemuch
and Nusscerabad, who threatened the place for some
time, have retired towards Delhi, and there was no
appearance of a hostile force in the vicinity. The
Indore mutineers, who had reached Gwalior, were,
however, reported to be advancing in the direction
of Agra, but no fears were entertained for the safety
of the fort. The European inhabitants still re-
mained in the fort, which was crowded to inconve-
nience.

The Punjaub continues to enjoy tranquillity, and
the organisation of the Seikh regiments for service
at Delhi is rapidly progressing. The 26th Native '
Infantry, wh;ch had been disarmed at Nleean Meer,
the cantonment of Lahore, mutinied on the 30th
July. In the attempt to maintain order, Major
Spencer, who commanded the regiment, the quarter-
master sergeant, and a native officer lost their lives.
The mutineers fled into the jungle, and endea-
voured to make the. way towards Delhi, but were
intercepted and cut up. Since then, parties of them
have been seized in different parts of the country,
and were summarily executed. Other mutinous re-
giments in the Punjaub have also been dispersed and
hunted down, no sympathy being shown to them by
the inhabitants of the province. His High-
ness Maharajah Goolab Singh, sovereign of
Cashmere, died on the 2nd of August
of fever. To the last, the Maharajah maintained
the most friendly relations with the British govern-
ment, and had just arranged to furnish a strong
auxiliary force for the suppression of the rebellion
in the north-west provinces. The Maharajah of
I'uttiala, one of our feudatories in the Punjaub,
has also rendered valuable assistance to the British
cause, having aided in recovering the lost territories
of Hissar and Sirs. At Mockup the native artil-
lery have been disarmed by the Bombay Fusiliers,
who have charge of the citadel. All continues quiet
in the Punjaub.
We have scarcely any intelligence from Raj pootana
where nothing of much importance has occurred
since the mutinies at Neemuch and Numeeralzad.
Brigadier-General Lawrence, with the forces
under his command, is able to control the
turbulent Rajpoots, who hare not yet evinced any
signs of hostility. There have been symptoms
of disaffection in the 12th Bombay Native Infantry,
forming part of the ltajpootana field force. It ap-
pears that, on the afternoon of the 10th August,
a trooper of the Ist Lancers passed by the
Artillery lines at full gallop, chased by
four others of the regiment. On arriving at the
lines of the 12th Native Infantry, the men of
that regiment turned out to protect him, and refused
to give him up. He escaped and got to his own
lines, when he tried to induce the regiment to
mutiny and follow him. He fired several shots at
native officers, one of whom he wounded, and
finding there was no response to his call,
he,:trallopped down to the 12th lines again. At
this time the affair had become known, and the
whole force turned out, with her Majesty's 36th
Foot. On arriving at the Native Infantry lines,
they found the mutineer surrounded by the Native
Infantry, he vehemently calling upon them to fire
upon the Europeans. They refused to give him up,
but did not proceed to active violence. After re-
fusing to obey repeated orders from the brigadier,
Colonel 11. Macau, and their own officers, they