Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-16 00:00:00

DESPATCH FROM. GENERAL WILSON.

(Frem the Lona on Gazette of Saturday Night, November 14.)
•
HEAD QUARTERS, FIELD lELDFORCE, DELHI,
September 15th, 1851.
TO CAPTAIN 11. W. NORMAN, ASSISTANT -ADJUTANT•
GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

Sir,—l have the high satisfaction of reporting, for the
information of the Major-General commanding in the upper
provinces, and through him of his Excellency the Com-
mander-in-Chief and of Government, that on the morning
of the 14th inst., the force under my command successfully
as iaulted the city of Delhi.
Under the present circumstances, Mojor.General Gowan
will, I trust, allow me to withhold, for a time, a full and
complete detail of the operations from their commencement
to their close, and to limit myself to a summary of events.
After six days of open trenches, during which the
Artillery and Engineers, under their respective com-
manding officers, Major Gaitskell and Lieutenant-Colonel
Baird Smith, vied with each other in pressing forward the
work, two exceaent and most practicable breaches were
formed in the walls of the place, one in the curtain to the
right of the Cashmere bastion, the other to the left of ti e
Water bastion, the defences of those bastions and the
parapets giving musketry cover to the enemy commanding
the breaches, having also been destroyed by the artillery.
The assault was delivered on four points. The Ist
Column 'under Brigadier J. Nicholson, consisting of her
Majesty's 75th Regiment (300 man), the Ist European
Bengal Fusiliers (200 men), and the 2nd Punjaub Infantry
(450 men), assaulted the main breach, their advance.
being admirably covered by the Ist Battalion, her Mejesty's
60th Rifles, under Colonel J. Jones. The operatiOn was
crowned will brilliant success, the enemy, after severe
resistance, being driven from the Cathmere bastion, the
main guard and its vicinity, in complete rout.
The 2nd Column, under Brigadier Jones, of her
Majesty's 61st Regiment, consisting of her Majesty's Bch
Regiment (250 men), the 2nd Europsan Bengal Fusiliers
(250 men), and the 4:11 Regiracnt of Sikhs (350 men),
similarly covered by the 60th Rifles, advanced on the
Water bastion, carried the breach, and drove the enemy
from his guns and position, with a determination and spirit
which gave me the highest satisfaction.
The 3rd Column, under Colonel Camp'iell, of her
Majesty's 52ad Light Infantry, consisting of 200 of his
own regiment, the liemaoon battalion (250 men), aid the
Ist Purjaub Infantry (500 men), was directed against the
Cashmere gateway. This column was precede by an
explodon party, under Lieuts. Home and Salkeld, of the
Engineer*, covered by the ,60th Rifles. The demolition cf
the gate having been accomplished, the Column forced
an entrance, overcoming a strenuous opposition from the
enemy's infantry and heavy artillery, which had been
brought to bear on the position. I cannot express too
warmly my admiration of the gallantry of all concerned
in this difficult operation.
The reserve, under Brigadier Longfield, her 31. j isty's
Bth Regiment, composed of her Majesty's 61st Regiment
(2.50 mon), the 4th Regiment Rifles (450 men), the Belooch
Battalion (300 men), the Jheend Rajah's Auxiliaries (300
men), and 200 of her Majesty's 60th Rifles, who joined after
the assault had been Made, awaited the result of the attack,
ind.on the columns entering the place, took possession of
the posts I had previously assigned to it. This duty was
ultimately performed to my entire satisfaction.
The firm establishment of the reserve rendering the
assaultiogcolunins free to act in advance, Brigadier-General
Nicholson, supported by Brigadier Jones, swept the ram-
parts cf the place from the Cashmere to the Cabul gates,
occupying the bastions and defences, capturing the guns,
and driving the enemy before him.
During the advance Brigadier-General Nicholson was,
to the grief of myself and the whole army, dangerously
wounded. The command consequently devolved on Briga-
dier Jones, who, finding the eneny in great force,
occupying and pouring a destructive fire from the roofs of
strong and commanding houses in the city on all sides, the
ramparts themselves being enfila,d-d by guns, prudently
resolved on retaining possession of the Cabul gate, which
his troops had so gallantly won, in which he firmly
established himself, awaiting the result of the operations
of the other columns of occupation.
Colonel Cauipbell, with the column under his command,
advanced successfully from the Cashmere gate by one of the
main streets beyond the Chaudnee Cnouk, the central
and principal s'reet of the city towards the Jumma MuAjid,
with the intention of occupying that important post.
The apposition, however, which he met from the great
concentration of the enemy, at the Jumma Musjid and
the houses in the neighbourhood, ho himself, I regret to
state, being woundsd, satisfied himself that his most
prudent course was not to maintain so advanced a po•
sition with the comparatively limited force at his disposal,
and he accordingly withdrew the head of his column and
placed himself in communication with the reserve, a
measure which had my entire approval; I having pre-
vioasly determined that, in the event of serious opposition
being enconneered in the town itself, -it would bo most in-
expedient to commit my small force ton succession of street
fights, in which their gsllantry, discipline, and organisation
could avail them so tittle.

My present position, therefore, is that which, under
such a contingency, I had resolved to occupy and establish
myself in firmly as the base of my systematic operations for
the complete ppasession of the city. This embraces the
magazine on one side, and the Ctbul gate on the other,
with the Moree, Cashmere, and Water bastions, and strong
intermediate posts with secure communication along the
front and to the rear.

From this base I am now cautiously pressing the
enemy on all Piints, with a view to establishing myself in
a second advanced position, and I trust before many days
to have it in my p )wer to announce to the Supreme
Government; that the enemy ha.ve been driven from their
last stronghold in the palace, fort, and streets of the city of

Simultaneously with the operations above detailed, an
attack was made on the enemy's strong position outside the
city, in the sabu:bs of KisEengunge and Palaaraepore,
with a view of driving in the re'oeli, and supprting the
main attack by effecting an entrance at the Cabal gate
after it should be taken.

The force employed on this difficult duty I entrusted
to that admirable officer, Major C. Reid, commanding the
Sirmoor battalion, whose distinguished conduct I have
already had occasion to bring prominently to the notice of
superior authority, and who was, I much regret, severely
wounded oa this occasion. His column consisted of his
own battalion, the Guides, and the men on duty at Hindoo
Rao's (the main picket), numbering in all about 1,000 sup-
ported by the aux;liary troops of his Highness the Maha-
r tjah Rumbeir Singh, under Captain R. Lawrence, .
Tho strength of the positions, however, and the despe-
rate resistance offered by the enemy, withstood for a time
the efforts of our troops, gallant though they were, and the
combination was unable to be effected. The delay, lam
happy to say, has been only temporary, for the enemy have
subfkquently abandoned their positions, leaving their guns
in our hands.

In this attack I found it necessary to support Major
Reid with Cavell y and Horse Artillery, both of which arms
were admirably handled respect'vely by Brigadier Hope
Grant, of her Majesty's 9th Lancers, commanding the
Cavalry Brigade, and Major IL Tombs, of the Horse
Artillery, who inflicted severe punishment on the enemy,
though I regret their own loss was very severe.
The resistance of the rebels up to this time has been
that of desperate men, and to this must be attributed the
severe loss we have sustained, amounting proximately, so
far as I am able to judge, in the absence of casualty
returns, to 46 officers killed and wounded, and about 800
men. Amongst those of whose services the State has
been deprived, are many officers of distinction and merit,
holding superior commands, whose places cannot be sup-
plied ; and I have specially to lament the loss which has
been sustained by that splendid corps, the Engineers, nine
officers of that Arm having fallen in the gallant peformance
of their duty.
Until I am in possession of reports from brigadiers