Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-21 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OF DELHI.

The following letter was received by the last
mail. It gives a more connected account of the
events before Delhi than has yet appeared :
• CAMP NEAIt DEM', J['LY 26.
We are still remlininT ire the pcsitiJa we took up on
the afternoon of the B.liof last month after fighting the
battle of Barite Sergi ; it is a very strop; one. We lie
about ego mites from Delhi, separated by a long ridge of
hill, drat rises in broken ground on the banks of the
Jomna to our left, and, smoothing down at its bights:
point, extends to our extreme right, where our batteries
are placed. It is cruised towards the left by the grand
trunk road from the north-west, marked hero and there
by telegraph poste, from which still hang broken pieces of
wire. A little further to the right, on the ridge of the
hill, stands the tower called the Flagstaff; and still
further along an old mosque, both occupied by picquets of
our men. To the extreme right is the hill on which are
placed our heavy batteries. lts top is crowned by a build-
ing called Iliudeo Rao's hence, from an oil
Mahratta chietta.o, who lived there. All these
Points are connected by a read which runs along'
the summit of the hill. Its sides are
covered by outcropping strata cf sandstone, which rise tier
above tier. Part of the slope towards our camp is occupied
by the ruined huts of the mutinous regiments and the
houses of their unfortunate officers. Behind the camp is a
small rive-, which separates us from the plain, com-
manded by three of our heavy guns. It flows into the
Jumna on the north side of Delhi, and is of great ad-
vantage to us, us its banks, which are faced with stone,
are too steep to allow the enemy to bring their horse
arri:hry over to attaek our rear, as they did on the 19th
of June. Profiting by the severe lesson of that night we
hive blown up all the bridges save t.':e two in the rear of
our camps. Oar left flank is covered by the Jumna, which
is now much swollen by the rains. To our right is a
mound on which are placed three heavy guns, and about
three (loaners of a mile beyond this is the sobarb called.
the Subz'-nanndi,-full of ciuntry houses, enclosures, and
gardens, is which a number of desperate fights had taken
place between our men and the enemy. We are
encamped on the old parade gretind of the native r.g.!-
merits, and are perfectly safe fram everything bet their
shells, which fall ins our camp almost every evening,
without doing any great harm. We are lying on the
defensive till we receive reinforcements, only firing from
our batteries wteen the enemy provoke us by opening theirs
or coining out of the gates. They are continually getting
in reinforcements. It is not known certainly whether the
troops from Neemccn have reached Delhi. Our spies state
they are lot sing a geed many by deserion. Tneir money
is failing, and it is generally believed their stock of per•
cession caps is nearly exhausted, and they cannot make
new ones. They have four separate commanders-in•chiefs,
and have shown in every attack a want of concentration,
which has helped us much in drivirg them back. We were
not troubled after the affair of the 6.h till the 15th. The
day before they fired a salute of twenty-one guns for the
ascii of Agra and the reverse we lead experienced there.
They vowed to carry our batteries next day, and earn@
out in great force to storm the piaci nets under Hindoo Rao's
house and in theubz--tnendi. They brought two guns to
bear upon our rigr t. Our man, under good cover, kept them
back for several hours, only losing twelve men, when
Brigadier Chamberlain, the adjutant-general, ordered out
car i'rfantry and t'vo trocps of Hors) Artillery into the
zi-tnonci. The int:ntry went in to clear the thickets
and gardens is front of Iliodoo Rao's hill and the Subzi-
mene.i. As they came upon the enemy they gave a tree
matelots cheer and de'hed on. The Delhi-wallahs tu.ned
their blc!cs end ran in crowds to the gates. The artillery
galloped up and poured a shower of 'grape into them. Our
force was wi'hia 200 yards of the walls. Such a shower
of grape and musketry fell upon us that we were com.
pelleded to fall back. Chamberlain had his arm shattered
blow the shoulder. Our loss was as heavy ca 200 men
killed an I wounded, including 13 officers. We retired in
goad order. The enemy did not follow us far. Our men
are getting very discontented with this kind of work.
They are ready to carry any position, however strong, the