The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-02 00:00:00

OVERLAND MAIL.

The following are additional extracts from the papers re-
ceived by the overland mail:—
. SIEGE OF CHIRGONG, IN BUNDLEKUND.
This appears to have been a very smart and well contested
affair ; the enemy fought gallantly, and although our detach-
ment was a pretty strong one, our victcry was not very easy.
It appears that the force, consisting of the infantry of the
Bundlekund Legion (900), three companies of the Gwalior
Contingent (180), one company of the 13th Native Infantry
(85), the cavalry of the Bundlekund Legion (400), two
9-pounders and one howitzer of the contingent, and two
6-pounders of the Legion, marched from Jhansi on the even-
ing of the 9th ult. to a place called Alaiapore, three miles to
the southward of Chirgong. On the 10th the camp moved to
Nuri, about the same distance to the north-west, and before
day break of the 11th the whole force moved upon Chir-
gong. About daybreak our advance came upon the enemy, 50
horse and 250 foot ; but as our troops formed and advanced
with the utmost steadiness the enemy fell back upon the
village of Cherona, and after firing it, retreated to Chirgong.
Our camp then was moved up from Nuri to occupy the ground
in the rear of the village, and a squadron, under Lieutenant
Werner of the Bundlekund Cavalry, sent out to reconnoitre.
When about parallel with the fort, the reconnoitring party
was saluted by a smart fire from some five or six guns, which
did not very much execution, one horse only having been
wounded, though Lieutenant Werner himself tery narrowly
escaped, a shot having struck the ground close to him. With-
out airy further damage the squadron regained the main force,
and the enemy opened, with some vigour, upon our camp.
Some round shot pasSed through two or three of our tents,
and wounded some of our men. On this a nine-pounder and
howitzer were run up, and a sandbag battery hastily erected
at about 800 yards from the fort, on which our guns opened
with good effect, and in less than half an hour nearly silenced
the enemy's fire. Our tents were then struck and sent to
the rear, out of range of the enemy's guns. Pickets were
posted at different points, and the day's work was closed.
On the 12th nothing was done. On the 13th a
party of grasscutters having been sent out for forage, a party
of the enemy endeavoured to cut them off on their return to
camp. Lieutenant Werner was sent out with a troop to
the support of the camp followers, but when advancing upon
a body of the enemy, about one hundred in number, who
had been annoying him with their matchlocks, just as he
was about to give the word to " charge," he was asto-
nished by a shower of rockets, which put the horses in
confusion. He soon rallied the troop, but the enemy had
retreated behind the stockades, from which they opened a
galling fire, whilst another party took him in flank from a
village called Pehaxi. Nothing was to be done but to retreat,
which was fortunately done without any loss either of man
or horse. On the 14th and 15th nothing was done. On the
16th reinforcements arrived from Casvnpere, three companies
of the 52d Native Infantry, a troop of the Bth Cavalry under
Captain Barbor, and the battering train (two 18-pounders and
two mortars) under Captain Pepper. On the morning of the
7th, the mortars were got into battery, and on the evening of
the same day the heavy guns were placed also. Next morning
the ordnance set to work in earnest, and twice the town was
fired by the shells, but each time the flames were got
under. The e.iemy returned our fire, but not with much
effect, though tolerably well directed. Our practice
is described as having told well on the citadel, and
the town was towards the evening again ignited, but
the blaze was soon subdued. On the 19th, it having been
judged that a stockaded garden to the right of the fort would
furnish the best position for our breaching batteries, Captain
Jamieson, of the 52d, with a detachment of three companies
of infantry and a squadron of horse, went out, at two o'clock in
the morning, to get possession of it ; but, owing to the thick
darkness of the night, the party separated, missed their way,
and were able to do nothing. On the 20th, an hour before
daybreak, the same detachment moved out again, and carried
the garden in gallant style, after a • most determined resist-
ance. It appears that when about 100 yards from the ditch
of the stockade, four rounds of shrapnel were fired from
the howitzer to clear the garden, but there was no symptom of
an enemy. The companies were then advanced to move back
the brambles, and clear a passage for the troops. Some of
our men bad just given over their muskets to set to work un-
encumbered, when a tremendous discharge of stinkpots and
rockets fell among the detachment, and put them in Confusion.
They could scarcely be rallied, before a galling fire from two
hundred matchlocks was poured upon them, which disabled
many of our men, and would have done mere ex-
ecution but for the previous discharge, which prostrated
many of them. Our men, it is said behaved admirably—they
soon rallied, formed, and fired a volley, which was succeeded
by a pretty brisk exchange of compliments. By this time the
6-pounders which had been sent for arrived, together with a
company of the 13th Native Infantry. The guns were planted
at the two northern extremities of the garden, and played
prettily along the trenches, sweeping them with grape ; the
infantry then, with a loud cheer, rushed into the garden by a
small aperture, in the west face. The enemy did not stay to re-
ceive them, but retreated into the town as our troops entered.
The stockaded garden being thus in our possession, the
detachment threw up a temporary work before them, com-
posed of sandbags and cotton bales, to cover them from the
severe fire of the enemy, which lasted till three o'clock. Our
ordnance here played beautifully—raked the whole face from
which the enemy were assailing us, and, indeed, were the
salvation of the detachment. A sharp fire was kept up from
the town till nine o'clock, and at midnight the place was eva-
cuated. It appears that the force was not strong enough in
the cavalry arm to surround the fort and cut off the retreat of
the enemy. The town when taken presented a sad picture of
desolation; not a soul was to be seen in it, and the ravages of
fire were everywhere visible. A large powder magazine was
exploded after our people had got into the town, but we do not
know if it occasioned any loss. In the affair of the 20th three
of our men were killed and 82 wounded, many of whom are
not expected to recover. The Jagheerdar has made off to
Tehree, and the Jagheer been formally resumed:

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE OF CAPTAIN COX.

Captain George Hamilton Cox, Secretary of the Fire In-
surance Company, who had formed an injudicious connexion
with an actress of Calcutta, had, for the last two or three days,
been observed to be labouring under great depression of spirits
in consequence of his wife and children being daily expected
from England. He went to the theatre, from which he re-
turned to his lodgings at the Bengal, Club about nine o'clock,
and then, with the greatest deliberation, blew out his brains
with a pistol, literally shattering to pieces the whole of his
head.

After his return it appears he wrote a letter to the Coroner,
one to the editor of the Englishman, and a third to the actress
we have spoken of, and then, sending his servants out of the
rolm, seated himself in a chair, which he adjusted in a corner
of the closet, with a brace of loaded pistols in his hand, and
shot himself through the head with one of them. One pistol
was found still loaded on the chair beside the corpse, which
remained in a recumbent posture, and the other was picked
up on the ground near the chair.
An inquest was held on the body of Captain Cox, at which
the following letters, written by the deceased immediately
before his death, were read :
" TO THE CORONER AND JURORS ON MY INQUEST.

" I am unwilling, Gentlemen, to give you unnecessary
trouble in searching for evidence, to form an opinion on the
cause of my having shot myself. It was unhappiness; you will
find no more, search as you will. I have very long and deeply
thought on the subject, but all men will live as long as they
can, until they reach that point of endurance beyond which
the soul cannot be forced. 'Tis no pleasant thing to blow
your brains out, I can assure you, and requires a resolution
and determination to do it. I have not perpetrated the act
under any temporary or immediate excitement—in fact, I put
off the deed for some days to effect a particular object.
" I obtained the pistols many days ago from Messrs. Tul-
loch and Co., to whom I beg they may be returned. They
were, I think, sent on inspection only. The powder I pur-
chased from Mr. Thompson a few days later again, and having
completed a few arrangements I takii my leave. Inquire
of those who saw me latest, if you please; you will find I
laboured under no excitement that was perceptible to them.
My feelings, (d course, were wrong, but the wounds were
known only to myself. If I had not been extremely unhappy,
I should not have shot myself. Insanity has never been in my
family, and I am as cool and collected at this writing as I have
ever been.

" The office I conducted is in good order, and. is steadily
progressing. My worldly prospects are good, but a man can-
not work with a broken heart. I hope your verdict (after
such inquiry as you may please to make) will be, Found shot
by himself,' or something to that effect, but not from temporary
e cite met t or derangement.
44 Aril 29. " G. HAMILTON COX.
46 P. S.—l solicit the cheapest and meanest funeral--no
puekah g..ave, no mourning coach, no parson's fees—outside a
churchyard I be as comfortable as in it. Attend, Gen-
tlemen, to tl.e wishes of a dead man, who values not mere
forms, and I would thank you if I could. Dr. Goodeve is my
mcdieal adviser."

" TO D. GOODEVE.
" My dear Goodeve,---You caught me in the midst of, the
preparations for death ; defend me, then, from the often cruel
and unjust vi rdict of temporary insanity or excitement.
My objection to the verdict is, that it often acts as a tact
and a slur on a wi.ole family, otherwise I care not one straw
for the opinion of the world, for it—though it may affect his
prospects—virtually makes a man neither better nor woise
than he is.
"Bit I think there is something revolting in the idea that
the fa tits of a father should be visited on his children. It is
bad enough for human nature that many diseases are here-
ditary ; hence, 'doubtless, the wise saw of a certain big book,
wherein it says that The sins of the father shall be,' &c.
I die us firm and unshaken in my belief as a man can do.
No man (for how can we believe contrary to our convic-
tion?) can put faith in aught which, in his opinion, is not
supported by proof or probability; consequently not to be-
lieve is no crime.
‘• I do not believe a man killing himself a crime, so I tabe
my life when I find it burdensome. The inquest may being me
in mad if they will, I can't help it; but these are sentiments I
have maintained for years. I consequently call on you, as a
physician, and as a man of honour, to assert, that when you
last saw me and during your acquaintance with me, you never
saw me suffer from aberration of mind, and you saw me settling
petty debts and writing my farewell letters. Farewell to thee
likewise ; best thanks for allyour kindness; accept the enclosed
as a trifling return for all your attentions, and believe me till
life has sped (which will not be for some hours yet);
" Your's, sincerely,
" April 29, 1841. " G. HAMILTON COX.
" I have shattered my carcass enough, so quietly bury me
without cutting me up. It is strange the antipathy a man
has to dissection. So, as the pistol has done its work, spare
the knives."

" TO MR. WESTERMAN.

" My dear Sir,—Let inebeg—thViiticiness of your imme-
diately assuring yourself that the cash account, funds, and
affairs of the fire insurance office are correct, and of your in-
forming the public so, and that the prospects of the Company
are slowly but steadily advancing.
" Gmly Coomar Mookerjee, the head writer, is a good man,
and in its present state capable of conducting the office. It
would generally add to the prosperity of the company if
yourself or some other gentleman of the company would act
gratuitously for a few months,' by signing the papers as acting
secretary. The business is clear and simple. The expenses
of printing forms, rules, certificates, advertising, &c., are ex-
tremely heavy for so young an institution, of the eventual
success of which there can be no doubt. No man can tell
to the exact day he can suffer unhappiness ; but there is a
point beyond which none can go in misery. I have put, the
hour off—as who would not ?—as long as 1 could ; hut, my cup
of bitterness has been filled ; neither cheerfulness, which I be
nature persess, nor hope nor prospects can urge me on further;
but when you receive this a broken spirit will he at rest.
" Your's, sincerely,
" April 29, 1941. C. HAMILTON COX.
" I have drawn my salary from the Company up to the day
of my doath. '
After a short deliberation the Coroner's Jury, with the ex-
ception of 1 among 13, returned a verdict of Felo de se.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—In your report of the Greenwich election the other
day, you state that Mr. Angerstein seconded the nomination of
Sir George Cockburn. I shall be obliged to you to correct
this error, which I take upon me to notice, as my father is
absent in. Lincolnshire, interesting himself in Lord Worsley's
election for that county.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
J. J. H. ANGERSTEIN,
Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel, Grenadier Guards.
Jermyn-street, July 1.