The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-01 00:00:00

faithfulness may be entirely depended on. Chuttur
Singh having managed to collect around his some
1,500 of the country people, in addition to the
original mutineers, directed his steps against Captain
Abbott, who, being without guns, and with a very
small number of troops at his disposal, found it neces-
sary to fall back. On the 31st of August, Lieutenant
Nicolson, then ;in the fort of Attok, applied to Major
Lawrence for further reinforcements from Peshawar ;
and accordingly Osman Khan, with a small but deter-
mined detachment, immediately proceeded to his relief.
He was afterwards joined by Lieutenant Herbert, with
some additional men. Chuttur Singh was at this time
twenty-six miles from Att4Qk, advancing in full expecta-
tion of gaining admission lens the fort. Finding Attok
provisioned for three months, and maintained by above
1,000 sturdy Affghans, he paused to deliberate what he
should do next, when Lieutenant Nicolson resolved to
quit the fortress and proceed to join the levies ten miles
off that had formerly attended him. It was now the turn
of the insurgents to retire, and they fell back accordingly
to Rawul Pindee. On the sth of September Lieutenant
Nicolson determined to attack the detachment of insur-
gents posted in the Murgulla Pass, with a view of occu-
pying the attention of the rebels and preventing them
from assisting the troops in the Hazareh country, where
an insurgent brigade was blockaded by Captain Abbott
and his levies. He did not succeed in obtaining possession
of the hold which commands the pass, but after a severe
struggle, in which he himself was wounded, was able
to take up such a position as completely to interrupt the
movements of the enemy. Two Seikh regiments were
now dispatched at our desire by Ghoolab Singh to attack
the insurgents; instead of this, they are reported to have
gone over and joined them. A strong force was on the
22d of September moved from the Jullundhur Doab into
the Hazareh country, consisting of her Majesty's 61st
Foot, a wing of the 7th Regular and the 2d Irregular
Cavalry, the ad troop Ist Brigade Horse, and 4th com-
pany 6th Brigade Foot Artillery, and the id and 53d
Native Infantry—above 3,000 in all. We have not as
yet had tune to hear further of their proceedings. Re-
turning to Peshawur we find that on the 4th September
Major Lawrence was informed that the Residency was
to be attacked by the Seikh regiments at that station in
the course of the night. Having set spies in the camp
it was considered prudent, from what was observed by
them, to secure all the artillery ; over one party
companies of trustworthy infantry were placed ;
the Mahomedan commander of the other gave
his men to understand that the first sign of
misconduct he saw amongst them he would salute
them with a few rounds of grape; the assurance proved
sufficient to keep them at peace. Beyond this no-
thing has occurred at Peshawar to occasion anp,oz-
ance though there is little doubt but that the SeikEihrt
of the garrison are watching with intense anxiety the
success of the insurgents, and that they aro ready to
turn on us so soon as the auspicious moment arrives.
We must at present, while taking all the care we can
employ to protect ourselves, watch them, for so soon as
our success becomes known, and our power once more
shows itself irresistible, our doubtful friends will endea-
vour to veil all their treason. On the mountain frontier
of the Doab to the north-west of Jullundhur the Chief of
Noorpore began to take the opportunity of giving us
annoyance. Ram Singh, son of the Vizier of the Noor-
pore Raja, having been somewhat summarily removed
from office by the Commissioner, betook himself to the
hills and collected around him a band of freebooters, who
began immediately to plunder and assail all around
them. A strong force, consisting of four companies of
the 71st, one company of the 29th, 250 men of Hodson's
Seikh corps, with strong parties of the 15th and 16th
Irregulars, and 150 of the hill Seikh regiment, were sent
against him. On the evening of the 18th of September
they arrived in camp outside Noorpore. The insur-
gent force was encamped on a low spur covered with
thick jungle, surrounded on three sides by the dry bed
of the river. It was accessible only by rude paths tra-
versable by one man at a time. On the fourth side it
was connected with the hills by a narrow ridge of jingly
broken ground, with thick coppice and brushwood on
either sie. The attack was planned by Major Fisher,
and most gallantly carried out by the troops. Parties
forced ?heir way up the steep on all sides, and met on
its summit. The insurgents were met in with:
they fought with the utmost courage and coolness,
loading and firing as they retired. They were com-
pletely routed and defeated, leaving, out of 250, between
50 and 60 killed and wounded behind them. Fifteen
prisoners were taken; the leader escaped. We had one
man killed, and eight or ten wounded. The news of the
defection of Shere Singh on the 14th reached Lahore on
the 16th, and though it might have been supposed that
the chiefs at the capital were corresponding with
the malcontents in the provinces, up to that date
everything was quiet and 'peaceful. About ten
o'clock at night, just after the ill-omened
tidings reached the Residency, orders were sent to her
Majesty's 53d Foot to hold themselves in readiness.
They occupied the Huzooree Bagh—a garden connected
with the palace by a vaulted entrance long since blocked
up. The passage was immediately opened up, and a
Durbar assembled in the citadel. It sat from four till
nine in the morning of the 17th, during all which time
the entrance to the citadel was guarded by our troops.
Alt the commanders of regiments were in attendance,
ready to receive instructions, at the Quartermaster-
General's; till the meeting was over the troops were or-
dered not to quit their lines. The Sirdar Gholab Singh,
son of the insurgent Chuttur Singh, and brother of the
traitor Shere Singh, was arrested in the Durbar, and all
hie papers seized. The Maharajah Dhulleep Singh had been
betrothed to his sister, and Gholab had, in consequence,
an influential post in the palace. It had been Baia some
time before, that in consequence of the appearance of a
planet, English influence was nearly over in the Pun-
pub, and the family—three members of which have
not been named—proposed to carry off the young Maha-
raja, expel us, and re-seat him without trammels ou the
throne. Four other arrests took place during the 18th,
European sentries being placed over the arrested par-
ties. The impression had gone forth that the Maharaja
had :tetuslly been made away with, and to counteract
this his Highness took a ride in public in the evening.
Near the large Seikh city of Umritsir stands the strong
fortress of Govindghur, a palace, a fortress, and a
p:ison. The faithfulness of the garrison of this strong-
hold having become doubtful, it was resolved to oc-
cupy it with British troops, and accordingly a Te-
giment of infantry and Skinner's Irregular Horse
were dispatched to capture it. A party of fitly
of the Guide Corps first obtained admission on pre-
tence of escorting prisoners. The cavalry followed,
when the garrison were made aware that their services
were no longer required. Govindghur is now commanded
by Colonel M‘Sheery; the cavalry have left; the in-
fantry remain behind. It will be seen, on taking a
summary view of the whole, that Meehan is the only
quarter where the enemy has as yet appeared in force,
or threatened to make head against us. The Maharaja
of Jamoo, though suspected. has not been convicted of
treason, and all the evidence of his guilt we as yet ap-
pear to possess is founded on the presumption a life of
treachery affords, that when traitors are in the field he
wilt soon be found in the midst of them. He is at pre-
sent in the province of Cashmere. The report that
Chuttur Singh has a force of 10,000 men attendant on
him, seems so monstrously improbable as to be unworthy
d belief. Even of those who followed Share Singh into
the camp of the enemy, a half at least seem to repent of
what tlrey have done, antl to be desirous to return. Our
own gross mismanagement it has been that has tempted
tho Seilths to treason. In all likelihood none of
all this would have happened had Colonel Lawrence
been here.

SIDE.

The banks of the Indus once more resound with the
din of military preparations. The following troops are
at present in the country—we give the strength of each
partly on conjecture, but believe it will be found pretty
near the truth :-3d troop Horse Artillery (130), 4th
company 4th battalion Native (80), her Majesty's 60th
Bides (1,000), Ist European Fusiliers (800), 4th Native
Infantry (800), and 2d Belooch battalion (1,000), in all
3,800, at Kurrachee; the 11th and 19th Native Infantry
,(1.600). the Ist Belooch battalion and part of the Ist
Sinde Horse (1,500), 3d company 2d battalion Foot
Artillery (90), Ist company 3d battalion (Native 80),
a company of Sappers and Miners (100). in all 3,360, at
Hyderabad ; the 9th Native Infantry (800), at Sukkur;
the 3d Native Infantry (800), and Ist company 4th bat-
talion Native Artillery (80), at Shikapore; a detachment
of Sinde Horse is on the frontier (500), the camel
corps at Jerruck, and baggage corps at Larkhana; or
about 10,000 in all ready for field service. About 8,000
are in call under the Sinde command, while an armed
police keeps the country. Immediately
intelligence that General Whishha
d bee
n compelled into.
raise the siege of Moultan reaching
re-
quisition for troops was madeto
hhead quarters, a
ment ; when a
company
of
Sappers t e Bombay Govern-
ment
of Foot Artillery, with rll and Miners, a bat-
tery 60th Rifles
and the Bombay Fusileers, were ordered, to proceed
without delay overland to Tatta, wheats
embark in boats and be towed up the Iceer ttoneyßwere to
—a
distance of 250 miles. Unexpectedly, a deficiencyeree of
marriage was experienced, and instead of starting inth
last week of September, as was intended, it would be
the 10th or 15th October before they could move. Their
places were to be taken by her Majesty's Bth Foot from
r
.Peonah and B9,l:nba,y, the 24th, 26th, and 29th Native In-
fantry, from the presidency, proceeding to Sinde, to sup-
ply the places of the troops moving upwards. A com-
pany of artillery from Bhooj, another from Shikarpore,
and a troop of horse from Kurrachee, complete this
army ; the Ist Lancers from Deesa, and part of the
Sinde Horse, compose the Cavalry ; the 3d' 4th, 9th,
and 19th, from the Native Infantry portion of the force.
Tho forces in Sinde are to be commanded by Major-
General Auchmuty, now in command of the Poonah
division—Brigadier Dunb.% now inan command, to take
charge of the field force, which is to rendezvous at
Roree. The Bombay force will scarcely reach the
point of destination in time, and should the Bengal
troops, after the capture of the fort, require to move
eastward, the western army will be able to take
charge of the lower Punjaub till matters are finally
settlad. The steamer Napier, which left Moultan on
the 18th, reached Hyderabad on the 22d; the river being
now in flood accounts for the celerity of the voyage. She
was met in the Rahoo Creek by the Assyria, which took
her passengers on board. They consisted of Major
and Lieut. Gordon, of the 60th Rifles, Captain Brown,
secretary to the Sinde government ; two officers of
the Fusiliers; and Dr. Ritchie—all of whom had gone
some weeks since to Moult= to be present at the siege.
Captain Brown, it seems, is dangerously ill. Lieutenant
Christopher, of the Indian navy, had been
the leg, and amputation was found necessary: ho is to
be succeeded by Lieutenant Berthon of the Atalanta.
The wounded, 60 in number, were daily expected at
surrachee. The Assyria was to proceed up the river
again on the 28th. All the steamers now in the Chenaub
Moult= were to be down immediately, their ser-
-4VBSI' ‘l. '
"being required on the Lower Indus. Sinde seems
7
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