The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-02 00:00:00

THE ATTACK ON THE OUT-
WORKS OF 2,rouLTA.N.
The most graphic account of this attack is to be
found in the annexed letter from the Delhi Gazette
of the 231 of September :
" Camp, be=fore Moultan, Sept. 13.
" According to promise, I have the pleasure to send
you an account of a general action fought yesterday
morning, the 12th inst., between the united regiments of
the Moultan Field Force and Moolraj's troops. In my
letter of the 11th I mentioned to you that a night attack
had been made on an entrenchment of the enemy's,
which it was a great object to take, as it interfered with
our proceeding with our second parallel; that many lives
had been lost, and our small force repulsed, without
gaining one inch of ground. Well, Sir, yesterday
morning a wing of her Majesty's 32.1 Regiment and
the 49th Regiment, under Colonel Pattoun, called
the right column, and a wing of her Majesty's
10th Foot. and the Bth Regiment of Native Infantry,
under C,,lenel Franks, the whole under the com-
mand of Brigadier Hervey, were ordered out at day-
break to attack the same entrenchment. At about
half-past seven o'clock A.m. the two columns were
drawn up in line. At the word Forward,' we gave
thenr one huzze, and advanced. When within 50 yards
of their entrenchment we lay down, and received their
first volley in that position ; immediately on receiving
it, away we went, at the devil's own pace, though in
very good line, regularly up to them before we gave
them a volley ; butithat was of little avail, for the en-
trenchment was so strong fleet our musket balls did not
tell as we could have wished. However, many kiss, d
mother earth, and theee who survived the first volley
did not get away (for we were all round them), but
fought like maniacs, and killed and wounded a good
many of our men over the walls and through the loop-
holes. It was no good ; a strong party was I:ft there
to knock over any fellows who might try to escape, and
away we wont, headlong, at a second entrenchment
further on, where we were also greeted with a very warm
reception. However, the Europeans very soon knocked
in the windows and doorways, and, drawing up in
front, fired such volleys into them, that very few lived
to tell the tale, and those who did get out had not time
to get far from the entrenchment, for we were all over
the place, as we were obliged to be, to screen ourselves
somewhat from the tremendous fire kept up from the
enemy's parallels. Atter taking this second entrench-
ment, and setting fire to it, away we went at the enemy's
trenches, but after advancing and firing into them for
some time, and just as we had got close up to them, they
brought out such a fire of guns, jinjals, zumbooruks,
bows and arrows, &c., upon us, that we were obliged to
fall back, en masse, upon the second entrenchment we
had taken, and when there the men, both European and
native, mounted the walls, determined that not a soul
should escape. Certainly the massacre that took place
within a taeekhana (enclosed on all sides by loopholed
walls, and entrenched all round) was something awful to
one who had never been on service before. At
this entrenchment Lieutenant Cubitt, of the 49th
Regiment of Native Infantry was shot by a
wounded man. After being sent up to camp
he survived only about seven hours. Poor fellow!
he will be a sad loss to his regiment, for a better
soldier never breathed. He was universally beloved by
his brother officers, and indeed I may say by all who
knew him. After setting fire to this entrenchment in
several places, we returned to the entrenchment we had
first taken, and this we were obliged to get scaling
ladders to take, as it was so strong. No sooner were
the scaling ladders up than Colonel Pattoun was the
first to ascend, and down he jumped, right amongst the
enemy within, when, as a matter of course, ho was
instantly cut to pieces; for these fellows, immediately
you attempt to close with them, draw their tulwars, and
they know how to use them too, as several officers and
men can say, for they have left their marks on many.
Here, too, tell Lieutenant Taylor, Quartermaster of her
Majesty's 32d Foot, and Major Montizambert, of her
Majesty's 10th Foot, besides three or four other officers
wounded. But not a man escaped, for the doors, &c.,
were burst open, and an attack from above and below
made, when every man within those walls fell a
victim to the bayonets of both Europeans and natives.
After all was over I counted 108 dead bodies, lying
about in all directions, and in the other entrenchment
there must have been 200 dead bodies, at the least, be-
sides those who had fallen in the enemy's trenches from
the effects of Mackenzie's guns and our musketry ; also
those who had been massacred on our left by Colonel
Frank's column and Bahawul Khan's men. There must
have fallen in that action, on the enemy's side, at least
500 killed and wounded; and on ours I should say about
60 at the utmost, but I cannot speak positively. There
is one great mistake, however made, and that is in not
giving Bahawu Khan's men some distinguishing differ-
ence of dreee from the men in this part of the world, for
if they do not do so we shall lose many more men and
officers than we otherwise should do. In this way Mool-
raj's men go strolling about, evidently to cut up the
officers or Europeans, and join in among our Jack
Sepoys, anti when asked who they are, they say,
• Bahawul Khan's Sepoys.' Upon this they are allowed
to ge en unmolested, and they then turn upon the
first Eiropean officer they come across, as was the
case with poor Lloyd, of the Bth Native Infantry,
yesterday. Some Europeans were going to take a shot
at a paveror some thirty of these blackguards, when
poor Lloyd saved their lives, telling the Europeans they
were Bahawul Khan's men, whereupon they let them
alone ; but no sooner were they gone than these brutes
turned upon poor Lloyd with their tulwars, and killed
him on the spot. Fortunately some Sepoys of the 49th
Regiment and Bth Regiment of Native Infantry saw
what had happened, and bayonetted them to a man, so
that they gained nothing by their treachery. After
having taken possession of the enemy's entrenched out-
posts, we immediately set to and entrenched ourselves
there, leaving three companies of her Majesty's 10th
Foot and Bth Regiment of Native Infantry in the ad-
vanced one, and some Sepoys in the rear one, with four
companies of her Majesty's 32d on our right flank, to
prevent the enemy from coming round and attacking our
flanks. In the evening four heavy guns were brought up
to the advanced post and placed in battery, and the 49th
Regiment of Native Infantry placed in the trenches com-
municating from our first parallel. All was made snug for
the night; however, at about 7 o'clock the enemy came out
its force and and made as attack upon the entrenchment,
with a view of gaining possession of it again. They
very soon found out that they could not take the place
from us, though we had taken it from them the same
morning. During the time their infantry were attacking
us in front they brought a most awful fire upon us
from the fort, city, and every place from which they
could get a gun to bear ; but we held our own, and had
only two men wounded.
" The action in the morning lasted about one hour
and three quarters, and, certainly, during that time the
vollies of muskets and matchlocks, not to mention the
whizzing of cannon-balls and zumbooruk-balls, made us
keep our eyes wide open, for fear of being knocked over
before we knew where we were.
"These men of Moofraj's are perfect fiends to fight ;
and if they go on giving us ths same work they have
done thus far, we shall not have men to do it."
The following is the latest intelligence from Gen.
Whish's camp:—

" General Whi*h's Camp, Sept. 17.
" Here we are as snug and as safe as possible, with
supplies sufficient fur the next three month. Moolraj
holds the country ; but he knows b.-ttpr than to attack
us in our entrenched' position. General Whish sent an
express to Hyderabad for troops, and here we roust re-
main till the Bombay or Sindo troops come up unless
the form's from Feruz ,pore are sufficiently strung to en-
able us to renew the attack. The enemy has got hold
of the trenches we made. Our left is on the river, where
there are three steamers."
" September 18.
_ _

"I ought to have mentioned that we are now en-
camped to the south west of the place, ani about the
tame distance as before. The position will be far better
for renewing the attack. It was not the General's fault
that the siege was raised. He was awfully deceived
as to the strength of the place by those
who ought to have obtained more correct information.
Heaven knows, they have lots of time to make inquiries,
it' not personally to observe. We have very fine weather,
and the troops are very healthy. If we had three or
snore regiments of infantry, hloultan, in my opinion,
would have been curs before this; but not without a loss
—perhaps a heavy one."

_
" Septerni'er 19.
" Yesterday a royal salute was fired from the fort.
The natives say it was to welcome in some forces sent
to Moolraj by Chuttur Singh. I have just heard, but
know not how true it may be, that the Mahomedan por-
tion of Shere Stngh's force has not gone over to Moolraj.
They have in a body, it is said, joined Cortlandt's force.
This is ♦ery probable, for the Seikhs Fever treated
them well, and now that they are boasting about their
national spirit and patriotism, they are not likely to hold
oillt any bright prospects to the Mahomedans."