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

THE ATTACK ON THE OUT-
WORKS OF MOULT AN.
The most graphic account of this attack is to be
found in the annexed letter from the Delhi Gazette
of the 23d of September :
" Camp, before 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 ouiesecond 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 32d 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 Colonel Franks, the whole under the corn-
mind 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 wore
drawn up in line. At the word Forward,' we gave
them one huzza, 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, al 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 that our musket-balls did not
tell as we could have wished. However, many kissed
mother earth, and those 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 left there
to knock over any fellows who might try to escape, and
away we went, 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. After 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, ea 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. Alter being sent up to camp
he survived only about seven hours. Poor fellow!
he will be a sad less 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, he was
instantly cut to pit ces; for these fellows, immediately
you attempt to close with them, draw their tulwari, 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, fell Lieutenant Taylor, Quartermaster of her
Majesty's 32d Foot, and Major Montizambert, of her
Majesty's 10th F. ot,. 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 nativ.,s.
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 oar musketry ; also
those who had bt en 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 ilahawu men some distinguishing differ-
ence of dres3 from the men in this part of the world, for
if they do not do so wa 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, and when asked wlio they are, they say,
Bahawul Khan's Sepoys.' Upon this they are allowed
to go on uninole,ttd, and they then turn upon the
first European officer they come across, as was the
case with poor Lloyd, of the Sth Native Infantry,
yesterday. Some Europeans were going to take a shot
at a party of some thirty of these blackguards, when
poor Lloyd saved their lives, telling the Europeans they
were Bahawul Khan's men, whareepon they let them
atone ; hut no sooner were they gone than these bruta-s
turned upon poor Lloyd with their tulwars, and kdlnt
him on the spot. Fortunately some Sepoys of the 49th
Regiment and 8,11 it giment of Native Infantry saw
what had happened, and bayonetted them to a mmn, so
that they gained nothing by their treachery. After
having taken possessio❑ of the enemy's entrenched out-
posts, we immediately set to and entrenched ourselves
there, leaving three companies of her Majesty's 10th
Foot an.' 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 ev,ming, four heavy guns were brought up
to the advanced post and placed in battery, and the 49th
Rergiment 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
in force and and made an 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 qtarters, 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 oyes wide open, for fear of being knocked over
before we knew where we were.

" These men of Mookaj's are perfect fiends to fight ;
and if they go on giving us th same work they have
done thus far, we shall not have men to do it."

The following is the latest intelligence from Gem
Whish's camp :

" General Whish's Camp, Sept. 17.
"Here we are as snug end as safe as possible, with
supplies sufficient for the next three months. Moolraj
bolds the country ; but he knows better than to attack
us in our entrenched' position. General 'MIA sent an
express to Hyderabad for troops, and here we must re-
main till the Bombay or Sinde troops come up unless
the forces from Ferozapore are sufficiently strong 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

"I ought to have mentioned that we are now en-
camped to the south-west of the place, and about the
same 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 haie obtained more correct information.
Heaven knows, they have lots of time to make inquiries,
if not personally to observe. We have very fine weather,
and the troops are very healthy. If we had three or
more regiments of infantry, Moulton, in my opinion,
would have been ours before this; but not without a loss
—perhaps a heavy one."

" September 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 Singh's force has not gone over to Moolraj.
They have in a body, it is said, joined Cortlandt's force.
This is very probable, for the Seikhs never treated
them well, and now that they are boasting about their
national spirit rad patriotism, they are not likely to hold
out any bright prospects to the Mahomodans.”

MUNICIPAL tIECTIONS.
LIVERPOOL.—In St. Paul's ward,yesterday,
candidates were equal; Everten F both
James Thompson; Vauxhall, T.L. Idhrd; Scotland,
Exchange,
Thomas Littledale; Castle street, it W
arstreet
Lim George
Peter's, James Ferguson; Pitt-street, Theniasi
Robinson;tbo; 8t
Great George, Thomas Wagstaff; Rod„
, Lime-street
y.
Booker; Abercromby-strtet, Hugh Neil;
James Johnson; St. Ann's, Thomas Poole; West Derby,ret
James Beckwith; South Toxteth, E. C. Hindley; North
Toxteth, W. Fisher. The contest was not, as heretofore,
Whig and Tory. It lay entirely on the point of ratisg
the docks. Amongst the parties thrown out are Messrs.
Earle and Rathbone.
MANCHESTER.—The following is the result of the
elections yesterday:—Collegiate ward, Mr. W. Thack-
ray; St. Clement's ward, Mr. B. Nichols; Oxford-road
ward, Mr. B. Fothergill; St. James's ward, Mr. James
Watts; Exchange ward, Mr. J. Hibbert, 207, Mr. S.
Berrry, 169; St. Michael's ward, Mr. T. Slater, 205,
Mr. H. Milner, 163; All Saints ward, Mr. Barnes, 270,
Mr. Bundle, 250; St.. Luke's ward, Mr. W. Clark, 366,
Mr. W. Middleton, 228; St. George's ward, Mr. J. R.
White, 219, Mr. Green, 159; Medlock-street ward, Mr.
T. Taylor, 258, Mr. Dewsberry, 239; Ardwick ward,
Mr. J. Thompson, 211, Mr. R. Riding, 87; Chatham
ward, Mr. Wareing, 241. Mr. Milne, 131; N- w Cross
ward, Mr. J. flow3r i, 270, Mr. Middleton, 245, Mr.
Willis., 101, Mr. Mitchell, 69; St. Ann's ward, Mr. S.
Fletcher, 257, Mr. bei.n,tt, 104, Mr. Maskell, 15.
BILMINGHAM.—The usual annual election of town
councillors took place yesterday. There were only
three wards contested, and in two of these the contests
were far from being severe. In Doritend and Bordeslay
Mr. Potter (Conservative) and Mr. Harlow() (Whig)
were opposed by Messrs. Truercan and Rawlings (Whig-
Radical). The former were returned by
.large majori-
ties. In Duddeston-cum•Nichells the triumph of the
Whig candidates, Messrs. Cracklow and Gwyther, over
their Radical competitors, Messrs. Page and Atkinson,
was still more complete. The defeated were completely
distanced. The most interesting election was in St.
Peter's ward, where Mr. Shacks!, a Conservative, and