The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-04 00:00:00

position on the Übhpoora, and the strategic opera-
tions to dislodge and capture them were necessarily
spread over a circumference of 30 miles, according
to the official despatch, though, if the " extreme
right and left posts were at that distance apart,"
the area must have been much greater. Before at-
tacking, Major Honnor wisely resolved to secure
the passes by which the \Vaghers, when driven from
the fort, would probably attempt to sneak off, in
accordance with their usual tactics. On the 16th ult.,
therefore, Capt. Walker, with 126 Grenadiers, was
posted in ambush eight miles on the right of the hill,
at the base of which Major Honner had encamped.
Lieut. Pym also, with about 120 sabres, was posted
at about the same distance from the centre, in Capt.
Walker's rear. On Sunday, the 18 th ult., Major Hon-
ner attacked the position. At 4 a.m. the columns
marched from their respective bivouacs, and clustered
round the base of the mountain. At dawn three
guns, the preconcerted signal, were fired from the
fort at Moorpoor, six miles distant, and the word was
given to march. Lieut. and Adjutant Lewis gallantly
led the ascent with 118 men. The enemy's third shot
struck him in rho chest. Ensign Bell was now to
the front, and manfully struggled up the hill for an
hour and a half, when the fire from a hidden breast-
work knocked over twenty-two of his men—seven
killed. The work was subsequently turned, and
the brave little band went ahead without fur-
ther serious opposition. On the left of this
party, Major Honner himself tugged up the hill
with 200 Grenadiers, to take a ruined fort half way
up the mountain. The advance of this force took
the opponents of Ensign Bell and Captain Hill in
the rear. Three times attacked, but never checked,
the men steadily advanced until, after a pull of
nearly four hours, the enemy's fort on the summit
was captured (the Grenadiers climbing in at one of
the low bastions) with but two men wounded.
Seventy men, women, and children were captured.
Beyond the ruined fort the ascent had been almost
perpendicular, Major Honner wisely avoiding the
pathway, and thus saving his men; The fort taken
was the north fort, besides which there were a
centre fort, containing the tanks and huts, and a
south fort. From the latter hundreds of families

were streaming out protected by a fire of match-
lockmen, " who stood quietly looking looking at us,
but beyond our fire (common muskets)." Pleasant,
very. We hear that our old friend, Ram Takea-
site, headed these men.

The next attack, on Major Honner's left, looking
at the hills from Bhanwar, was on the other side

of Moorpoor, and consisted of four mountain train
guns, manned by Golundauze and six or seven Grena-
diers, and each gun attended by 100 of the 14th
Native Infantry, the whole under Captain Hill. The
ascent of the hill up which these guns were dragged
Was difficult even for empty-handed men, and the
feat that was achieved in getting them into position
cannot be overrated, especially as their passage
Was somewhat hotly contested. Still further to
the left were posted Lieutenant Hallett, with 50
Grenadiers, under Lieutenant Maunsel, of the llth,
With 40 of his men. They were to assist the bona-
eltur Seebundee in taking the Dantal Hill, 12 or 14
kites from the Übhpooro. The Seebundee, how-
ever, fought shy, greatly to the disgust of their
master and his minister. In mounting the Dantal,
tinder fire the whole way, a matchlock ball, fired
from the highest peak of the Dantal, 600 yards
distant, struck and lodged in a telescope slung
at Lieutenant Hallett's back ! The extreme left
attack was conducted by Captain Anderson, with
250 of the 11th Native Infantry. This attack
became mixed up with Lieutenants Hallett and
Niaunsell's. The fire of the Arabs and Waghers
holding the Dantal being hot on the 11th, Major
Ronner despatched four guns and 100 men, under
Captain Hill, to a ridge in their rear, to draw off
their fire. The Dantal was eventually taken by a
splendid rush, in which Captain Anderson pistolled
two of the enemy himself. He was shot through
his clothes, and lost 4 killed and 14 wounded. The
endurance of the 11th was something wonderful.
They marched 45 miles in 31 hours ; next day
started again ; were under arms for 20 hours, and
marched equal to 60 miles.

By three or four o'clock in the afternoon all was
over at headquarters, the enemy stealing away
through the jungle. It was now that they fell into
Captain Walker's ambush, that officer grabbing
nearly 500. The whole operations are a model for
bash fighting. Major Honner's forethought in
Posting Captain Walker and Lieutenant Pym;
his care not to expose his men in the ascent
more than was unavoidable ; the support sent to
the 11th ; and his refusal to permit pursuit, that
Would in all probability have ended disastrously,
Hark the qualifications a commander so situate
should possess. The force engaged numbered 1,058
rhea, besides the artillery. We lost 12 killed and
44 wounded, 4of the latter having since died. No
officer was killed. The killed and wounded of the
enemy may amount to 25, the disproportion being
fully accounted for by the natural obstacles with
Which the force had to contend.

In view of the native force proceeding to China
being ordered to carry only the smooth bore mus-
ket, we recall attention to the fact, that the match-
t(leltmen " quietly stood looking at us, but beyond
our fire (common muskets)," and that Lieut. Hallett
Vas struck by a matchlock ball at a distance of
eoo yards. Persistence in the order will entail a
responsibility on government that any man or men
Ihould be unwilling to bear.