The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-06 00:00:00

THE FALL OF KOTAII.

The fbllowing narrative is extracted from a letter
written by one who actually witnessed the very
curious proceedings here recounted :
" We left Bombay, where we arrived with the
Bth Hussars and 17th Lancers in the Great Bri-
tain on the 22d of January, having remained rather
more than a month in Bombay for the purpose of
procuring horses.
Well, on the 22d of January we embarked for
Mandavee, a seaport in the Gulf of Cutch. From
thence we have marched via Deesa to Kotah, a
journey which, although very much hurried at last,
occupied exactly two months. When we had arrived
at 66 miles from Kotah we received a despatch to
hasten us, and we marched up in 49 hours.
"It was on Tuesday:, the 30th March, at half-
past one in the morning, that we rode into our
camping ground before Kotah, neither men nor
horses being, as you may suppose, particularly
fresh. An order was given the commanding officer,
before the troops had dismounted, that he was to
parade his men at seven o'clock to march with the
rest of the cavalry and artillery to a ford in the
river seven miles distant, which they were to cross,
go on to the other side of the town, and form up
before the eastern gate, to prevent the rebels from
escaping should they attempt to do so. Kotah is
surrounded on one side by a broad, deep river ; on
another by a large lake, so that only two gates,
opening on a large, open plain, afforded facilities
for escape.
The town was to be bombarded in the morning.
The infantry, whom the Rajah (in a fright, now
that the English were conic) agreed to admit
through his palace gate—were to storm about 10
a.m. ; and soon after that time the cavalry were
supposed to be in readiness outside. Nothing could
have been better in theory. How it was reduced
to practice you shall see.
" The Cavalry Brigade started at 7 a.m., 1,500
strong. By some irregularity the baggage camels
Rot ahead of the column, so when the brigade ar-
rived at the ford, they found it blocked up with
these animals. After some time they were suffi-
ciently cleared away to allow the cavalry to ad-
vance, and a troop of Jacobs' Scinde Horse (very
fine, dashing fellows) went across without much
difficulty. The ford was very wide and difficult,
from its bed being composed of slabs of rock, boul-
ders, and large masses of stones. When the Bth
Hussars had begun to cross, and had got half way,
from some unaccountable cause the acting brigadier
gave the word Files about !' and when he allowed
the men to face the river again, he made them all
Amount, thereby rendering them inefficient in
case of an attack, and leaving the Scinde horse un-
supported on the opposite shore, where they waited
alone for upwards of an hour.
All eventually got across, artillery and all. And
what do you suppose he then did ? Halted the
men, and there remained ; and at two o'clock that
afternoon the rebels walked out the of eastern gate
of Kotah, hardly six miles from where the cavalry
were, and escaped clean and clear, marching off in
good order, and taking with them 600 lacs of
rupees, and guns.
" But of course,' you will say, when the officer
in command saw his error he hastened to repair it.'
On the contrary, the brigade remained where it
was all that day and night. Next morning it made
an entry worthy
.of Bombastes into Kotah, and
returned to the original halting place by the ford.
The next afternoon, at four oclock, 52 hours after
the mutineers had had a clear start, a small flying
column was sent, in full marching ordcr, on jaded
horses, in pursuit.
" This column is just now returned, after an
absence of 11 days. Of course they did not over-
take the enemy, although they traced them by the
dead bodies of men and women whom they mur-
dered in the villages, as they passed through into
Gwalior.

" Owing to an alarm raised in the night by the
inhabitants of alarge village,which they plunuered,
of ' The English are coming !' the flying rebels
hastily resumed their march, leaving behind eight
guns, ammunition, and some wounded, which fell
into our hands.

"The Bth Hussars feel most deeply, in common
with the rest of the cavalry, the part they have
been made to play. After a long and harassing
march, exposed to the great heat of the sun, in
spite of fatigue, without sleep or food for man or
horse, the Bth Hussars marched willingly and
cheerfully into action, as they suppo.,ed, but were
checked at the moment when they might have
achieved a brilliant and easy success, without any
apparent reason or obstacle.
"We hope soon to move into cantonments at
Neemuch or Nusserabad, where we fear we shall

have to pass the rainy season in tents, all the bun-
galows having been destroyed. The climate of
India is very trying, especially to us, who, being
under canvass, have no palliation. We have some
beautiful horses, who seem to be the real ' Children
of the Sun.'
" Kotah, Rajpootanah, April 14, I 858."