The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-07 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JAN. 7, 1858.

This will be a day of mourning throughout the
United Kingdom. The illustrious HAVELOCK is

no more. He surrendered his valued life after

having fully accomplished the noble task to which

he had devoted all his energies, and for which he
eventually sacrificed his existence. It was not on
the tented field, opposed to the overwhelming

odds which he had so frequently and su trium-

phantly encountered, that the hero perished.
. .

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Such an end would have been that which he would

most probably have desired. lie succumbed to
the incessant fatigue, exposure, and anxiety, which

he had experienced during his unparalleled
march, and succession of victories. But his

end was not the less glorious on that account,
and he must have died happy in the consciousness

of having faithfully and efficiently discharged the
arduous duties that devolved upon him, and of

having rescued the gallant garrison and the help-
less fugitives at Lucknow from a -late far more

terrible than even death itself. He did not sur-

vive to receive the rewards bestowed on him by

his grateful country, or even to know that he had

been nominated a K.C.B. and a Baronet appointed
to the command of a distinguished Regiment, or en.

doomed with a Pension by the Parliament of his
native land. His gallant spirit had winged its flight
before the matter had been ventilated in either
House, or before Ministers had extended their
inadequate proposition for continuing the trifling
pension, not only during the precarious life Of
the distinguished father, but for that of one well

calculated to sustain the honour of his name—

the son, who was severely wounded at the relies

of Lucknow.

All England will sympathise with the bereaved
widow. We trust that the national gratitude
may be suitably and adequately displayed. A
monument in Westminster Abbey has been fully
earned, and seldom has one been erected with
more universal assent. But we must think not
only of the dead, but of the living. We can
only show our just appreciation of the departed
hero, by the conduct displayed towards
his surviving family. Had Sir HENRY HAVE-
LOCK received his deserts, he would have
been elevated to the peerage, with a pension of at
least 2,0001. per annum to his two successors in
the title. His widow would thus be a peeress.
We can at all events repair that deficiency. There
is no possible reason why Lady HAVELOCK may
not be created a peeress in her own right, with
the pension that should have been granted
to her husband, and remainder to her
two immediate successors. This, at least,
is her due, and although there might have been
no azure blood in the ♦eins of the deceased Ge-
neral, the nation expects that the debt will be
fully and completely liquidated.
Nor is the deplorable death of General HAVE
LOCK—a loss equal to 5,000 men—the only bad
news, " The British troops had been defeated—
for the first time—in a pitched battle, with the
total luss of their tents and baggage, and a fear-
ful destruction of life. The affair took place on the
27th November, near Cawnpore, between General
WINDHAM and his division, consisting of the G4th,
82d, and 88th, and the Gwalior mutineers.
After a fierce contest our troops were compelled
to retreat with the loss of their tents, &c., which
were subsequently burnt by the rebels. The
64th were reported to be nearly cut up."
This is indeed a change. It is true that the
odds were greatly against us. We had about
2,000 men, whilst the mutineers had more than
four times the number, thoroughly organised and
disciplined with a strong park of artillery, and
everything calculated to enable them to take the
field under the most favourable circumstances—
that there should have been a temporary failure
even under so daring a commander as General

WINDHAM cannot be considered as surprising.
We have, however, been so accustomed to vic-
bries against any number, that it may be
thought more of than it deserves. We
must recollect that these men had every
advantage belonging to our own soldiers,
and we should not depreciate the Hero
of the Redan because he has been unable to com-
mand success, although he unquestionably de-

served it.
The disaster, for as such it must be regarded,
was promptly and effectually avenged ! No
sooner did Sir COLIN Cearximat. hear of it than he
marched from Lucknow, encountered the rebels,
whom he decisively defeated, capturing 16
guns, 26 carriages of different sorts, an
immense quantity of ammunition, stores, grain,
bullocks, and the whole of their baggage. Our
own .loss was fortunately numerically trifling.
But one officer, Lieut. SALMON, was killed.
The fugitives from Lucknow—women, chil-
dren, sick, and wounded, had arrived safely at
Allahabad. They aro now therefore placed be-
yond any reasonable anticipation of danger, and
the entire community will rejoice at their escape
after the terrible ordeal they have encountered,
the detailed account whereof, from the pen
of Brigadier INGLIS, we are told, appeared
in the Calcutta Gazette. It is said that the pri-
vations and sufferings endured by the garrison,
and more especially by the ladies, were fearful,
and we can lend easy credence to the statement.
A few days will now give it to the public, and
we shall await the interesting details with Consi-
derable anxiety.
Six regiment 3, the Bth, 87th,
High-
landers, 7th79th
ussars 2d Dragoon Guards, and
3fl Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, together with a
detachment of Artillery' had:
aarrived
or
how at
It is, however, impos;itle
to say when their ser-
vices will be rendered availa
long they
may be detained at he d
a -quarter. through
the
lamentable deficiency of preparation
on the part of
the Executive. If suitable :arrangements had
been made Sir COLIN CAMPBELL would long since
have been enabled to enter on a regular campaign
for the subjugation of Oude. If that be delayed,
it is the Governor-General and his Council, and
not the Commander-in-Chief or the military
authorities, who are to be blamed.
Sad as the intelligence has been, especially so
far as relates to the doath of the truly noble
HAVELOCK, there is nothing to occasion any well
founded apprehension respecting the ultimate re -