The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-29 00:00:00

No. 1.

GENERAL ORDER BY THEN
COU N GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA
ICIL.
Fort William, December 24, 1857.
No. 1,649 of 1857.
The Right Hon. the Governor-General in Connell is
pleased to direct the publication of the accompanying de-
spatches lately received from the head-quarters of the
army.
These papers contain accounts of the safe conveyance of
the women and children, sick and wounded of the garrison
of Lucknow across the Ganges : of the resistance by Major-
General Windham to a well-organized and desperate
attack on his position at Cawnpore by a large body of
rebels ; arid of the subsequent defeat and utter rout of the
insurgents by thetroops under the immediate direction of
his-Excellency the Commander-in-Chief.
Throughout these operations all branches of the service
vied with each other in enhancing the glorious name which
the contests of the last few months have secured for the
British army in India.
As regards the operations of the 6th, the masterly gui-
danoe of the Commander-in-Chief has been scarcely less
conspicuous at Cawnpore than it was at Lucknow; each
disposition and movement of his forces, fitting into one
complete and effective scheme, proof against all disturbance
by the chance of the day of battle. General Sir Colin
Campbell has added largely to the heavy claim which he
holds upon the gratitude and confidence of the Govern-
ment, and of the soldiers whom he leads to victory. In
two hours the camp of the rebels was reached and taken,
and their rout complete ; seventeen guns, and a large
amount of stores and ammunition falling into the hands
of the British Force.
His Lordship in Council desires to record his apprecia-
tion of the admirable manner in which Brigadier-General
Hope Grant, C. 8., has executed the duties of his division,
and particularly of his exertions in pursuit of the enemy
on the 6th, and his operations on the Bth and 9th Dec., on
which occasion he took 15 of the enemy's guns without the
loss of one man.
On this, as on every occasion in which danger was to be
faced and difficulty overcome, Captain Peel, R.N., com-
manding the Naval Brigade, was foremost in intrepidity
and resource.
Lieut. Vaughan and the other officers and men of
H.M.S. Shannon are worthy of their brave commander ;
and it is a pleasure to the Governor-General in Council to
declare his warm admiration of their conduct.
The Governor-General in Council very cordially concurs
in the praise sojustly bestowed by the Commander-in-Chief
on the general officers commanding divisions, on Major
General Mansfield, chief of the staff, and on all the officers
of the general staff in all its branches and the personal staff,
and officers commanding brigades and regiments, troops
and batteries. In the commendation given by his Excel-
lency to officers of every arm of the service, the Governor-
General in Council most heartily joins.
To all officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, en-
gaged in the defence of Cawnpore, or in the attack on the
enemy's position, the Governor-General in Council offers
his cordial thanks for their gallantry and good service to
the State.
It will be his pleasing duty to take the first opportunity
of bringing their merits to the favourable notice of her
Majesty's Government, and of the Honourable Court of
Directors.

R. J. H. BIRCH, Colonel,
Secretary to the Government of India,
in the Military Department.

No. 2.
The Commander-in-Chief to the Governor-General.
Head Quarters, Camp, Ca wnpore,
Dec 2d, 1857.
My Lorl,—ln accordance with the instructions of your
lordship, arrangements were finally made with Sir James
Outrana, that his division, made up to four thousand (4,000)
strong of all arms, should remain in position before Luck-
sow.

This position includes the Post of Alumbagh, his stand-
ing camp, of which the front is fifteen hundred (1,509)
yards in the rear of that post, and the bridge of Bunnee,
whi oh is held by four hundred (400) Madras sepoys, and

two (2) guns.
On the 27th I marched with Brigadier-General Grant's
division, all the ladies and families who had heen rescued
from Lucknow, and the wounded of both forces, making in
all about 2,000 people, whom it was necessary to carry;
and encamped the evening of that day a little beyond
Bunnee-bridge.
The long train did not reach completely and ale into
camp until after midnight.
When we arrived at Bunnee, we were surprised to hear
very heavy firing in the direction of Cawnpore. No news
had reached me from that place for several days ; but it
appeared necessary, whatever the inconvenience, to press
forward as quickly as possible.
The march accordingly re-commenced at 9 a.m. the next
morning, and shortly afterwards I received two or three
notes in succession --first, announcing that Cawnpore had
been attacked ; secondly, that General Windham was
hard pressed; and thirdly, that he had been obliged to
fall back from outside the city into his entrenchment.
The force was accordingly pressed forward, convoy and
all, and was encamped within three miles of the Ganges,
about three hours after dark, the rear guard coming in
with the end of the train some 21 hours afterwards.
I preceded the column of march by two or three hours,
and reached the entrenchment at dusk, where I learnt the

true state of affairs.
The retreat of the previous day had been effected with
the loss of a certain amount of camp equipage, and shortly
after my arrival, it was reported to m© that Brigadier
Carthew had retreated from a very important outpost.
AU this appeared disastrous enough, and the next dty
the city was found to be in possession of the enemy at all
points.
It. had now become necessary to proeeel with the utmost
caution to secure the bridge.
All the heavy guns attached to Gen. Grant's division,
under Capt. Peel, R.N., and Capt. Travers, R.A., were
placed in position on the left bank of the Ganges, and
directed to open fire and keep down the fire of the enemy
on the bridge.
This was done very effectually, while Brigadier Hope's
brigade, with some field artillery and cavalry, was ordered
to cross the bridge, awl take position near the 01l dra-
goon lines.
A cross fire was at the same time kept up from the en-
trenchment, to cover the march of the troops.
When darkness begaa to drawn on, the artillery par'a.s,
the wounded and the families wore ordered to file over the
bridge; and it was not till 6 o'clock p.m., the day of the
30th, that the last cart had cleared the bridge.
The passage of the force, with its encumbrances, over
the Ganges, had occupied 30 hours.
The camp now stretches from the Dragoon lines, in a
half circle round the position occupied by the late Gan.
Sir Hugh Wheeler, the Foot Artillery lines being occupied
by the wounded and the families.
A desultory fire has been kept np by the enemy on the
entrenchment and tha front of the camp since this position
was taken up, and I am obliged to submit, to the hostile
occupation of Cawnpore until the actual despatch of all
my incumbrances towards Allahabad has been effected.
However disagreeable this may be, and although it may
tend to give confidence to the enemy, it is precisely one of
those cases in which no risk must be run.
I trust, when the time has arrived for me to act with
due regard to these considerations, to see the speedy eva-
cuation of his present position by the enemy.
In the meantime, the position taken up by Brigadier-
General Grant's Division, under my immediate orders, has
restored the communications with Futtehpore and Allaha.
bad, as had been anticipated. The detachments moving
along the road from these two places have been ordered to
continue their march accordingly.
Major-General Windham's despatch, relating to the
operations conducted under his command, is inclosed.
In forwarding that document, I have only to remark,
that the complaint made by him in the second paragraph,
of not receiving instructions from me, is explained by the
fact of the letters he sent, announcing the approach of the
Gwalior Force, not having come to hand.
The first notice I had of his embarrassment was the dis-
tant sound of cannonade as above described.
All the preview' reports had declared that there was bat
little chance of the Gwalior Contingent approaching Cawn-
pore.

I have, &c.,
C, CAMPBELL, General,
r-ael,
P.S. Annexed is a return of ca hier.
iamltieras from e 2)th
ultimo to this date,

ITo. 3
Major General C. A. Windhs.m to the Commander-in
Chief,
ee. November 30, 18L7.
Cayinne
Sir,—ln giving an accroourent
cof
aizoecerings of the force
the opera.
under my command be
tions of the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29tininbsgtant, I trust
your Excellency will excuse the hasty man
is drawn up, owing to the constant demannd'sruinpevinhmiceh aitt
the present moment.
Having received, through Captain H. Bruce, of the sth
l'unjaub Cavalry, information of the movements of the
Gwalior Contingent, but having received none whatever
from your Excellency for several days from Lunicnow,
answer to my letters to the Chief of the Staff, I wail',
obliged toact for myself.
I therefore resolved to encamp my force on the canal,
ready to strike at any portion of the advancing enemy that
came within my reach, keeping at the same time my com-
munications safe with Cawnporo.
Finding that the Contingent were determined to advance,
I resolved to meet their first Division on the Pandco
Nuddee. My force consisted of about 1,200 bayonets and
8 guns and 100 mounted Sowara. Having sent my camp
equipage and baggage to the rear, I advanced to the attack
in the following order :

Four companies of the Rifle Brigade, under Colonel R
Walpole, followed by four companies of the 88th Con-1
naught Rangers, under Lieut.-Colonel E. H. Maxwell,
E
four light 6-pounder Madras gununder Chamfer an d
.;
the whole under tho command *Of Brigadier Carthew, of
the Madras Native Infantry.
Following this force was the 34th Reziment, under Lieut.
Colonel R. _Kelly, with four 9-pounder guns; the 82d Regi-
ment in reserve, with spate ammunition, &c.
I bad given directions, in the event of the enemy being
found directly in our front, and if the ground permitted,
that Brigadier Carthew should occupy the ground to the
left of the road, and that Lieutenant-Colonel Kelly, with
the 34th, divided intojwing, and supported by his artil-
lery, should take the right. It so happened, however,
that this order, on our coming into action, became eu, ly
Inverted by my directions in consequence of a sudden tuin
of the road. No confusion, howaver was caused. The
advance was made with a complete 'line of skirmi9hets
along the whole front, with supports on either side and a
reserve in the centre.
The enemy, strongly posted on the other side of the dry