The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-06 00:00:00

L &TEST NEWS.

ARRIVAL OF THE BOMBAY MAIL.

We have received advices from Bombay to Feb.
9, in anticipation of the Overland Mail.
The following is the summary of the Overl and
Bombay Standard of Feb. 9 :
By the mail of the 23d ult., we mentioned the
arrival of Sir Hugh Rose and Sir Robt. Hamilton
at Sehore on the 10th, with the disarming of the
Gwalior Contingent, and execution of the sepoys
which followed. The moveable column having as-
sembled here in its strength, consisting of the 14th
Dragoons, 17th Dragoons, 3d Lancers, H. M.'s 86th
Foot, 3d European Regiment, 2 Companies Re-
serve, detachment Sappers and Manners, Ist or
Leslie's Troop head quarters, 4th Company Bombay
sth Company 14th
21st Company Royal
Abartttiallleioryn,
Rlsotyadlo.A,
12.tdilibearyttaalnioan,
Engineers. The general marched north-westward
through Bhopal in the direction of Saugor, and
along the line of theVindyah mountains. On the
20th they reached Bhilsa without opposition. The
siege train was a march behind ; it was escorted by a
troop of the 14th Dragoons, the 3d Madras Euro-
peans, and Bombay Sappers and Miners, with
Captain Hare's detachment of the Hyderabad Con-
tingent. The force was expected to encounter
some resistance at a strong fort called Ratghur.
On the 23d, the detachment with the guns was
ordered to push on and join the main body. They
reached camp about 1 o'clock in the afternoon, but
without their tents ; having bivouacked the follow-
ing night, they started on Monday morning under
orders to push on, as the enemy were moving out
to defend the fort by which they were expected to
cross the river. Our troops, however, forded
further down, and the insurgents thus foiled, crossed
the country, and were able to fire a volley into the
advanced gnard as they entered the town close by
the fort of Ratghur. A dragoon and native suba-
dar were killed. At 8 a.m. on the 25th, General
Rose, with his divisional staff, rode round the fort,
of which a careful reconnoisance, which cccupied
the chief part of the day, was made. It is placed
upon the pear-shaped summit of a hill, about 700
feet above the plain, the walls enclosing the entire
of the wider end. Nearly the whole is surrounded
by precipitous rocks, the only approach being by a
narrow and steep ascent along the ridge. A part of
the force made a feigned attack, when the General,
with his staff, and 3d European Regiment crept up
the narrow ridge. On the 26th the heavy guns were
placed in position, and the fire opened, while the 3d
Europeans drove the enemy from the heights. The
rebels had proclaimed that as the fort was provisioned
for a year, and was considered strong, they
were determined to maintain it to the last. On the
morning of the 28th a large body of mutineers, con-
cealed in the thick jungles around, attempted to
relieve the fort. They assailed the rear of our
camp and the vidottes guarding the right rear of
the force. They were at once attacked and driven
across the river with severe loss by Capt. Hare with
the Hyderabad Contingent. The garrison now
fairly lost heart, and two hours before daybreak on
the 29th a portion of them endeavoured to sally
out of the main gate, when they were driven back
by Capt. Lightfoot's 9-pounders. The great body
of them escaped by lowering themselves over the
walls by ropes and scrambling down the precipice.
Mahomed Fazel Khan, and another rebel Nawaub,
were hung over the gate. The utmost kindness
was shown to the women and children. Sir Hugh
Rose marched on the 30th in the direction of Saugor,
leaving Ratghur in charge of the troops of the Queen
of Bhopal, who had undertaken to keep open our
communications. The enemy were understood to be
concentrating at the village of Banda, eleven miles
in advance of Ratghur, with a view of cutting off
our communication with Mhow. They were at once
attacked and driven with loss from their position
in difficult broken ground and jungle, which they
obstinately defended. Capt. Neville, of the Royal
Engineers, who had distinguished himself in the
Crimea, and had here volunteered as aide-de-camp
to Sir Hugh Rose, was killed by a round shot.
On the 2d the force marched for Saugor, where it
arrived the following day. This fort had been
beleaguered since June, in constant fear, and not
infrequent danger. It was reached and relieved
without opposition ; upwards of one hundred
women and children being amongst the number of
those shut up. Twenty rebels were exeeuted on
the spot.

RAJPOOTANA FIELD FORCE UNDER GEN.
ROBERTS.-CAPTURE OF AWAH.

We gave in our last summary particulars of the
storming, on 6th Jan., of Rowa, near Aboo, by a
detachment under Major Raines, destined to form
a portion of the It ajpootana field force. Since then
5,00 W. worth of gold and silver coins have been
discovered in the ruins, while 15 fine caparisoned
horses were captured in the neighbourhood. We
have to trace Raines's further progress in swelling
up the detachment to the dimensions of a column,
consisting of the Bth Hussars, Ist Lancers, 11.M.'5
and 72d Highlanders, 96th Regiment, 61st Regiment,
detachment of H.M.'s 83d Regiment, 11th Com-
pany Royal Engineers, 2d Bombay Cavalry, 2d
Troop Artillery, Cap t• Aitken's Battery, Ist Coua-
-IPoantlf 2d
trains. Sending back his sick and wounded to Deesa
IB2atuttaNlioantiveArltinlflaenryt,
Artillery, Leslie's
the siege
Troop,
Major Raines resumed his march on the 10th. On
the 19th lie was joined at the village of Jaitpoora,
two miles from Awah, by a detachment from Nus-
seerabad under Col. Holmes, consisting of two
companies of the 83d, under Major Heatley, Capt.
Browne's Battery of Foot Artillery, 500 of the
Scinde Horse, two squadrons of the Ist Bombay
Lancers, and a portion of the 12th N. 1., or includ-
ing the siege Artillery from Ahmedabad, 14 guns,
840 sabres, and 1,100 bayonets. They had now
reached the town of Awah, the fortof which was said
to be garrisoned by 2,000 men. On passing near
the walls the Nusseerabad detachment was fired
upon, when Capt. Aitken's Battery, and a detach-
ment of H.M.'s 95th proceeded to their assistance
and soon compelled the enemy to withdraw within
the walls. A reconnoisance was made during the
afternoon round the fort, the enemy keeping up a
heavy lire from all points. It luckily proved
harmless, and the camp was established in the
course of the afternoon, 1,500 yards from the
walls of the fort. The defences consisted
of a mud and wattle embankment about
forty feet base, sloping upward to the height of
needy fifty feet. The wall was loop-holed for
matchlocks and jingalls, and was nearly impene-
trable either by shot or shell. This was flanked by
bastions mounting from two to three guns each.
Some twenty yards in advance of the inner wall,
was a high bank, also loop-holed, and protected by
thorns and blanches. And in advance of the whole
an abattis, constituting Awah one of the strongest
towns in Rajpootana. Colonel Holmes, on troops
being united, as senior officer took command.
He considered the place much too formidable for au
assault., and until a good breach had been established,
and on the day the forces united, mortar and howit-
zer batteries were established 1,000 yards from the
town. On the 20th and 22d, two other batteries,
six and seven hundred yards in advance, were con-
structed. That nearest the walls was armed with
two 18-pounders and two 8-inch howitzers.
The bombardment commenced on the 21st, and
continued with increased. vigour as our bat-
teries came into operation. A mortar battery was
now advanced to within 300 yards of the wall.
Preparations for breaching, with a view to ate
immediate assault, began on the 23d. Meanwhile
the storm which prevailed over the greater part of ,
India descended with terrible fury in Rajpootana.
The night was pitchy dark, the wind blew a hurri-
cane, the rain poured in torrents, and the thunder;
and lightning overmatched the roar and blaze of 1,
our artillery. In the midst of the tempest, the i
enemy managed to escape despite the chain of posts
of infantry and cavalry which had been drawn so
carefully round, that it seemed almost impossible
to evade them. Their flight was first discovered
by a portion of H.M.'s 95th concealed in riflepits '
wit hits foe ty yards of the wall. The defence, con.