The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-13 00:00:00

IRE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY

fusion. They were pursued for 14 miles along the
Calpee road, and lost all their guns except eight,
all their battery carts, waggons, ammunition
stores, grain, bullocks. and baggage. But one
officer was killed, Lieut. Salmond, aide-de-camp
to General Grant, and the loss in men was not
great. We captured one 18-pounder gun with
limber, eight 9-pounder guns with limber, nine 9-
pounder waggons, one 9-pounder carriage, two
24-pounderhowitzers with limber, one 24-pounder,
one 24-pounder waggon, one 24-pounder spare
carriage, one transport cart with gin, three 18-
pounder limbers, eleven store carts, three 8-inch
mortars, two sk-inch mortars-total, 16 pieces of
ordnance, and 26 carriages of different sorts.
The Commander-in-Chief holds the lives of his
soldiers dear, and never expends a man where a
bullet will serve his turn. The victory is the most
decisive of the war. Ten thousand men must have
escaped, but without guns they are paralysed, and
the loss of the baggage will irritate the armed,
half-disciplined scoundrels who form the bulk of
the force against each other. It completely clears
the road up to Cawnpore, and leaves Sir Colin
Campbell time and means to reorganise his force.
Meanwhile Jung Bahadoor has descended from his
mountains with 9,000 picked men. He has passed
S,gowlee, and is marching straight for Goruck-
pore. His men are much more than a match for
Sepoys, and after clearing that district he will
probably turn southward and attack the rebels
who have flooded Azimghur. Colonel Longden,
who was just holding his ground there, has been
compelled to retreat by a large force, report says
of 20,000 men, and no Europeans can be spared.
I say none, for there is, I fear, some delusion at
home. as to the actual strength of our European
army. We have, no doubt, a splendid foree on
paper-no less than 36 regiments of Infantry,
four of Cavalry, and most of the Royal Artillery.
But the entire force, rely on it, does not repre-
sent more than 25,000 effective men. Thus, we
have the 82d, 34th, 88th, 93d, 10th, 37th, 35th,
97th, 53d, 29th, 38th, 42d, 54th, 72d, 19th,
20th, 27th, 70th, 87th;24th, 52d, Bth, 76th, 61st,
84th, 64th, 78th, sth, 90th, 32d, Ist Co.'s
Bengal Europeans, 2d Co.'s Bengal Europeans,
3d Company's Bengal Europeans, Ist Madras
Fusileers, and the 2d, 6th, Bth, and 9th Cavalry ;
but the 27th, 70th, and 87th at Peshawur have
been reduced by sickness to about 900 effectives.
The 24th, at Umritsur, is not 350 strong. The
Bth, 52d, 75th, 61st, 60th, and two Bengal Eu-
ropeans passed through the siege of Delhi, and do
not average 300 men a regiment. The 3d Bengal
Europeans, at Agra, are reduced one-half. The
32d, 84th, 64th, 78th, and Madras Fusileers
were in Lucknow and cannot average 300 men.
The Fusileers at one time had not an unwounded
man. The sth and 90th, which advanced with
Sir H. Havelock, suffered awfully, the sth in par-
ticular. The 23d, 82d, 34th, 88th, 64th, 93d,
37th, and 64th have suffered more or less, three
of them very severely indeed. There are only
about 5,000 moro to arrive, so that if we can
collect 28,000 men in Bengal it will be as much
as we can do. This force, supposing even that
Sir John Lawrence holds his own kingdom with
the forces at Kurrachee. has to do work which I
may thus summarize. It has to conquer Oude,
defended by 60,000 soldiers, aided by the armed
" budmashes" or bravoes, numbering 20,000
more. It has to conquer the North-West, now
overrun by armed ruffians animated by the bit-
terest hate. It has to garrison a country as large
as Austria, filled with armed men. It has to
protect Bengal, a country 10,000 square miles
larger than Great Britain. It has to garrison
Calcutta. It has to watch 20,000 disarmed but
unpunished sepoys. It has to restore our autho-
rity in Eastern Bengal, lost by events I am about
to narrate. And all this time it is losing numbers
at the rate of 150 per battle, or about 30 per
week, exclusive of the losses caused by sickness
and drinking, which at Calcutta at least are

fearful.
"Turn we to Bengal Proper. On the 18th o.
Nov. the 3 companies of the 34th at Chittagong
roke out, as I told you, burnt their lines, blewg
up the magazines, plundered the treasury, and
commenced a search for the Europeans. The
latter escaped, chiefly in boats upon the river. The
would-be murderers, sadly disappointed, released
the convicts, turned them into pack-horaea, and de-
camped. They moved steadily northward, and,
finding their progress impeded by the women and
sick, murdered them and pressed on. It seems
certain that their object is Tipperah, where a local
Rajah keeps his Court. To him they will offer
the sovereignty of Tipperah and Chittagong, and
with his forces return to plunder Comillah. Fail-
ing his assent, they will strike northward, for
Nepaul. The whole of this plan is so unlike
Sepoys that it seems purely absurd. It is, how-
ever, the story related by a doyen or two of the
convicts who have escaped, and have been caught
by different magistrates in different districts. The
magistrate of Chittagong, with some forethought,
sent an express, announcing the mutiny to Dacca,.
It was immediately arranged to disarm the two
companies of the 73d Native Infantry there sta-
tioned. Unfortunately the Sepoys heard of the
mutiny even before the Europeans. They were,
consequently, prepared. The European volun-
teers were ordered under arms, and on the 30th
of November the work commenced. The volun-
teers disarmed all the scattered guards without
resistance. A body of 100 English sailors then
approached the Sepoy barracks, and the Lieute-
nant in command of the Sepoys advanced. He
was immediately shot, and the Sepoys began to
work two find 6-pounders, which had been left in
charge of 26 native artillerymen. The sailors
also had two howitzers. The Sepoys opened a
terrible fire of grape from the guns and of mus-
ketry from the barracks, the verandahs of which
they had loopholed. The sailors became exas-
perated, left the guns, and dashed sword in hand
up the mound on which the barrack is built.
They were received with a warm fire ; but they
were Europeans, and the Sepoys were driven
headlong out of the barracks. Forty-one were
killed on the spot, and of the 136 who got away
many are supposed to be wounded. This body in-
, stantly began its march for the head-quarters of the
regiment at Julpigoree, 60 miles north of Dinaj-
pore. The greatest alarm was felt lest they should
attack the stations en route, as there is not in
Bengal any station which could resist 1.00 men.
As yet, however, they have avoided them, and
contented themselves with plundering the villages
in their road. The planters turned out armed,
but they are too few to do more than stand on the
defensive, and the rearch of the ruffians is unop-
posed. Meanwhile the question arose whether
the Julpigoree regiment, toe 73d, would not also
revolt. Strange to say it did not. Colonel
Sherer, a man of the bureau only, has from the
first to last displayed extraordinary julonent. He
told the men frankly what had occurred, struck
the companies off the regiment, gave the promo-
tions, and called on them to attack their comrades.
They assented and went out, European officers arid
all. Nothing further is yet known, or can be for
a day or two. If the men remain firm all is well.
They are, however, accompanied by a body of
Mussulman cavalry, and the latter are known to
be always disaffected. If they turn, God help the
officers, for vain is the help of man. Dinajpore
would in that ease be their route, and it contains
amegu who
whoithdi:oo life convicts, and a Nujeeb guard,
say their conduct depends on the
olonmfaenttoryt.he
worst
73d,, antoiwve
The Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal,partof
though the
a story.
a u
with a strong predilection for Mussulmans, is by
no means inclined to see his districts ruined.
A month ago he implored Lord Canning to send
some Europeans—a company would suffice—
to Chittagong, to disarm the 34th. There were
eight or ten steamers in the river. The dis-
tance is a three days' run, with a fine harbour
at the end. Lord Canning peremptorily refused.
He was then asked to disarm the 73d at Dacca.
He refused again, though when the mischief had
been done he sent 400 Rifles to Dacca in a swift
steamer in six days. He has again been besought
to send Europeans to Julpigoree, and has again
refused- In the last case he is
possibly in the
right, as the men would, perhaps, break out,
expecting
to be slaughtered. The former cases,
however, are without excuse, and resemble those

acts which our forefathers used to interpret as

proofs of 'judicial blindness.' It was the same with
the Dinapore mutiny, but nothing can teach this
_ .

Administration. If Bengal were lost to-morrow,
they would consider that to suppceas an account of
the facts was to suppress the mutiny itself. As it

is, we have Eastern Bengal and its revenue in

danger. One hundred men, half sailors, have gone
from Bhaugulpore to Purneah, and a force of in-
valids, I hear, has been ordered down to Darjeel-
ing. Chittagong and Akyab also have each received
100 sailors after the mutiny. The papers, of course,

scarcely venture to remark that all these disasters
might have been prevented.
" The arrangements for the transmission of
troops to the North-West are improving. The
daily rate now sent is 300 men, and this may be in-
creased. The Government is still, however, averse

to compulsion, and if zemindars asked to send carts
do not send them there is no punishment. I know

one great man asked for 100 who has never sent
one, or answered the letter. The Government will
not irritate native feeling. As a consequence two
addresses are now being hawked about among the
Baboos, extolling the Government to the skies for
not making any difference between them and the
Europeans. They will soon be presented, but I
hear efforts are being made to keep them back.
" I enclose the pension order. It is the only de-
cisive thing Government has done in the campaign.
All the mutinous regiments are struck off the
pension list. The disarmed regiments, however,

are not.
" I enclose, also, the Lucknow despatches. Any
comment of mine upon them would be impertinent ;
no such record has been published in this world
since the facts of the siege of Londonderry were first
announced to William 111. All India waits eagerly
to hear the expression of national feeling at home
upon deeds which will raise our name as long
as the English language shall endure. The order
of the Governor-General is excellently toned, but
you will notice that it is the natives who receive
the highest rewards. You see, also, that the
order anticipates the decision of the Home tir overn-
meat by retiabilitating a native regiment of the
line.' lam inclined to believe, though I do not
know, that orders are being sent out designed to
frustrate the action of Parliament as much as pos-
sible, by pledging Government to acts from which
it cannot recede. Thus all the Sikh levies have
been permanently officered. Moreover, the list of
promotion is out, which I enclose. You will ob-
serve that the fiction of a Bengal army is still kept
up. Not one regiment has been blotted out, even
for crimes which have made Europe ring. As I
have repeatedly told you, the policy here is con-
ciliation,' and that dictated the clemency order,
the disarming theories, and the exemption of Delhi
from punishment. The property in that city was
declared by General Wilson to be prize, and the in-
habitants suffered to redeem it on payment of a
million sterling. The Government of India have
cancelled the order, and declared that Delhi is not
prize, and given the troops six months' batta, or
about 50/. to a subaltern and 41. to a soldier. The
arrangement will cause very great discontent, the
siege having lasted six months and been frightfully
destructive to life and health.
"It is not often I turn your columns into beg-
ging letters. I hope, however, you will permit me
to point out one object which appears to have es-
caped the notice of the nation. I allude to Mrs.
Willoughby, the mother of the young hero who, by
blowing up the Delhi magazine, struck the keynote
of our glorious resistance to the foe. This lady was
entirely dependent on her son and his brother, who
perished immediately after. She has been suffered
to remain for six months at Landour in such dis-
tress that the Relief Committee the other day sent
up 1001. to her. Under the compensation order
she may possibly, by special application, receive a
pension, as if she had been a subaltern's widow.
"P. S. I have just been told that as the full tide
of the rebels poured into the evacuated Residency
at Lucknow it was blown up. Hundreds of ruffians
were shattered to pieces. The deed was performed
by two European soldiers, who it is feared sacr'
ficed themselves in the attempt.

"DEC. 11.
"The following telegram has been received :
" 'lt is reported that 50 men of the 73d have
deserted in a body, but without bloodshed.' "

bourhood of so much wealh and Europ m
ean woen I
and children. By the byet, something of the sort
will, I suppose, be ordered to be done—of course
like all Clemency Canning's measures, when too
late. The scoundrels are openly boasting that they
can be off when they like ; and when they bolt,
having no cavalry to pursue, no Europeans could
catch men who are light and active as monkeys—
perhaps tigers would be a more suitable comparison.
I saw a letter yesterday from Julpigoree, where
there is another, and I believe the last armed com-
pany of loyal Sepoys. The writer says :—" They
have not mutinied yet, and keep loyal and in good
humour. We play at cricket with them every clay
with revolvers in our belts." I need say nothing

on this.
Now, it appears there are two things for John
Bull to do—first, to give up. bragging about the
army of retribution he has sent, and to lose no time
in sending another. His boasted army is all here,
or nearly so. Calcutta swarms with soldiers, reel-
ing about the streets under the influence of cheap
grog, or rolling in the gutters, to be robbed there
by cowardly natives of their hard-won Crimean
medals. Yet, all included, we have not between
Ithis and Allahabad 20,000 men. I doubt if Sir
Colin will ever be able to head this force. He must
see his danger, as two steamers are to leave imme-
diately for the Cape for troops. If our army were
diubled there would be work for it just now, and
we shall require annual supplies of 10,000 men to
make up for the ravages of war and disease. Re-
collect, we have a rebel army to oppose of 100,000
men, well trained and disciplined by ourselves, be-
sides hordes of armed fighting men from Oude, the
hotbed from which our rebel Sepoys sprung. Se-
poys ! The name revolts us, and as I sea the grin-
ning scoundrels strutting up and down, ramrod in
hind, playing sentry before Government House
and the Treasury, as if on purpose to disgrace the
sturdy armed European at his side, who really
guards the buildings, I turn from him with loath-
ing hatred.
The second thing for John Bull to do is to recal
Lord Canning. The Times-serving Times has been
hitherto throwing dust in his eyes, but he is begin-
ning to see at last. Of one thing I can assure him
—his lordship has no friends here. There is but one
opinion ; go where you will, from the dinner table
of the big wigs to the merchant's office, he is never
mentioned but with dislike and derision, furious
denunciation, or cool contempt. The petition sent
home against him was not the work of a clique, as
some would have you suppose; it was eagerly signed
by all who knew it was going forward, and had it
b-en publicly put forth (which it was not thought
expedient to do) I will engage that it would have'
been signed by 99 per cent. of the English in India.
You may not agree with me in this, but I can as-
sure I only repeat the common sentiment here.
Wavering and undecided, yet obstinate when he
does decide—always deciding either wrongly or too
late—rejecting all advice at first to act upon the
worst afterwards, he is the very man to lose India
for you. We want a bold, quick man and a
soldier. His very exercise of justice (and he is a
very just man) is questionable; whether in the
treatment of the mutineers, or the distribution of
prize money, he contrives to blunder. Ido not
know what the people at home may say to the
' Delhi prize money' proclamation, but I know what
our allies, the Sikhs, will say, who only forsook the
eepoys because they would not let them share their
loot.' I'hoae Sikhs will give ns trouble yet, loyal
as they at present appear.
" DEC. 9.—We 'save a success to chronicle, and a
most complete one too. Sir Colin (if we may trust
the telegram) has given the rebels who hemmed him
in, when hampered with women and children, a
most complete drubbing, chased them for 16 miles,
taken their guns, ammunition, carriages, cattle,
baggage (N.B. a sepoy'a baggage is a brass pot, a
lotak—or as Mr. Disraeli will have it, a lotus)—
and a hookah. Our loss, he says, has been in-
significant. God grant this may but be the first of
a series of such victories. I have also seen. letters
from Benares ; the rebels have not reached the
place, and. the panic there seems subsiding. The
women and children from Lucknow are also said to
have reached Allahabad. Letters from head-quar.
ters speak in terms of unqualified praise of the
heroism shown by our countrywomen throughout
the dreadful siege. The garrison is stated to have
been mined more than once—often so close to
their assailants as to hear all that was said,
and to be obliged to have recourse to all sorts
of devices to conceal the smallness of their num-
bers. Yet our noble-hearted countrywomen—
and. let England be proud of them—never flinched.
and devoted themselves most nobly to the care of
the wounded—many of whom, unfortunately, were
the poor little children, who were part of the ap-
parently devoted garrison. Next mail will take
home some stirring accounts of the siege.
" It is difficult to write a fair letter, as the events
of one day oblige us to cancel what we had written
the day before, so rapidly do events, hopes, and
fears succeed each other. This must be evident to
you from what I have scribbled above, but I prefer
sending it as it is, written in ignorance of tne future,
to sending you a letter written after the event,
proving myself to be a perfect prophet.
"DEC. 10.—We have all been electrified this
morning by the publication of the dispatches from
Brigadier Inglis, giving s thrilling account of the
heroic defence of Lucknow. It sends the blood
bounding through one's veins to listen to the tale
of unsurpassed bravery. The defence of Lucknow
must ever stand foremost throughout the world as
a brilliant instance of cool, devoted courage, and
patient endurance,"unsurpassed, if not unequalled,
in history ; and that the garrison should have been
relieved at all seems little short of miraculous.
" Had the mail left on the 7th, as originally in-
tended, gloomy indeed would have been the accounts
you would have received. Its detention enables
us to speak of the relief of Neemuch, and the ap-
parently complete discomfiture of the rebels in that
quarter, and 2,000 only of whom now remain
together, and who will no doubt shortly be dis-
persed ; our loss, about 70 rank and file, and 7 or
8 officers.
"The Julpigoree sepoys have bolted with their
arms. I every day expect to hear of the Barrack-
pore sepoys following in their steps.
" DEC.ll.—lhave kept this back to send by
after-packet. News was in town last night that
General Hope Grant had followed up the Gwalior
Contingent rebels wi ththe9thLl
their stores,ancers,andattackedcarts
re the with cavalry and amrtainllerhyimatseSlfe.rajgThhaits,
while
crossing the Ganges, and after killing 100 in half-
wtmlritnits'ootounktollwossbigneigicnOam' p and
completely smashed.

NEEM.UCH AND MUNDESOR.
Letters and despatches have been received de
scribing with sufficient fulness the operations at
Neemuch and Mundesor. The details of the last
fight with the rebels at the last-mentioned place are
interesting. After the skirmish in front of the town
the column under Brigadier Stuart marched up the
Neemuch road and encamped, so as to cut off the
enemy's communication. The march from thence
against the enemy is described 118 beautiful to be-
hold. The line, covered by skirmishers of cavalry
infantry, extended fully a mile, the Brigadier lead-
bag in front, towards the village of Ghario, situated
in the midst of lofty trees and fertile fields. The
rebels had excellent cover in both for skirmishers,
and they availed themselves of it as our force ad-
vanced, throwing •ut men to the front, who fired
from the trees or the corn-fields as we advanced.
Our right was first engaged with the enemy, who
was speedily thrown into confusion by Capt. Hun-
gerford's guns and her Majesty's 86th, Her Ma-
jesty's 14th Light Cavalry charged at the artillery,
but were at first checked by a heavy column of
infantry rising out of hiding places before them.
Capt. flungerfo rd, however, cleared this obstacle
by a few well-directed rounds of grape. The Dm-
goons charged again, took the rebel guns, and drove
tke enemy precipitately into the village of Ghario,
the rub .1s covering their retreat with matchlock
men, who seemed to jump like squirrels from tree
to tree as our advance continued. Ghario was now
fairly surrounded, but at the same time the rebel
garrison of Mundesor was rapidly approaching our
rear, where lay our stores, our sick, wounded, and
upwards of 70 prisoners, under an escort of the
Malwa Contingent. The native officer in command,
feeling the neceSsity of action, and perceiving that
the rebels would attack before aid could arrive from
Brigadier Stuart, ordered all the prisoners to be
shot, which was done. The sick and slightly
wounded took up what arms they could and awaited
the attack. Lieut. Matlock, of the Bengal Artillery,
with a couple of gunners and a sub-division of
Madras Sappers and Miners, came up just in time
to open on the rebels with an 8-inch howitzer,
which did considerable- execution, and checkwl
their advance until Captain Sinclair's battery, with
a suitable number of infantry and cavalry, came
up from the front, attacked them, and drove them
rapidly back into Mundesor.
Ghario in the meanwhile obstinately resisted.
Captain Hungerford battered it on the north of our
line, Captain Woolcombe on the south. The 86th,
with the Enfield, dealt deadly destruction on the
rebels, and vast numbers fell in the village without
inducing the remainder to yield. Night came, and
the rebels still held out. It was not till morning
that 150 men, the remnant of upwards of 2,000,
who had been surrounded, gave themselves up as
prisoners. Our casualties were :—Major Boileau,
field engineer, slightly wounded ; Lieut. Red-
mayne, 16th Dragoons, killed, and three privates
wounded ; 86th, three killed, and nine wounded ;
the 25th Bombay Native lof-kntry, six killed, and
two offs sera and 19 men wounded, and a few of
the Hyderabad Contingent killed and wounded.
Such was the affair of Ghario, which seems to have