The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-20 00:00:00

THE CAPTUREEOF KOTAH.

At one o'clock in the night of the 29th or morn-
ing. of the.3oth March the operations commenced.
The rationale 'of the attack was this :—There were
two columns of assault, to start simultaneously in
a direction almost from east to west, to sweep the
whole town. This plan.was adopted in preference
to any other, because it was known that the cen-
tral street of the- town, was mined, or sprinkled
with explosive materials likely t o do our troops a
Serious injury. At about 12 o'clock the powder-
bags were placed, the fuse lighted, and soon after
rockets flew into the air as a signal, followed by an
explosion—the gate was clear ; out our men
poured in quick succession, though with the ut-
most steadiness, each brigadier at the head of
his column, sword in hand, the first and second
leading to the right, the third to the left, while.
Oe fourth remained je reserve. In one half
hour afterwards the whole of the town inamedi-
etely in front of the attacking party was in our
possession. The first column having routed them
From their bastions, occupied the Soorujpole Gate,
'lthus taking the rebels quite in rear, who, not being
;aware that the third columnwas totheleft, crossed
:its front at 400 yards, when a great number were
killed by the-Enfields of the 95th. Others, seeing
that they would have to run the gauntlet, made for
the bastions, and effected their escape over the
'walls by ropes, which had apparently been in rea-
diness for this purpose ; and one man, who was
;mounted, in a paroxysm of frenzy spurred his
;horse; to the rampart, and jumped clean over, a fall
of filty feet. Both horse and rider were seen af-
terwards at the foot of it outside, killed. After
loccupying the, bastions, and commanding houses,
!the columns proceadatoplear the houses, and in
lone some eight or ten men were found fully armed
and prepared to fight ; and as they could not be
!dislodged, -Colonel Park desired the Sappers to
;mine the angles, which being done, the party were
Iblown up, as was quite impossible to leave them
lin our rear ; it was afterwards discovered that
!Lallah Sing (brother to Hera Sing, the commander
jof the rebels) was among the number in that house
I—it1—it was his head-quarters. Nearly in every
street was a gun in position to sweep it, with in
many instances double barricades in front ; and
here and there by the guns, infernal machines, with
50 barrels each, loaded half way upend duly primed.
The first division captured 16 guns, second eight,
14 ; in all 57 guns, two thirds of which are brass,
of the heaviest metal, have been taken. Some
of the iron ones mounted in commanding
positions at the angles of the walls on high bastions
ate of the largest calibre and size, throwing heavier
shot than our 68's. 500 prisoners were taken, all
of whom were handed over to the political agent ;
some of them were recognised as condemned con-
victs, who had been fteed by the rebels to work
the guns.
The rebels driven out from the town, streamed
away from the western gate, and taking a south-
eastern course across a large pltin with their guns
plunder, wives, children, and servants, fled to the
hills forming the plateau south t,f the ChumbuL It
will hardly be credited in
.England that this dis-
orderly rabble of fighting men, camp followers,
women and children, all huddled together in a
mass, were allowed to escape altogetht r unmolested.

The ghauts of tI river Cl}umbul were guarded
by the Jeypore contingent, and a few miles below
the town lay a force of cavalry consisting of the Bth
Hussars, Scinde Horse, and other irregulars, with
Petrie's battery. They mustered nearly 1,000
strong, with six guns, and received instructions to
in'ercept the enemy when r etreating, but, strange
to say, they were in the same place forty-eight
hours after the enemy had fled from the town and
evacuated the entrenched camp on the other
side of it, still inactive, and it was not till
fifty-two hours had elapsed that they com-
menced to pursue them. There is as yet no
explanation of this extraordinary remissness, of
which we shall presently see the cosequences. It
is only rumoured that Brigadier Lawrence, the
political agent, with the force, was in trepidation
lest the rebels should cross the Chuelbul into the
north country, and issued orders contradicting
those given by Major-General Roberts'.
All our soldiers, both European and native, were
prevented looting, while the Rajah's people were
allowed to plunder indiscriminately. On the after-
noon of the Ist, Captain Bainbrigge, the Brigade
Major Ist Brigade, visited Captain Bazalgette for
the purpose of reporting to Brigadier Macan the
quantities of ammunition in the enzray's camp.
Both officers left together to examine the houses,
when soon after entering one of them a cracking
noise was heard, and a terrific explosion took place.
There is too much reason to suppose tha the house
was fired on purpose, as two men were killed by
One of the officers of the 95th, as they were escap-
ing with burning fuses in their hand. Tito remains
whose bodies were so burnt
of the' two officers,
that they could scarcely be recognised, were only
found on the morning of the 2nd among the
ruins.
_ _

.._
It is rumoured that the Maho Rao is acquitted
of all participation in the murder of Major Burton
and his sons, our unfortunate political agent. The
Rajah said in his &fence that he buried what re-
mained of Major Burton (after the scoundrels cut
off his head, loaded a gun with it, and fired it off)
and his two sons in the Christian burial ground
outside the town. The spot was pointed out, and
rhea it was found that his
the bodies examined,
statement was correct. _
hiliisatintelligeneer, and
Lallah Sing's treasurer,
swinging from a tree close to one of the
penalty of their
head accountant, paid the
crimes by
chief gates of entrance to the town, the Lalpoora,
on the afternoon of the 13th. A free pardon was
offered to the treasurer if he dticlosed where the
rupees were bid, but to all inquiries he was silent,
and so he was hanged.

OP JHANSI.
SIEGE AND CAPTURE
The siege of Jhansi, and the battle fought by the
besieging force under Gen. Hugh Rose, deserve
in truth to be recorded as the most brilliant feats
of arms in the Central Indian campaign.
On the night of the 29-30th March orders were
issued to the Ist brigade, under I3rigadierStuart, to
close in and join the 2d, under sir Hugh Rose.
The division thus formed, numbering, about 2,000
men of all anus, moved oft at dawn in a south-
easterly direction towards the Betwa, hoping to
meet the enemy on their advance from the fords of
the river. But the rebels, less hasty in their move-
ments than we had anticipated, were still on the op-
posite (right) bank of the Betwa, separated from us
by the stream, three-quarters of a toile broad at that
point, and flowing over a bed so rocky that guns
could only be taken across with difficulty. Sir
Hugh drew up in order of battle on the left bank of
the stream, and finding the enemy motionless,
slowly retired to camp, the Ist brigade marching
back to its old position on the left of,Jhansi, and
Sir Hugh to one covering the camp of the right at-
tack. The enemy seized this opportunity to cross
the river, and during the night lie marched up to a
position a mile distant from our lines.
It was not clear by which road the rebels would
advance, as there were two roads into Jhansi by
which he could approach. The Ist brigade, which,

on the enemy's advance, bad again been ordered to
unite with the 2d, was moved to a position on the
right, and directed to advance, and, if possible meet
the rebelsleft. Brigadier Stuart had already marched
about ten miles in the direction appointed, when
the fire of the rebels attacking the Brigade under
Sir Hugh was heard. The main body of the enemy
had concentrated itself in front of our right, and
at six o'clock on the morning of April 1 commenced
a _general action by throwing forward the who!e
strength of his artillery, with two regiments of
of Sepoys and 500 horse in support. Their guns
opened upon uswithin 500 yards range. Orders ran
down our lines to lie down, and as the infantry
did so, our field glans unlimbered and returned the
enemy's fire. Captain Lightfoot's battery, sup-
ported by infantry of the Hydrabad Contingent,
was the first engaged. The fire from it was kept
up with great precision, and responded to by the
enemy without intermission. Neither side appeared
willing to be silenced. Sir Hugh in order to create
a diversion erdered out the 14th Dragoons under
Captain Prettejcihn and. Mr. Mahon, who, taking
a sweep, charged the enemy's right in- flank and
threw them into some disorder. Still the rebel
guns kept their ground, and another charge was
determined on. According to the letters received
there was some hesitation at this moment. The
general wished Major Orr to charge on this po-
sition, from a want of celerity of movement, or the
men being Irregulars, they did not understand
charging guns ; so Sir Hugh went off and brought
a.troop of the 14th Dragoons—Capt. Need's—to
see if they could follow them. He put himself and
staff at the head of the Dragoons, and led the
charge in first-rate style, in front of a heavy fire of
infantry and artillery. The enemy were panic-
stricken and fled.

It remains as yet unexplained why the Hydra-
bad Contingent, under Major Orr, shrank at the
order to charge; nor is it known whether the hesi-
tation arose from the attitude assumed by the men,
or from that of the officer in command. The gene-
ral himself, however, by charging in person, de-
cided the day.
The rebel right, in its movement of retreat, was
unfortunate enough to athne unawares on Brigadier
Stuart's force returning from its first advance in the
morning. The brigade was about six 'miles from
Jhansi when the enemy was observed crowning
hill top to the right front. The advance was sounded,
the cavalry was thrown forward, and the brigade ou
rounding the front of a low bill, found the enemy
4,000 strong, halted in position in a village on the
declivity. The 86th, thrown out in skirmishing
order, cleared the neighbouring heights, and moved
OR to the attack of the main body of rebel artillery,
with the 25th N. I. in support. They were, met in
the advance by a steady fire, which was returned
with effect by their Enfield rifles. The attack and
rat eat of the enemy wore simultaneous. The Gre-
nadiers of the 86th were seen moving over some
heaps of stones, and an old wall, behind which they
had taken cover, and with a cheer charging across
the grain field at the gun ; but fast as they went
they were not fast enough. An officer on a white
torso was seen tearing across the intermediate
space, now hid for a moment by the smoke of the
enemy's artillery, but again seen at the guns slash-
ing right and left. The fire of these had now ceased,
and the gallant adjutant of the 86th was seen
waving his sword over a captured gun. And now
arose deafening cheers from both ro,iments coming
up : the enemy had turned and fled over the bill.
The 86th, after exploring the villige, passed
through it, but scarcely a shot was fired on them
't 11 they got to the other side, when a heavy
fire was opened on them from behind some atones
on a little eminence. Here they had formed and
were making aregular retreat, with their rear-guard
on the hill ; but nothing could withstand the 86th,
who, again charging down the hill, captured two
elephants and several camels of ammunition, cut-
ting, shooting, and bayonetting numbers of the
guard. Here the adjutant was again in front,
slashing right and left, and encouraging the men.
The enemy were now on the plain ; such a beauti-
ful place for the cavalry, who were moving on at
the trot, when close up at the gallop, and with
them the adjutant of the 86th on his white horse,
and his men close at his heels ; the rebels saw what
was coming ; and about a hundred of them taking
possession of a small wall, poured a destructive fire
on the cavalry, which brought many to the ground,
and emptied several teddies, among the former
was the white horse. The 96th men were not idle,
and a few of them coming up at this moment
charged the wall with a yell, and obliged the enemy
again to turn. Captain Giles, of the 14th Dra-
goons, getting his handful of men again altoge' her,
charged gallantly, and with him, on a horse whose
saddle had been emptied, the adjutant of the 86th ;
but not to go far, as a bullet caught the horse on
the head, and down they both came to the ground ;1
but this brave officer was not to be stopped, He
mounted another horse, and again dashed forward
to the charge, but, ere long, his horse was seen to
rear madly into the air, and both came to the
ground, the horse having been shot through the
heart. He again mounted, and used his sword to
some purpose before the halt was sounded. The
troops had been on foot 48 hours, and were about
done up.. The enemy werea close to some rocky
hills, from which they could not be dislodged without
serious loss, and perhaps another night in the field.
The whole, therefore, marched home in triumph.
The attempt of the rebels to relieve Jhansi having
thus been successfully disposed of, the siege pro-
gressed rapidly, and the breach in the left attack
was considered sufficiently wide to permit of an
assault on the morning of April 3. The attack on
the breach was led by Captain Darby, Major Stuart
took that by the ladders ; both got in ; they fought
through the town, and charged to the gate of the
fort. The town and fort swarmed with the enemy ;
their fire was murderous, but the 86th held its own.
The 3d Europeans found their ladders too abort,
and when Lieutenants Dick end Meiklejohn of the
Engineers had reached the top, and had been as-
sisted on to the crest of the wall by their own men,
they were suddenly seized, dragged inside, and cut
to pieces by the enemy, the breaking of the ladders
at the time rendering it impossible for the men to
follow. The enemy made a most obstinate stand
at the Palace, but Colonel Lowth, of the 86th, with
some men of the 3d, 86th, and the 25th Native
Infantry, succeeded, after- repeated attempts, in
forcing a door open with a beam of wood ; the
enemy soon after fled, not, however, before the
scoundrels succeeded in shooting a brave officer,
Colonel Turnbull, of the Artillery, who was hit in
the palace yard whilst speaking to Colonel Lowth.
Everything in the palace was found in excellent
order, especially the Ranee's bedroom, a very
pretty place, in which were found two large
silver bedsteads, withsbeautiful silk bedding, &c.
On the morning of the sth the fort was found to
have been evacuated during the night, and was im-
mediately taken possession of by Brigadier Stuart
(Ist Brigade), and the British flag planted on its
topmost pinnacle by an officer of the 86th, Lieut.
Cochrane.

The number of dead bodies (says a correspon-
dent) lying in every street, and in many of the
houses, was very great. On the third and fourth
days the stenches and sights were beyond descrip-
tion. The bodies were collected together, however,
and burnt, and the place is now getting better, hut
not equal to Price and Gosnell's perfumery. A
quantity of jewels and money was found walled up
in the palace, and doubtless a larger quantity is
buried. Up to the present time, I think 10 lacs
worth have turned up, with lots of precsous stones,
jewellery, ct,.-c. Eight elephants fetched 8,600 rs.
It appears that our unfortunate people, after hav-
ing been taken outside the city walls, were killed
on the road, and some two or three days after the
bodies of the men were thrown into one pit and
those of those of the ladies and children into an-

. .
other. These pits haye been pointed out to us
and at fist it was thought of removing ;the re-
mains frotil. tliern and depositing, them, in the
Cfaistian bUrial-grohnd. The: royal- 'engineers
were ordered to perform this duty, but it was
found that decomposition had not quite done
its woll—the smell - was very- offensive,
and " might prove injurious ; a large tomb
is therefore to be erected - over the • spot.
I recognised amongst the' remains a little
Child's frock, and from the skull of a female I re•
moved somelopg silken hair of a very light colour
—a sad memento, indeed !