The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-16 00:00:00

THE SECOND SIEGE OF CATTNPOIgE,

The following letter from an eye-witness of the
events which have recently occurred at Cawnpore
has been forwarded to us for publication :
" CAWNPORE CAMP, DEC. 3.

" As I was leaving Futtehpore, a place about 40
miles further down, on the 25th ult., the magistrate
advised me to remain for a day at least, as the
Gwalior rebels were supposed to be on the road
near Cawnpore. I left next day with the bullock-
train, accompanying a detachment of 102 Riflemen
under command of Capt. A—, and by 9 o'clock
on the morning of the 27th I overtook Col.
about eight miles from Cawnpore, with 300 of the
2d battalion of Rifles. I intended to put myself
under his escort for the remainder of the journey,
but he had an important message to convey to Gen.
Windham, and as I had a horse vehicle I came on
at ence with the message.
" The 12 o'clock gun struck as I reached the in-
trenchment, and this was followed by a general
cannonade. General Windham had gone out to
meat the enemy, and I was directed to Brigadier
Wilson, as commanding-officer in the intrenchment.
When I had delivered my message he sent for Cap-
tain Morphy, the brigade-major, to whom I re-
peated it. Capt. Morphy advised me to take up
my quarters at the hotel. As I sat there, after a
comfortable breakfast, a doolie was brought up to
the verandah. The man in it had his head shat-
tered, and was roaring. It was a horrid spectacle—
my first glimpse of military glory. The roar of
artillery and the sharp crack of rifles; continued,
aud I proceeded to the gate of the fort to see why
my baggage had not come after me. Between the
fort and the hotel the garrison provost (who told
me he had had the pleasure of flogging and superin-
tending the hanging of several miscreants concerned
in the massacre), showed me the house and veran-
dah bespattered with blood where the ladies and
children were murdered by order of Nana Sahib—
the tree against which the poor children' were
dashed—and the hideous well, now closed up, into
which the mutilated and reeking bodies were cast.
On the wall of the house I found an inscription
with a pin by one of the murdered women. I copied
it :—" Countrymen and women, remember the 15th
of July, 1857. Your wives and families are here
in misery and at the disposal of savages, who has
[sic] ravished both young and old, and then killed.
Oh, oh, my child, my child. Countrymen, revenge
it." The underlining is in the original.
" On arriving at the gate of the fort I found that
the people, civil and military, were rushing from
their houses and tents with whatever clothes and
furniture they could snatch up. I ordered. my
garry-waggon into the fort. The driver went away
with the horse, and I saw him no more. He lett
the vehicle in a most exposed place, but I could not
get it moved afterwards, as it was heavy.
" 3.20 r.m.—Saw our troops retreating into the
outer intrenchment. A. regular panic followed.
Trains of elephants, camels, horses, bullock-wag-
gons, and coolies came in at the principal gate,
laden with stuff. The principal buildings in the
Fort are the General Hospital, the Sailors' Hospi-
tal, the Post-office, and the Commissariat-Cellers.
Around these houses, which are scattered, crowds
of camels, bullocks, and horses were collected, fas-
tened by ropes to stakes in the ground, and among
the animals piles of trunks, beds, chairs, and mis-
cellaneous furniture and baggage. There was
scarcely room to move. The Fort may cover three
or four acres, I should say, Met one of the chap-
lains, hastening into the intrenchment. He had
left everything in his tent outside. The servants
almost everywhere abandoned their masters when
they heard the guns. Mounted officers were gal-
loping across the rough ground between the inner
and outer intrenchments, and doolie after doolie,
with its red curtains down, concealing some poor
victim, passed on to the hospitals. The poor fele
lows were brought in, shot, cut, shattered, and
wounded in every imaginable way ; and as they
went by, raw stumps might be seen hanging over
the sides of the doolies, literally like torn butcher
meat. The agonies which I saw some of them en-
dure during the surgical operations were such as no
tongue or pen can describe. The surgeons, who
did their utmost, were so overworked that many
sufferers lay bleeding for hours before it was possi-
ble to attend to them. Here and there, both out-
side the hospitals and within them, a man lay on his
bloody litter breathing out his life. The groans aud
cries were heartrending. I saw one sailor carried
in a litter on the shoulders of four men ; he was
severely wounded but kept up his spirits amazingly,
and spoke to his comrades as he passed quite jo-
cularly.

lik"But I must be brief, else I shall lose the
The retreat is thus explained. General Windham,
who repulsed the enemy yesterday, went out to-day
about noon to attack the three divisions of the
Gvralioi rebels under Nana Sahib. Windham was
routed, I regret to say, and lot his camp with 500
tents, the mess•plate of six regiments, no end of
tents, saddlery, and harness in an unfinished state,
and private property valued at 50,0001. So it is
said. He left his flank exposed, and made no pro-
♦ision for the safety of his camp. This has been a
most disastrous affair. Felt the want of something
to eat in the evening, but could procure only some
biscuit from the commissariat. Slept in my
waggon.

"SATURDAY, _Nov. 28.
"9.40 A.• m• —Heavy firing cn our right.

" 9.50 A.3l.—Heav-yfirini on our left.

"11.15 A. `r.—Brigadier Wilson has been carried
into his tent mortally wounded, shot through the
back and left lung. He lived for two hours, and
then calmly sunk to his rest. His last moments
proved him to be a hero and a Christian. The
chaplain remained with him till he died,
" The conduct of the 64th Regiment this morn-
ing has justly excited admiration. Brigadier Wilson
asked General Windham to allow him to charge
the enemy with the 64th, of which he was colonel.
Permission was granted. The regiment advanced
in the face of the enemy, and under a murderous
fire, for more than half-a-mile, up a ravine com-
manded by high ground in front as well as on the
right and left. From the ridge in front
four 9-pounders played upon them as they went
forward. The left flank of the Gwalior rebels
reqted on the Ganges, and their guns
were protected by dense columns of troops,
who lay under cover, and were strongly supported
by cavalry on their left. After disputing every inch
of the ground their front line was driven back by
the steady and determined fire of the 64th. It then
appeared that overwhelming numbers of the hostile
force lay concealed in three or four parallels behind.
These rose and met the 64th as soon as the foremost
officers, Major Stirling, Captain Saunders, Captain
Morphy, Captain Macrae,, Lieut. Parsons, Lieut.
O'Grady, and others reached the crest of the ridge,
and charged upon the guns followed by the column.
Major Stirling fell gloriously in front of the battery.
fighting hand to hand with the enemy, of whom he
killed several. Captain Morphy was shot through
the heart, and seemed to bound from his saddle,
falling heavily upon his head. Captain Macrae also
met his fate like a soldier with his face to the foe.
Captain Saunders, commanding the leading divi-
sion, dashed forward, followed by Parsons and
O'Grady. Parsons instantly received a severe
wound in the sword atm. O'Grady cheered the
men on, waving his cap in the air, until he had the
honour of laying his hand on one of the guns. The
regiment took up the cheer, and hurried on to the
support of Saunders and O'Grady, now fiercely en-
gaged in personal conflict wrth the Gwaliors. The
fine old Brigadier (whose horse, wounded in two
places, carried him with difficulty over the rough
ground (was pushing on with all possible speed to
the front, shouting, "Now, boys, you have them !"
when he received his mortal wound. As he was un-
able to keep his seat in the saddle, some of his brave
fellows carried him to the rear, while he continued
to urge the troeps to maintain the honour of the
corps. At this juncture the enemy fell back on
their reserve, which lay concealed in the parallels
behind. Then occurred one of those blunders which
neutralise the effect of the bravest actions. Two
of our own guns opened fire on the 64th Regiment
from the left-, and at the same instant the enemy's
cavalry, together with the overwhelming force of
infantry in front poured down upon the right, and
compelled our troops to retire. Strange
to say,
Captain Saunders, and (I believe) Lieut. O'Grady
escaped unhurt. After the death of Brigadier
Wilson and Major Stirling Captain Saunders
became the senior officer present, and his con-
spicuous gallanty to-day deserves not only honour-
able mention, but such reward as a soldier covets.
The hospital to-diey is a perfect Aceldama.
"SUNDAY, Nov. 29.

"At dawn great guns an •eo
b to play upon us.
,
So,)n afterwards the cannonade became general,
and by 7 a.m. it was soinGthiv,,cr tremendous—shot
and shell flyingrover us in all directions.
" 8.30 A.. 74. —Good news! Sir Coliu Uampoell
with a strong r4inforeement, and 470 women andchildren fromLtick-now are on the other side of the.
Ganges, which flows
under' the northern parapet of
our intrenchment. The troops with the Com-
mander-in-Chief, ssid to number 3,000, are much
needed here to-clay. Looking over the wall for an
instant (it is not very safe to show one's head) I see
two bodies of horsemen in advance, and au ex-
tended line of troops, elephants, camels, bullock-
waggons, and camp follow, stretching far away
to the horizon. The bang einrsg of our o
at our ears is most deafening. Grape wn guns just
and round
shot have been falling on the tree close to our tent.
Some shells, I believe, have fallen on the hospital,
which is, unfortunately, much exposed. Every
square foot of the floor and verandah of the Gene-
red with wounded officers and
ral Hospital is cove
men.

"11.40 A. 31. —Horse Artillery, 9th Lances, 32d,

sed the bridge of
glad to sea the
53d, and 93d Regiments have cr.ls
boats below our Fort. lieartn:v
kilts, the plumes, and the tartan. May God de-
fend, direct, and bless my brave,countrymen !
Such a Sunday I Two shells have just whizzed
over our heads. "Fall in, 82d 1" is the cry. We
hope the advance with fixed bayonets is now to be
made, as the rebels are taking shelter under some
ruined houses. The hotel is in flames.
" 12 NooN.—Grape, round shot, mad rifle bullets
rushing ever us in slight showers. A round shot
has crashed through the big tree beside us.
"IP. m. —This is exciting. Another large round
shot over our heads. They have not quite got our
range. Fortunately the parapet protects us in
some degree. Bang ! another over us ! Again—
again—again (a shell this time and burst). Our
guns on the parapet are answering them, so that
the earth trembles. A person has come into the
tent saying, " We have killed loads of the enemy."
The more the better, we all think. The artillery
is beautifully directed by Captain Dangerfield and
others on the parapets.
" 2.15 P.M.—The cannonade has paused for half
an hour. I hear Lucknow soldiers and their old
comrades exchanging areetings and congratulations
in their rough but hearty style, and counting over
the dead and the wounded of their acquaintance.
" 2.35 P. M.—Cannonade commenced again, The
Rifles have not ceased all day. Colonel Fyers and
his men have done good service. They went into
action on Friday as soon as they reached Cawn-
pore although they had marched 48 miles almost
withouti halting, and some wore lame, many foot-
sore, and all weary. Their arrival seemed to be
the means of saving the Fort, when our other troops
were in full retreat. Colonel Woodford, an ex-
cellent officer, with whom I came from Benares to
Allahabad, was killed in a hand-to-hand fight in the
field yesterday. The church, lam just informed,
was burnt last night by the enemy ; and the Assem-
bly-rooms and School have been burnt to-day.
There is a dense column of smoke ascending from
the town, about half-a-mile off.
-
"4 P. 3f.—One of the ladies from Lucknow has
come in, and M— and I have given up the tent
to her. She has a most touching story to tell, and
she tells it most effectively. She gave us in half an
hour what might be the substance of an interesting
volume. She and her husband have lost their all.
"5.30 P.M.—The scene from the verandah of the
General Hospital is at this moment one never to
be forgotten. A procession of human beings, cattle
and vehicles, six miles long, is coming up to the
bridge of boats below the Fort. It is just about
sunset. The variety of colour in the sky and on
the plain, the bright costumes and black faces of
the native servants, the crowd of camels and horses,
and the piles of furniture, and so forth, in the fore-
ground at my feet—all seen between two pillars of
this verandah, which is raised some 8 or 10 feet
from the ground—produce a very remarkable effect.
But the groans of the poor fellows on charpoys and
the floor, behind and around me, dissolve the fas-
cination of the scene.
" Sept again in my waggon."

The following are extracts from letters of the
widow of an officer killed at Lucknow :--
"Lucknow, Oct. 4.

" My dearest —,—l hope you may have heard
of the blow which has fallen upon us before my
letter reaches you, for I cannot soften the miserable
tidings. Your brother is gone, I trust and believe,
to a happier world, and in all human probability
his chield and I shall soon follow him. I cannot
attempt to tell yon of our 3 months' siege and all
its horrors. My husband was, as always, the
foremost where anything difficult and dangerous
work was to be done, and when on Sir H. Law-
rence's death he was appointed Chief Commissioner
neither I nor others could persuade him to remem-
ber his own peril enough. He died nobly, leading
on the Europeans to repel a furious attack on an
outpost. Those who were near told me that the
bullet struck his temple, and that he fell back with-
out a groan. . . . After three months of siege relief
came to us, but the force sent was not strong enough
to take away the number of wounded of the women
and children that are here, and to-night they march
back to Cawnpore, leaving us with a slight aug.
mentation of our garrison, but with a fearfully
diminished stock of food, and with an enemy who
will be much emboldened by their retreat. Gen.
Outram hopes to return in six weeks with 10,000
men, but we have had too much experience of how
slowly relief can be afforded in this country to look
very hopefully on the prospect. . . . The defences
of the place are very weak now, and the enemy
outside are said to muster in greater number than
ever. We have heard top much of the tragedies at
Cawnpore and elsewhere not to dread the fate that
awaits us if they succeed in carrying the place, and
our other danger is want of food, which, should the
army be unable to return, we shall be in the utmost
distress for. Thank God, I can feel assured all is
well and wisely ordered, though very bitter has
been the trial.—Your affectionate sister,
" E. H. B."

" P.S. Oct. s.—The troops did not go last night,
for our men got possession of a good many houses
during the day ; and, I believe, the General is
going to wait a little longer and see if there is any
hope of our sufficiently commanding the road to
get in supplies, so our prospects are a shade
brighter. It may please God yet to save us, and
truly it will be a marvellous deliverance. That it
is all right and ordered for the best I know, and
that it will be so to the end."

" Dil Koost Park, outside Lucknow,
November 22.

" My dearest —.law, We are at length released
from our long siege. On the 19th all women and
children left the Residency, and the same night
reached this place, about four miles, and scarcely
two from my old house. I cannot attempt to de-
scribe all the horrors of that first march, under a
burning sun, en foot, and in many places exposed
to a heavy ire. My child and I have been brought
safely through it. We are encamped hero until the
military plans have been settled. Many think that
Lucknow must be abandoned for the present, and
that the whole force will soon join us here and
march back to Cawnpore : a few days must show.
I must hope that the papers will give you all pub-
lic intelligence and help you to understand my
letters, for I have neither time nor heart to enter
upon a detail of the last five dreadful months.
When we meet, if please God we ever do, I shall be
able to tell it all ; I cannot write it. . . . The
poor children have been deprived of milk and every
proper food for:theirt. The air we have been breath-
ing was tainted by the dead natives and animals
uninterred close to our walls, and for certainly two
months of the siege the daily return of young child-
ren buried in the graveyards at Lucknow must have
averaged seven a-night. It is a melancholy sight
that graveyard ; in one corner close together lie
poor Sir Henry, my darling Sherbrooke, and our
chaplain (Polehanipton), who died of cholera. If
any garrison remain, one of his friends has pro-
mised to get a stone put :up for me to mark the
spot ; but if the place be abandoned its only mark
will be in my recollection ; and I even could go to
it only once, and that by night, the musketry fire
was so incessant there.
" Some time ago, when General Havelock's force
came in, I wrote you a letter, which I enclose in
this ; it never had the opportunity of going, but it
will give you some idea of what our state was at
that time, and of the little anticipation I then
had of ever leaving Lucknow. The resolution
which had then been taken of sending the force back
to Cawnpore was given up. Two or three days
after some wheat and some bullocks were brought
in by a sallying party, and, though not much, it
enabled us to hold out a good deal longer on half i
rations than we otherwise could have done. When
Sir C. Campbell came with real relief we were taken
out with 24 hours' notice. . . . Surely, such
fearful events as have passed here in the last few
months have scarcely occurred before in the history
of the world. The accounts given of the Cawnpore
tragedy by officers now with this army are dreadful,
beyond anything one can imagine ; and the sight I
have witnessed in Lucknow can never be forgotten.
" Your affectionate sister, "E. H. B."

A private telegraphic notice states that the
writer of the above had arrived safe with her child
at Allahabad.

The following is from another eye-witness :
" Cawnpere Dec. 2.

Some " Paecrehoaupns
ttshtihs
alne tittesr
predebeee
sms
oorrso. a cmc eyp tlaa
shtl ewoasn
penned while great events were going on—this
while still greater are on the horizon ; and the
interval has not been pas•ed without a great sheet
in the history of this rebellion. Before my letter
had winged its flight beyond the office-box Wind-
ham had made himself master of the two 8-inch
howitzers, taken from the enemy, and the game
had conmmenced by our marking the king and
counti two for the trick. This occurred beyond
the canal on the Culpee-road, some six miles. On
the following day Windham withdrew his camp in
the direction of the city of Cawnpore, with high
brick-kilns on either side, and the town close be-
hind him.

"About 11 the enemy came on, and with a very
extended line quite outflanked us on both sides.
The fire was heavy, but not very accurate, as the
loss on our side was nothing ; but the day began
with disaster, and things never mended.
"The detachment Naval Brigade, in charge
of two 24-pounders, iron guns, abandoned their
guns when the enemy were 1,100 yards off,
and left them standing on the road for others
others to bring in. The enee:y got round Wind-
ham's right, and into cantonments while the fight
asgoing on in front. An alarm was spread
through all, and a retreat was sounded. Helter

skelter, all came tumbling back into the fort. One
of the 24-pounders got upset in the town and left
behind, and the chaos of the intrenchment at night-
fall was beyond parallel. Colonel Adye and Capt.
Austin crept out at midnight with 100 men into
the heart of the city, and succeeded in recovering
the 24 pounder, and brought it back, or it would
now be in the enemy's hands. The following day
an advance of skirmishers took place, and extended
over an immense radius. The Rifles succeeded in
capturing two 18-pounders, but the right advance
was not so fortunate. Wilson, the Brigadier, was
shot at the head of his regiment, the Brigade-Major
fell with him ; also the Quartermaster-General, as
well as Major Stirling, commanding the 64th ; and
this force was forced to retire, leaving its dead and
wounded behind, with the exception of the Briga-
dier, who just lived half-an-hour after reaching his
tent. The following day the troops were so fagged
as to be forced to confine themselves in the intrench-
ment, the enemy closing in upon us, aud opening
fire on the works. Fortunately, the chief on;his way
back from Bunnee heard the firing and pushed on
with all speed, crossing himself that evening and
his force the following morning, the fourth day.
Owing to the ladies and wounded, we have been
inactive for now four days. The rebels are some
500 yards outside the works, and fire at us as it
suitstheirpleasure, selecting the hospital principaly,
which they have hit several times. Musketry goes
on all night, and artillery at tunes. As I write an
occasional round shot goes over, or into, the camp.
" You will hear how some regiments behaved.
All the camp fell into the enemy's hands, and the
tents burnt, and we have now only 100 to issue for
all comers ! All the Gwalior Contingent is here,
some 12,000 men.

" What Sir Colin intends to do is a mystery ; but
we wait from hour to hour, from day to day, for
some move. All are anxious, as you may suppose,
and the loss will be heavy, no doubt. I can add no
more at present, save that I am well."
The following is from another officer :
" Cawnpore, Dec. 2.
" We have had awful work here, the Gwalior
Contingent having come down. The 64th charged
some guns in the most gallant manner, but being
entirely unsupported' were almost cut up. Col.
Wilson, Major Stirling, Captains Morphy and
M'Crea, and Lieut. M'Kinnon, have all fallen.
M'Crea, who was acting quartermaster-general,
led the charge, and was to have got a Victoria
Cross had he succeeded (? survived.) Stirling
spiked a gun and was cut down. The poor old
colonel, who was brigadier here, was brought in in
a dying state, and his last words were, Tell the
general that I died leading on my regiment to
glory We are besieged here in the intrenched
camp by these Gwalior fellows, who pitch shot and
shell into us. Sir Colin with his camp is about a
mile from here, so they occasionally get stirred up
by an occasional shot to rouse them. Shute and
the remainder of the Lucknow party are hero all
right."

THE RETREAT FROM LUCKNOW.
OFFICIAL DESPATCH.

Head-quarters, Camp, Alumbagh, Nov. 25.

My Lord—ln continuation of my report on the
18:1, I have the honour to apprise your lordship
that the left rear of my position was finally secured
on the night of the 17th inst, by the building called
Banks' House having been seized by a party of the
2d Punjaub Infantry (Sikhs) specially employed
for that purpose.
Brigadier Russell and Lieutenant-Colonel Hale
distinguished themselves much in completing the
chain of posts on the 17th and 18th in that direc-
tion ; the enemy having been very vigilant on that
point, and kept up an unceasing fire on all the
buildings occupied by Brigadier Russell, and on
the barrack occupied by 300 of the Highlanders
under Lieut.-Col. Ewart.

Brigadier Russell having been unfortunately se-
verely wounded on the afternoon of the 18th inst.,
I placed the lamented Col. Biddulph in command
of his line of posts. Ho was killed almost imme-
diatly afterwards, when making his dispositions
for the attack of the hospital.
Captain Bourchier, of the Bengal Artillery, dis-
tinguished himself by the intelligent and able sup-
port he afforded Lieut.-Colonel Hale, her Majesty's
821 Foot, on that officer succeeding Colonel
Biddulph.
These very difficult and tedious operations, con-
ducted as they were under a most galling fire, in
cramped suburbs, reflect much credit on all the
officers and men concerned, and secured the
position.
The same afternoon the enemy made a smart
attack on the pickets covering the centre of the
line.

I supported him with a company of her Majesty's
23d and another of her Majesty's 53d Foot, not
having any more infantry at my disposal.
Captain Remmington's troop of Horse Artillery
was brought up and dashed right into the jungle
with the leading skirmishers, and opened fire with
extraordinary rapidity and precision.
Captain Remmington distinguished himself very
much.
I superintended this affair myself, and I have
particular pleasure in drawing your lordship's at-
tention to the conduct of this troop on this occasion,
as an instance of the never failing readiness and
quickness of the Horse Artillery of the Bengal
service.

During the next three days I continued to hold
the whole of the country from the Dilkoosha, to the
gates of tho Residency, the left flank have been
secured in the manner above mentioned, with a
view to extricating the garrison without exposing
it to the chance of even a stray musket shot.
From the first, all the arrangements have been
conducted towards this end. The whole of the
force under my immediate command being one
outlying picket, every man remained on duty, and
was constantly subject to annoyance from the
enemy's fire ; but such wore the vigilance and in-
telligence of the force, and so heartily did all rank.;
co-operate to support me, that I was enabled to
conduct this affair to a happy issue, exactly in the
manner originally proposed.
Upon the 20th fire was opened on the Kaiser-
bagh, which gradually increased in importance till
it assumed the character of regular breaching and
bombardment.

The Kaiserbagh was breached in three places by
Captain Peel, RN., and I have been told that the
enemy suffered much loss within its precincts.
Having thus led the enemy to believe that imme-
diate assault was contemplated, orders were issued
for the retreat of the garrison through the lines of
our pickets at midnight on the 22d.
The ladies and families, the wounded, the trea-
sure, the guns it was thought worth while to keep,
the ordnance stores, the grain still possessed by the
commissariat of the garrison, and the state pri-
soners, had all been previously removed.
Sir James Outram had received orders to burst
the guns which it was thought undesirable to take
away, and ho was finally directed silently to evacu-
ate the residency of Lucknow at the hour indi-
cated.

The dispositions to cover their retreat and to
resist the enemy, should he pursue, were ably car-
ried out by Brigadier Hon. Adrian Hope ; but I
am happy to say the enemy was completely de-
ceived, and he did not attempt to follow. On the
contrary, he began firing on our old positions many
hours after we had left them. The movement of
retreat was admirably executed, and was a perfect
lesson in such combinations.

Each exterior line came gradually retiring
through its supports, till at length nothing re-
mained but the last line of infantry and guns, with
which I was myself to crush the enemy if ho dared
to follow up the pickets.
The only line of retreat lay through a long and
tortuous lane, and all these precautions were abso-
lutely necessary to ensure the safety of the force.
The extreme posts on the left, under Lieutenant-
Colonel Hale, her Majesty's 82d ; Lieut.-Colonel
Wells, her Majesty's 23d Foot ; and Lieut.-Colonel
Ewart, her Majesty's 93d Highlanders, made their
way by a road which had been explored for them,
after I considered that the time had arrived, with
due regard to the security of the whole, that their
posts should be evacuated.

It was my endeavour that nothing should be left
to chance, and the conduct of the officers iu exactly
carrying out their instructions was beyond all
praise.

- During all these operations, from the 16th inst.,
Brigadier Greathed'i brigade closed in the re tr, and
now again formed the rear guard as we retired to
Dilkoo,ha.

Dilkoosha was reached at four a.m, on the 23d
inst. by the whole force.
I must not forget to mention the exertions of the
cavalry during all the operations which have been
described.

The exertions of Brigadier Little and Major
Ouvry, respectively of the Cavalry Brigade and the
9th Lancers, were unceasing in keeping up our
long line of communications, and preserving our
extreme rear beyond the Dilkoosha, whi3ll; was
constantly threatened.
On the 22d the enemy attacked at Dilkoosha,
but was speedily driven off under Brigadier Little's
orders.
The officers commanding the Irregular Cavalry,
Lieutenants Watson, Younghusband, Probynj and
Gough, as well as all the officers of the 9th lan-
cers, were never out of the saddle during all this
time, and well maintained:the character they
rave
Won throughout the war.
I mow, with General GrAnt's division to Alum-
bagh on the afternoon -Of 'the' 24th,' leaving Sir
James Outram's division in position at Dilkoosha,
to prevent the molestation of the immense convoy
of the women and wounded, which it was necessary