The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-12 00:00:00

BRIGADIER-GENERAL WALPOLE'S
DESPATCH.

Mo. 102 of 1858.—The Right Hon. the Gover-
nor-General of India is pleased to direct the publi-
cation of the following despatch, from the Deputy-
Adjutant-General of the Army, No. 257 A, dated
20th April, 1858, forwarding copy of a report from
Brigadier-General R. Walpole, Commanding Field
Force, detailing his operation against and capture
of the Fort of Rociya, on the 15th inst.
Ills Lordship participates in the grief expressed
by his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, at the
heavy loss which the British army has sustained
iu the death of that most admirable officer Briga-
dier-General the Hon. A. Hope, whose very bril-
liant services he had bad the gratification of pub
holy recognizing in all the operations for the relief
and the final capture of Lucknow. No more mourn-
ful duty hasfallen upon the Governor-General, iu the
course of the present contest, than that of recording
the premature death of this distinguished young
commander.

The Governor-General shares also in the regret
of the Commander-in-Chief at the severe loss of
valuable lives which has attended the operations
against the Fort of Rooya.
R. J. H. BIRCH, Colonel,
Secretary to the Government of India, Military
Department, with the Governor-General.

(No. 257 A.)
" From the Deputy Adjutant-General of the Army to the
_ _

Secrefary- to the Government of India.

" Military Department, with the Governor-General.
" Sir,—l have the honour, by order of the Commander-
in•Chief, to enclose copy of a despatch from Brigadier-
General R. Walpole, dated the 16th instant, which I am
to beg you will submit to the Right Hon. the Governor-
General.

"2. in this despatch the capture of the Fort of Rooya
is described, an operation which, to the great regret of his
Excellency, has been attended with considerable loss.
"3. Among the names of those who have fallen appears
that of Brigadier the Hon. A. Hope. The death of this
most distinguished and gallant officer causes the deepest
grief to the Commander-in-Chief. Still young in years, he
had risen to high command, and by his undaunted courage,
combined as it was with extreme kindness and charm of
manner, had secured the confidence of his brigade to no
ordinary degree.
"4. This brigade he led in several assaults, of which
the last was in the attack on the Begum Kotee, at the late
siege of Lucknow.

5. The service of her Majesty could, in Sir Colin
Campbell's opinion, hardly have sustained a greater loss.
" I have the honour to be sir,
" Your most obedient servant,
" H. W. NORMAN, Major,
" Deputy-Adjutant-General of the Army.
" Head-quarters, Camp Poorah, 20th April, 1858."

" From Brigadier-General R. Walpole, Commanding
Field Force, to the Chief of the Staff.
" Dated Camp Madhogunge, April 16, 1853.
" Sir,—l have the honour to acquaint you for the infor-
mation of his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, that
yesterday morning I marched to this place (which almost
joins Roodamow) from Gosegunge.
" Nurput Singh, who, I stated in my despatch of yes-
terday was at Itooya Fort, which is about one mile to the
north of this place, did not come in or send any satisfactory
reply to the message of Captain Thurburn, the magistrate,
who accompanies this force. I therefore thought it ad-
visable to attack him, particularly as Captain Thurburn
informed me that ho understood this man had received
only the day before yesterday a letter from the Begum,
and that his intentions were certainly hostile to the Go-
vernment ; and, under these circumstances it would have
had the worst effect to have passed this fort without
taking it.
" I accordingly directed my baggage to be massed in the
open plain, near Madhogunge, under a strong guard of
cavalry, infantry. and two field guns, and proceeded with
the remainder of the force towards Rooya, turning
off from the road, about two miles from bladhogunge, for
the purpose of getting round to the north side of the foot,
which was stated to be the weakest part of it, where there
was a gate, and where there were very few 'inns.
"The foot on the east and north side is almost sur-
rounded with jungle, and at these two sides the only two '
gates were stated to be, which information proved
correct. It is a large oblong, with numerous circuler
bastions all round it, pierced for guns, and loopholed for
musketry, and surrounded by a broad and deep
ditch : there is an inner fort or citadel, surrounded in
like manner by a deep ditch, and with a high wall con-
siderably elevated above the rest of the work. On the
west and part of the south side there was a large piece
of water, which WhS partially dried up. On arriv-
ing before the north side, I sent forward some infantry
in extended order, to enable the place to be reconnoitred,
when a heavy fire of musketry was immediately opened
upon them, and an occasional gun ; the cavalry at the same
time swept entirely round to the west side, to cut off all
communication with the fort.

" A tolerable view of tho fort having been obtained
from the road which leads into it from the north, the
heavy guns were brought up ; the two 18-pounders were
placed on it, the two 8-inch mortars behin,l a wood still
further to tha right.

•` After a short time, a great many of the infantry were
killed and wounded from having crept up too near the
fort, from which the fire of rifles and matchlocks was very
hcavy : these :nen had gone much nearer to the fort than
I wished or intended them to go, and some of the Punjab
Rifles, with great courage, but without orders, jumped
into the ditch and wore killed in endeavouring to get up
the scarp. I therefore gave directions that they should he
withdrawn from their forward and exposed situation, and
here it was that I regret to say the gallant and able sol-
dier Bzigadier Hope was killed by a rifle or musket b .11
fired by a man from a high tree within the walls of the
place.

"By half-past 2 o'clock, the fire of our heavy guns ap-
peared to have made little or uo impression upon the place
and as no gun could be brought to bear upon the gate, the
Passage to which was not straight, and it could not be ap-
proached without the men being exposed to a very heavy
tire from the bastion and loopholed wall that commanded
it, I considered it better not to attempt an assault until
more impression had been made upon the walls of the
place, and, as it was getting late, to withdraw from the
north side and commence operations against the south-east
angle on tho following morning, which had been reconnoi-
tred by the Engineers, and where they thought it would