The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-06 00:00:00

DESPATCHES FROM INDIA

(From the London Gazette of last evening.)

ADMIRALTY, JAN. 4

Despatches, of which the following are copies,
have bee❑ received from Capt. Peel, C 8., of the
Shannon, commanding the Naval Brigade in India,
dated Camp before Lucknow, Nov. 11, 1857 :
Camp btf,re Luck now, Nov. 11, 1857.
Sir,—l have the honour to forward for the Lords Corn-
rnissi,ners of the Adtnirsl'y the copy of my 1,-tter to his
Exlellency Sir :Michael Seymour, wi'3 it 4 enclosure
reporting the iiiliweedinge of her Maj-sty's sly p Sh,,"-
BOU'el Naval gri_tid,i

WILLIAM PEEL, Captain, R.N.
To the Secretary of th 4 Admiralty.

Between Cawnpore and Lucknow, Nov. 9.
PROCEEDINGS OF NAVAL BRIGADE.
Sir,—On the 20th ult. Lieut. Va.ughan joined me at
Allahabad,.with a reinf,reement of 126-officers and men,
which raised the to,,alstrength of the S lannon's brigade
at A I thabadto 516. This reinforcement .vas composed for
the most part of merchant seamen raised at Calcutta, and
the Rue appearance of the men, thFir good behaviour, and
excellent discipline displayed the ability and znl of
Lieut. Jas. W. Vaughae• I bag to recommend this
excellent officer to your favourable notice. I think, also,
that it showed the fine spirit of the mercant Fwrvic3, as
these men entered on beard the Shannon without any
condition', and arinst 61. per month wages offered by
the shipping.
On the 23 1 tilt, in obedion7,o to a tel,!ram from the
Chief of the Staff, I sont a party of 100 seamen, con-
simting of Lieut. No•.cell Salmon's company of smaliarm
men, and a field-niece party, the whole under the com-
mand of Lieut. Vaughan, to proceed with four siege
train 24-pounders to Cawnpore. That party is now with
the c iluran before Lneknow.

On the 27th ult. a further detachment of 170 men,
under the command of Lieut. T. Y. Young, the gunnery
officer -of the Shannon, consisting of Lieut. Edward
Hav's.company of smalarra men, a field-piece party,
and the Marines under C tpt. T. C. Gray, with a sii-ge
train of four 24-p )unders and two 8-inch howitzers, and
a large amount of ammunition, under c•nlvoy of troops,
were sent on the same service; and on tin, following
day, by order of the CAnmander-in-Chief, I was sent to
accompany it. Lieut.-Colonel Powell, wiAi the head-
quartys of the 53A Regiment, soon at,erwards joined ul
on the march; and the battle that ensued at Sudjwa,
the- defea'of the enemy, and the death of the gallant
Col. Powell are reported in the accompanying copy of
my despatch to the Chief of the Staff. I have since been
informed that the Commander of the ieb?l army was
also amo,,g the idaio.

Since that battle was f9tiglit, with to exqeption of
one day's re-t for the fo,tore men, rlho had marched
72 miles in three days, btbales fighting a severe engagt-
meat, we have made daily marches, and are now on our
way to join the column before Lucknow.
At Ca n pore I was obliged to leave Liout. Hay with 50
men to serve as artiilerymen for that important station.
The remainder of my brigade, con,isting of nearly
240 otficiers an.l men, are at Allahabad, under the
command of Lieutenant Wfri. C. F'. Wi'son, assisted by
Lieutenants Henry R. Wratislaw, awl Lind of Haz,-ley
(Swedish Navy). They are du.ng duty at the garrison.
I am much gratified with the conduct of all the Bri-
gade, and there is no departure what,ver from the ordi-
nary rules and custom of the service.—l have. &c.,
WILLIAM PEEL, Captain, R.N.
Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, K.O 8., Ice.
Encio,ied is the return of our casualties iu the battle
of Kudj wa.

Cavvnpore, Nov. 7, 1857.
Detaehnieat under Captain W. Peel, R.N., C. 8., &o.—
Return of Killed and Wounded of the above detach-
ment in the action of Kudjwa, on the let November,
1257 :
Lieutenant Etl ward Hay, R.N., slight graze on back
of hand ; doing well.
Lieutenant William Stirling, R.M., gunshot wouni
through calf of leg; doing well.
William Ballard, ordinary seaman, gunshot wound
through calf of leg ; doing well.
John Cuuncr, ordinary seaman, gunshot wound
through fleshy part of arm ; doing well.
Morris Curran, A. 8., gunshot wound through fleshy
part of thigh ; injury severe.

Jag. Finde, gtinsiiot contusion of abdomen; quite wel .
James French, A. 8., gunshot wound in front of ankle
joint ; injury severe.

Edward Baker, captain A G., gunshot wound through
soft part of back thorax ; injury severe.
John Jordan, ordinary seaman, gunshot wound
through left lung; injury severe.
Wm. O'Neil, A. 8., gunshot wound through fleshy
and upper third of thigh ; severe.
John Metcalf, ordinary seaman, gunshot wont d
through left buttock ; doing well.
Thomas Langston, gunshot wound below left
malleolus fleshy ; doing well.
William Ashton, A. 8., gunshot wound through left
femoral bone, mortally; not expected to live.
Richard Kelly, R.M.A., gunshot wound through
femoral artery ; died on the field.
Alexander Ilewston leading seaman, round shot
through abdomen ; died on the field.
RECAPITULATION.
Killed-1 seaman, 1 marine.

Wettoded—Mortally, 1 :seaman ; dangeroasly, 1 Pea-
man ; severely, 1 petty officer, 7 aewnen, 1 marine ;
slightly, 1 officer, 1 cahoot).

JAMES FLANAGAN,
Assistant-Surgeon in Medical Charge, Naval
Brigade.

Camp, Futtehpore, Nov. 3, 1857.
Sir,—l have the honour to lay before his Excellency
the Commander-in-Chief the details of the battle of
Kudj wa, with the circumstances that preceded it.
Detachments amcnoting to 700 men, under the com-
mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Powell, of her Majesty's 53d
Regiment, in charge of siege-train gun. and a large con-
voy, were proceeding from Allahabad to Cawnpore, and
had arrived on the 31st ult., after a march of 12 miles,
at the camping-ground of Thurea. The same afternoon
intelligence was received from Futtehpore that the
Sepoy mutineers of the Dinapore regiments with three
guns had passed the Janina, with the intention of either
attacking Futtehpore or crossing over into Oude. The
camp was immediately struck, and we arrived at the
camping ground of Futtehpore at mienight.
Cot. Powell then male arrangements for marching at
daylight noon the enemy, who were reported to be reheat
24 mile.+ distant at ICtidjiere, beyond the village of Bin-
kee. Tee column consisted of 162 men of her Majesty's
531 Regt., under Major Clark ; 68 of Royal Engineers,
under Capt. Clarke; 70 of a depot detachment, under
Lout. Fanning, of bee Majesty's 64th Regiment; and
•103 of the Naval Brigade under Capt. Peel. It inarnbeti
at daylight, and was joined from the garrison of Futteh
pore by a company of 931 Highlanders, 100 in number,
under Capt. Cornwall, and two 0-pouuder guns under
Lieut. Anderson, Bengal Artillery.
After mai chieg 16 Elides the column halted for refresh-
ment, and teen resumed the march al. a rapid paeo,
pas4ieg through the village of Binaee at abut 1 30 pen..
whete the rote licence was confirmed that the en, my
was at hand.
The troops pressed on without interruption; the
lenders advancing iu skirmishing order, rupported by tee
Royal E and fuliowed by the 531 Regiment in
celuinn, an,, thee by tee Naval Brieede ; the de'
tacleineat with the bAggsge. We a•.irao-ed all.
rial which led straight f.,r the village of fiudj
saw that the et.emy 6 ricjilt occupied a long line (f
übankinent on our left of the road, which embYnku'e"
screened by a grove, continued towards V.ts village, anal
their left was higher up on the other ride, with their
guns posted in the centre on the road, two of them in
ad vanes, and one on a bridge near the village.
A round shot corning down the road opened the baiele
at about 2.20 p.m., and the column w.ie ordered to edge
to the right and advance on the guns through the elm-
fie' !s, the skirmishers of the 93d and Iteyel Eegineers
pushing up on both sides of the road. The emit my's ar-
tillery %Al well served and did great execn ion, and tllc
flank fire otiremsketryWas very severe. 'file gallant Col.
Powell bitii4ll, on the le't of the road, pressed on the
attack, and h.id just secured two gang of the enemy,
when he. fell dead with a bullet through the forehead.
In the meantime the Naval Brigade had advanced on
the right of the 531, and carried the enemy's position in
their front. It was then that the death of Col. Powell
wae reported to me, and I was requested to assume no
command. The great force of the enemy, the long line of
their defences, and the exhaustion of both officers and
men after finch long marches rendered oar position truly
critical. The front of the battle had become changed to
the line of the road, and the enemy, with all their force
behind their embenettents, threatened to intercept our
rear. I le't Lieut [Ley, R N., up
nine-
pounder guns, to hold the positiosntvpohirethedhbisY ptawrotyhadgallantly carried, and which secured our flank ; and,
collecting as many fresh troops as were available, assisted
"
principally by Lieut. Lennox (Captain Clark
unfortunately severely wounded), and by Ensign e bTrueelnl'
'
of the 531,we rushed across the road,
and passing round the upper end of the embankments divided the
em
force, and drove them successfully from all theeinr*
posi-
tions. The enemy then retired in confusion, leaving iimasters of their camp, and with two of their guns
au
d
a tumbril in our possession.

'pob -

The late hour of the evening (it was half-past 4 when
the enemy fired their last allot) and the excessive fatigue
of the troops prevented any pursuit. We therefsrespoiled
their camp, and, leaving it with cheers, for Ted on the
road y the bridge near the village, and sent out parties
to collect our dead and wounded. _

With the body of the Colonel on the limber of the gun
be, 444-49! gallakly captured, we then returned, and
encamped near the village of Binkee.
Our loss in the action was very severe, amounting to
95 killed and wounded.
The behaviour of the troops and of the Naval Brigade
was admirable, and all vied with each other and showed
equal courage in the fiald. The marching of the 53d and
the accurate firing of the Highlanders deerved special
recommendation,
I rec,ivati the greatest assiStarien from C,,pt. Cox, her
Majesty's 25th Regimeut, whom I wou;a wish cu bring
to the favourable notice of his Excellency the Comma 1-
der-in-Chief, and the arrangements of the Field Hospit
ii
tinder Dr Grant, bar Majesty's -53 d, and those of the
Quartermaster's department, under Capt. Marshall, wt re
everythiog I could wish
•
The totk.l number of the enemy was reported to be
about 4,000 men 2,040 of whore were sepoye, wbo fought
in their uniform. Their loss was estunated at tto.:e
300 kil:ed,

WILblAs.l. PEEL, Cat/Lam 1.-1 N., Commanciing.
I bavec the pleasure t.-.) inform his Excellency that the
lemaining gun of the eau:ay, with ti rte tumbrils, was
brought in this evening by the police, having been