The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-01 00:00:00

THE .RBLIEF OF LUCKNOW AND THE
BATTLE OF CAWNPOBE.

We have been • favoured with the following
letter :

‘' Lucknow Garrison, Oct. 19, 1857, to
Dee. 18, at Allahabad.
"My dearest Parents,—Little did I think when
I last wrote to you that my next letter would be
written from this place; but so it is. I have been a
prisoner in Lucknow sine ) the 25th of last month,
the day on which Gen. Havelock's force reached
'Bailey Guard' (as the Residency is generally
called). I was foolish in coming, as it has turned
out, but had it been otherwise the trip would have
been a very pleasant one. The idea of relieving
Lucknow' seemed to me so glorious that I could not
resist the feeling that urged me on, and when in
Cawnpore I wrote to Gen. Havelock
civilianthat, being l-
as I bade
quired I should be glad to aGcompany him,
done before. A gracious reply settled the matter,
and away I came. I was nor. wanted, as Gen. Out-
entered Oude as Chief Commissioner, doing all
Out-
ram
work himself, but as I had got leave from
Gen. Havelock I settled the matter by starting, at
the same time writing to the Commissioner at ARA-
baba(' to tell him of the arrangement. We started
with a force of 3,000 men and 18 guns, and beat off
A large force on the first day's march, two miles
from the river, and defeated them so signally that
no stand was made by them again until we reached
Lucknow itself, when we engaged and defeated the
whole force on the 22d, in the open field, having
marched up in three days. We suffered a great deal
from the wet, for it rained incessantly the whole
three clays. On the 24th we rested at a place called
Alumbagh, in front of Lucknow, where we had en-
camped on the day before. The whole of that day
the enemy annoyed us with their artillery, having
taken up a position in some thickly-wooded gardens
in front. Alumbagh is a large garden enclosed by a
thick and high wall, with a very extensive double-
storied house in the centre. On the 25th the whole
of thebaggage, wounded, and camp followers were
ordered into this place, with a guard of 250 men,
and at 9 a.m. we started. I still chummed with
Dr. —, as I think I mentioned to you before.
He was then doing duty with the sth Fusiliers,
who headed the force. We were divided into two
parties, the sth Fusilier, let Madras Fusiliers,
84th, 64th, and Sikhs, with guns, having with us
Generals Outram, Havelock, and Neill ; the Second
Brigade consisting of the 78th. Highlanders, the
90th, and volunteer cavalry, with a small party of
Sikh Irregulars. We were then about three miles
from the Residency, as the crow flies, but abut
six by the road we were to take. The city on the
Cawnpore side is skirted by very thickly-wooded
gardens, with high walls of mud and long nsrrow
lanes with straggling lines of houses and mud huts,
forming excellent covers for the scoundrels, who
fight only behind walls. Well, we had to go
through at least three miles of this, and had to
commence work by taking a battery situated about
1,000 yards up the road at the commencement of
the cover. It was close on the road, and could
sweep the approach at every discharge of the guns,
while three of the batteries were fixed on the left
and right, while thousands and thousands of the
scoundrels were lurking in the thick sugar cane on
all sides. Away we went, and with the guns pro-
ceeded about 580 yards when we opened with our
guns, the troops lying down on the road, where we
remained for about 20 minutes 'under a most mur-
derous fire' (as Gen. Outram styled it in his orders
next day). It was, indeed, most fearful, the round
shot and grape literally tore the road up, cutting
the brave fellows to pieces, while the bullets fell
among them like a shower of bail. How I escaped
I cannot tell. Why I was spared I know not ; this
much I can say, that I never for a moment expected
or hoped to see night, the fire was so dreadful. I
was as cool and collected as I could wish to be, but
completely resigned for the worst, and as I lay on
ray face between the soldiers I prayed earnestly—
not for protection, but for forgiveness of my sins,
and for you all, for I never expected to see another
day. It is extraordinary how calm one feels on
such occasions. lam not particularly courageous ;
bat, on the contrary, am fond of taking care of
myself ; but I do declare that when under fire,
whether it is from excitement or what not, I have
never felt so much apprehension as I have expe-
rienced when standing up to swift bowling at
cricket. It was here that the Royal Artillery were
cut to pieces at their guns by the musketry fire—so
hot it was, rendering them perfectly inefficient. We
lay then in this fire till we were ordered to 'get
up,' and with a cheer the men rose and charged up
the road, driving the devils out of their strongholds,
who carried away their guns, which must have been
horse artillery, from the speed with which they re-
treated. Well, on we went and forced our way
through the gardens and lanes, losing men right
and left—on—on—through the most intricate
places, taking guns here and there, and forcing the
canal-bridge, where they stood very steadily, firing
grape and canister as the gallant fellows rushed up
to the guns. The General had planned his method
of approach and carried his map of the city with
him, and halts innumerable took place in conse-
quence, while the roads were picked out and route
determined. Away we went, and about 5 p.m.
found ourselves opposite the Palace, from the gates
of which a very heavy fire was opened, which, how
ever, did but little damage, as we found shelter in
smile buildings. We were ord,red on, and agai:t
started, and got into shelter after pa.sing in front
of the Palace, where from the loopholes the mus-
ketry poured like rain.
_ _

"Nov. 16,

" I continue my tale. Here we halted for some
time; by ' we' I mean the fist brigade, fur the

econd had taken a different route, carrying with
them the stores we brought iu. The fire from the
Palace (known as the Keisah Bagh) was so severe
that we had to run double quick in front of it as
hard as we could, and a s2ene of great confusion
ensiled when we halted—guns and infantry mixed
up, soldiers wandering in search of their compa-
nions, and the wounded in the doolies carried here
and there without any orders. We had been there
about half-an-hour when the second brigade joined
us, passing in front of the Palace, emerging from a
narrow lane close to it ; here they had to pass under
the very walls, while the scoundrels on the wall
hurled down stones and bricks, andeven spat on our
follows, a fierce fire being kept up from the loop-
holed wall. After a little time order was re-esta-
blished,. and after a fresh examination of tte map
the column was drawn up and we started again.
It was cruel work ; brave troops being exposed to
such. Unfair fighting, What can men do against
I°ol3Voled houses when they have no time to enter
a city taking house by house ? In fact, we ran the
gauntlet regularly throuah the streets. After
we • passed the palaces down like sheep e'
our men being
without being able en'a
to return the fire of the
we passed on some little
raY
with any effect,
to a sudden turning to the leftwwaTihwhen we came '
a huge gateway
in *but, and through tic
we had to
side. The
Pass under a
shower of balls from the houses on each
for
some and
Sikhs and the sth Fusiliers got to the ide
front,
kept up a steady fire at the houses
with the hope of lessening the musketry, betittinie
Was
of nb use ; excited men can seldom fire into loop.
holes with any certainty, and we had to make the
best of our way up the street, turning sharp round
to the right, when we foand ourselves in a long
wide street, with sheets of fire shooting out from
the-houses. On we went, about a quarter of a
mile, being peppered from all sides, when suddenly
we found ourselves opposite to a large gateway,
with folding doors, complete'y fiddled with round
shot and musket balls, the entrance to a large en-
closure. At the side of this was a small doorway,
half blocked up by a small mud wall, and the
Europeans and Sikhs were struggling to get
thiough while the bullets were whistling ahout
thorn. I could not think what was up, and why
we should be going in there, but after forcing my
way up
to the door, and getting my head and
§-boulders over the wall, I found myself being
Pulled over by a great uiwasbed, hairy creature,
I and patted me on my back,
who set me on my hog. ,
I found myself in the long-
and to my astonishment
What an entry compare
locked-for Bailey Guard.