The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-13 00:00:00

EVENING, JANUARY 13, 1858,

struck a salutary terror into the minds of the muti

neers.

GENERAL WINDHAM.'S FIGHT WITH THE
GWALIOR REBELS.
The following is from the Correspondent of the
Daily Hews :
" Cawnpore bad been left under the command
of General Windham, the hero of the B.edan. He
had with him about 3,000 men, consisting of por-
tions of the 34th, 64th, 82d, and 88th Regiments,
besides artillery. It is said that his orders from Sir
Colin were on no account to risk an engagement.
However that may be, he heard on the 20th that
the Gwalior rebels were advancing on Cawnpore.
On the 25th information reached him that the ad-
vanced guard had arrived at Pandoo Nuddy, about
8 miles from Cawnpore. These were not the Gwa-
lior troops ; they were Koour Singh's rabble, who
having been beaten out of Behar, in August by
Vincent Eyre, had since joined the Gwalior disci•
plined troops, and had come on as their advanced
guard. Windham, thinking they were the Gwalior
troops, went out on the 26th to attack them, and
after a contest of an hour-and-a-half's duration,
beat them. He thought, most probably, that this
defeat must so disorganise the It ebels that they
would make no more head against us. At all events
all accounts agree in stating that no precautions
whatever were taken against surprise, that our
standing camp remained as though we were in a
peaceful cantonment, and that no attack was anti-
cipated for a moment. But the Gwalior men were
' rather enraged than discomfited. They had sent
forward Koour Singh's rabble as a feeler, both to
deceive Windham and to mask their own move-
ments. They were very nearly being successful.
Finding from Wind'iam s attack on Koour Sing
that he was prepared to expect them on the east
side of Cawnpore, they moved rapidly on to the
Delhi road, making a circuit, and then on the morn-
ing of the 27th marched on the station from the
westward. Instead, however, of attacking with
promptitude,, hey contented themselves with as-
suming a threatening attitude at Nawabgunge, a
suburb two miles distant from Windham's standing
camp. This enabled the latter to make prepara-
tions. He ordered out the troops, and marching
at the head of more Europeans than the lamented
Elavelock had ever had under his command, went
down confident of success to attack the rebels. Our
troops, accustomed to be led to victory, went on
with their usual dash, the 64th, one of Havelock's
victorious regiments, leading. They charged a
battery in the left centre of the enemy's line, and
gained it, the enemy yielding at every step. By
advancing the other regiments to support the 64th,
the victory 'would have been assured ; but they
were left alone, and the enemy closing on them
with their left wing they suffered very severely ;
they were compelled to abandon the guns they had
gained. The want of a general was everywhere
conspicuous ; confusion reigned on all sides ; no
distinct orders were issued, and our troops had to
beat a hasty, it may be called a disgraceful, retreat
into the entrenchments, leaving standing camp,
stores, camp equipage, and the entire station of '
Cawnpore to the west of the canal in the hands of
the enemy. Our loss was proportionately heavy,
and several of our men, and even some officers,
fell alive into the hands f the enemy. It is stated
in private letters that one of these was forthwith
hanged, a second beaten to death with shoes,
and a third tied to a cart-wheel, which in a few
successive revolutions crushed him to death.
Our camp and stores they burned, and that
evening advancing close to one entrenchment
they took possession of and burned the whole of
the cold-weather clothing for our men, which had
been stored up at Cawnpore. On the following day
the rebels attacked the entrenchment, commencing
with a very heavy cannonade from the right and
left of their line. Windham attempted a sortie, in
which, after some hard fighting, the rifles managed
to capture two guns, but our right were driven
back with much loss. It was the sound of the
firing on this day which reached the ears, of Sir
Colin Campbell ; a messenger at the same time
arrived with accounts of the critical state of Wind-
ham's party. Had the rebels at this time cut the
bridge of boats, which affords the only means of
communication with Oude, Sir Colin would have
found it a difficult matter to cross the Ganges, but
the rebels not expecting his return, and making
sure of Windham's force, were probably anxious
to avail themselves of the bridge of boats to crush
Sir Colin Campbell. At all events they let it re-
main, and by so doing were lost. The movements
of the favourite lieutenant of Sir Charles Napier
were too prompt for them. With his artillery and
cavalry, he marched 38 miles in 15 hours, crossed
the Ganges by thebridge of boats on the night of the
28th, on the next day fell upon the rebels, drove
them back, in a way which made the troops feel
that they once more had a general at their head,
into the town, and then returned to escort the ladies
and wounded across the river. Although her tssed
in this operation by the rebels, who poured in a
desultory ilro fL um, the torn, and thicebonod on the
left bank by the Oude insurgents, he in the space
of two days successfully effected this very delicate
operation. He did not at once attack the enemy.
Commanding from the entrenchment, the head of
the road to Allahabad, he made arrangements for a
safe escort for the ladies, sick, and wounded, as
far as that station, remaining meanwhile on
the defensive. On the morning of the 6th, the
last wounded man having left the entrenchment;
he turned his attention to the rebels, and at 11
o'clock moved out to attack them.
" No detaiis of the action have yet been received
in Calcutta, but it is known that the enemy were '
totally and completely defeated. They lost im-
mense quantities of stores, grain, bullocks, and
baggage, 16 guns, and their camp. They were
pursued that day for 14 miles along the road to
Kalpee, in a south-westerly direction. The Chief
then returned to Cawnpore, leaving Brigadier
Hope Grant to follow up his success. This officer
continued to follow them up ; but the rebels, mak-
ing a sudden detour, left the Kalpee-road, and
endeavoured to cross the Ganges into Oude. They
reached Joorag-ghat, 22 miles in the direct road
from Cawnpore, but much longer by the route they
had taken. Here they procured boats, and were
about to cross over their yet remaining guns, when
our pursuing force appeared upon their rear. It
was Brigadier Grant. He at once attacked them
with great spirit, and after half-an-hour's cannon-
ading took 15 guns, large quantities of ammunition
and stores, without losing a single man him'elf.
The Brigadier alone was slightly wounded. This
is the latest itelligence.. The details we receive
are but scanty. Sir Colin is himself a determined
enemy to newspaper correspondents, and even
private letters abounding with news, of which pre-
vious advice has been sent, frequently miscarry.
With respect to General Windham's conduct on
the 27th and 28th, every account received from
the camp expresses but one opinion. By some it
is said that he has been placed under arrest for
fighting contrary to the express orders of his chief ;
by others, that disgusted with the sentiments ex-
pressed by Sir Cohn, he has thr?wß up his appoint-
ment on the staff of the Indian army. But both
these statements should be received with caution.
I send them to you, as they are mentioned in let-
ters received from Cawnpore.

The Calcutta Phenix, of the 10th ult., says of
the death of General Havelock :
- -

It is uncertain on what date General Havelock
received the wound from the effects of which he died
It is indeed uncertain, here in Calcutta, whether his
death was the result f a wound at all. All that we
know of the lamentable and unfortunate orcurrence ie
derived from the telegraphic meseage received by
Government from Cawnpore, and dated the 27th Nov.
In that message General Windham says :—' General
Havelock died twe days age.' "
The same paper summarises the various important
events at Luokhow and Cawnpore as follows :
On the night of the 22d of November, the Residency
gareisee, With the women, children, Sec., moved out for
the purpose of leaving the city. This movement was
covered by Sir Colin Campbell's force, and effeoted " in
the presence'of Vie whole force of Oude." All wastaken
away. The King's treiOre, amounting to 230,0001.,
the state prisoners, all the seeeiceable guns, in fact
everything worth removal, was removej; Sir Colin's
force then fell back on the Dilkhoosa, following Lhe route
by which it had advanced, and ultimately left
vicinity of the city altogether, for the Alumbagh, some
miles at the Cawnpore sLie of the canal which runs to
the south of Lucknow. From all this it is evident that
at the time of the departure of the Commander in Chief's
i force, the rebels, and in great strength, held the streets
of the town. They are apparently determined to make
the struggle a desperate one, and have fought better—
far better—against the East India Company than ever
they fought for it.
On the 28th of November Sir Colia Capbell app ears
to have marched from the Alumbagh f raor Cawnpore,
leaving at the latter post a division under Major-General
Outram, The chief object was to engage the Gsvalior
mutineers, who, according to some accounts, had seized
the native cite of Cawnpore, and who, according to the
government news, were at least threatening the sta-
tion. General Windham—the hero of the Redan—
commanded at Cawnpore, and had marched out on the
26th November to attack a portion of the mutineers in
position on the bank of the Pundoo river, 8 miles from
Cawnpore. The general met with sharp opposition, but
after a fight routed this body, taking all their guns but
one. General Windham returned to Cawnpore that
evening and it was most lucky that ho did so. The force
on the Pundoo river seems to have been either a decoy
held out to draw him from the entrenchment, or but the
advance guard of the main body of th-, tr
s4eli,d by tine addition of 311 GljeLurlia.eitt .patL6 of the
• large extent of country they had marched through, by
• Kooar King's men, and by Yaejoue
al dlndia. etails oThis aggro-
f irregular
soldiers from cliff, rent parts of Cent,:
attl4- eked " Nawat•
gated mass of rebe's and mutineers

gunge, near Cawnpore," on the 27th Noveniber, and they
seem to' have been in such numbers as to, have rendered
the retirement of the British force into the entrenchment
a necessary measure. That night they burned down
the tents of three regiments—an easy feat, as probably
there was not a British soldier there to oppose them. On
the following day, emboldened by the unpv.nish€d incen-
diarism of the previous night they attacks it theentrench•
ment. On this occasion they, however, c(sunted withont
their host. They were met by a sortie, two of their
heavy guns taken, and themselves beaten. It was on
this occasion that Brigadier Wilson, the commandant of
the 64th Queen's, was killed.
Cawnpore thus threatened, and threatened by a force
of such superior numbers, nothing rerna,ned for the
Commander-in-Chief but to turn towards it, and
dissipate the army which was attempting to cut oft
his reinforcements and cominunicatiOns. This Sir
Colin Campbell did, and in his usual effective
style. He marched, leaving, as we have before men-
tioned, Gen. Outrain with a division at the Alumbagb,
on Cawnpore, reached that city, or rather the British en-
trenchment outside it, perfected his arrangements for the
safe convoy of the women, children, and wounded, to
`Aliahabad, and then want out and attacked the G walior
Contingent and their allies. The men of the Contirgent
are just as good soldiers—if we may apply the term to
wretches who murder women and children—as were any
of the men of the regular Sepoy regiments. The Con-
tingent itself consisted of four batteries of artillery, two
regiments of cavalry, and seven regiments J f intantry,
all as highly disciplined as any native troops of any
arm in the service. Tnis force was not all that Sir
Colin Campbell had to oppose. Amalgamated with it
were the remnant of the Dinapore mutineers, the con-
tingents of all the ill-disposed Rajahs between Gwalior
and Culpee, the bad characters--the murderers, thugs,
and dacoits---of Central India, and all those who dread-
ing the advent of the Madras column to Rewah and the
Contiguous districts, had pushed north in order to try
and escape into Gude. This was the description of
army which Sir Colin Campbell attacked at Cawn
pore. They were routed with but trifling loss, their
camp was captured. They were pursued along the
Culpee road for fourteen miles, all their baggage taken,
than- munitions of war of most descriptions, and 16 guns
felling into the hands of the victor..
This is our latest news from Lucknow aed Cawnpore.

The summary of the other Calcutta papers are
but imperfect. The intelligence which they convey
Will be found in ttie following Government mes-
sages :--
Copy of Service Message received by Electric Tele-
graph from Lucknow, 231 November, via Caivnpore
271 h November :
From the Coismander-in-Chief.
To Calcutta.
To the Governor-General.
Last night I caused the garrison of Luck now to exe
Mite its retreat from the residency, c vverell by the re-
lieving force, which then fell back on Dilkboosa, in the
presence of the whole force of Oude. The women,
wounded, and state prisoners, and king's treasure, and
23 lace of rupees, with all the guns are in my camp.
A great many guns were destroyed before the Recidenoy
was given ap„those that were worth bringing
having been transported with much laboar and made
available for our own purposes. Tee state prisoners
were brought with us.

From Cawnpore, 26ch Nov. 1-50, p.m.
From General Windham.
To Calcutta.
To the Governor General.
I this morning attacked the Ist division of the Gwalior
Contingent, amounting to upwards of 3,000, with two
18-inch iron howitzers, and two light field guns, upon
the Pundoo River, eight miles from Cawnpore—after
sharp fight for one hour and a half, we completely
routed them, and captured all but one light gun. I
will write particulars on my return this afternoon.

Copy of Service Message received by electric
telegraph :
From Cawnpore, Nov. 27, 10 a.m.
From General Windham.

To Calcutta.
To the Governor-General.
All going on well at Alumbagb. General Havelock
died two days ago.

From Cawnpore, Nov. 27, 10 a.m.
From Captain Bruce, by order of his Excellency the
Commander-in-Chief.

To Calcutta.

To the Governor-General.
I am desired by the Commander-in-Chief to transmit
the following to your lordship, dated Alumbagh, Nov.
24. I have arri►ed here with all the long convoy at-
tended upon the rescued garrison. I propose to march
the day after to-morrow for Bunhee, leaving Sir James
Outram with a division.—Bengal Hurkaru, Nov. 28.

Service message received by electric telegraph.
From Lieut.-Governor, C.P.
To Calcutta.
To C. Beadon, B.=q.
The following message received from Futtehpore at
3 6 p.m. is I orwarded for your information. Message
begins :—From Futtebpore, Ist December, Tuesday,
from Magistrate to Benares to Hon. the Lieut.-Governor,
O.P.—No direct news from Cawnpore today, but a
native report agrees in saying that on the 28th and 29th
November we were successful in our sortie and captured
several gnus. Lathes and children, I believe, came in on
the morning of the 29th. Grand Trunk Road in Cawn
pore district infested with sowers, and communication is
very difficult. No enemy in t its district, but the Kullian-
pore Teheeelee and Thannah have been plundered by
villagers. One hundred Oude men covered the Grand
Tiunk Road from north to south the day before yester-
day. Heavy firing in Oude this morning, and about 15
miles off. Hardly any firing in Cawnpore direction.

Service Message received by electric telegraph.
From Benares, Dec. 1, Tuesday, 9 p.m.
From Lieut.-Governor, C.P.
To Calcutta.
To C. Beadon,
The following message from Futtehpore at 7.1.5 p.m.,
is forwarded for your information :
" I have just received one line from Capt. Bruce. He
says the Chief has reached, and we areal' right now,Nov.
30, 4 p.m. Tae beer, who seems to be speaking the trutb,
says that we have driven the enemy out of Cawnvre,
and we have taken 16 guns, and are still following them
up to the west. The ladies and children arrived on the
morning of the 29th Nov. Baboo Rambukdh and Rugo-
nauth Sing, Oude Zemiudars, are, I expect, up to mis-
chief. They have closed the Ghauts.

Service message received by electric telegraph.
- From Allahabad, Ist Dec., Tuesday, 8.30 a.m.
From.,C, Chester.
To Calcutta.
To C. Beadon, Esq.
The Gwalinr Contingent attacked Nowabgunge near
Cawnpore on the 27th ult. The British troops retired
into the entrenchments, and on the night of the 27th
the rebels burnt down the camp of the 34th, 82d, and
88th regiments. On the 28th day they attacked
he entrenchments from the canal and the Suba-
dies tank. A. *ortie snade against the assailants
from the canal was most successful ; the Rifles
beat back the rebels and brought in two of their
18-pounder guns,. The fire of the rebels from th,
Subedar's tank was also quite silenced, bat our extreme
right and the 64th Regiment suffered very severely.
se jo ra
tS tcr eal nngp
obraed
at
wounded. woßurnidgeadd.ier
sWirilcsoonhinis
Ckailmlepdb,
eallnad Major Streling badly
wounded. Sir Cohn Campbell arriv
d
five p.m. of the 28th. The ladiesf and children of the
Lucknow garrison are encamped four miles from Cawn-
pore.

Copy of service message :
From Cawnpore, Dec. 7, 12 noon

From the Commander-in-Chief.

To Calcutta.
To the Governor-General.
saving ye,terday morning finally completed the ar-
rangements for putting the remainder of the sick and
wounded, 860 in number,in safety, the Gwalior Con-
tingent with its allies were attacked at 11 am. The
affair ended is the complete route of the enemy, whose
camp captured was pursued for 14 miles along the
Celpee road, and
.we captured 16 guns of different
calibres, 26 battery, carts, waggons, &c,, besid,s
an immense quantity of ammunition of all sorts,
parkstores, grain, bullooks, and the whole of the bag-
gage of the force. Our loss was insignificant, and I
have not heard of the death of any officer except Lieut.
Salmond, A.D.C. to General Grant. I halt here to-day
to reorganise the force. List of ordnance, &c. :—One
18-pounder gun with limber, eight 9-pounder guns with
limber, nine 9-pounder waggons, one 9-pounder carriage,
two 24-pounder howitz-re with limner, one 24
areundr,
one 24-pounder waggon, one 24-poender sp cameo,
one transport cart with gin, three 18-pounder limber,
eleven store carts, three 8-inch mortars, two 54-inch
mortars. Total-16 pieces of ordnance, 26 carriages of
different sorts.

From Allahabad, Dec. 8.
From Brigadier Campbell,
To Lord Dunkellio,
Military Sec. to the Gov.-Gen.
Ai; the women and children from Lucknow have
arrived saL.l7.