The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-27 00:00:00

jANTIA`RY 27, 1858

Highlanders charged with great cheering, but the
Sepoys this time bolted.
"DEC. 1. —The Gwalior troops opened fire on us
this morning. They having got the range of our
camp, created great confusion. Our troops are
now attacking them. The Royal Artillery has
not been ordered out, but to be ready. The
city is catching it ; Peel is firing rockets and
shell into the place. To continue the journal
of events. On the 17th, tho greater part of the
day, the artillery were driving away the enemy ;
in the afternoon the mess-house, which is a strong
place, and in which the Jacks were, was taken by
us without much loss. The, Sepoys were chased
into Lucknow, and the road to the Residency
opened. Havelock attacked from the rear. When
it was known that the Residency people were re-
lieved and the ladies all right, three cheers were
given by the men. The 18th, 19th, and 20th we
were employed shelling the Pal '.(.le of Lucknow ; a
deal of musketry firing was also taking place all
around ; whenever there was a cover the Sepoys
potted away from one of their guns, firing round
shot, proving ♦ery troublesome, and we could not
silence it—it lay in a hollow on the ground without
its carriage, behind a number of mud walls. 21st
and 22d, removing the ladies, sick, and wounded to
Dill Khoosa, and retired at dusk on the 22d silently
(and were not interrupted) to Dill Khoosa. 24th,
marched to klumbagh, saw no enemy. 0 utram's force
came up on the 25th, and is to be left there. Have-
lock died of dysentry, and was buried at Alumbagh.
26th, halted; it is said we have more than 1,500 sick
and wounded to carry. 27th, marched to Bunnee,
14 miles ; passed over the whole ground. 28th,
forced march of 30 miles to Cawnpore ; the chief
pushed on with artillery and cavalry. Ido not know
how far it is true, but some say had we not arrived
Cawnpore would have gone ; the bridge of boats
certainly broke that night, and all communication
would have been stopped."
A letter from one who was with the army at
Lucknow, dated Cawnpore, Dec. 2, mentions that
they were engaged with the enemy day and night
from the 13th to the 23d ult. Another letter,
dated the 4th of December, says :

" Since the 27th ult. we have been in a state of
close siege; and under an almost uninterrupted fire
of shot, shell, shrapnel, grape, jezail, balls and
bullets. A foolish mistake was made in attacking
the enemy on the 26th, before we were prepaied
for active hostilities, and a much more foolish and
fatal error the day after in taking up the
straggling camp at Chickendee into the city on its
rear, and a dense cover bet Ween us and the enemy,
which enabled them to advance and take up all
the covers round our establishment, and pin
us in so that to this moment we have been unable
to drive them back ; their movements gave the
enemy double the advantage they had achieved by
their own desperate efforts.
•` Our loss in officers and men has been great.
In one charge, to take a couple of the enemy's big
guns on the 27th, her Majesty's 64th Regiment lost
their Colonel (General Wilson), Major Stirling,
Captains McCrea, Morphy, and Macpherson, and
an attached officer, Mr. Gibbon, besides 70 men,
and all because, instead of being supported after
the charge was made, a retreat was ordered. . .
. The Commander-in-Chief arrived on the even-
ing of the 20th, since which we have felt more con-
fidence and security."
" CAWNPORE, Dec. 7.—From the rough sketch
I sent you you will have seen that from the in-
formation I had gleaned I expected we would be
attacked simultaneously from two, if not from
three sides—by the Nana and his brother Bhola
Sahib, via Shevrajpore and Shewlee ; by Koor
Singh, with a portion of the Gwalior and other
troops from Calpee, via Akbarpore, Runnea, and
Raipore ; and possibly by another column of the
same force, via Gholumpore, Sahr, and Sirsoul.
" On the morning of the 26th ult. General
Windham advanced from his camp near a place
called Dhubohlee, close to the canal, having heard
that the enemy was moving on him from Runea,
and met the advanced column at Bhowsee, near
Pandua Nuddee, where a very severe conflict took
place, which resulted in the repulse of the enemy,
with great loss to them of men as well as of two
howitzers and a brass gun (9-pounder). After
following up the enemy for some distance, their
Sowars turned round to charge, when a detach-
ment of H.M. 34th Regiment immediately formed
square, received the charge, and then poured in
a murderous fire that rolled over each horse and
rider, only one of the latter escaping out of some
sixty. Du rins,4hiLqineeitYiTgwrilEE men over
a well, received a mortal wound from a bullet and
fell into the well, from which his men failed to
recover his body. Our troops fell back towards
evening, and pitched their camp in the Jerre°
Plain, with a thick cover of trees and brushwood
to the S.W. (the direction the enemy had retired
in, and might at any moment be expected sud-
denly to open fire from), and a brick-kiln on
the N.E., with the city to retreat through in case
of need. This unguardedly-taken and dangerous
position conducted to the disasters of the following
day. Early in the morning D. and I rode out to
this camp, and in conversation with some of the
officers of H.M. 88th Foot, suggested that abetter
position would be attained by moving the camp to
the old ground just behind the canal, so as to have
au open plain, with the canal for a barrier in front,
and an open plain likewise to the rear. Our
suggestion was at the time received with smiles,
but in the evening, when we again met some of the
said officers at the Hospital in intrenchments, they
recalled our remarks of the morning to mind, and
said they had thought of us. No sooner had we
returned to cantonments than we heard the sounds
of fight, the enemy having opened from the above-
mentioned cover to the south-west of our camp. I
do not believe any one can accurately describe the
fight and retreat of this forenoon. All I have been
able to learn is that some officer informed the Gene-
ral that these intrenchments had been attacked
and nearly taken by a body of the enemy. A
retreat was ordered, her Majesty's 34th Foot
being directed to fall behind the brick-kiln.
Neither officers nor men knew where to
find it 1 The news flew rapidly about the canton-
ments and city that oue force was worsted and on
the retreat, and an overwhelming rush was made
into the inner intrenchments, as resistless as the
volume of water at the Falls of Niagara. Soldiers
and Jacks, Europeans and natives, men, women,
and children, camels, horses, and oxen poured in,
in countless numbers, from 2 p.m. By nightfall
the intrenched camp, with its motley assemblage
of men and beasts, baggage, luggage, and 10,000
nondescript encumbrances, rivalled the chaos
that existed before the fiat of creation went
forth. As a. matter of course, the entire of
-our advanced camp, with the exception, I
believe, of a portion of H.M. 82d Regiment,
fell into the hands of the enemy ! Early the
next morning, the 28th, the enemy (up to this
time consisting of the Gwalior and other troops
from Calpee, but now joined by the Nana Sahib,
from Sewrajpore and his brother the Bhola Sahib
from Sewlee, with their respective forces and guns,
numbering with the Calpee troops, some 21,000
men and 56 guns), commenced advancing under
the admirable covers they found in the yet unde-
molished and half-destroyed bungalows and public
buildings, until they formed a complete cordon
around us, resting their right flank on the city and
their left on the burial ground to the east of Kirk and
Co.'s premises, and verging on the river. From their
left and centre they opened a murderous and well
supported fire of heavy and light guns, and kept
closing on us under such fire, *and the protection
of the covers I have mentioned, until our °nt.'s() .ts
were gradually driven in to within a few hundred
yards of our own batteries. The Assembly Rooms,
with all they contained, consisting of 11,000 rounds
of Enfield cartridges, the mess plate of some four
Queen's corps, paymasters' chests and baggage un-
told of, officers and men, fell into the hands of the
Philistines, who dislodged our men, but whom we
could not in return dislodge, though not more,
certainly, than 400 yards from our batteries.
Between the Assembly Rooms and church (which
they also occupied) the enemy placed severalguus
in position, that worried us for several successive
days. During the afternoon the 64th Queen's
immortalised themselves. Captain Wright, with
some 30 men, held the Baptist Chapel on the road
that leads to Kirk and Co.'s premises, and the old
burial ground adjoining Duhan's Hotel. He saw
the enemy pressing on his outpost, and placing
his few men in skirmishing order, opened fire on
them. While thus engaged; a detachment of this

corps, sent by the General to capture four guns
that were in position beyond Kirk and Co.'s pre-
mises, on the turn of the road leading to Permit's
Ghat, and doing dreadful mischief, came in sight,
consisting of about 200 or 250 men, commanded
by Colonel W ilson. Captain McCrea shouted to
Wright to go forward as an advanced guard which
he instantly did, pushing on until he reached
the raised platform on the north of Kirk's bun-
galow, whence he distinctly saw the four guns in
position, and played on them with his rifles.
Colonel Wilson's small force advanced by the
road, and as they rounded the turning came full
on these guns, which immediately opened on them
with heavy pours of musketry from the infantry
supporting them, and numbering certainly not
less than 2,500. With one terrific shout our
brave fellows flung themselves on the guns, and
three out of four were spiked in the twinkling of
an eye, two by Captain McCrea, who, while en-
deavouring to spike a third, was cut down by the
tulwars of the Golundazes. No support being sent
to this gallant and small band of heroes, it could
not long hold the guns thus bravely and daringly
captured 1 Colonel Wilson was mortally wounded
by a rifle bullet through the left breast ; he was
brought into camp by some of his men and died
within 20 minutes. Captains McCrea and Morphy
were cut down at the guns. Major Stirling was
shot. Captain McKinnon and Lieut. Gordon
(attached) were left on the field wounded. The
former is said, and is believed, to have been hanged
by the villains on the gallows on which we used to
execute the rebels, and the latter to have been
bound hands and feet to a cartwheel, and while thus
helpless progged with bayonets, and otherwise
ignominiously treated. Among the men the
slaughter was fearful, and many a poor wounded
fellow was left to the tender mercies of the Pandies,
their being no bearers in attendance to carry the
doolies to the front I The handful that did escape
came in sad and sorrowful ! Though, through the
indomitable valour and brill-dog pluck of Britons,
we that day re-isted the enemy so as to keep him at
bay- .400 yarns £Lum our ramparts, auct though
our Rifles and blue-jackets did take thre 18-pounders
and two mortars, yet without a doubt the enemy bad
the best of it in every way. I can assure you our
intrenchment sheltered many a heart that pulsated
with gloomy forebodings, until, towards evening,
his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief was seen to
be approaching with bis personal Staff.
" The enemy opened at about 6.45 a.m. of the
29th, with a heavy crossfire from each flank, as
well as from the centre, of shot, shell, grape, ca-
nister, &x., which was cordially returned from our
intrenchments, and the firing coutinued,incessantly
the entire day. About 10 a.m., the Commander-
in-Chief's force commenced crossing, and during
the day A.M. 53cl arid 93d, the 2d Punjab In-
fantry, Horse Battery of six guns, Foot Artillery,
with five guns, the 9th Lancers, Hodson'e Horse,
Peel Battery of two 24-pounders, and an 8-inch ho-
witzer, came across. In the evening a detachment of
the Madras Fusiliers and the sth Punjab Cavalry,
with some of the lathes, children, and sick from
Lucknow, came over. During the night a con-
tinued file fire was kept up between our and the
enemy's outposts. At 7 a.m. of the 30th, the
enemy's batteries again opened on us from the same
positions as the day before, and a new one to their
left flank which teazed us greatly, playing on the
General Hospital, and the tents and quarters of the
Commissariat. The former was hit by several
round shot. We replied in right good earnest,
silencing the enemy's guns at times, but only for a
while, since, shifting position, they invariably
opened on us again. During the day the residue
of the troops and refugees from Lucknow crossed
over, and during the night the major portion of the
enormous baggage camp. On the Ist of December
we received reinforcements from Allahabad. By
10 a.m. the enemy's batteries opened fire and ours
returned it. H.M. 93d Highlanders captured
one and spiked two guns, which latter they were
unable to bring in. About 10 p.m. the enemy
attacking the outposts of her Majesty's 93d and
153 d, and were repulsed with great loss, and the
file firing on both sides lasted uearly all night.
At 6 a.m. of the 2d the enemy's batteries opened
again, and we respoeded,but the former were very
soon quieted by 5 small mortars we got in position
at the Gunga Battery, under the direction of Capt.
afternoon an outer camp was formed, and the
telegraphic communication with Futtehpore and
Allahabad resumed. From this day to yesterday
the enemy's fire slackeued considerably, and al-
most ceased—occasional shells and round shot
coming iu at long and irregular intervals. To-
wards nightfall the ladies, children, and about
400 sick and wounded, left for Allahabad, with
a good escort. On the 4th the enemy sent
a fire-boat to destroy our bridge, but the
set of the current turned it towards shore,
and no mischief happened. At 9.10 a.m.
on the 6th the enemy fired one shell, and then
ceased. Just one hour after, every battery and
gun from our entrenchment and the outer camp,
as also the guns that had been sent out in diffe •
rent directions to bear on the enemy, opened fire
simultaneously, and played briskly the livelong
long day. The foe replied feebly enough, and
seemed paralysed. I have heard that several of
their outposts were closely engaged with ours
during the day, but I have not been able to ob-
tain particulars. Shortly after 10 p.m. the
enemy's extreme left flank advanced ois our out-
posts, and opened a murderous fire of ginjalls,
rifles and grape, which our fellows replied to
con amore for nearly two hours, and as briskly
as they could load aid 'fire. This was evidently
an attempt to get possession of the bridge of
boats, in which the rascals were thwarted. To-
day not a shot has been fired, but the enemy has
retreated ; the arch fiend, the Nanaa, with
his bloodhounds, to Bithoor, via Sewrajpore,
and the Gwalior force to the Calpee, where
they have a strong entrenched camp, with a
large supply of ammunition and russut, and where
it is said strong reinforcements await them. His
Excellency is in sharp pursuit after the latter
body, and the general impression is he will over-
take and cut them off. I think this Will
not be the case, and I fear if the Commander-in-
Chief should go too far in pursuit, a large body
of the rebels will double between his force and us,
and possibly occasion greater g/rief than the heavy
loss we have but now undergone. The disadvan-
tage under which we have laboured is the utter
ignorance of the surrounding country, and the
innumerable covers every inch, and each one of
which respectively are too well known to our Cue-
mies, and right nvh have they advantaged by it, as
will appear too patently to be gainsaid when a
faithful account of our 11 days' close siege and a
true statement of our casualties is published. That
our officers and men of all arms of the service have
individually and collectively fully maintained the
character of British soldiers by the most deter-
+ mined pluck and self-sacrifice, is beyond the possi-
bdity 01 being canvassed. None but those who have
been personally present at siege the second of Cawn-
pore, can rightly estimate the amount of daring and
valour shown, for they have vividly and momently
for 11 long days and nights witnessed it. You and
others will read in cold print what we have expe-
rienced. Yet there is one point on which our offi-
oers and men have, methinks, sadly erred, and it is
in an overweening degree of self-reliance and con-
temptuous undervaluation of the enemy, who have
indubitably shown us that they are by no means so
contemptible or despicable as they have been as.
sumed to be. This error would have been fatal
to us, judging from antecedents, had not his
Excellency come to our aid just at the
moment he did. We were in a sad dilemma, what-
ever may now be asserted to the country, and with
the enemy surrounding us on all sides within 400 to
600 yards of our defences, in very strong force,
gathering acces4ions dady much more rapidly than
we could knock them over, and with no lack of
artillery or men to serve their guns right well, I
fear we should have been driven to extremities its
48 hours.

"Not a building has been spared this time.
"10 have just returned from the en-
trenehiteipts, where I heard that the Coinnutiider
in-Chief pursued the fugitives 14 mites down the
Calpee-read, and therepite4d his camp. What his
further movements lgo.iikoly to be, no one Ri4,1,4

able to say. Our force has made sad havoc of the
flying enemy, capturing 16 guns and 26 carts of
ammunition. A great portion of the camp and
baggage we lost on the 27th ultimo is said to be
recovered in, statu quo, as we left it ; but nothing
is said of the ammunition we abandoned.

" Of Sir J. Outrams's position and movements
we have no certain information. A rumour came
in three days ago, that the small detachment at
Bunnee-bridge, consisting of the Sappers and 27th
Madras N. 1., had been cut off, and that the force
at the Allumbagh was surrounded and besieged. It
is difficult to pronounce an opinion of this report,
for it may be true, and yet I incline to think it one
of the not uncommon canards' set afloat by the
idle and timorous, since I cannot trace it to any-
thing like an authentic source. General Showers'
column has not yet made its appearance, although
on the Ist it was reported to have arrived in our
immediate vicinity, and was yesterday affirmed to
have been attacking the left flank of the enemy►
from the direction of Newabgunge.

" Our accounts to-day from Allahabad show that
the good folks there do not entertain any very
strong feeling of security, and it is not impossible
they may receive a visit from portions of the Cal-
pee horde, since it has been recruiting extensively
during the bygone week.

" Dec. 9.—My letter of the 7th inst. (the only
one up to that date I could manage to write com-
posedly) will have given you full intelligence of
what transpired here from our first attack on the
enemy on the 26th ultimo to their incontinent re-
treat on Sunday night and Monday morning, in
two divisions, one under the Nana Sahib, towards
Bithoor, the other under Koor Sing, [towards
Calpee. Beyond recovering a major portion
of the camp and baggage we lost on the 27th,
on the Jewee Plain, capturing 19 guns, 26
carts of ammunition, a quantity of grain, land an
immense herd of cattle, and taking some 15 pri-
soners I cannot ascertain we have done much
damage to the mutineers who have effected a can-
tong and clean esuape. This morning I learn that
those who fled to Bithoor and Calpee have, re-
spectively recrossed the Ganges and Jumna.
At Calpee, it is said, the enemy have a strongly
entrenched cam, well suppliod with ammunition
and russut. His Excellency is in camp on the.
Jewee Plain, in front of the city. Brigadier
Grant, with one column, is after the Bithoor
fugitives, anc two columns have gone out on the
Delhi road. The place is of necessity com-
pletely unsettled, the native city is in a state of
the utmost confusion, and is reported to have suf-
fered greatly at the hands of the enemy on this oc-
casion, though it escaped with impunity on the last.
It will, I apprehend, be very many days ere the
natives return to their avocations, and business is
resumed.
" Dec. 10.—I hasten to lot you know that
news has just come in that Brigadier Grant's
column, that went from the Commander-in-Chiefs
camp the night before last, attacked the rebels at
Bithoor yesterday, committed great slaughter among
them, captured the entire of the staff of the Nana,
and took all the guns, ammunition, provisions,
money, and property of every description that.
had been removed to Bithoor. It is saiai
many of the scoundrels have fled in terror into
Oude. Yesterday some of Sir J. Outram's trea-
sure and camp came in, and he is said to be fol-
lowing with his force. May be come across these
scoundrelly fugitives l A Havildar of the rebel
force was executed last evening who stated, when
examined, that the Nana was not here during any
portion of the time we were besieged, but re-
mained at Bithoor--that his brother, the Bhalah
Sahib, reached Calpee on the 18th ult., and was
honoured with a salute of 21 guns on his arrival
—that he crossed his force there on the 21st u
Chief, with Surdial Pandy as General-in-Chief, and
Tothea Topah second in cocumand—that the rebel
force consisted of little more than half of the Gwalior
Contingent, some of Scindia's, Lloyd's own loyals
from Dinapore, a large body of miscellaneous
troops from Furrackabad, fonr regiments sent by
the Nana, a number of men from Oude, and 42
guns from Calpee, besides some sent by the Nana ;
that the Rajah of Ghopalpore (in the Kutchwar.
ghur di§triet), and the Zemindar of Tongrah, with
their men, were with the rebels ; and their trea-
sure consisted of Rs. 5 56012-10 c -x..+lor pre-
caiculated, I should Bay, to define the
balance with such nicety.
" DEC. I.—We had no post from Calcutta yes-
terday, and we have had none to-day, even from
Allahabad. The cause, of course, we do not know.
Communication by telegraph continues uninter-
rupted, but the instrument is steadily monopolised
for service messages. We hear this morning that
General Dupuis and his staff will leave to-morrow,
by dawk, for Calcutta, it being decided that the
head-quartz rs of the Artillery are to be established
there. His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief will
march with a strong force for Furraokabad to-mor-
row. A proper move in the rightatdejdoiri ineracintpigoortn,daistaitriionnceetosi.ft
is vitally essential we should open the road with the
grain
ami
no utmost
opmra cßt iacraebi y s
ap
lei
de d , for h
other
I saw a letter this morning from an officer of
H.M.'s 78th Highlanders, staeting Sir J. Outram.umbagh imme-
did not purpose to vacate th Al
diately, as the enemy were gathering round his
position, and evidenced are
decided inclination to
give him a meeting on the open field, which is all
he wants, and then our fellows will road the
scoundrels a lesson."

CHINA.
Nothing has yet been done beyond the drawing
the blockade closer round Canton.

THE LAST MOMENTS OF THE QUEEN
. OF DUDE.

We take the following details from the Courier
of Paris of yesterday :
" Her Majesty the Queen of Oude died at one
o'clock in the afternoon of Sunday.
"She suffered much during the whole of that
morning. Her Majesty was in fact attacked with
a very dangerous affection and a serious internal
malady. She was advised to come to Paris, the
climate of France being much more favourable,
and the disease with which she was afflicted being
t•icians.
such as could be very ably treated by our phy-
" Already the Queen had received the advice
of a woman of considerable ability, Madame
Lecharrier, the principal mid-wife (sago femme)
of the hospice de la Maternite, who is called
upon for her ad.eice in special and peculiar cases.
"After her Dr. Cabanas was admitted to the
presence of her Majesty, and he considered her
situation so serious as to require a consultation
with the principal medical celebrities,
"During the most minute investigation, and
the most scrupulous calculations which they were
obliged to make, neither the midwife nor the
physician were allowed to see the features of the
Queen, her Majesty keeping her face constantly
veiled.
" The Hotel Lsfitte was besieged by a cloud of
curious and interested persons—modellers, photo-
graphers, newsmougers, whose many efforts to see
the Queen and the ladies of her suite were wholly
unsuccessful. The artist of the illustrated London.
News was not more fortunate than others.
" The Queen died iu a few hours after the con-
sultation, in which M. Rayer, the chief physician
of the Emperor Napoleon, took part.
" Her Majesty departed. with the most perfect
resignation. Her face was expressive of extra-
ordinary placidity—so, at least, said the only
individual who had seen her features. The Queen
of Oude was 53 years of age.
"It is impossible to give any idea of the outbursts
of lamentation, cif the cries and the sobbing which
proceeded from the persons in the suite of her late
Majesty. The women especially wrung their arms
and hands, kneeling
by turns around the bed of the
deceased and uttering the most heart-rending cries.
The spectators all were much affected at this sor-
rowful scene,.so little in harmony with our man-
nt.rs and our customs, which are not quite so ex-
pansive.
"Couriers and telegraphic messages were imme-
diately dispatched to England, and we are expect-
ing here every moment General Mirza, the son of
her late Majesty.
"Madame Papp, th© mistress of the Hotel
Lafitte, is the only person who had seen the
Queen in one of her most painful moments. She
had ple.e.,d her head upon the pillow atter having
appld mustard poultices to the sufferer. She
thouieght that the Queen was sleeping up to the time
of the. colurgeneement of her agony.
. _