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

BRIGADIER-GENERAL WALPOLE'S

DESPATCH.
Mo. 102 of 1858.—Tne 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 Rooya, on the 15th inst.
His Lordship participates in the grief expressed
by his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, at the
heavy loss which the British army has sustained
in 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-
licly recognizing in all the operations for the relief
and the final capture of Luckuow. No more mourn-
ful duty has fallen upon the Governor-General, in 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 %he 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
Secretary 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 Kotoe, 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-i4-Chief, that
yesterday morning I marched to this place (which almost
joins Ro9damow) from Gosegunge.
" Nurput Singh, who, I stated in my despatch of yes-
terday was at Rooya 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 he 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 Maclhogunge, 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 Madhogunge, 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 guns.
"The fort 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 circular
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 was 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 the 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 behind a wood still
further to the 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
heavy : these men 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 be
withdrawn from their forward and exposed situation, and
here it was that I regret to say the gallant and able sol-
dier Brigadier 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 no 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
fire from the bastion and loopholed wall that commanded
it, I considered it better not to attempt an assault until
more impression had boon 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 the following morning, which had been reoonnoi-
tred by the Engineers, and where they thought it would

be easier to effect a breach, as it could be better seen and
a more direct fire could be brought to bear.
"I therefore directed the carepto be pitched on the south
side, about a mile from the fort, and withdrew from the
north side, where it would have been dangerous to pass
the night, as it was surrounded by thick jungle.
"This morning at daylight Major Brind, Bengal Artillery,
and Captain Lennox, Royal Engineers, proceeded to again
reconnoitre the place thoroughly before re-commencing
operations, and found that the enemy had evacuated it,
leaving their guns behind them (five in number), ammuni-
tion, a large quantity ofattah, and some tents. As some
of their carriages were found without their guns, and the
track of a gun carriage could be traced to a well, where
the water is very deep, I have no doubt other guns have
been thrown down it. I had information that there were
more in the place, and it is certain none were carried out.
" The reports as to the numbers of the enemy vary so
much that it is impossible to arrive at any certainty upon
that point ; but I am inclined to think the number stated
in my despatch yesterday, viz., about 1,500, to be nearly
correct, but the strength of the garrison consisted in the
nature and situation of the fort, not in their numbers.
" I regret to say that this operation has cost us above
100 officers and men killed and wounded, and I have deeply
to deplore the loss of Brigadier the Hon. A. Hope, from
whom I had received the greatest assistance.
"The loss of the enemy it is impossible to ascertain ;
it must have been heavy from the fire of our guns, and espe-
cially from our howitzers and mortars. A few bodies
which seem to have been overlooked, and three large
funeral fires with the remains of the bodies smouldering,
were all that remained of their dead on our entering the
place this morniug.
" The fort, which has overawed this part of the country
for the last year, is being destroyed under the superinten-
dence of Captain Lennox, Royal Engineers, and I am is
hopes that its destruction will be of the greatest advantage.
" I have received the most willing support from all under
my command during this operation, and I beg particularly
to offer my best thanks to Brigadier Hagart, Commanding
the Cavalry, and to Major Brind, Commanding the Artil-
lery, for their most able and valuable assistance ; also to
Captain Lennox, the Senior Engineer Officer, to Lieut.-
Colonel Hay, Commanding the 23d Regiment, who suc•
ceeded to the command of the Infantry Brigade on the
death of Brigadier Hope ; to Lieut.-Colonel Cameron,
commanding 42d Regiment; Lieut.-Colonel Taylor, com-
manding 79th Regiment ; to Captain Cafe, commanding
4th Punjab Infantry, who, I regret to say, was severely
wounded ; to Lieut.-Colonel Tombs and Major Remming-
ton, commanding troops of Horse Artillery ; to Captain
Francis, commanding heavy guns, to Captain Coles, cow-
manding 9th Lancers ; and Captain Brown, commanding
2d Punjab Cavalry.
" I beg also to return my best thanks to the officers of
my Staff—Captain Barwell, deputy assistant adjutant'
general ; Captain Carey, deputy-assistant quartermaster-
general; Captain Warner, aide-de-camp; and Lieutenant
Eccles, Rifle Brigade, my extra aide-de-camp.
" Enclosed I beg to forward a list of the casualties, and
likewise a sketch of the fort, which has been made in lb
hurry, but will afford information of the nature of the
work.—l have, &c.,
"R. WALPOLE, Brigadier-General, Command-
ing Field Force."