The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-16 00:00:00

THE BOMBAY MAILS.

We have received by Extraordinary Express,
in anticipation of the Overland Mail, our letters
and papers from Bombay to the 19th ult. The
following admirable summary of the latest news is
from the Bombay Standard of that date :

CENTRAL INDIA. FIELD FORCE.-
SIR HUGH ROSE.

We gave in our last particulars of the proceed-
ings of the force under Sir Hugh Rose, then on
the left bank of the Bhitwa, up to the 24th of
April. Our tidings, which are of great importance
now, come down to the 14th of May. At the for-
mer of these dates, Major Orr, with a portion of
the Hyderabad Contingent, Colonel Gall, with a
wing of the 14th Drageons, having made a sweep
southwards to a place called Mhow, were in the
direct line of march, considerably in advance
of the main body, and about 40 miles from
Calpee. The Ranee of Jhansi, with about
12,000 men and 12 guns, was understood to be in
a strong position at Koonch and Atite, resolved to
resist our progress, and fight to the last. A picquet
of the Hyderabad Irregulars near the village of
Lahori, which professed to be friendly to us, having
gone in search of provisions, were fired upon, and
an attempt made to surround them. Colonel Gall,
of the 14th Dragoons, with a single orderly, rode
up to the gate, and demanded an explanation of
what had cccurred. He was met with shouts of
derision, insults, and threats of being fired upon.
He accordingly fell back on Sir Hugh Rose's camp
at Pooch, close by, and, having obtained reinforce-
ments, left at midnight on the Ist of May to attack
the place. A very obstinate resistance was offered
at first, when a party of the 3d Bombay Euro-
peans burst their way through all resistance, and
behaved so heroically that the commander of the
force said that he could find no words to express
his admiration of their conduct. The Dragoons
followed. Some 20 prisoners, including the chief,
brother-in-law of the Ranee of Jhansi were taken,
and not one male adult left alive in the place. Lieuts.
Deane and Newport were wounded dangerously.
Lieut. Armstrong, of the 3d Europeans, who had
risen from a sick bed to be present with his regiment,
and Lieut. Rose, of the 25th Native Infantry,
slightly. Eleven of our men were wounded, many
of them severely, but none were killed. The force
started from the encamping ground at Pooch at
2 o'clock a.m. on the 7th May, and reached their
destination in front of the strong fort of Koonch a
little after six. The place is about six miles in cir-
cumference, this including a straggling suburb with
temples, orchards, and gardens, where a very despe-
rate resistance might have been offered. We were
not strong enough to surround it, and we resolved
to get into the rear of the heavy works they had
thrown up, turn their flank, and storm the town,
trusting that our cavalry'and horse-artillery might,
as at Jhansi, give a good account of the garrison
as they retired. Piquets were understood to
be in great force inside, consisting of the Ist,
2d, 3d, 4th, and sth Regiments of the Gwalior
Contingent, and the 12th and 56th Bengal
Native Infantry. Our troops having rested for
an hour, were about seven o'clock ordered to the
front. They now marched and countermarched for
several hours, the enemy retiring as we advanced.
One column formed facing them ; the flank of the
whole was threatened by some troops hid in a grove
of trees, and was protected by a column moving at
right angles to the first. Some of their cavalry
having stood firm for a space were dispersed by
shrapnel. A regular artillery action now com-
menced, the rebels returning gun for gun. At two
o'clock, when the heat was terrific, the thermo-
meter being 160 in the sun and 115 under the
thickest tents, grog and biscuit were ordered to be
served out to the men. In the midst of this last re-
past, an order was received for five companies of
the 86th, under Major Stewart, of that corps, sup-
ported by cavalry and artillery, to storm the town.
The little column rushed on, but found the enemy
had fled by the opposite side. A party of Horse
Artillery and a portion of the 14th Dragoons pro-
•ceeded instantlyin pursuit. A number of the sepoys
for a time stood their ground, gave the dragoons a
volley, by which several saddles were emptied, and
were busy loading when their pursuers were upon
them, and cut them to pieces to a man. The pur-
suit was persevered in until the horses could no
longer keep their feet, when they returned slowly
to camp. About 700 of the rebels were cut to
pieces ; one large brass gun, with a large quantity
of flour, and many cartloads of camp equipage were
captured. It turned out that the main force had
fled early in the day, leaving only their rear guard
to keep us in play. Some ten of our men were
killed, twice this number dropped dead on the
field from sun stroke, and at least as many more
are sure to be carried away in hospital from the same
cause. The fatality was aggravated by the utter
unsuitableness of the dresses of the men for the cli-
mate they are now enduring—an evil only likely to
be cured by hanging an army tailor or clothing
committee man, for every soldier who perishes,
through their means, from unfitting dress. Sir
Hugh Rose now pushed on towards Jaloun, a
strong fortress about 40 miles ahead, about six
miles west of Calpee, where the rebels were said to
be concentrating with a view of making for Gwalior
if pressed. At Oraie he captured four more guns,
and the people here stated that the rebels in pass-
ing through spoke of their cause as hopeless. They
stated that the entire battalion, the Bengal 32d
(52d, we should suppose) had been destroyed, but
that the rest had no resjiliCe but to plunge into the
Jumna. The greater part of them would have been
destroyed but from the frightfulness of the heat. The
whole of our men continue, despite their sufferings
and fatigues, in the highest spirits, impressed with
that confidence which success and respect for their
leader inspires an army. Sir H. Rose would proba-
bly reach Jaloun or Calpee about the 16th, a march
of 10 miles a day, which must be performed before
dawn, being more than sufficient for such a climate,
and when there was much likelihood besides of ob-
struction in the way. We fear there is not much
hope of the rebels themselves being disposed of.
With our limited force, and these fearful heats to
be contended against, it becomes impossible to
surround a town even of the most ordinary size,
just as much so to continue a protracted pursuit.