The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-04 00:00:00

THE DISASTER AT ARRAH.

' You may, perhaps, have heard of the disaster at Arrah
by the lest tJalcutta mail, but details of the event can
hardly have reached the capital in time to be forwarded
by that opportunity ; so I will sat down what we know of
an affair that made the neighbourhood of Arrah notable
for the repulse of a British detachment. You will re-
member that I mentioned in my last the relief of Azimghur
by Sir Edward. Lugard, who dissipated the besieging force
commanded by the well-known rebel Kooer Singh. This
active enemy, beaten upon his new ground, bethought
himself of retiring to his old haunts across the Ganges in
the neighbourhood of Arrah, the scene of his former
temporary success and subsequent defeat by Vincent Eyre,
with the handful of Artillery and the sth Fusiliers. Ac-
cordingly, with such of his men as remained with him--
2,000 sepoys, it is said, and a swarm of rabble —he moved
downwards towards the Ganges. He was vigorously pur-
sued, and it was hoped that he would be caught in the
angle formed by the confluence of the Gogra and the
Gauges. Brigadier Douglas pressed him on the east,
Colonel Camberlege, with his two Madras regiments of
cavalry and COssienabad, on the west. The former officers
brought him to action at a place called Bansdeb, and drove
him from the field severely wounded. Still his craft and
skill did not desert him. Turning Colonel 9umberlege's
line of march, he struck the Ganges is his sear at the
Bulleah Ghat, previously guarded by the Colonel, but now
abandoned for the onward movement which was to
complete the cordon round the rebel leader. Thence
Kooer Singh crossed in boats to the southern side of the
river, just escaping steamers sent with troops from Dina-
pore and Ghazeedore directly it was known that he had
eluded his pursuers. Once across the river he made for
Jugdespore, near Arrah, an old lair of his, lying in thick
jungle, but blown up last year by Eyre. The neighbouring
garrisons were at once on the alert, and to strengthen
them the Gth Foot was sent up from Calcutta by rail to
Raneegunge, and the Naval Brigade on its way down was
halted at Sasserem. Arrah was held by some three com-
panies of the 35th and some Sikhs. It was on the 20th or
21st of April that Kooer Singh's force reached the jungles
of Jegdespore. On the night of the 22d part of the Arrah
garrison 'novel out to seek and attack him. Captain Le
Grand,of the 35th, commanded, having with him 150 of his
own men, 52 sailors, and ICO of Rattray's Sikhs, with two
12-pounder howitzers. His expedition was unsuccessful.
Overpowered by numbers, and attacked in the thick jungle,
the party was repulsed, losing their two howitzers, Le
Grand himself, Lieut. Massey, and Dr. Clarke killed, and
*beat 130 men and officers wounded. This was on the 23d.
Meanwhile Brigadier Douglas was preparing to pursue them.
Re began to cross the Ganges on the 25th. On the 29th two
companiea of the 84th and two Horse Artillery guns reached
Arrah, and on the Ist of this month came in the rest of the
81th, aid 100 Sikh Cavalry. Sir E. Lugard, with the rest
of his division, was to commence the passage of the
rivet on the 3d. The enemy were by this time estimated
at 7,000 men, and were entrenching themselves and
getting in supplies. Most of them, however, were vil-
lagers, and they had but one small gun in addition to the
two howitzers taken from Le,Grand, and, more encourag-
ing still, Kooer Singh is no more. So, at least, we are as-
sured by telegrams from Allahabad and Calcutta—' there
is no doubt that Kooer Singh is dead.' He was badly
wounded, as I have said, in his engagement with Douglas,
and probably succumbed during his hasty flight. More
fortunate than others of his kind, and than his treason, if
not his capacity, deserved, he has died the death of a sol-
dier. A
.formidable opponent is thus removed. 25,000
rupees had been set upon his head. Nuttee Singh, his
brother, commands in his stead.
" Colonel Rowcroft, when last heard of was still in the
om4ali District, where he repelled another rebel attack
on the lith of last month, as you have doubtless heard
fr,,m Calcutta., This was before Kooer Singh recrossed the
C sups.

GENERAL WALPOLE'S DEFEAT.
" General Walpole's column left Lucknow on the Bth of
April, marching for Etohilcund, on the left or °ride bank
of the Ganges. In the course of his march he came upon
one of the many forts in which Oade abounds on the 14th
inst. The place is called Rhodamow ; it is a mere high
wall enclosing some houses, with loopholes for musketry,
some irregular bastions at the angles, and two gate,
both 'on the same face of the work. Brigadier Wal-
pole's column was a complete army in itself, consisting
of 5,000 or 6,000 British infantry, cavalry, field and
siege guns, and mortars. As he advanced in the
neighbourhood of this fort, which was placed in a jungle,
he heard that a body of 1,500 of the enemy had thrown
themselves into the place, and without, as it would ap-
pear, obeying the instructions he had received, and he
general orders forbidding any attack on such positions
except with heavy artillery, the Brigadier ordered or per-
mitted an attack, which was completely unsuccessful.
Part of the 42d Highlander's and of the 4th Punjab regi-
ment (Wyld's) proceeded to the assault, but they were
received with such a tremendous fire from an almost un-
seen enemy that they were unable to continue their ad-
vance, and as Brigadier Adrian Hope was engaged under
the very walls in restoring order and getting the men to-
gether to retire he wart shot dead by a Sepoy from above.
Bramley and Douglas of the 42d regiment were also
killed. Willoughby, of the Punjabees, a most excellent
officer, was struck down never to ride again, and Cope of
the same regiment, and Cockburn of the 42d, were se-
verely wounded.. Of the 96 men of the Punjaub regiment
there were 45 killed and wounded, and in the 42d High-
landers there were in a short time 55 casualties. Ea igadier
Walpole then brought up his artillery and began to shell
the place, but so badly was the investing operation con-
elucted that in the course of the night the enemy were
enabled to evacuate the place without molestation, al though
the gates, as I have said, were both on the same face of the
work, and when we entered next morning all we found were
the bodies of three Sepoys, some attar, flour, and it is said,
rive guns. Had the whole of the enemy been destroyed
it would have been but sorry compensation for the
loss 'of Adrian Hope. Of conspicuous gallantry among
gallant men, of untiring zeal, of great shrewdness and
eornmon Sense, he possessed a gentleness of manner sand
kindness of heart, evidenced in all his acts, which endeared
him to all who served with him or under him, and which
strengthened the confidence they felt in his high soldierly
qualities. His loss is at this juncture irreparable - at any
time it would be grave and lamentable. Brigadier Wal-
pole's despatch, no doubt, will be published, and we shall
then see what is his account of the transaction. It is with
no sinister or unfair object I mention the' fact that this
gallant officer has had little experience in the field ; that
much of his time has been passed on the staff and in the
Islediterranean, and not in high regimental employ, and
thatle obtained the command of the splendid force he
temporarily leads because he was one of the senior colouels
of this army. . . . It turns out that there were not
300 of the enemy in the fort. The attack was mismanaged
--officers and men were uselessly sacrificed, and their loss
were not avenged. At the very moment that the Sikhs anti
the 42d were desperately clambering up the walls of the
fort, helping each other up by hand and leg and firelock,
and just as they were getting at the enemy, they were re•
celled, and in their retreat they suffered as much as in the
attack. It is stated that there was a passage where the
oavalry could have got in, but that they were not per-
-witted to make the attempt, The men were furious at
the repulse, and clamoured loudly to be led to the
easeult. The Sikhs had lost Willoughby, and Cope
was • %roundel. The 93d had lost Adrian Hope.
The 42d left the bodies of Bramley, Douglas, and many
gallant comrades behind them. In the middle of the fight
„Adrian Hope, ever regardless of his own life where the
lives of. hie soldiers were concerned, rushed to the
wall of the fort to withdraw the men. His aide-de-camp
Butter said to him, " The fire is very hot, General." As
he 'spoke the Brigadier fell, shot from above through the
neck, shoulder, and lungs. He said, " They have done for
me. Remember me to my- friends," and died in a few
seconds. At the funeral, which was most affecting, the
93d wept like children for their beloved Colonel. There
was not a dry eye in Bramley's company as his body a as
borne to the grave. His body and that of Douglas were
recovered by the most daring gallantry, which will not, I
trust„go unrewarded. When the men retired, Simpson,
the quartermaster-sergeant of the regiment, hearing that
two officers were left on the ground, rushed out to the
ditch of the work, and, seizing the corpse of poor Bramley,
brought it in ou his shoulders. He next s'arted out and
recovered the body of Douglas in the same way, and then,
undeterred by the incessant fusillade of the enemy, this
gallant seldier again and again renewed his labours, and
never ceased till he had carried in the bodies of five more
of his comrades.. Two men wore killed in attempting to
imitate this noble soltti sr. Does lee not well deserve the Vic.
toriaCroes? I pole's subsequent march was more successful,
for on the 22. l the artillery and cavalry had a tight of their
own with the enemy, ant took four guns and their camp,
inflicting on them such lose that they fled across the Ram-
lonia at Allygunge► without attempting to destroy the
bridge they had cons'tructed across the river, so that wo
not only secured Allygunge, but the means of sending our
siege 'train over the Rataguriga at the very spot where it
was desired to do so.
MOVEMENTS CE SIR COLD/.
Sri' Colin crossed the Gauzes on the 27th ; was.at Jel-
laba.) id on the 23th • j Walpole ou the 29th or
30th ; and the uuited force entered Shahjehanpore without
opposition on the 3 th or theist of this month,
" iearrwhile the Itoorco k • field force under Col. Jones,
of the 60th Rifles, as Di igivlier, having crossed into llohil-
can't front Hurd war on 16th, and scattered the enemy who
opposed their passage, entered Nojeebrb id OIL the 14th.
The Nawab had fled to Bareilly; hie palace was sacked awl
bernt. His brother was taken and immediately hanged.
It was thought that the Cotumender-in-Chief %coat be
before Bareilly by about the sth of this,urontli. No gre3t
amount of resistance is looked for.
THE REBELS AT CALFEE
" Near Cawopore, small parties of rebels—mutineers
and erased rabble--have appeared at two places in this
district, one named Solger, where they plundered the little
local 'treasury and wounded the official in charge of it. A
large body of the rebels is still at Calpee. The main body,
however. 12,000 strong it is said, has moved out and oc-
cupied Koouch on the .411:mai-road, commanded by Tanteea
Tepay,tha fugitive chiefs of Banda and Shalighur, and he
Ranersof Jhansi. There they were observed by Major
Orr, of the Hyderabad Cavalry—the former to the left, at
1.!,11,ee called Pooch, and 'guarding the ford of the Bet wa
rsrle3ll: the latter further to the right, guarding the
ford of the gavels river at Kota a. Oecesionally tbeyshowcd
themselves in some force s the Ranee h rself being at once
discerned, dressed and mounted like a native csvaller.
Rose; as you knowi,:uwrlsidet awed DAM:lanai for a while after
the storm, fearing
fugitives ; lint Isle roar, upon which were the Kotdi
past
him 119 appreheusi to that this bialy
of rebels h&c( gotand dbetoined their brethren at
tee !epee, or
mbecauseii:tne, werea
marched
riot check near Kolas-re
;
the 27th,
leaving to garrison the place a wing of tie 3d
and a wing of the 24th Native infantry with some7;l7"l.
bad Cavalry: Early on the morning of the 3 th
Gala reportn,l nioveriwiltst of , lar4t, bodies of trOc'ils
from Koonchy• towards the for of liptra. These were sel'iii
tobo the peopleof the Biu pore ani Shaleg ur Rejah. Sir 'Hugh
would be at Mote, a few miles Orly from Punch, by day-
break of that day. Perhaps he plashed on, and on that
slay eueounteted• the enemy. That an action has been
fought we know by telegraph, but the date is not given;
nor are theta any details, save that the enemy was defeated,
losing 400 or 500 men, and that a stand would probably
be iewle by the fugitives at some place or places short of
Calpeo, of which the names aro mangled beyond recogni-
tion.
To the right of Sir H. Rose's line of advance has lain
that of General Whitlock, who on the 19th of April fought
A pitched battle with. the -Nawab of Banda, outside laic

town, which lasted from half-past 5 in the morning till
The superiority of the enemy in numbers was probably six
to one, but they were driven off the field with the loss of
four guns and 50D killed. Horse Artillery and Cavalry
followed in pursuit. The town was occupied, and the
little brigade advanced upon Calpee the next day,
Little, as I have said, is known with certainty of the
late proceedings of the Kotah fugitives. Nor is the fact of
their getting off so easily, to which I alluded in my last,
yet explained. The force is broken up between Nnssee-
rabad and Neemuch, some Cavalry and Horse Artillery
still keeping the field, in the track of the fugitives, under
Colonel Smith, of the 3d Dragoons, as Brigadier.
All is well in the Punjab. Cotton's force out in the hills
liner Peshawur, was engaged on the 22th and 26th of last
month, and burnt a rebel village, taking much spoil. Ono
o the newly raised Punjab regiments, under Lieut. Thel-
w all, here distinguished itself.
The Bombay Presidency is quite quiet, but, as usual,
for the Bheels. Another fight in the Satpoora hills with
those troublesome little men, and their more dangerous
aides of Rohilla or Affghan blood we look shortly to
hear of.

We extract the following from the letter of Mr.
Rusiell, the special correspondent of the Times :

THE COSTUME OF THE ARMY.

How good Sir George Brown, for instance, would stand
aghast at the sight of these sun-burnt " bashi-bazouks,"
who from heel to head and upwards set at defiance the
sacred injunctions of her Majesty's Regulations ! Except
the Highlanders, not a corps that I have seen sport a mor-
sel of pink or show a fragment of English scarlet. The
Highlanders wear eccentric shades of gray linen over their
bonnets—the kilt is discarded, or worn out in some regi-
ments, and flies, mosquitoes, and the sun are fast render-
ing it impossible in the others. Already many officers who
can get trews have discarded the ponderous folds of wool-
len stuff tucked into massive wads over the hips, and have
provided some defence against the baking of their calves
by day, and have sought to protect their persons against
the assaults of innumerable entomological enemies by
night. The Artillery have been famished with excellent
head-covers and good frocks of light stuff. Lord Cardigan,
in his most sagacious moments, would never light on the
fact that those dark-faced, bearded horsemen, clad in
snowy white, with finless lances glittering in the sun, are
the war-hardened troopers of her Majesty's 9th Lancers,
or that yonder gray tunioked cavaliers, with ill-defined
head-dresses, belong to the Queen's Bays. The 7th
Hussars, the Military Train, have vestiary idiosyncrasies
of their own, but there is some sort of uniformity among
the men. Among the officers individual taste and phan-
tasy have full play. The infantry regiments, for the
most part, are dressed in linen frocks, dyed carky or
gray slate colour—slate blue trousers, and shakoes pro-
trcted by puggerees, or linen covers, from the sun. The
peculiarity of carky is that the dyer seems to be unable to
match it in, atry:,trytaEtieces, and that it exhibits endless
variety of shades, varying with every washing, so that the
effect is rather various and pleasing on the march or on the
parade-ground. But the officers, as I have said, do not
confine themselves to carky or to anything else. It is
really wonderful what fecundity of invention in dress
there is, after all, in the British mind when his talents
can be properly developed. To begin with the headdress.
The favourite wear is a helmet of varying shape but of
uniform ugliness. In a moment of inspiration some Cal-
cutta hatter conceived, after a close study of the antique
models, the'great idea of reviving for everyday use the
awe-inspiring headpiece of Pallas Athena, and that re-
markably unbecoming affair—Minerva was above caring
for appearances—became the prototype of the Indian tope
in which the wisest and greatest of mankind looks simply
ridiculous and ludicrous. Whatever it might be in polished
steel or burnished metal, the helmet is a decided failure
in felt, or wickerwork, or pith, as far as external effect is
concerned. It is variously fabricated, with many varieties
of interior ducts and passages leading to escape holes for
imaginary hot air in the front or top, and around it are
twisted infinite colours and forms of turbans with fr ing 3d
ends and laced fringes. When a peacock's feather, with the
iris end displayed, is inserted in the hole in the top of the
helmet, or is stuck in the puggery around it, the effect
of the covering is much enhanced, and this style is rather
patronised by some of the staff. The coat may be of any
cut or material, but shooting jackets hold their own in the
highest posts, and a carkey-coloured jerkin, with a few
ta,thus of iron curb chain sewed on the shoulders to resist
sabre cuts, is a general favourite. The sword is of all de-
scriptions, except the regulation, which is not much in
vogue, and it is slung in many ways in many belts, of
which the reglation again is rarely seen. There are native
tulivars with English handles and guards, old cavalry
sabres with new hilts, Damascus blades in leathern sheaths,
:ard these are hung by broad shoulder belts at the hip, or
depend from iron hooks fixed in broad buff waistbelts.
Dm revolver—scarcely a " regulation " weapon for the
army yet—is universally worn, and I have seen more than
one pistol in one of the cummerbunds or long sashes which
some of our officers wear round the stomach in the oriental
fashion. As to the clothing of the nether man, nothing
but a series of photographs could give the least notion of
the numerous combinations which can be made out of the
leg, leather, pantaloons, and smallclothes. Long stage
boots of buff-coloured leather, for the manufacture of which
Cawnpore is fatuous, pulled over knee breeches of leather
or regimental trousers, are common. There are officers
who prefer wearing their Wellingtons outside their panta-
loons, thus exhibiting tops of very bright colours, and the
boot and baggy trousers of the Zouave officer are not un-
. known.