The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-14 00:00:00

Z 4 W INTELLIGENCE.—Feb. 12.

COURT OP QUEEN'S BENCH.
(Sittings at Nisi Prius at Westminster, before Lord Chief
Justice Campbell and a Special Jury.)
[A portion of the following appeared in our impression
of Saturday
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL DICKSON V. THE EARL OF
WILTON-LIBEL.

The trial of this case was resumed at the sitting of the
Court to-day.
Major Walker was recalled, and having answered several
questions,
Captain Powley, adjutant of the Tower Hamlets Militia,
was next examined with respect to to the expenditure of the
funds of the regiment, and was subjected to a very severe
cross-examination by Mr. Hawkins on the part of Colonel
Dickson. Although he was adjutant of the regiment he
could not tell whether Drummond left the regiment in dis-
grace. On the 21st of July he summoned Ser-
geants Manley and Holdham into the adjutant's room,
but it was merely to sign a certificate. Colonel Dickson
had made reports against his conduct, but he did so tn.-
known to him. In answer to further questior,s, he
said I did not know I had been reported to (7,01. North.
I learnt I had afterwards been reported as aarly as July,
1855. He (Colonel Dickson) threw do era Colonel North's
letter on the charges against me, but I never read it.
Re-examined—I never knew I 'ems reported to the Earl
of Wilton until the year 1848. With respect to the ex-
pression about the 'little tiird,' which occurred in one of my
letters, it arose in co'asequene of the proceedings against
'
Captain Dixon I obtained.. threee or four certificates from
other officers, as to their leaving heard Lieutenant-Colonel
Dickson men.tionth
him e subject about 'the little bird' that told
everything, a'Ad also that he had a way of his own of
getting rid of oltcers. I obtained the certificates in conse-
quence of dirertie,ns I received from the Earl of Wilton.
Captain rdon—l received a commission in the Tower
Hamlets 114Patia in 1853. During the embodiment I acted
as presi:dev
at of the mess. I was succeeded by Captain
BranA I requested Colonel Dickson, through Major Wal-
ker, to hold a mess meeting. I did so several times. About a
!er'atight before the regiment was disembodied it was stationed
London. I think it was during that time I made the
request I allude to. In. January, 1857, I met Col. Dickson
in the Haymarket. 4:He stopped me and insulted me Most
grossly. He said I had never given in my accounts. He
also said for my conduct in the mess
.he would report
me to Lord Wilton and Lord Panmure, the Horse
Guards and Lord Combermere, and also that he would
bring my conduct befcre the Junior United Ser-
vice Club, of which I am a member. I told him also to
tell Lord Wilton that I had received " dunning " letters,
written at his instance. He went on in a very
rabid—(laughter)--way. I raised my hat and left
him. We had had differences at Woolwich. I
considered his conduct tyrannical and oppressive. I got
, a letter on the sth of May, 1857, from Col. Dickson. I
enclosed a copy of that letter to the Earl of Wilton. I
again saw Col. Dickson, two or three days afterwards, in
Regent-street. He asked me if I had received his letter. I
said yes, sir, and have replied to it. He began again to talk,
and I left him. I had requested a board of inquiry to inquire
into the charges made against me. I was exonerated. I
applied to Lord Wilton for a copy of the report, but I only
received an extract ; that part by which I was acquitted.
In the autumn of 1857, and beginning of 1858, I wrote to
Lord Wilton touching that report.
Cross-examined by Mr. Hawkins—l live at 12, Regent-
street, I am not following any profession. When I left
the regiment I was in arrears with the mess, but I paid my
account in June. I had a balance in hand, but I did not
pay it over for some time, because there had not been a pro-
per mess meeting. Colonel Dickson complained that I
brought strangers to the mess. I was arrested once, but it
was done illegally.
Re-examined—l have heard Colonel Dickson say
that he had a little bird that told him all that went on
in the regiment. He repeatedly told me so. I have heard
him say he had a way of getting rid of an officer without a
court-martial.
By Mr. Hawkins—l cannot give one single date when
the little bird was mentioned. I cannot tell the date, the
place, or whether there was any person present at the
time. I recollect on one occasion told me
that if I slept out of the barracks he should know of it.
This was the night before the naval review at Spithead.
I know an officer named Lee. I don't know whether he left
the regiment in consequence of striking an officer. I know
ho resigned.
Captain Branch—l succeeded Captain Dixon as president
of the mess meeting in January. There was no mess meet-
ing while I held that office. I gave evidence before the
regimental board in 1857. I was directed by Colonel
Dickson to apply to Captain Dixon for his account. I did
so more than once. I told Colonel Dickson what Captain
Dixon said about his accounts. I told Col. Dickson that
Capt. Dixon did not consider him an authorised person to
receive his balance and receipts. Col. Dickson. was very
angry, and he said he would have Capt. Dixon's name
struck out of the regiment. He said, after that, he should
report him to Lord Wilton, Viscount Combermere, and
Col. Pipon. On one occasion Col. Dickson asked me to
sign a cheque for the wine merchant's account. He said
the wine merchant's account must be paid, and that he
.somft-day
would rather decline. He then told me he should report
me to Lord Wilton. I simplybowed and retired. (Laughter.)
Cross-examined by Mr. E. James—The cheque for £l5O
was drawn, and £lOO was paid to the wine merchant, and
£5O to Hodge and Lowman. Colonel Dickson showed me
the receipts. There might have been some smaller accounts
outstanding in Woolwich. I can't fix the date of the first
mess meeting. Wherever it was the accounts were not
submitted. Other subjects were discussed.
Capt. Wallack—l have been in two regiments of the
line before I entered the Tower Hamlets Militia. On the
morning of the disembodiment Col. Dickson said to me that
he had heard I had expressed an opinion against the way
in which he commanded the regiment. I was much sur-
prised and annoyed. I asked him to give me the
name of the person who told him, but he refused,
simply saying, "You see, I know all about it."
He also gave evidence with respect to some shakoes that
had been obtained from Messrs. Isaacs, for which Colonel
Dickson had received payment from the Wellington fund,
but which the Messrs. Isaacs had not been paid.
Paymaster O'Shaughnessy and Quartermaster Davenant
were next called, and stated that they had frequently heard
Col. Dickson say he had a little bird that told him every-
thing that occured in the regiment. The latter witness
spoke as to the accoutrements lost at the Cremorne fete.
Three fireloeks were lost, but ono was afterwards found—
the other two were never recovered. If they had been he
should have known it.
Mr. Davenant, in answer to questions put to him in
cross-examination by Mr. Hawkins, said the moment there
was an inquiry into the circumstances Col. Dickson said he had
paid more than he had received from the Wellington College
Fund among the injured soldiers. I cannot say that Col.
Dickson ever saw Isaac's bills. I can say that Col. Dickson
never had a copy of Isaac's bills. I knew he never said
he would call and see whether everything was correct.
I had a great deal of correspondence with the Colonel in
1856 and 1857. I wrote to him in 1857 about the
money. I have not always been on the best terms
with Col. Dickson, but I believe he was always in the
wrong. (Laughter.) I have written several letters to
Col. Dickson. In one of the letters I expressed my utmost
contrition and begged in the most humble manner to
be restored to his confidence in consequence of his having
reported me for neglect. Notwithstanding,
any having
written that letter, I believe he was wrong when he
ported me. (Laughter.)
Mr. Chance, the secretary of the Wellington College—
I received the requisitions from Col. Dickson on the Ist of
September, 1855.
Lord Campbell—There is no doubt about the money be.

ing received.
Mr. Isaacs—l am a partner in the firm of Isaacs and Co.,
army clothiers. We supplied the Tower Hamlets Militia
with accoutrements. We debitted the goods to Mr. Dave-
nant. We afterwards saw Col. Dickson in 1857. He re-
quested we would transfer Mr. Davenant's account to his
own. He did not make any complaint about the goods not
being supplied. I never heard of any such complaint. I
saw Col. Dickson several times, but it was not expressly
relative to the £2l. I mentioned it to him, but he said he
had not sufficient money in hand to meet the demand, and
wished us to make some reduction in the amount, or he
should have to pay the defficiency from his own
pocket. I told him I did not think we could make any re-
duction. He never questioned the receipt of the goods.
Cross-examined by Mr. Hawkins—My brother often saw
Colonel Dickson at our place of business. The account
never was transferred. We applied to Davenau tagain.
told Colonel Dickson we objected to transferru gi
iDavenant's
account to his.
Mr. Heather, solicitor to Messrs. Hodge and Lowman
said—They have supplied goods to the Tower Hamlet's
Militia to the amount of £156, £5O was paid. There was a
balance of £lO6. I wrote to Colonel Dickson in May, 1856,
for the balance. I received a note from Colonel Dickson
objecting to some of the items as too high. The objections
did not exceed £2 or M. I said I would write to Messrs.
Hodge and Lowman. On the sth of May I did so, but no
abatement was made. The Colonel called in January, 1857,
and asked for time to pay. He was afterwards informed
that his bill for six weeks would be taken. Colonel Dick-
son said he could not get sufficient money from Lord Wilton
and the officers to pay the money. The Colonel paid the
bill ten days before it was due.
Cross-examined by Mr. James—We looked upon the debt
as one belonging to the regiment, and not personally to Col.
Dickson. There was, however, a letter written which
stated that Col. Dickson would be held personally liable, as
he was lieut.-colonel. Tho reason the money was not paid
was, he said, because the regiment was suddenly disbanded,
and the officers scattered.
Sergeant Manley—l was a colour sergeant during the
embodiment of the regiment. The sergeants have a sepa-
rate mess. We never received a subscription towards it
or Col.
h Northd
Coll. , uthough n
ha Nye heard
from the Earl g Wiltpn
£l5 had been subscribed. Wo ear bicksoa re-
ceived the money. We signed a certificate on the 22d July,
1858, to the effect that we had not received the money.
Cross-examined—l don't know who paid for the ser-

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' geants' dinner on the occasion of the presentation of the
colours. I never said that Col. Dickson had paid on
account of that dinner. I was president of the mess, and if
any money had been received I should have been sure to
know it.

Sergeant Holland—l ordered a supper when the colours
were presented. Col. Dickson paid £5 towards that dinner.
Col. Dickson told me he had received £ls.for the sergeants'
mess, but it never was received.
Cross-examined—The mess was not formed when the
£l5 was sent.- When it was formed we never applied for
the money. I have since heard that the money was given
to Captain Cooper.
Mendham, one of the soldiers injured at the Cremome
fete, said—l was awarded £lO, which I received. I never
received a fraction more. The £lO was paid in five instal-
ments. I never received a cheque for £5. That I can take
my solid oath on. (Laughter.) The receipt in acknow-
ledgment Pii that amount, just put into my hands, is not in
aIY handwriting.
Cross-examined by Mr. Hawkins—l can't recollect sign-
ing a receipt when I received the first instalment of the
£lO, or on any other occasion. I always had to apply for
the money. I recollect nothing about receipts at all. All I
know is I was awarded £lO, and,l got it. I can't recollect any
thing about signing receipts at all. I said so before I
recollect giving a receipt now in full for £lO. I can't say
whether the document now put into my hand is or is not
the writing I gave for the £lO. It is worded like it. I
don't know whose writing it is. I know I signed the
receipt now handed to me. I can't say whether I read the
paper before I signed it.
Re-examined—l never received any extra money as
compensation.

Mr. Quilter, the accountant, having been examined,
Colonel North was called—He said I am M.P. for the
county of Oxford. In 1836 I was appointed Lieut.-Col. of
this regiment. I retired in 1855, and was succeeded by
Colonel Dickson. The full colonel of a regiment
is not one of the officers who is called upon
to pay for a bill. He may possibly never see the regiment.
He, of cour.se, by his position, could dine at the mess as a
matter of light. The commanding officer of a militia regi-
ment would, as a matter of course, take the command
money, supposing the full colonel doesnot come down. The
witness then proceeded to state the way in which messes
generally were conducted. It was his opinion that the
commanding officer seas not the proper person to hold the
regimental funds. The commanding officer generally gives
notice of mess meetings, and he ought to see that they are
held from time to time. It is usual to have a meeting at an
interval of a month, and an audit of the accounts once a
month. When a regiment is about to be disembodied, it
' is usual to have a mess meeting to see the state of the ac-
counts. Cheques for large sums are generally signed by
the commanding officer. I haVe told Col. Dickson that ho
ought to have called mess 'meetings. I don't know whether
Lord Wilton ever Went to command the regiment. In May
1857, I received a communication from Lord Wilton. In
censequence of that I became acquainted with some charges
and complaints that, had been made by Capt. Dixon. I
advised Lord Wilton to appoint the three senior officers as
a committee to investigate the affair, they giving notice to
Col. Dickson of the course that was to be pursued. I fre-
quently, after the report of this committee had been made,
-saw Col. Dickson, and I told him where I thought he was
right and where wrong.
Lord Combermere, who was next examined, said—l was
the proper person to whom complaint should have been
made. In January, 1858,, Lord Wilton and I had a con-
versation about this regiment, and Lord Wilton remarked
that he considered Colonel Dickson a good officer in the
field, but he did not manage internal affairs well—that there
were great irregularities in the regiment. He did not say
what they were. Lord Wilton afterwards transmitted to
me the report of the board in writing. I received a letter
from General Peel on the 10th of May. I had recom-
mended Col. Dickson to be removed from his commission.
I had seen Colonel Dickson, and told him he should have
an opportunity of explaining anything. The first charge
was for not having paid over the Wellington College money.
He entered into a long history about his services, but did
not deny having received that money for the college, but
he did not tell me how he had disposed of it. He said he
had not justice done him, and he had a party against him,
and that sort of thing, and he courted investigation - all ho
wanted was justice. I told him he should 'have justice done
him. I saw Colonel Dickson again, and pretty nearly the
same passed. I had studied the charges well, and I recom-
mended Colonel Dickson to resign, as he had not complied
with her Majesty's regulations to have all accounts settled.
I then wrote to the War Minister recommending Colonel
Dickson's removal from the regiment.
Cross-examined—l know Lord Wilton. Not so very in-
timate. I know him. He has dined at my house and been
at a party. Lord Wilton said Colonel Dickson was a very
good officer, and it was with great reluctance he made any
complaint against him. At that time he made no officia
report ; he said nothing about making a formal complaint.
Papers were afterwards laid before me by Lord Wilton, and
I said I could not makehead nor tail of them. Ido not think
any one else could. I sent them to Colonel Dickson, and
I acted upon them. Not a word was said in the papers
about the money of the Wellington College at that time. I
recommended the removal of Colonel Dickson. I had inter-
views with Lord Wilton. Lord Wilton was sued for somo
of the bills. It is the duty of the commanding officers to
see the bill paid. Ido not know out of what fund. I tried
to read the report of the board, but I could not get through
it. General Peel wrote for the grounds of my recommenda-
tion, and I sent the explanation of Colonel Dickson. I did
not require to know how the board was constituted.
-1.1ra.,.- A •
inquire how the funds were to be raised. Perhaps I had
no right to recommend the removal. .
The Court was then adjourned to Monday (this day).

NATURAL AND ARTIFIC..4L POLITICS

(Front the Spectator.)

ITALY.—The obviously revolting element in this
Napoleonic policy is the affectation on the part of
the French Emperor of acting a beneficent Provi-
dence to Italy. England and most of Europe would
heartily approve a determined effort on the part of
France. to redeem the false step taken by the Re-
public in sending troops to Rome ; and to prevent
any attempt of Austria's to take advantage of that
step. But there is nothing which justly disgusts
us more than the attempt to build up a far-reaching
speculative system of theoretic policy on the foun-
dation of one obvious and clearly defined duty ; and
this, too, quite apart from the consideration whether
the large and theoretic policy is honest or dis-
honest, sincere or ambitious. We may truly say, that
even had Sardinia had the power and the will to
initiate the scheme of policy now sketched by, the
Emperor, quite alone, and without French aid, it
would not have met with general approval ill
Europe, simply because it would be a theoretic and
speculative scheme, and not one naturally flowing
from obvious political duties. The sympathy felt
by England with Italy in 1848 was so strong
exactly because the course of events was natural—
embodying the real issues of popular conviction and
feeling. The present crisis is artificial, long
and cautiously elaborated—a medicated poli-
tical draught prepared for Italy by the
intellectual " forethought" of the Emperor. As
such, even if honest—even if Sardinia were the
only agent, we should reject it; and we know that
with France it cannot be honest. Let England,
then, make her national opinion clearly known and
strongly felt, that so far as France has a clear duty
to perform towards any Italian state, so far she
shall have English sanction and approval in per-
forming it properly, and in taking guarantees
against the risk of Austrian interference. But be-
yond this we will not go. We will express our
hearty abhorrence of the meddling Napoleonic pro-
pensity to play Providence to European nations.-
We will believe that the natural course of society
itself is far more trustworthy than any European
politician's efforts to realise his own ambitious
dreams.

MOLDO-IVALLCHIA.—No one can envy Colonel
Couza his double character—the Janus of the
Danube sitting at Fockshani ; his. Moldavian coun-
tenance beaming upon Jassy, his Wallachian visage
smiling on Bucharest. He may argue that man is
made up of duplicates—two brains,tw o ears,two eyes,
two arms, two legs; the oneness of his mouth being
the appropriate symbol of the two civil lists which
unite in his individual exchequer. He will be sure
to have enough to do with his two houses, his tvrso
principalities, his two budgets, and that ominous
unit, the central commission. But after Vr, ' u'i
not this chance solution be the best
ot f
be the
Roumain countries, though it may not the
best for the happiness of theit has come
This election is a natural proce d
double illiospodar ?
unexpectedly it is a.
ximate federation ;
the Principalities ; it is an ?while
to see how it
and would it not be. n experii.tecneintgai marriage of
an
th and development of
works ? Moreover, it
it lead to the worth while
self-created ; and if
growth, st re
andg
the Pruth, and the
the valleys of the Danube.
it may be the first step
which seems to offer the best
towards that United States
freedom of the Bouinams from external influences,
of Eastern Europe .
solution of the Eastern question.

SALARIES TO RECORDERS.—A return s
nlelawspabledetno
common salary,
These
the recorders o clftoicsuseanodf LbooVosuogfhtsheinsavlari 1 1 .
much, being in some
handedsalaries tv'uaryto t,h,efery
as high cases
as
low
as
vdd i/..n 0 tis
otherse-_
cas £3,000 (City of
salary, and some
reoutgeh,efOrthfocrsd
eatandereVsellsere receive
ehieft theno
recorders receive from £lOO to £5OO a year. The recorders
LDlen4dse.
n()D. urxhiaom
bsoafolr oaer salary
igt ahlitefraurin:dsAT.lhdeAb°Bt Wareham the mayor kindly pays the
recorder, " out of his own pocket," the munificent salary of
two guineas a-year. The Recorder of London receives his
£3,000 a year from " the city's cash."
ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following
gentlemen, having undergone the necessary examinations
for the diploma, were admitted members of the college at a
meeting of the Court of Examiners on the 11th inst —viz.,
Messrs. William CoWard, South Shields; John Westbrook
Maltby, Durham ; Oglethorpe Wakelin Barratt, Birming-
ham; Septimus Strong, Upper Tooting; Thomas Joseph
Bramah, London; Thomas Orlando Mayor, Bristol ; George
Frederick Thomas, Philadelphia; John Watts, Haverford-
west ; Alfred JohnYewell, Southwark; William Chenhalls,
Land's-end,- Cornwall ; Richard Westcott Martyn, Mar-
tock,er Somerset ; Walter Henry Ramsden, Royton, Healy
_y
Oldham ; John Thornhill, Gateshead ; and Weldon ur
1 Dians, COYillgtolll li.inbolton, liunts.

TILE BRITISH ARMY IN OUDE.

(From the Times' Correspondent.)

BRITISH CAMP, NANPARAH, Christmas Day.
My last letter brought my narrative of the ope-
rations and marchings of the column under Lord
Clyde down to this day. As the rain ceased, and
the tents dried, his lordship seemed to entertain
intentions of marching in the afternoon ; but
Christmas, the ruin to puddings and dinners, and a
thousand little projects for celebrating the great
English festival, and, above all, the'absence of any
very definite or decided good to be gained a
ny
were all so ably urged by various inte-
rested persons that the intention was abandoned.
Hospitality had ample exercise. The Carabineers,
the Rifles, the 7th Hussars, the Artillery, the
Engineers, had their guests and their state banquet.
Nor let it be supposed that in this out-of-the-way
camp at Intha, where no Christmas was ever kept
by Europeans before, there was any poor fare or
parsimonious menu and garniture. How diffe-
rent from our first poor Crimean banquets !
Here were mighty barons of beef, great turkeys,
which in Galway phrase were " big enough to draw
a gig," mutton of grain fed sheep, adipose poultry,
game, and fish, without any flavour of tin and
rosin, made dishes, poulets aux truffes fricandeaux,
rissoles, and all the various triumphs of the
French cuisine, somewhat tarnished by na-
tive practice and tradition, all spread on snowy
white tablecloths in well-lighted tents, well-served
by numerous hands. Here, too, were beakers of
ale, Bass and Tennent, from distant Trent and
Glasgow, and Dublin and London porter ; moselle,
" Simkin," which is Anglo-Indian for champagne,
of curious growths and unknown fabricators ; sherry
from places far more recondite than Xeres ; rare
old port, rather bothered by travelling 20 miles a-
day, but strong as bottled lions. Then the plum-
puddings and minced pies, made by heathen hands
and black-faced cooks, were objects for the envy of
the subtlest artists in all broad England. The
Artillery' sang Christmas carols, the Rifle band
played its best and choicest, and there was rejoicing
in the wide expanse of tents till 10 o'clock came,
and by degrees voices and lights died out, and
Christmas had passed at Intha. Our enemies, by
all accounts, did not pass the day so pleasantly.
Bainie Madhoo, with some 4,000 men under dif-
ferent leaders, was reported to be at, Churda some
18 miles in our front. They had fallen back from
Nanparah the night before our arrival at Intha, and
Bainie Madhoo had succeeded in persuading them
to come to Nanparah and attack us on our march,
but the rain prevented the movement, and the
Sepoys and Nujeebs are still posted in gardens and
enclosures near the Fort of Burjiddiah, which the
Nana is believed to occupy: There is a report that
they are badly off for provisions.
SUNDAY, DEC. 26.
The first bugle sounded at 5.15, and at 6.15 the
column was on its way northward to seek the
enemy. It was exceedingly raw and cold, a thick
fog obscured the face of the country, but we could
make out that it was still level and well cultivated,
and the hoof and the cannon beat down rising
crops of young corn. About ten o'clock the fog
cleared away, and soon afterwards we came in
sight of a belt of jungle, spread like a green wall
across the horizon. Some of our spies returned,
and declared the enemy were at Nanparah, a few
miles in our front. They had left them the night
before full of the determination to fight, stimulated
by the idea, perhaps, that we were only 500 British
and a lot of Chuma (cobblers) natives.
About 11 15 we halted, and, as the enemy were
reported to be still several miles ahead, we drew up
at Nanparah, and the whole force breakfasted,
having started fasting. At 1 o'clock the column
reformed and moved on again. A part of the Rifles
were sent forward to clear the jungle in skirmish-
ing order, and the cavalry flankers were called in.
Just at this moment two sowars rode in sight in the
jungle, surveyed us for a moment, and at once
turned their horses and disappeared. There was a
little trouble at first in finding the path which led
into the recesses of this natural fortress, and, had
the enemy chosen to have occupied it, they could
have held it, and inflicted great loss on us without
much risk to themselves, till we had ascertained
their position. The jungle consisted of trees fas-
tened together by a network of prickly shrubs, long
creepers, and branches. Here and there it was broken
into knolls, with open spaces of hard soil. The sur-
face was intersected by watercourses, now dry, in the
soft sand of which could be traced the tracks of
wild beasts and the footprints of elephants, proba-
bly those of Bainie Madhoo, when falling back from
Nanparah. This latter place, by the by, we find
nearly deserted, and surrounded by the marks of
the rebel encampment. A strong fort occupied one
angle of the town, which was further protected by
mud bastions, on which much labour had been re-
cently bestowed, and Bainie Madhoo had in vain
endeavoured to induce his followers and the Sepoys
to dispute our progress here. The jungle was not
more than a mil broad, fortunately for our skir-
mishers. As we were passing through it a knot of
our spies started from a bush, and announced that
A—Fokilribtlna-ii?WiltrouJ• Nal;
were awaiting our arrival, two or three
miles further on. As we emerged from the jungle
every eye was strained to distinguish their vedettes
along the level horizon, broken here and there by
clumps of trees and a few cottages which peered
above the dall fields. Imaginary polks of sowars
were resolved by the glass into herds of white cattle,
which were very numerous and very wild. Mile
after mile was passed, and no sign of the enemy ;
the day was waning, the sun was getting low. Sud-
denly our flankers on the left halt, and we seen in
their front a moving body, which this time consists
of horsemen riding away towards a tope in the dis-
tance. The lower part of the dark green of the
tope is fringed with a white border. A few gleams
of light flash from it in the sun. " There they are
—we have them at last !" The Commander-in-Chief
and his staff rode in advance and examined the
enemy, while the column halted. We could not
make out their guns, but we could determine that
the enemy were not more than 3,000 strong, of
which some 800 or 900 were cavalry. Elephants
could be seen on the flanks, and camels and carts
behind the tope. Their position was by no means
well chosen. Their proper right was partially co-
vered by a tope in advance, and on their left was a
village unoccupied, but we could not make out their
position to the rear, as the trees covered it. It was
now 3.15. The Chief at once made his dispositions
for the attack. Taking with him the squadron of
the Madras Cavalry, he placed the 7th Hussars on
our right, under Sir W. Russell ; the Carabineers
on our left, under Colonel Bickerstaff, supported by
the Ist Punjab Cavalry, which came up fresh and
willing after a march that day of 38 miles from
Buraech, having done 100 miles in the three previ-
ous days. The portion of Horsford's Brigade in
two lines, preceded by skirmishers of the Belooch
battalion and Rifle Brigade, moved on behind
the cavalry ; her Majesty's 20th, and the re-
mainder of the Beloochees on the left, and five
companies of the brigade on the right, the heavy
guns in the rear, the light guns in front, and
Horse Artillery with the
heCavalry. At about 1,800
opened yards the enemy fire from four guns. None
of their balls came up to
our line, which advanced
till it was nearly in range.The Cavalry were
rapidly advancing, directd by
enemyord Clyde, but as
an
they could do nothing against
covered in
dense trees, they were directedto make a wide
sweep to the right, round the village.
ineffectually. e. All this
time the enemy fired briskly, but They actually tried grape shot at half a mile.
Th ey
were, however, tailing away fast, as we afterwards
discovered, and the moment the Cavalry turned the
village, perceiving their line of retreat was endan-
gered, they dashed off in two bodies through the
dall field. At this moment Lord Clyde,galloping
at full speed to overtake an eager ymingffiaceio-pinhg
had gone off with the horse artillery guns, came
into broken ground; his charger, a perfectly safe-
footed animal, fell and threw him with great force.
He sat up in a moment, his face was bleeding ; he
tried to move his right arm, it was powerless. His
shoulder was dislocated. Fortunately, Mr. Mac-
kinnon was close behind him. In a few moments,
assisted by Dr. Gordon, who came up a moment
after the accident, he had reduced the dislocation ;
but the gallant Chief was much shaken by the fall,
though he at once got up and walked towards the
front, talking as if nothing had happened. Our
guns were now opening on the enemy; they were
pursued by:Sir W. Mansfield till darkness came on,
but we inflicted no loss. I regret that I shall have
to defer my diary of the rest of the day, and of the
27th, when we took the Fort of Mejiddiah, till the
next mail. Constant marching is a great enemy to
writing.

DEC. 29.

At 8 o'clock a.m. orders were sent round for the
return of the corps to Nanparah—the first bugle
to sound at 11 o'clock, the force to march at noon.
There was, of course, much speculation as to the
causes of this change in the orders issued the pre-
vious evening, and as the rumours which sprang
from those speculations were exceedingly absurd, a
plentiful crop of myths may be expected in a week
or two raising their beads in other places. The fact
is, that the reasons for our return from Mejiddiah
to Nanparah were simply that we could hear no-
thing of the enemy in our direction, that Christie
was well up on our left flank and front, and that
Nanparah seemed a better point not only for con-
centrating supplies for commissariat purposes, but
for watching the progress of operations, and aiding
them by any military movement that might be re-
quired. Of the Nana s retreat no information could
be had, and the only news of the enem
Y Ras to the
effect that the Begun and 3,ooooePori 140,4 ought

and obtained shelter in the Nepaulese territory.
This story requires confirmation. The Court of
Nepaul cannot regard the Begum and her followers
as political offenders unless they break the alliance
with the British Government. Some of the refugees
are certainly not political offenders, but criminals
guilty of mutiny, murder, and assassination. It is
said that the sepoys were opposed by the Nepaulese
Guards, but that after a time they bribed away the
opposition. They have only secured an asylum for
the moment, as I cannot believe Jung Bahadoor
will permit them to remain in the kingdom. The
report states that they have been already deprived
of their arms. Should it be true, there can be no
doubt that such a step was preparatory to their
extradition or expulsion. The Begum has fled from
the sepoys as much as from us.
Ere we departed from Mejiddiah a wing of the
Belooch battalion, 400 strong, and 50 of the Ist
Punjab Cavalry, were left to occupy the fort, and
complete its demolition, and as they were little
pleased at being left behind, they will no doubt
work well, and work the coolies too, till the ram-
parts have been thown into the ditch.
The whole of the north-east of Oude, up to
Khyreeghur, now seems tolerably secure. The
great difficulty is caused by the numerous rivers,
of which the enemy know every ford, while to us
they are obstacles and impediments worse than
baggage or heavy guns. Before Lord Clyde left to-
day he received a direct communication from the
corps on the right of the Chouka. Any ordinary
map of Oude will show the course of the latter
stream, as well as that of the Gogra or great Surjoo,
ere they unite at Beyramghat, but none will exhi-
bit that of the Gagee or Dhour, which, leaving the
Chouka opposite Thindoa, falls into the Gogra be-
low Easanuggur, and above Mullapoor. In the
lower island formed by this stream is the town of
Buragaon. Brigadier Troup is now at the right
bank of the Chouka, opposite this town, whence he
will advance up to Thindoa. He has pushed a small
column, under Cot. Dennis, 60th Rifles, two guns
and one squadron of Cureton's Mooltanee Horse,
across the Cbouka, which on the 26th was engaged
in crossing the Gagee or Dhour, and it would be no
less than two days ere they got their baggage
across. This column, having passed the river, would
clear the Easanuggur Doab towards Khyreghur.
Our old enemy Nirput Singh, together with Gholab
Singh, with 200 Sepoys and 400 Nujeebs, were on
' the Gages on Christmas-day, but they fell back on
thejungles of Khyreghur when they heard of Den-
nis's advance, where it does not seem possible for
them to live or us to pursue them. The political
agent with the column had made a last appeal to
these rebels. He sent them copies of the proclama-
tion, pointing out that only five days of the amnesty
remained, and ordering them to come in with all
their followers. The Daorera Rajah has already
made his submission. The direction of movements in
this district is left to Brigadier Barker, whose head
quarters are at Seetapore, subject to the instructions
of the Chief of the Staff. In order to strengthen
Troup, H.M.'s 93d Highlanders are marching from
Seetapore, and have joined him before this date.
Our march to-day presented no very interesting
features. By taking a short cut our guides actually
for once shortened the distance and reduced it to
12 or 14 miles. Lord Clyde is much better to-day.
DEC. 30.

It is probable that we shall have a night march
to-night—a secret expedition—very disagreeable,
inasmuch as the postmaster has just told us he must
change the hour of post departure on account of
" tigers." The postmen won't face them. Lieut.-
Colonel Nicholson, of the Royal Engineers, a most
deserving officer, has met with a serious accident.
His suffering will be deplored by all who knew him,
and his absence from active service will be a public
loss. I have not heard tho full particulars, but I
have seen a letter from Sir Hope Grant's force, to
whieh poor Nicholson was attacked, dated Bulram-
pore, Dec. 24, in which it is stated that on the pre-
ceding day, while drawing his ramrod, the gun
went off, shattering one hand by the ball, which
then went through the other hand and up the arm.
Sir Hope is sending him at once to Allahabad.
RETURN OF CAPTURED ORDNANCE.

BURJIDDIAH, DEC. 26.
One 9-pounder brass gun, native make, in park.
Two 4-pounder brass guns, native make, in park.
One 21-pounder brass gun, native make, in park.
One 1-pounder iron gun, native make, destroyed.
One 3-pounder brass howitzer, native make, in park.
MEJIDDIAH, DEC, 27.
Two 6-pounder brass guns, native make, in park.
One 18-pounder iron carronade, English make, in park.
One 3-pounder brass gun, native make, in park.
One 21.
pounder brass gun, native make, in park.
One 6-inch brass mortar, native make, in park.
Total 12 piecee.
Two iron wall pieces and one wooden rocket tube, of
native manufacture, destroyed.
DEC. 31.
I have yet to make up my narrative of the events
of the 26th and 27th of December. The escape of
the enemy on the first day was wonderfully rapid.
It is now known that the Nana was in the neigh-
bourhood, and some elephants were seen to go off
to the left the moment the enemy opened fire. The
movement of the cavalry to the right set the rebels
iu full retreat, and just at that moment, Lord Clydo,
kagliCitevvind fghbeSiYentlia Vigal*stPuMeßSFAl
and guns. But the day was too far advanced, the
enemy too scattered, and covered by dust fields, for
sabre or gun to do much. I am persuaded that
they were informed of our advance long before the
column came to the jungle. They withdrew either
five or six guns at the very outset, and part fell
back or ran to Bankee, others towards Mejid-
diah. " Common domestic case," as Sir William
Russell calls that aggregated missile, when deli-
vered at 200 yards had, of course, no effect on
men who were nearly a mile ahead. In some in-
stances the cavalry passed men in thick cates, who
fired at them, and whom they could not reach.
Gun after gun, however fell into our hands. They
are set forth in the return of ordnance appended to
my previous letter. At last darkness began to set
in, the artillery horses were " pumped out," and
orders were given to. retire. I saw few bodies of
the enemy along the route back; but just as we
approached the village of Burjuddiah the Beloo-
chees on the left flank of the Rifles, close to me,
began firing furiously into a cate. Some few of the
enemy were discovered and shot down, and for the
second time we made prisoners. On returning to
camp it was quite dark, not a tent was pitched ;
the baggage was coming up in darkness and in
storms of angry voices. As the night was cold the
men made blazing fires of the straw and. grass of
the houses of the neighbouring hamlet, in which
Nana Sahib's followers had long been quartered.
At one of those fires, surrounded by Beloochees,
Lord Clyde sat with his arm in a sling on a char-
poy, which had been brought out to feed the flames.
Once, as he rose up to give some orders for the dis-
position of the troops, a tired Beloochee flung him-
self full length on the crazy bedstead, and was
jerked off in a moment by one of his comrades,—
" Don't you see, you fool, that you are on the Lord
Sahib's charpoy ?" Lord Clyde interposed,—" Let
him lie there ; don't interfere with his rest," and
took his seat on a billet of wood. The groups round
these fires were most picturesque and wonderful in
effect and colour. Native soldiers, camp followers,
general officers, aides-de-camp, prisoners, subalterns,
all circling round holding out their hands to the
genial glow, or guarding their faces from the fly-
ing embers as the roof of a shed or a fresh bed-
stead or truss of straw was thrown on the fire. I
took - particular interest in a " budmash," who,
with his arms tied behind his back, joined the social
circle of which Sir William Mansfield was the prin-
cipal personage. He sat down on his haunches with
great coolness, and conversed affably with those
around him, his only inconvenience being, he said,
from want of food. Indeed, he favoured us with
some extracts from his private history. He had
been a servant of Ali Nucky Khan, late Prime
Minister of Oude, and he fought against us at
Lucknow: When the place fell he wandered about
from place to place with one rebel band or another
till he got tired of being always beaten and went
back to Lucknow. There, however, everything
was changed. His house was pulled down, his
relatives and friends all gone. What could he do ?
He heard that Bainie Madhoo would pay and feed
men to fight for him; and so a month ago he left
sword
tmustPeoro a r
to
buy amu
Lonocknow and joined Bainie Madhoo, but he was
and arsebhele
ecboinefldweounlldy
and shield
the e
not have him, but by hanging about the force he
got a morsel of
food. He was an elderly man, of
truculent, coarse feat
expression. He
ev. _ ures, and no very amiable
the Sepoys. Theirdee.ntly had no love for us or for
with you now," he salisd no
one left in India to fight
the people with your Se
_o" for you have beaten all
As Ys, and now you beat the
Sepoys themselves." P
we were not then aware
that the enemy had been firing
supposed from the rush of the sst,ot grape at us, and
not being heard
that the enemy fired blank cartridges, we asked
him the reason. " They had, I suppose, blank and
ball cartridges in their limbers, said he, and
their hands and feet are so swelled with fright they
could not tell one from the other." Our tents were
pitched late; our dinner was eaten in the open by
the light of the stars and of the burning village,
and to bed we went, and slept as only men can
sleep who have done 30 miles over rough ground
on horse or foot.
The early part of the morning of the 27th was
munition
spent in destroying the enemy's am
and , bury-
ing round shot, chain shot, grape, canister.
Some of the pieces were very composite in their
various accessories. The tumbril of one was made
out of a wine case, addressed "W. Johnstone, Esq.,
Shahjehanpore." Another had on the fore wheels
" Patent mail axle." A coarse quoin instead of an
elevating screw injured the efficacy of the best piece.
Megultinze effortbeadbeen =do to find out the

position of the runaway enemy. It was ascertained
that Churda was evacuated, and for a time-no cer-
tain intelligence could be got of the Nana's move-
ments, but Bainie Madhoo was reported to have
gone to a fort called Mejiddiah, about seven miles
to our left, where he would, it was said, make a
hard fight of it. It appears that the Nana had for
some weeks past resided at the fort of Burjuddiah,
which belongs to the Rajah of Churda, and that his
followers were in the village close at hand, which
we burned on the 26th. A villager whom we ques-
tioned said he had seen " the Nana Rao" once, that
he was a stout man, with pock-marked face, but
that when he went to walk in the garden the by-
standers were driven away, and that it was very
difficult to get a sight of him. Early in the morn-
ing orders were sent round for the march of the
force at 10 a.m., and while the tents were being
struck I went over to the fort, which is a wall of
mud enclosing a large garden of fruit trees, with a
well and fountain prettily laid out, and well kept
for a native place. In the centre there was an or-
dinary house, but it was burning, and only the hot
ruins remained. It was quite empty when we en-
tered. The outer walls of the fort were flanked by
bastions, but no guns could be discovered. It was
a poor position, open to assault on any side, and
was wisely abandoned by the enemy.
There was a disagreeable feeling in walking about
the garden when one reflected that the Nana had
been recreating there but a few days before. It is
surprising that the natives should shield a monster
whose deeds they repudiate with horror. Maun
Sing says the Nana is not a Brahmin and has ho
religion, or he would not have murdered women
and children ; but we have too many examples of
the massacre of both to believe that the detestation
of such offences can be very deeprooted or ener-
getic. There is much treachery still to be dreaded.
At the very moment when one of our district
officers was proposing that rewards should be con-
ferred on Hushmut Singh and Murdan Singh, two
Hindoo chiefs who had rendered us service and
were supposed to be faithful, evidence turned up to
create suspicions that there were emissaries of those
very mon in Feroze Shah's camp at the time of his
escape and that therefore they were acquainted
with his intentions. _ _ _

At ten o'clock the force marched off towards

Mejiddiah, where it was now ascertained beyond a
doubt that the enemy were in some force. No in-
formation could be got as to the strength or posi-
tion of the force. Mann Singh affected not to know
it. As we advanced the spies and villagers gave
'still more perplexing accounts. Some said the
place was empty; others that a cavalry force was
posted in the jungle at the back of the fort,and that
there were a few men inside, but all agreed that
whoever was there would fly the moment we ap-
proached. We passed through a thick jungle
without opposition at 11 o'clock, and advanded over
a fine plain .till 12, when we came upon another
jungle extending as far as the eye could reach. It
was, however, not very broad, for in half-an-hour
we had debouched on a plain, and Burjuddiah was
before us. All we saw was a dun-coloured parapet
of mud, with three embrasured bastions, in the front
of a dense forest, which extended interminably on
the flanks and hit the rest of the work. Colonel
Harness, of the Engineers, proceeded to reconnoitre
the place, and found a spot on the right where we
could place ow heavy guns. The cavalry, under Sir
William Russell, were sent round to the left, where
the ground seemed more open, the Carabineers being
in support, under Lieutenant-Colonel Bickerstaff.
The Commander-in-Chief, who was carried in a
.dooly with a led horse by his side, suffering from
the dislocation and shock of yesterday's fall, but
full of mental activity, gave the general direction
of the attack to the Chief of the Staff, and remained
in front, just under fire, the rest of the day. We
could see the enemy in the bastions watching our
motions, but the greater part of our force was
screened from their view by a heavy crop of dall,
which stood on a slightly elevated field, just in
front of the spot on which our troops and baggage
debouched from the jungle. The bit of the place
we could see gave one a disagreeable impression of
its strength—a ditch and abattis were visible, and
the place might contain 10,000 men, for all we
knew. As there was only space for the heavy guns
on the right, it was resolved to send our mortars to
the left. All this time the enemy had observed us
in silence. I had gone towards the left, having a
fair glass, to see what could be seen, and found
myself in front of the fort. I could see a man in
purple and fine linen, attended by several natives,
going round from bastion to bastion, and encourag-
ing the men. I could see the artillerymen looking
along their pieces, and the Sepoys strutting about
very confidently inside the parapets. Presently Sir
William Mansfield and a /few officers came past,
riding to the left to reconnoitre. Bang went a gun
from the western bastion but it was laid too high,
and. the shot went whistling through the air above
our beads, and plunged with a heavy thud into
the ground 300 yards behind us. The
' General went on at a canter ; bang went gun
number two, and, again, gun number three, as fast
as they could load and slew the piece round. The
C4'"'""l "Ile nZNI? tfro—tivAi*, "PeffiFnitig•
mortars on the
(Lauer the fire as before—one good shot which
passed close and sharp being very near emptying
one of the saddles. As the heavy guns were being
sent round, the enemy opened on them, and one shot
disabled a soldier, and killed and wounded a couple
of gun bullocks, but they were soon placed in safe
cover; then they opened on the mortars going round
to the left, but were less fortunate, though their
round shot sadly discomposed some groups of dooly-
bearers, and one of them had the side of his face
shattered by a round shot. But the vivacity of
their fire was soon diminished. Part of the Rifle
Brigade, of the Belooch Battalion, and of the 20th
Regiment were sent up to the fort in skirmishing
order, and, extending themselves, as far as their
numbers would admit, from the open front to the
right round into the jungle, got close up to the
parapets, and poured a constant flight of bullets
through the embrasures, clearing the parapet of
Sepoys, except a few resolute fellows who kept up
their fire very steadily. The heavy guns opened
on the right ; the mortars answered on the left.
Shell after shell burst inside the place, the round
shot tore great clumps of earth off the parapets. I
could see that in ten minutes the number of the
defenders of the place, never very great, had become
much diminished, but some of the enemy remained
at their posts with steadiness and determination.
One man in particular I could see serving a gun by
himself. He fired, sponged out, served, rammed
home, aimed, for round after round, throwing grape
at the Rifles and round shot towards the front, till he
suddenly disappeared, and the gun only opened once
more. Nearer and nearer crept our riflemen, less and
less became the fire of musketry from the parapets
and the flashes of the answering guns, while our mor-
tars and heavy artillery kept up a heavy,monoton ous,
uniform battering and bursting and pounding inside,
outside, and above the fort. About 4 the firing had
almost ceased. Major Dillon, of the Rifle Brigade,
soon afterwards came up to the Chief of the Staff,
to announce that the fort was evacuated, just as
Colonel Harness, suspecting suchto be thexase, had
gone with a few men to ascertain if it was so. I
went in with the Rifles, who were ordered to ad-
vance and occupy it, and as we approached the
abattis a spatter of musketry was heard, which pro-
ceeded from the last of the enemy leaving the place
and who fired probably on Colonel Harness's little
party. This abattis was a thick fence of thorns
and pointed branches, inside which was a thickset
hedge, then the ditch 25 feet deep, 28 feet broad,
filled in places with several feet of mud and water,
and opposite us the face of the bastion, fully 35 feet
high from the bottom of the ditch. Falling,
scrambling, and climbling, we got up through the
embrasure—a feat which few of us would have per-
formed had there been an enemy inside, for it re-
quired hands and feet to do it. The first impres-
sion produced was wonder at the small size of the
interior, and at the strength of the place. A small
low wall pierced for musketry surrounded some
houses in the centre, which probably served as the
residence of the Rajah and his followers. The
ground was covered with cooking places, thatched
sheds, cooking utensils, and quantities of ammuni-
tion. There were rockets, blue lights, port fires,
cartridges, hammered shot, newly cast brass shell,
very well made, moulds for making them, fuses,
heaps of English cartridges, and bags stuffed with
percussion caps. The rockets were most ingeniously
providedwith a contrivance, of which our engineers
took a note, to prevent the rocket flying back, an
occurrence which is too probable not to be guarded
against. I recollect poor Sir William Peel saying
one day at Lucknow, " If the rascals arc half as
much frightened as we are at every rocket we fire
we will soon clear the place," and no one under-
stood rockets better. A buggy stood under a shed
—in that shed was a horse. With most remarkable
presence of mind an active officer walked to
the place as if he knew all about it, saw that a com-
bination of the two might be effected with advan-
tage, harnessed the horse, and put it to the buggy,
and drove out of the gate in great glory. The
magazines were well made—the best I have
seeheanrgininlgndia. *Great quantities of food were found
in the storehouses—rice, grain, and atta. Wild gun
bullocks lashed their sides with their tails, and,
ni
would
fortunatelyu s
rheat
vreefuriouslyabte.fastenede
n Aa verya
bmyof splendidnot e theformidable
invaders, caused
those who had never fled before to take to ignomi-
nious
ratherohcow
f swwheitßdnraoabshleem
foeti no e eian
rdoe
rope, bull,
ed wwhoa
ands
tbeyrya deathdp
rioeafcueag low-spirited in consequence of the
t
with
. twhichhteu
Bullocks—some
a.sst_osnsoomtmheee :10:1 sf
loins--were
csoldkwibl
elaertde.
also found in the ditch. It was evident that the
ford had been fcr fiQMQ time Qcopicai and that

those who told us it was empty were deliberately
deceiving us in order to befriend the enemy. A
141 b. mortar limber was found in one place full of
ammunition. There was not a dead body inside,
and only in one place was there trace of any of the
enemy being wounded, but it is scarcely possible for
the fire to have left them unscathed. The parapets
were injured in places, bits of shell lay over the
ground, and the embrasures were scored in every
direction by our rifle balls. Probably they carried
of their dead and wounded through one of the
numerous sallyports which led out into the jungle
on the rear. _ _ _

The fort of the Mejiddiah is of a pear shape, run-
ning north and south, about 400 yards long by 350
in breadth across the middle. The stem is hidden in
jungle, and it is the principal gateway. It is sur-
rounded by a ditch, with an abattis on the south and
east up to the stem. The west is quite covered by
jungle, hidden in which there is another gateway,
protected by a small lunette in advance. Two lu-
nettes are also in the jungle in the west. There are
four or five round towers or bastions along the ram-
part, pierced for guns. The ditch at the north gate
is 28ft. broad and 20ft. deep from the ground, the
face of the scarp to the top of the parapet being 37ft.
high, the top of parapet seven feet thick, and the
exterior fenced by a heavy abattis. In some places
there is a double ditch, and the ramparts are perfo-
rated by sallyports, which run into the outer
ditches. In the centre of the fort is a semi-circu-
lar citadel, or keep, about 150 yards long by 100
yards broad. It is certainly the strongest and best
fort we have yet seen in Oude. As it fell dark the
Rifles were marched out, and their place was taken
by the Beloochees. One of their sentries next
morning spied five men walking towards the fort,
three of whom were armed. When they were
close to the gate he challenged them. The men
dropped into the jungle, but, on his threatening
to turn out the guard and shoot them down, they
came up and surrendered—the Rajah's barber, his
steward, and three armed followers, who had been
out in the district, and had not heard of the fall of
the place. Some grasscutters of the 7th Hussars,
who had been missing since the 26th, returned to-
day, and reported that they had been taken pri-
soners by a party of the enemy's cavalry ; and the
monshee of Captain Fremantle of the Rifle Bri-
gade, whe fell into their hands, was permitted to go,
after he had been offered a high place in their army
if he would join them.
On the 28th the engineers were employed in
demolishing the fort, which was too good to leave
behind us, and our companies were out in all direc-
tions to ascertain what had become of the enemy.
Churda was found to be empty. As the work of de-
molition was difficult, owing to the absence of
coolies, though the enemy's gunpowder was largely
used, and 1,4001 b. was available, it was resolved to
garrison the place on our departure with a wing of
Beloochees and 50 of the Ist Punjab Cavalry till
the Coolies had levelled the parapet and filled up
the ditch.

On the 29th the Chief, being quite in the dark as
to the locality of the enemy, moved south at noon, and
pitched his tents at Nanparah. Our appearance on the
plain caused some anxiety to the garrison of Oude
police, who had been left in the place, but they
recovered their equanimity on seeing the force de-
bouch on the plain and show the English camp
colours. It was dark before our tents were pitched,
On the 30th information was received that the Nana
Sahab, •Bainie Madhoe, and some thousands of
Sepoys and desperadoes had collected near Bankee,
about 20 miles north of Nanparah. The news was
verified about four o'clock in the afternoon, and at
six Lord Clyde had made his arrangements for a
night march, of which the details and the object
must be left for another letter.

CAMP AT BANKEE, New Year's-day.
The well-conceived secret night march, planned
by Lord Clyde and executed yesterday, has caused
great consternation among the desperate rebels who
still hold out on the verge of Nepaul. The loss of
their guns, the suddenness of the attack, the sur-
prise, have all told on them, and they feel they are
now no longer safe wherever they may go, and that
the information of our movements which stood them
in such good stead while they were at large is now
failing them as our columns occupy mile after mile
of the country. It is much to be regretted that we
missed Nana Sahib, but we shall not have him yet.
We must wait till the bands of the enemy are more
thoroughly dispersed. I saw to-day a Sepoy of the
72d Bengal Native Infantry who was with the Nana's
own force yesterday, being one of his armed fol-
lowers. He said that the first intimation of an ad-
vance was the sound of the guns opening upon the
head of the column. The Nana was in the wood a
couple of miles in the rear. He at once gave orders
for flight, had his eight elephants loaded, and made
straight off for the Raptee, which he crossed, no
doubt, long before our cavalry reached its banks.
But, although that particular body of the rebels may
not have been warned of our approach, that which
defended the entrance into the jungles was no doubt
advised of it by their cavalry pickets before we came
in sight. Living in a state of constant apprehension,
the rebels are ever on the alert, and throw out
nyVT-tcrteil Iv/woad-kw, thOtigfrrtrge
said to affect their energy. Indeed, we heard at one
of the villages that a picket galloped past with the
news of our advance half an hour before our ad-
vanced guard made its appearance. Under every
tope we saw horse litter, cooking places, and recent
signs of the Sowars. In the night we passed one
large party on the left, which remained perfectly
still. Some of our officers observed the lights in the
distance, but they were supposed to proceed from a
village, and it is the custom in Oude to plough by
torchlight, as the earth is soft, and yields to the
plough when moistened by the dew, and no notice
was taken of them. Had there been we should have
given the alarm to the main body by our firing, and
warned them to escape. The picket quietly re-
mained on their ground after we passed, but when
the guns opened they fled away towards the west,
and probably broke up. The sepoys tells us that
there are great dissensions among the rebels.
Whenever our force approaches the recriminations
and reproaches of one to the other are only silenced
by the opening of our fire. " Where will you fly to
now ?" they ask. " What a fine example you set
the other day!" It was you who brought me to this;
but for your advice I should have been well clad
and fed and my family looked after. Now I am
hungry and in rags, and no chance of escaping
death." For food, however, so far as rice and grain
go, they must be well' off, as the country is teeming
both. The new year, which opens upon us full of
hope, to them presents no prospect but of disgrace,
suffering, and death. The last day of grace and
amnesty has passed, but even yet the gates of mercy
are not closed, and the prerogative is still free to be
exercised as the Viceroy pleases.