The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY E_VENING, SEPTEMBER a

D'Oyly (since dead) and Captain Lamb, whose reco:
very is most doubtful. Of the militia andvolunt, e-s

6 were killed and 18 wounded, of whom 8 were offi-
cers and civilians. Total loss—Killed or died of
wounds, 51; wounded, 90 ; out of about 500 en-
gaged. Is not this a bloody action for our first
essay ? The enemy's loss is said by themselves to
have been over 500, and we spiked one of their
guns. Fancy, in the village the women loaded the
men's muskets and handed them to the men to fire.
Soon after we returned to the fort the whole
of the bungalows (houses) were in flames.
and a grand sight it was, too. The enemy, we hear
expected we had had gone back for ammunition
and were coming out against them next day, and
so off they bolted and went in the direction of
Muttra, and never came on here at all ; it was our
owu servants and blackguards in Agra who plun-
dered all the houses and fired them. Numbers
have lost everything they bad in the world, even
to their everyday kit, which their servants de-
camped with, when on the sth they were told to
take them into the fort. My servants, happily,
have behaved well ; my kidmutgar accompanied
me to the field of action and stuck to me all
through, and my bearer brought my bed and traps
safe, and I hal a pillow, &c., to rest my weary
limbs on that night. For the first three days after
the action we were badly off, as nearly all the servants
had bolted, but after that they began to drop in
back again. I have, indeed, much cause for thank-
fulness to be comparatively so well off, with some-
thing saved, my servants at hand, and above all, a
strong healthy frame, unimpaired by hard work
and by God's mercy uninjured by the enemy.
May I be spared to fight my country's
battles, to execute just judgments on those ungrate•
ful murderous traitors ! I hid two remarkably
narrow escapes ; one was a rifle ball which just
struck the ground at my feet, the other o-curred
while I was stooping down to get a drink of filthy
water hard by, when four rifle shots entered the
ground close behind me, one of them whizzing past
my left ear, a precious sight too close. We are all
now in the fort, and no danger in prospect at pre-
sent ; all our enemies far away, and we making
every preparation against the worst ; plenty of
hard work. Sind us lots of Englishmen, that we
may have a good winter campaign.

"E. B."

The following is from an officer in command at
Agra :

"Agra Fort, July 16.
"It is with great thankfulness and sincere de-
light I once more sit down to write to my beloved
parents. I scarcely know when I wrote last, or
how to begin the little history I hope to send off
to day. I think shortly after my last it was that,
our second in command being sick, I was ordered
out from Gwalior, with two companies of my regi-
ment and a squadron of cavalry to take away 4,\-
lac 3 of treasure from a detachment of the 53d, who
were supposed to be mutinously inclined. Well,
off I went, and in due course got the tre'sure
without fighting for it, and brought it into the pre-
*sidency all right. All this time our own regiment
was almost in open mutiny, and no one ever ex-
pected (so they told me afterwards) to see me re-
turn again. This was only the Friday morning,

the heartless murderers of women and children
strung up by dozens."

DELHI.
The following is from an officer in command be-
fore Delbi

" Camp before Delhi, June 23.
" This was the 100th anniversary of the battle of
Plassey, and the Pundits pronounced our fall this
day (so it is said). It wal likewise the fir,t day of
the new moon—a favourable omen for Mussulmans,
and also the Ruth Juttra, a great day for the Hin-
doos. Fighting began with daylight, and very for-
tunately the bridges over the canals had been blown
up during the night, which prevented the enemy
getting guns across and attacking us in the rear.
0— with bis troop, some Sikhs, and a few Euro-
peans, was escorting a large convoy of supplies. I
was sent out with my troop rand a squadron ( f
Lancers to protect him. The heat was intense.
You may fancy setting out on the bare plains on the
23d of J une

"Young B-, of the Lancers, caught three
niggers who pretended to be ryots. but they were
more probably spies. I could elicit little from
them.

"It was now near 11 a.m. I heard firing, and
instantly advanced to 0-'s support. Some in-
fantry and cavalry were harassing his rear, but two
shots from his guns knocked over eight brutes, and
they dispersed. I formed in his rear, and, after
seeing every scrap of baggage safe into camp, went
and reported the same. I got to my tents by 12,
and was ordered to keep horses harnessed and men
ready to turn out. I sent horses to wafer and then
harnessed in again. All this time there was the
hardest fighting going on on our right and in front,
the whole of the gardens of the Subzee Mundee
being strongly occupied by the evening.
"June 27.

" Of course all England is now in an uproar, and
though every living soul here may be murdered
vengeance will follow. Such an army must now be
en, route as could reconquer the country from Cal-
cutta to Peshawur. Ht-nceforth, perhaps, Chris-
tians, Mehturs, and Choomars* will be considered
as best entitled to the highest posts in'the laud, and
the curse of God may be removed from us for sup-
porting idolatry, and giving the highest instead of
the lowest consideration to Brahmins and Mus,ul-
- Oh that reinforcements could come by rail,
We get no news from below Delhi except via,
Bombay.

"June 28.

"Reinforcements came in this morning of about
1,000 men, and there are some few more in tie
rearwith stores. The heavy rain may have soaked
some, but it has proved a great hlessiny, laid the
dust, and now, at 2 p.m., the thermometer, instead
of being 106, is just over 86. There is no firing
going on, and the day being Sunday it seems more
like a day of repusa and calm than I eau remem-
ber for a long time.
" June 30.

" An attack this morning, but our forces having
been augmented we were able to put a picket in
the Subzee Mundee. The mutineers found it a very
different thing di-lodging our troops from simply
walking into the Subzee Mundee unopposed, and
leaving us to drive them from their strong cover.
The consequence was that the attack was feeble and
of short duration. force went at 4 p.m. to seize
some guns iu position at the Eedgah. Not a gun
was seen nor an enemy. This night Fused quietly.
" July 1.
" The Gist came in with band playing. It is, I
fancy, the only regiment in camp which has a
band.

"Received orders at midnight to send out two
guns to escort in Coke'a Punjab Irregulars at day-
break.

"July 3.
"All quiet yesterday. There are in Coke's corps
a great many 'Poorbeas' or Hindostinees ; ene of
these brutes, a Subandar, tried hard to petsuad-1
the whole regiment to murder their officers, and go
over to D Ihi, sayidg it was God's will the Feting-
hee ' R ' t should cease. The Pathan in=
stantly reported the conspiracy to Coke. The
Subandar and Duffardar and one other man were
hange 1 last evening. The Poorbeas in tLe regi-
ment were disarmed, and are, I believe, to be paid
up to-day, and kicked out of camp.
"There was heavy rain la=t night. Everything
arranged to storm Delhi, only we did not storm it !
All countermanded again !

"July 7.
"Under arms at daybreak. Attackexpected ;it
has not come off. ,

" July 9.

" Heavy rain this morning. Attack expected.
At 9 a m., none having taken place, we went to
breakfast, and bad not long turned in when the
alarm sounded. The enemy's cavalry, joined by
some of our own 9th Irregulars, were sweep'ng
through our camp. It was a bold stroke
They tried to carry off the Native Horse Artillery
with them, failed and retreated. It was pouring
with lain all day long, and we were under arms fur
hours in the rain after everything was over. Now
I suppose the Irregular Cavalry will be disarmed
and turned out of camp. _

"July 10.
"A court of inquiry is sitting on the Oils I. C.
business. It appears that the enemy deceived
everybody, by advancing as friends, and pretending
they were the 9th. In fact, on the road, close to
my tent, a large force formed up quietly, and when
Hodgson, of the Guide Corps, rode up, and asked
who they were, the men, finding our whole camp
under arms, quietly said 'We are the 9th Irregulars ;
go and bring up the rest of your regiment ; the
enemy is in front ;' and thus walked slowly to the
bridge leading out of our camp, then made a rush,
and bolted. It was a bold thing to do but resulted
in nothing. Young Hills, of the Artillery, a sub
in Harry Tombs's troop, had received a sabre
wound, and was just being cut down when Harry
shot the troop(); with his revolver, and then ran
another man through with his sword.
" The Subzee Mundee was then swept through
by our troops, and some 200 of the enemy killed,
and many wounded ; and, though a day of most
hard fighting, resulted, as usual, in our comp!ete
success. We have now beaten them in the morning,
daytime, in the evening, in the heat of the sun,
and the wet, which Blackey notes, and they have
never yet gained anything by any of their en-
counters. They must begin to feel that our Raj is
not yet over. But how Ido wish. we could get
some intelligence from below, to know Whether we
have got hold of the China force yet, and also what
troops are coming up ; there must be some. As
this letter must go round by Lahore, and through
Mooltan, I don't know how many days it will take ;
so 1 think, it we ara left in quiet to-morrow morn-
ing, I may its well post it.

"July 11.
"The enemy turned out in force last evenir“,
expecting an attack from us. We, of course, were
instantly under arms. It was raining hard and
resul'ed in both sides turning in—thA is, the enemy
went back and we therefo-e turned in again. Th 'se
frequent attacks, though always resulting in our sue-
cess, put some of our men hors de combat. We must
have enormous re'nforcements from England if we
are to hold India, and, in spite of peacemong ra
and economists, the country must be held as it was
won—by the sword."

The following letter is from an engineer :
" Camp before Delhi, July 12.
• Cholera, lam sorry to say, is in the camp, and
I write this by the side of what I fear may be the
d( athbed of an excellent fellow of my regiment. I
have been with him all night, and Ile appears het-
ter now, so he may survive it, but cholera just now
is very deadly. . . . I must tell you of a noble
action of Hills, of the Artillery. He was in my
term at Addiscombe, and one of my best friends.
Three days ago he was on the picket with his two-
horse artillery guns, when the alarm was sounded
and an order sent him to advance, given under the
impression that the enemy were at some distance.
He was supported by a body of Carbineors, 80, I
believe, in number. He advanced about 100 yird-.,
while is guns were being limbered up to f ,Ilow,
and suddenly came on about 120 of the enemy's
cavalry close on him. Disgraceful to .say, the Car-
bineers turned and bolted. His guns being lim-
bered up he could do nothing, but rather than fly he
himself. He fired four barrels of
and killed two men, throwing the
chliisarrgeevdotlhveerm by
empty pistol in the face of another, and knocking
him off his horse. Two horsemen then ehirged full
tilt at him and and rolled him and his horse over.
He got up with no weapons, and seeing a man on foot
commg to, cut him down, rushed at him, go inside
his sword, and hit him full in the face with his fist.
At that moment he was cut down from behind, and
a s concl blow would have done fur bi,n, Lad not
Tombs, his captain, the finest fellow in the service
(who had been in his tent when the row tcgan),
arrived at the critical moment and shot his assailant.
Hills was able to walk home, though his wound
was severe, and on the road Tombs saved his life
once more, by sticking another man who attacked
him. If they don't both get the Victoria Cross it
won't be worth having. . . . You will be glad
to hear I have been thanked by the Commander-in-
Chief in brigade orders about a battery which is
now named after me.

" I hopo we shall assault before I write ag
Directly we do so the place is ours."

MEERUT.

The following a letter from an officer's wife,
who, with her husband and children, escaped from
Delhi on the 11th of May
" Camp, MirrO, July 8 and 10.
" If you could see me at this mo'hnent writing

" * Sweepers and chueleers (the lowed., of lh j castes;."
t Raj —rule."

you would be rather surprised. We have been
driven out of tents by the rains coming on, and
have got some comfortable quarters in a large open
building with large arches all round, but no doors ;
it is, I believe, a place for guns. We have got a str'p
in the centre, with a kind of matting put up three-
quarters of the way to the roof on each side fur the
walls, cn the other side of which, on one side, at e
about 50 artillerymen, and the other side is an office.
We look up Du our abode as quite a palace, having it
to eurselvts, instead of one corner of a room in which
are many other persons allotted to us. The rain is
pouring down at this minute and running down the
wills inside in plenty of places, but that is nothing
William and the children are all in their beds fast
asleep, but lam aft.: id of he 1t i wi.h my letter
to-morrow, and so am writing now. I did nut tell
you, I think, that we have lost everything we hal.
On that dreadful morning—the 11th of May—Wm.
had duty in the city, and left home in a hurry,
hearing that something was going wrong. He re-
turned shortly, but only to tell me that every offi-
cer with him had been kided in a few minutes. He
was saved, humanly speaking, by two guns waking
their appearance through the city gate at the mo-
ment of time, at sight of which the wretches turtie I
and galloped cff. Re left me again in 5 minutes to
return to Delhi with the regiment for which he had
b: en sent. We parted then with little hope of
meeting again, and, having no one to consult
withwhattode, I ordered the carriage, in order
to go to our maser's house, close by, to see what
his wife was going. to do. I put all the children
into it that we might not be separated by any
chance, fully intending to return in a few minutes,
but at our gate I fell in with nearly all the ladies
in the station in their carriages going up with a regi-
ment to a small tower on a hill in the station. I
was made to follow in the procession, and
thus we took leave of our comfortable home and
all it contained. That night every house was plun-
dered of everything in it, and then burnt to the
ground, and of all our poor servants we have tot
since been able to hear a word; four came with us
—those who left the house both with myself and
with William—but of the rest we know nothing,
and I have many fe ire as to what became of them,
as if all had been right I feel sure that they would
have followed us in some way, several of them hav-
ing been with us ever since we came out. Our
coachman and children's ayah set off to Delhi three
days ago, dressing themselves as beggars, in order
to make some inquiries about their families. We
begged them not to enter Delhi, and tkey promised
not to do so. Should they do so they will he
almost sure to be killed ; they will return to us in
a few days, we hope.
"To return to the 11th of May. We all (which
means almost every European about the place) re-
mained in the small tower which I mentioned all
that day, but, it being evident towards. the even-
ing that there was no chance of our lives there,
hearing that the brutes were coming to murder us
all as soon as they had refreshed themselves after
their other murderous deeds, we all left in car-
riages, on horseback, on foot, or any means that
presented themselves, and, taking any road that
parties thought the best, we arrived the next even-
ing at Meerut in company with some others, h ,v-
-ing come the whole distance with our own poor
horses, only stopping day or night to bait for an
hour or two here and there. We little thought, on
making for this place by cross country roads that we
should find it much in the:same state as where we had
lefr, but so it was—houses burnt and burning met
our disappointed eyes, an dj ust as it was dark we had
to drive through one of the worst and most dangerous
parts of Meerut. The mutineers were stan hug
about iu groups where there had been fighting up
to 12 o'clock that very day, but through the mercy
of God no attempted to touch us, and at last
we arrived at a mess-house, where the officers came
out (it was then quite dark) and gave us up a house
belonging to one of them close by, and sent us
everything we so much needed besides, telling us
that wo had had a wonderoil escape in cowing
through Meerut as we had dune, and expressing
great surprise. The samo work had gone on here
as at Delhi—ladi s and children murdered alike
with the officers."

very badly, remain in hospital. The moment - beard
of it he started off for Pindee io offer his services for the
wounded, and he was sent off at once to Jhelum io a
det"< at Government expense, I had the happineQc of -
tear g from him this morning, telling me be woutl
arrive at Jhelum at 2 o'clock r.rn., on the llub, and was
going day and night, and suffering from terrible heat. I
trust the Lord will protect him, but these are terrible
times.
" Ti ere was a slight brush at Pindee also on the 7th,
when 58th Native Infantry and 200 of the 14th Native
Infantry stationed there were disarmed. Same of the
Sepoys fired and then took to their heels. Only one
officer was wounded in pursuing them, and they were all
cap tu. ed.
" The 46th Native Infantry at Sealkote mutinied on
the 9th, and I regret to say, murdered several officers.
They, however, protected the ladies and children, and
some Sahibs saw them safe into the fort. Then the re-
giment took carriages, buggies, &a., and off they started
with their arms down country. Colonel Brown, with nil
the available (H.M.) 24tH which were at Jhelum, has
st xrted for Wuzerabad to try and intercept these wretches
of the 14th Native Infantry. More of her Majesty's
24th started last night from Pindee for Jhelum."

RAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.

LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE.

The half-yearly meeting was held yeAerday at
Manchester—Mr. H. W. Wickham, M.P., the
Chairman of the directors, presiding.
An abstract of the half-yearly report and state-
ment of accounts has already appeared in The
thin.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, was glad to be able to congratulate the
shareholders on the increase of traffic, which Ind
amounted to 40,6651. on the Lancashire and York-
shire line proper. Of this sum 25,5621. was in
passengers, and 13,5481. in good?. The increase in
.goods had not come up to the expectations of the
directors, but was nevertheless considerable; while
the increase in passedgers had been a most notice-
able feature in the traffic since the commencement
of 1856, previous to which there had been no in-
crease in this department during several years.
During the last half-year the increase had ben
general over the whole of this comp iny's lines, and
very little of it was attiibutible to the Art Trea-
sures Exhibition. The tot increase in working
expenses was 20,4421. —(hear, hear)— of which
4,0001. was expended in repair and as ientenarice of
locomotive stock, 2,113/. in the coaching depart-
meet, 5,9591. in the merchandise department,
5,8391. in maintenance of the line, and 1,5001. in
law expenses incurred in opposing the Blackburn
Company's proposed extension to Manchester, and
the Great Northern Com pany's Doncas ter and Wake-
field line, the opposition having been in l9oth cases
successful. The increase in working expenses would
have been neucli larger had not the strictest exono-
my been exercised, and was attributable to the great
increase of traffic. The saving in consumption of
coke, oil, and tallow, as compared with 1852, was
nearly 10,0001 , while each locomotive was earning
nearly one-third more than at that period. Since
January, 1854, 481 miles of sidings had been added
at the different stations. The directors had offered
to the Blackburn Company such terms as they con-
sidered highly advantageous to that company, in
order to settle the disputes between them, but the
offer had not been accepted. By al arrangement
just concluded, this company's payment to the
Sheffield and Barnsley Company would in future
be at the rate of 13,5001. per annum. The ar-
rangements for a lease of the Aire and Caller
Canal by this company and the North Eastern were
on the point of completion, the measure being now
of the more import muce to this company, owing to
the unhappy quarrel among some neighbouring
companies. Tue directors would have been gla I
to defer the question of a new line from Oldham to
Rochdale, but the inhabitants of the district were
very pressing in the matter, and a survey had be-n
ordered with a view to the adoption of whatever
rout seemed most advantageous to the greatest
amount of population. So far as experience had
shown, there was every reason to be satisfied with
the agreement with the East Lancashire Company,
sanctioned at the last half-yearly ,meeting. It was
proposed in future to hold the half-yearly meeings
of this company ou the third Wednesday in Feb.
and the third Wednesday in August, and to make
the dividends payable on the Ist of March and the
Ist of September. (Hear, hear )
Mr. STUART seconded the motion.

The motion was carried unanimously ; as were
also a resolution declaring a dividend of 21. 10s. per
1001. stock for the half-year and the various pre-
ference dividends, all payable on the 15th instant,
and a subsequent resolution, authorising the direc-
tors to oppose all bills in Parliament prejudicial to
the interest of the company.
The prJceedings concluded with a vote of thanks
to the chairman.