The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-29 00:00:00

1, In as good a state of defence as the means at their cum-
nlalad rendered possible-guns and atnunition being
abundant, but experienced gunners scarce.
On the 2d inst. the Keel contingent of Horse, Foot,
-
and Artillery—up to to that moment believed by some
to be
loyal—marched into cantonment, to the great
alarm of the majority of the residente ; and then, to the
astonishment of ad, ono detachment was sent to relieve
the European guard over the gaol (in which 4000 despe-
rate criminals were imetisoned) ; and another to guard
Government-hou-e. It being known en the afternoon
°f the 41,i, that the expected enemy were close at hand,
the Contingent was marched out of the cantonments, in
order to take up an advanced position on the read, but
as might have been fere.ieen no sooner had tee Contin-
gent reached the destined halting gniund, and the oppor-
tunity offered,
than one and all bolted, and joined the
ranks of the rebels. Full particulars of the affair will be
foiled iu another co!unan.
The same afternoon, every lady and child in the can-
tonments and civil lines, wb had not previously done
80, removed to the Fort, and shortly atter daylight the
tbext morning probably no man was outside, excepting
bhe regular European troops and the firet division of

Early in the day the enemy, about 10,000 strong (say
7,000 infantry, 1,500 cavalry, and 8 guns), encamped
Rubin 300 yards of an open plain in the rear of the vil-
lage of Sussia, close to the f urth mile stone from Agra
on the road to Futt: hpore Seekree, and shortly after
mid-day our troops came in sight of that village, which
they el:preached in a leisurely manner, but unfortunately
instead of taking immediate possession and forcing the
enemy to fight on the plain, we commenced firiog from
a distance, and ultimately the enemy took possession
of it, anti being then ueder cover, inflicted heavy loss on
us, t,ll they were driven out.
We are promised a copy of tae official despatches
respectu,g the battle, but in the meantime we suomit
for tue hit rmation of the distant reader the subj eined
narrative, written by an eye-witness, of the operations
On the right flank of our force.
"The troops that went to meet the enemy on the sth
lust. marched out of the station about 11 aril., and pro-
ceeding a ong the road in the direction of the village of
Shailgunge, and which is about six miles from Agra,
entered the large sandy plain that lies to the right of
the road, where the line of battle was formed, and in
that order advanced slowly to meet the enemy, who
Were then distinctly visible, hovering in large bodies
immediately to the right of the village. The British line
consisted of a horse field battery on the extreme right
andleft, theinfantry being in the middle, and the mounted
Militia somewhat in the rear. When about 600 yards
from the village, the insurgents opened fire on our right
battery by a furious discharge of round shot, grape
and shells which, which was immediately responded to
with such excellent effect, that after two rounds from
each gun they were seen retreating in great numbers.
Loud cheering anil repeated cries of 'fellow them up,
follow theta up,' were heard from all parts of the right
battery, and there can be little doubt had a dash been
made, the enemy would have been driven from their po-
salmi into the open field with the loss of their guns,
and the action been brought to an end, with less sacris
4e of life than eventually was the case. Our guns,
however, limbered up and the line again advanced but
the enemy nosy stood to theirgubs, and, having gat their
tango, directed their fire wah atimirabie n, as the
uavoe amongst cur men and horees painftnly attested
Oct' attacks was evidently being confined to a series of
deliberate advances, for of such it consisted, until we
were within 200 yards of the village, which we then
"rna.enced to bomb ird, and, it i, to be feared, with
small loss on the other side. The rno-t unpracticed eye
"old see our shots were being throwo away on high
band walls, which siege guns alone could hay.- touched,
:whereas had our right battery euly moved fifty yarkiti
further to the right, every shot from it must have told
on the enemy's two batteries, weence was issuing so
destructive a fire upon tee The consequences of this
17ere just what might have been expected, the enemy
tecame emboldened, their cavalry in great numbers
aarrassed our right, and the infantry spreading them
eelves over the field in skirmishing order, gave us
peat annoyance with their rifle firing, whilst we
rc4l3 the want of cavalry • were powerless to repel
thto em- A. large number of their horse had the audacity
sweep round to our rear, and riding up the centre,
endeavoured to reach their main body, which many suc-
ceeded in doing ! It is true that our mounted Militia
the
through a hotly of those hanging to, the light of
'be line, when after five of them getting cut to piece.,
and others severely wounded, they made a precipitate
retreat into the battery, and from the direction they
tools; to reach it, intercepted a fire about bting opened
'rem a gun that had been got into pasitien for the pur-
pose, and which would have blown off the field every
trooper at whom it was pointed.
"The firing against the village continued for fully one
hour, during which time a shower ot musketry was being
poured on us from behind its walls and the tops of the
houses ; two companies of the European
Regiment then
entered in most gallant style, fercing their way through
and driving out the enemy to the opposite side, and this
they would have done in a much earlier stage of the
"ton hail they been permitted. The left battery bad
ceased firing before the Europeans emerged from the.
wills though that on the right c•intinued :,;t exehauiig
shot for shot with the enemy, and it was only very , hortiy
mbeefore it bad succeeded in silencing them, that the la-
fetiterdoCapt.. D'Oyley received his mortal wound. But
ends of ammunition remained in cur waggon when
that sad event occurred, nevertheless the wouneed man
Bat on a turnb6, and continued to give the word of coins
nland, until they were expended. Want of cavalry pre-
Vented our following up what we had gained, and nothing
/.en'''ined for us but to retrace cur steps to canton-
ment, and this we proceeded to do in the most orderly
manner possible. Itnuiediately the rebels perceived the
movement they advanced with their guns, and nearly
the
4 whole way into Agra, fired round shot en us, after a
taSh_,kn peculiarly humiliating to exacrisnce, whilst small
al:Ritee of their horse threatened us on either side with
tich activity as to prevent our getting a shot at them.
13,
411 " The whole force succeeded in reaching the Fort by
,ree after six p.m after being actively engaged for full
honrs out of, . the time it was absent. The official
estimate
killed aid wounded will best enable the reader to
the severity of the engagement.
There is no doubt that our men were fearfully out-
noihered ; but deepite that they wouid have remained
mastersp of the field, had it not been that both men and
1°1:08 hai fired off the whole of the small supply of am-
munition they had taken to the field. It is now sup-
-I:,seed that the enemy were in the same predicament, and
taerefore, had we not moved off, but had waited a short
14:le 1 ,nger, perhaps they might have gone first.
t„The Civil Lines Infantry Militia havieg met the tired I
00 corning in, were brined across the roal as rear-
6ard, a
Poiitien they maintained until the whole force
e4ebtd the Fort.
vvLle still two miles from the Fort, we bad the
t orti6cation of seeing the enemy's cavalry gallopping
B°,,We 'rds the defenceless stetiun, and bef,irs we entered,
tide
houses were already on fire. After sunset,
tide Paw from the bastions houses burning on every
e and again the next night—so that hardly
a .11°11'e has escaped deetructicn—and suet hou,es
bud their contents as were not consumed by fire, have
1453 completely gutted and destroyed by other means.
t„'Lt, if we are to leave the Fort toanorrow, there are
t.''; tour houses in the place with roofs romaining, under
isWZch we could obtain shelter —and as for household pro-
urt"Y and other things left outside, we suspect there is
pro-
no
a King', article in existence in serviceable order. The
very doors and wind- ws are removed, and every bit of
IV:not' torn out, so that nothing remains but the bare
'iek Walls, Things are strewed about the roads and
88,:re!te in every direction, and wherever you move you
broken chairs azid tables, carriages broken in bits,
ercckery, be, and in tact every kind of property wan-
iTetidlY destroyed. This has not been dune, we aro astis-
th by the enem hut by the budinashes of the c,ty and
prisoners whoy, were all liberated from the gaol.
tThe enemy disappeared the day utter the action, and
roceeded Blaurtpore, but nothing with certainty is
:own of their after movement:. It is rumoured that
poi C
expect a visit Irein the mutineers of the Gwa-
°,' seentingent, but it is doubted by many whether they
r, venture to come—however, it they do come, we are
al
give them a warm welcome.
prie fort is crowded, but not inconveeiently so, and
are in good health and spirits. We are welt provided
re with provisions and arnwurii.ion, and upon the while we
pretty comfortable, and have becouse reconciled to
the necessary imprisonment.
Oaly two or three Christians are known to nave been
massacred out-ide—narnely, Major J,cole, formerly in
Scindiah's service, and Ur. Hubbard, of the Agra Col-
lege ; but every other Caii,tiaii inhabitant is supposed
to be sate within the fort, r
is said to be exertitie hinaselrtZer .Auiraab,,,,ret'l
,4.h tagof G
~ and we
have no one else to fear.
Before concluding, it is right to mention that ouraet re-
tiringof from the field may be considered
an
necessary prudence, for had the enemy succeeded in
getting into our rear later in the day, they might have
cut us off from the Fort, and by overpowering the email
garrison, have murdered four or five thousand defence.
less men, women, and children.
The following is a correct abstract of the casualties
that occurred in the action on the sth. It will be ac-
knowledged that the fighting must have been severe,
seeing that a full quarter of the men eng iged were
placed hors do, combat.
The Artillery had two officers wounded (Captain
D'Oyley, since dead, and Lieut. Larnb)-3 moo ki led,
and 14 wounded, including 6 native the v rs.
The 31 European Reg,nneot had 29 men ltil'ed ; 3
officers (Major Thomas anti Lieuts. Pond and Fellowee),
and 64 men wounded, of whom 10 have slims died.
The Civil Line.: Infantry ISiii is bad five gentlemen
killed (Messrs. O'Connor, C. Hien, P. fern, J
Carl-
ton, R. Smith, and Jeurdari), one officer ( %later Pr as
t
Itergete), and eight gentlemen (Messrs. White, Ray,
Xtlacliburne, Brainley, C.S., Freeze, Outram, C.S., and
Oldfield, C.S.) wounded,
The Civil Lines Infantry Militia had one gentlemen
Dr•edes) killed ; and five gentlt men (:Nissen.
Bagley, itlahyo, Steadman, Hallygan, and Faville)
Wou, dee.
nThe entttached officers, &c , had 6 t, o4nded, viz.:—
eCuP,II ta;.r. W. Alexander, 10th Light Cavalry ; Lieuts.
e'°- n, Williams arid Bra:ulcy, Dr. Watson, and
Conductor Hunter.
The number killed, or since dead, is 46 —a:d the
otitnher wounded 92, making a total 111 killed and
Woundedl out of a total force of ;thew 600 wen engaced.
10 ;sots?? civil sere rots witi:in the Fort of Agra, July
tta', 18,,7: _llea J. R. C nvin, F. A. Rea le, 11. D.
iegtoa, 11. Uiiain, W. Fe Macey, R. B. M. rgtn,
\V, A tlitrgue, C. Reikes, E. M. Welly, \reran tare,
hit; To A. Cocks, C. B. Tine nni:l, NI. B. Tnore-
' J. Botlern, W. J. Breaniey, lloe. R. A. J.
11,:8lItg1, .P' xer. J. R. Best, A, leoule M, Philips,
s'idijeld J.
Jo . W. Power, A, 0, H, H. W.