The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-16 00:00:00

GENERAL OF THL► ARMY.

Sir,—l have the high satisfaction of reporting,
for the information of the Major-General command-
ing in the upper provinces, and through him of his
excellency the Commander-in-Chief and of Govern-
ment, that on the morning of the 14th instant the
force under my command successfully assaulted the
city of Delhi.

Under the present circumstances, Major-General
Gowan will, I trust, allow me to withhold for a
time a full and complete detail of the operations
from their commencement to their close, and to
limit myself to a summary of events.
After six days of open trenches, during which the
Artillery and Engineers, under their respective
commanding officers, Major Gaitskell and Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Baird Smith, vied with each other
in pressing forward the work, two excellent and
most practicable breaches were formed in the walls
of the place, one in the curtain to the right of the
Cashmere bastion, the other to the left of the Water
bastion, the defences of those bastions and th 6
parapets giving musketry cover to the enemy com.
mending the breaches having also been destroyed
by the artillery.
The assault was delivered on four points. The
first column,, under Brigadier J. Nicholson, con-
sisting of her Majesty's 75th Regiment (300 men),
the Ist European Bengal Fusiliers (200 men), and
the 2d Punjaub Infantry (450 men), assaulted the
main breach, their advance being admirably covered
by the Ist Batt. of her Majesty's 60th Rifles, under
Colonel J. Jones. The operation was crowned with
brilliant success, the enemy, after severe resistance
being driven from the Casumere bastion, the main
guard, and its vicinity, in complete rout.
The second column, under Brigadier Jones, of
her Majesty's 61st Regiment, consisting of her Ma-
jesty's Bth Regiment (250 men), the 2d European
Bengal Fusiliers (250 men), and the 4th Regiment
of Sikhs (350 men), similarly covered by the 60th
Rifles, advanced on the Water bastion, carried
the breach, and drove the enemy from his guns and
position, with a determination and spirit which
gave me the highest satisfaction.
The third column, under Col. Campbell, of her
Majesty's 52d Light Infantry, consisting of 200 of
his own regiment, the Kumaoa battalion (250
men), and the Ist Punjaub Infantry (500 men), was
directed against the Cashmere gateway. This column
was preceded by an explosion party, under Lieuts.
Home and Salkeld, of the Engineers, covered by
the 60th Rifles. The demolition of the gate having
been accomplished the column forced an entrance,
overcoming a strenuous opposition from the ene-
my's infantry and heavy artillery, which had been
brought to bear on the position. I cannot express
too warmly my admiration of the gallantry of all
concerned in this difficult operation.
The reserve, under Brigadier Longfield, her Ma-
jesty's Bth Regiment, composed of her Majesty's
61st Regiment (250 men), the 4th Regiment Rifles
(450 men), the .Belooch battalion (300 men), the
Jheend. Rajah's Auxiliaries (300 men), and 200 of
her Majesty's 60th Rifles, who joined after the as-
sault had been made, awaited the result of the at-
tack, and on the columns entering the place took
possession of the posts I had previously assigned to
it. This duty was ultimately performed to my en-
tire satisfaction.

The firm establishment of the reserve rendering
the assaulting column free to act in advance, Bri-
gadier-General Nicholson, supported by Brigadier
Jones, swept the ramparts of the place from the
Cashmere to the Cabul gates, occupying the bas-
tions and defences, capturing the guns, and driviLg
the enemy before him.
During the advance Brigadier-General Nicholson
was, to the grief of myself and the whole army,
dangerously wounded. The command consequently
devolved on Brigadier Jones, who, finding the
enemy in great force, occupying and pouring a
destructive fire from the roofs of strong and com-
manding houses in the city on all sides, the ram-
parts themselves being enfiled by guns, prudently
resolved on retaining possession of the Cabul gate,
which bis troops had so gallantly won, in which he
firmly established himself awaiting the result of the
operations of the other columns of occupation.
Colonel Campbell, with the column under Ms
command, advanced successfully from the Cash-
mere gate by one of the main streets beyond the
' " Chandee Chouk," the central and principal street
of the city towards the Jumma Musjid, with the
intention of occupying that important post. The
opposition, however, which he met from the great
concentration of the enemy at the Jumma Musjid
and the houses in the neighbourhood—no himself,
I regret to state, being wounded—satisfied him
that his most prudent course was not to maintain
so advanced a position with the compsratiTe!y
limited force at his disposal, and he accordingly
withdrew the head of his column and placed him-
self in communication with the reserve, a measure
which had my entire approval ; I having previously
determined that, in the event of serious opposition
being encountered in tha town itself, it would be
most, inexpedient to commit my small force to a
succession of street fights, in which their gallantry,
discipline, and organisation could avail them so
little.

My present position, therefore, is that which,
under such a contingency, I had resolved to occupy
and establish myself in firmly, as the base of my
systematic operations for the complete possession
of the city. This embraces the magazine on one
and the Cabul gate on the other, with the
Moree, Cashmere, and Water bastions, and strong
intermediate posts with secure communication along
the front and to the rear.

From this base I am now cautiously pressing the
enemy on all points, with a view to establishing
myself in a second advanced position, and I trust
before many days to have it in my power to an-
nounce to the supreme government, that the enemy
have been driven from their last stronghold in the
palace, fert, and streets of the city of Delhi.
Simultaneously with tkt operations above de-
tailed, an attack was made on the enemy's strong
position outside the city, in the suburbs of Kissen-
gunge and Pahareepore, with a view of driving in
the rebels, and supporting the main attack by
effecting an entrance at the Cabal gate after it
should be taken.

The force employed on this difficult duty I en-
trusted to that admirable officer, Major C. Reid,
commanding the Sirinoor battalion, whose distin-
guished conduct I have already had occasion to
bring prominently to the notice of supericv autho-
rity, and who was, I much regret, severe y
wounded on this occasion, His column consi,te.l
of his own battalion, the Guides, and the men on
duty at Hindoo Itao'a (the main picket), numbering
in all about 1,000, supported by the auiliary troops
of his Highness the Maharajah Rumbeir Singh,
under Captain R. Lawrence.
The strength of the positions, however, and the
desperate resistance offered by the enemy, with-
stood for a time the efforts of our troops, gallant
though they were, and the combination was unab'e
to be effected. The delay, lam happy to say, has
been only temporary, for the enemy have subse-
qu,ntly abandoned their positions, leaving their
guns in our hands.

In this attack I found it necessary to support
Major Reid with Cavalry and Horse Attilery, bot h
of which arms were admirably handled respectively
by Brigadier Hope Grant, of H.M. 9th Lancers,
commanding the cavalry brigade, and Major H.
Tombs, of the Horse Artillery, who inflicted severe
punishment on the enemy, though I regret their
own loss was ♦ery heavy.

The resistance of the'rebels up to this time has
been that of desperate men, and to this must be
attributed the severe loss we have sustained,
amounting proximately, so far as I am able to
judge, in the absence of casualty returns, to 46 offi-
cers killed and wounded, and about 800 men.
Amongst those of whose services the state has been
deprived are many officers of distinction and merit,
holding superior commasds, whose places cannot be
supplied ; and I have specially to lament the loss
which has been sustained by that splendid corps, the
Engineers, nine officers of that arm having fallen
in the gallant performance of their duty.
Until 1 am in possession of reports from brigadiers
and other commanding officers I shall be unable to
enter more fully into the details of these operations,
and I trust the circumstances under which I write
will excuse any slight inaccuracies or imperfections
which my despatch may exhibit.
The absence of such reports also prevents my
bringing to notice the names of those officers and
men who have specially distinguished themselves.
This will be my grateful duty hereafter. But I can-
not defer the expression of my admiration for the
intrepidity, coolness, and determination of all en-
gaged, Europeans and natives, of all arms of the
service.—l have, &c.,
A. WILSON, Major-General,
Commanding Field Force.

GENERAL CHAMBERLAIN'S
REPORT.
—______
City of Delhi, Sept. 18, 1857.
i FROM THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL OF THE ARMY TO
THE OFFICER COMMANDING AT CAWNPORE.
Sir, —On the afternoon of the 14th I d.espatched a
messenger to you, intimating the sxceess of the
am:Atilt in Delhi, which took place that morningot-
and that we held from the Cabul Gate to the C
lege. Since then we have pushed on, and now occupy
from the Cabul gate along the line of the canal, with
our left holding the bank which opens on the Chand

nee Chouk. The Magazine was breached during the
15th, and taken by assault at day-break on the 16th.
You will understand from this that the mutineers
occupy the Burn Bastion, and all that portion of
the city to its south, excepting the bank ; they also
still occupy the palace and Selimgurh, and have a
camp pitched outside, near the Ajmere gate. The
palace will be well breached as soon as we attain a
suitable site for our battery, which we have not yet
acquired. Our mortars have been brought into the
town, and are shelling the palace. The guns taken
on the works have also been turned upon the por-
tions of the town which are in possession of the mu--
tineers, which we are gradually pressing forwards.
The usual license which invariably accompanies an
assault of a large city has somewhat retarded our
advance, but order is fast being restored. At first
the mutineers offered obstinate resistance, but they
have become less active. The townspeople are flying
the city in crowds, and the mutineers themselves
are deserting in large bodies, their cavalry, it is re-
ported, having almost entirely disappeared. We can
get no good information as to the mutineers' line
of retreat, but some say Gwalior. Few pass over
the bridge. Their positions at Kissengunge were
abandoned the day after the assault, seven guns
beizig left behind in position. Our casualties on the
day of assault were :

Europeans, killed, 8 officers, 162 rank and file ;
wounded, 52 officers, 510 rank and file. Natives,
killed, 103 ; wounded, 310. Missing, 10 Europeans.
Total, Europeans and natives, killed and wounded
1,145. The following officers killed :—Engineer,
Lieut. Tandy, H.M. 75th ; Lieut. Fitzgerald,
H.M. 52d. ; Lieut. Bradshaw, H.M. Bth ; Lieut.
Webb, Ist Fusiliers ; Major Jacob. Capt. M'Bar-
net, 55th N. 1., doing duty ; Lieut, Davidson, 26th
N. 1., doing duty with the 2d Punjaub Infantry ;
Lieut. Murray, 42d N. 1., doing duty with Guides.
Wounded—Artillery, Major Tombs, Lt. Lindsay ;
Engineers, Lieuts. Greathead, Maunsell, Medley,
Salkeld (dangerously), Chesney, Brownlow (danger-
ously), Ilovenden, Pemberton ; Local Ensign Gus-
tavinske, 6th Dragoons ; Capt. Rosser (mortally)
84th (doing duty with9th Lancers) ; Capt. Hon. A.
Anson; Lieut. B. Cuppage, 6th Light Cavalry (doing
duty with 9th Lancers)l; her Majesty's 75th Foot.
Col. Herbert ; Lieuts. Armstrong, Watson, Day-
roll, 58th Native Infantry (doing duty with the 2d
Fusiliers) ; Captain Hay, 60th Native Infantry
(doing duty), dangerously ; Lieutenant Eldecton,
Lieutenant Gambier, 38th Native Infantry (doing
ditty), dangerously; Lieut. Walker, 60th Native
Infantry (doing duty), her Majesty's Wild, Col.
Campbell, Captain Bayley, Lieut. Atkinson, her
Majesty's 60th Rifles ; Captain Waters, Lieutenant
Curtis, Sirmoor Battalion ; Major C. Reid, her
Majesty's Bth ; Lieut.-Col. Brooke, Major Bayne
(dangerously) ; Captain Beere, Captain Sandilands,
Lieut. Pogson (since dead) ; Lieut. Walker, Lieut.
Mstge, her Majesty's 61st ; Captain Deacon, Lieut.
Moore, Lieut. A. P.L. Young, Lieut. Jenkins, 57th
Native Infantry, attaching to 4th Sikhs ; Brigadier-
General Nicholson, dangerously, Ist Fusiliers;
Capt. Greville, Capt. Caulfield, 3d Native Infantry
(doing duty) ; Capt.Graydon, 16th Native Infantry
(doing duty); Lieutenants Wemyss Owen, Lam-
bert, Woodcock, 55th Native Infantry (doing duty);
Lieut. Speke, 65th Native Infantry (doing duty),
Ist Punjaub Infantry; Lieut. Nicholson. 2d Pun-
jaub Cavalry (doing duty) ; Lieut. Shelley, 111 h
Native Infantry (doing duty) ; Ensign Prior, local
officer (doing duty), 2d Pimjaub Infantry ; Capt.
Green, Lieut. Frankland, Madras Infantry ; 4th
Punjaub Infantry, Lieut. Remfray (since dead),
Guide Infantry, Lieut. Bond, 57th Native Infantry
(doing duty).
The following ordnance has been captured :—ln
position and in the streets, 35 pieces of sorts ; in the
inaga,zin.e, 171; total, 206. The amount of shot
and shell is unlimited. I have communicated the
contents of this to Government.—l am, &c.,
N. CHAMBERLAIN, Adjt.-Gen. of the Army.
P. S.-19th. During the night we advanced our
left to Abbott's house, and also Khan Mahomed's
house. This gives us a strong position up to within
150 yards:of the palace walls. All our mortarsiare
bearing upon the Jumma Musjid and the southern
part of the town, which is being fast evacuated, the
resistance becoming much less on our right ; weare
also progressing by working through the houses.
The King and royal family are said to have evacu-
ated the place and gone to the old fort outside the
city to the south. Oar very small number makes it
necessary to be cautious in taking possession of so
large a city, for the great number we have of sick
andwounded, and our loss on the day of the assault,
have reduced us very much. This was too late to
be sent yesterday. N. CHAMBELAIN.

WRECK OF THE DUNBAR.