The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-14 00:00:00

LO ND:O

1 S 5 7.

DElhi :—Captain Hodson has just returned from
Hoomayon's Tombs, and reports having killed the
King's two sons, Mirza Mogul and Mirza Kiza
Sultan, and his grandson Mirza Aboobukur. A
quantity of the arms of the King's late attendants,
the King's personal elephants, carriages, and horses
have b en taken.

SEPT. 24.
It is the painful duty of the Chief Commiss;oner
to announce the death of Brigadier-General John
Nicholson, on the morning of the 23d inst. This
officer, it is well known, led the attack on the me-
morable morning of the 14th instant, when the
city of Delhi was assaulted and captured. On this
occasion General Nicholson was mortally wounded.
General Nicholson's loss is greatly to be de-
plored. He was an officer of great promise. He
possessed some of the highest qualities of a solder,
brave, sagacious, and devoted to his profession.
The Bengal Army contains no more able or more
noble soldier.
A strong column has moved from Delhi down
the Doab, in pursuit of the fugitive mutineers, and
to clear and settle the country.
Lieut.-Colonel H. P. Burn has been appointed
Milit try Governor of the city of Delhi.
The following extracts from Delhi letters will be
found interesting. They date from the 14th to the
21st of September :
The city was etormed, and that portion of it from
the river side up to the Cabul-gate taken on the
morning of the 14th. The troops were under arms
om 3 a.m , and as soon as day broke the work
commenced. By 10 a.m. the staff wera in the city,
and, although the columns were progressing slowly,
all was going on successfully. The people of the
city camp into camp, and sought protection from
the army, craving pardon, and disavowing all par-
ticipation in the rebellion, saying that they were
compelled to remain prisoners in the city, and de-
nying having taken any active part in the insur-
rection. They were told to prove their loyalty
by removing the bodies of the dead Sepoys, which
work they at once commenced upon, and were
clearing the city of them apparently with right good
will. Although every step of ground, compara-
tively speaking, is obstinately disputed, and the
guns of Selimghur Fort were tiring unceasingly, all
was going on efavourably—the mutineers taking
every opportunity of deserting in large numbers.
As we have a battery, it is to be hoped that
many large parties of them will be cut up
The church of Se James's, built by the late Col.
Skinner, C.D., was occupied on entering by the
General commanding and staff. H.M.'s 60th Rifles
occupy the Colonel's family house near the church ;
H.M.'s 61st the Magazine ; 4th Sikh Infantry the
College and Ahmed Ali Khan's house ; and the
Beelooch Battalion and Jheeud Rajah's force, the
Main Guard.
On the morning of the 16th the Magazine was
assaulted and taken possession of by our troops with
very small loss on our side. The enemy did not
stand, but about 40 were killed as they were de-
camping. We took 125 guns, besides mortars, and
contents of the Magazine. The palace is now sur-
rounded by our troops, and cannot hold out much
longer, as our siege guns and heavy mortars are
playing incessantly on the walls, which must soon
give way, when great will be the fall thereon. At
Selimghur the final stand will be made, and then I
fear our loss, already heavy, will be considerably
augmented, unless the rabble collected there take
warning and seek safety in flight.
Our loss is reported 500 of all ranks killed and
wounded, but we have been great sufferers in our
officers, Brigadier Nicholson, dangerously wounded,
heading the list, which contains the names of be-
tween 30 and 40 officers placed hors de combat.
There was something like a panic at the Lahore
Gate during the assault, which was made by the
Doge s, a Go( fs'h regiment and a few Europeans,
and I fancy we felt the effects of it in the slow pro-
gress of our columns. It was merely temporary,
however, and will not interfere materially with the
complete capture of the city, which cauuot now be
long delayed.
There were three assaulting columns, two of
1,000 men each, and one of 900. Assault was
made on three different points of the Cashmere
bastion, one immediately in front, and two from the
Custom-house, better known as Smith's garden.
These were most successful, and by 10 o'clock a in.
the General and staff were in the city : a nice
change to camp life at this season of the year. Tke
buildings in the neighbourhood of the Cashmeregate
afford comfortable quarters for our brave troops,
as well as capital cover, from which to continue the
work already so well begun.
Our mortars, which continued to fire to the
southward of the palace in the direction of Detio-
gunge, are now turned in the direction of theJumna
Musjid and neighbouring Mohullas. Advanced
pickets at Khau Bahadoor Khau's house. We are
securing ourselves without opposition, preparatory
.to going at the palace.
Our uppers have worked upwards of 300 yards
throughhouses and other fatilclings towards the Burn
Bastion, situate between the Cabullee and Lahore
gates of the city. We have, furthermore, taken
possession of the Begum Somroo's house, near the
canal, formerly occupied by Major Abbott, late
Executive officer of Delhi, and more recently by the
missionaries. In another direction our troops have
progressed a considerable distance up astreet leading
into the centre of the Chaudney Chouk, and it is
hoped that a house within a few yards of tie street
will be occupied by us in the course of a day or two.
I am sorry to say there has been another repulse
at the Lahore Gate ; Capt. Briscoe, of H.M. 75th
Regt., killed. There assaults-, wh n unsuccessful, do
us harm and I hope they will not be persisted in.
Time will do much foe us, and without reinforce-
ments we must fight our was slowly and surely. We
can now afford to wait, as King and Royal
Family are reported to have left a?elhi Palace and
gone to the Old Fort, a building aboUt five miles
along the Muttra-road, where, I suppose, another
gathering and stand will be made. A large pai:tY of
Cavalry, European and Native, have gone out 1,..1
tho southern side of the city to make adernonstra-
tratiun, which it is hoped will hasten events.
Armed parties of the enemy are constantly leaving,
and I trust soon to be able to tell you that some
have been intercepted.
On the 17th the Junama Musjid was stormed and
carried without much difficulty, the Lahore gate
will, it is expected, speedily follow, and our fooling
in the city be thou secure. Had it not been for the
utter cowardice of the Dogras (Juisamoo troops) we
should be now holding all the gates. These troops
were to have driven the enemy out of Kishengunge,
entered at the Lahore gate, occupying the Sahiba-
bad garden ; but they left their guns, and ran like
so many hares, leav;ng the other columns to do the
work, notwithstanding that there was a strong party
of Europeans with them. It is plain that such sol-
diers are only fit for chasing runaways ; they can-
not stand anything like opposition.
We hive established a funk at Kishengunge, the
west suburb of Delhi. The Pandies have evacu-
ated it, and left all their guns, which we are now
bringing it. We have recovered about 200 guns
since entering tho city, and there are more yet to
come, and skirmishing, not to say hard fighting, is
going on all in advance of us. We have made good
our position as far as we have gone, and it will
trouble Pandy to turn us out.
The magazine was taken on the 16th. A breach
was made in the wall on the College side, and with
a rush and a cheer it was in our possession. The
enemy had six heavy guns, loaded with grape to
the muzzle, f icing the breach ; but the *hole thing
was so suddenly carried out that they had not time
to fire them. In this affair we had very few
casual ties.
You may fancy the style of fighting we have had
when I tell you that in the reserve column alone
sthe number of killed is 81, wounded 293, and 15
missing—in all 389. Every column had an equal
share of fightin[z.
This style of fighting from house, to house is very
harassing for our troops, and our loss must bo heavy
so long as it lasts. But it is hoped that before long
the palace will be stormed and taken, after which
all will I e easy enough.
I siren glad to say that there is every hope enter-
tained of Captain Salk eld's leg being saved ; he is
doing well considering the severe character of his
wounds.
The ruin and desolation apparent all over the
city are indescribable. Valuable property of all
kinds is lying about broken,and uneared fur. Our
brave troops will not want for prize-money, even if
they should net get a heap of it in the palace. The
enemy's killed he about iu all diree'ions, and those
who oppose us are losing what little organisation
and discipline they had left. Still their obstinate
defence is wonderful, and can only be attributed to
Wien. A couple or even one fresh European regi-
ment at Delhi would act like magic, but I fear there
is no chalice of g-tting it. We are in for it, and
must work away with the materials we have, worn
though they be.
Pandy is beginning to find out his mistake. Day
by day, and hour by hour, are we improving our
position, while that of the enemy is becoming hope-
less. An attempt was made on the 16th to retake
the magazins, but the enemy was repulsed with
heavy loss. The sepoys are lying in heaps all over
the roads ; and the destruction of almost every
house in the immediate vicinity of the gates and
bastions, against which we have been directing our
mortar guns, proves that our shelling did more
mischief than we at first thought.
The Cashmere-gate of the city was blown open
by an Engincer otticer, Captain Salkeld. This was
effectually done, but the gates falling outwards
across the entrance the process of getting in was
slow. Captain Salkeld lost both an arm and a leg
in the explosion at the gate, and only one men out
of five who assif3ted Luu in his duty escaped.