The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-30 00:00:00

THE OVERLAND MAIL•

THE INDIAN MUTINIES.

By the arrival of the Overland Mail we have
__ re-
ceived our private correspondence and files of
papers, from Calcutta to the 22d of Oct., and from
Bombay to the 3d of Nov. Our letters are as
follows :
" CALCUTTA, OCT. 22.
" With this snail you will probably receive Gen.
Wilson's account of the capture of the Palace and
the King of Delhi. It has been suppressed in this
country, and will not be published till after the
departure of the mail. The object of this proceed-
ing is, doubtless, to secure to the Cabinet the ear-
liest information. ne practice, however, is in-
jurious, and should be slopped by the President of
the Board. It creates a leeeling of uneasiness, as no
merchant is able to calculate the probable effect of
despatches he has not seen.- Trade is sufficiently
embarrassed already without the addition of arti-
ficial uncertainties. For the rest, the information
before the public is decidedly,' satisfactory. The
Golden Fleece, the Thebes, and the Columbia have
arrived, and the remainder are ey:pected daily. A
great depot of Europeans is to be formed at Bar-
rackpore. Five thousand men will be encamped
on the Calcutta maidan (plain), and about that
number at Raneegunge. As soon as these arrange-
ments are completed security will be re-estab-
lished in the metropolitan counties, Travelling
up the Grand Trunk Road, we find that order has
been re-established at Hazareebagh and through-
out the greater portion of Chota Nagpore. Bands,
rather of Dacoits than rebels, however, still harass
the valley of the Soane, and, strange to say, a por-
tion of another regiment, after all hope of success
had disappeared, mutinied and murdered its officers.
Two companies of the 32d were stationed at Doog-
har, in the Santhal district. They were believed to
be faithful, and retained their arms. On the 9th
of September, however, Lieutenant Cooper, then in
command, was shot at on parade. Lieutenant
Cooper, Mr. Ronald (the Deputy Commissioner),
Lieut. Rennie, and perhaps one Sepoy fled into a
house. The house was immediately set on fire, its
inmates driven out and murdered, under a shower
of balls. Lieut. Rennie, however, was asved by a
havildar, who was wounded in his defence, and is
now safe at Bhaugulpore. The body of Lieut.
Cooper was then chopped up, the treasury plun-
dered, and the mutineers set off for the Grand
Trunk Rcad. It is believed they will be met by
her Majesty's 13th, just sent up by railway. Lieut.
Cooper was remarkable for his attachment to his
men, in whose sports he often shared, offering
prizes to the successful. The fact increases the
horror of the event, but in truth the power of feel-
ing horror has died out of us. After hearing of an
English girl found hanging by the hair in Nana
Sahib's palace, with her flesh sliced from her bones
by swords, the murder of an officer seems almost
nothing. In truth, it excites no feeling whatever,
all sympathies being swallowed up in a craving,
burning thirst for vengeance. In Behar the position
of affairs remains as before, the scattered parties of
mutineers pressing slowly northward, evidently to
reach districts where the population are more sym-
pathetic. Ameer Ali, the Mussulman appointed by

Mr. Halliday, with the sanction of the Governmew

of India, to put down the Mussulman movement in
Patna, has, it is said, resigned. Another Mussul-
man will probably be appointed as a " measure of
conciliation." It is impossible to describe to you the
feelings with which these appointments are received
by Europeans, official and non-official. Still pro-
ceeding northward, we find Benares still safe under
the protection of some Europeans and a Madras re-
giment. Her Majesty's 53d, or rather a wing of
that corps, is clearing the road thence to Allahabad.
A more important movement is, however, in pro-
gress, to describe which I must carry you further
northward.

" After the fall of Delhi Gen. Wilson despatched
a column under Col. Greathe I in pursuit of the
fugitives. Marching rapidly southward, on Oct.
sth he came across the Gwalior mutineers, then me-
_ nacing Agra. He cut them up, inflicting a loss of
500 men and 11 guns. On the 10th he reach ed
and was attacked again by the mutineers, reinforced
by the Delhi fugitives, but the enemy were repul-
sed with immense slaughter, and driven headlong
as far as the Kharee. Few particulars have reached
us, but it is presumed that this victory has finally
relieved Agra. A second body of fugitives made for
Oude, as I reported last mail, but their arrival at
Bithoor was notified to the British at Cawnpore.
The officer in command, Col. Wilson, sallied out
with a very small force, attacked and routed the
enemy, but was unable to attempt a pursuit. In
all thew engagements the want of European cavalry
is bitterly felt. The mutineers display the pol-
troonery which might be expected from their cruel-
ties, but they march fast, and in this war slaughter,
not mere dispersion, is our main object. They are
as dangerous in small parties as in great bodies,
and in this country no man forgets that the scoun-
drels are murderers running from the gallows.
Cawnpore itself is believed to be safe, and, strange
to say, the road between that place and Lucknow
seems to be open. At all events, a great convoy
of provisions, guarded by only 250 men, reached
the Alumbagh in safety. Gen. Havelock, with about
1,000 men, and all the women and children, is be-
lieved to be with or near (for accounts differ)
General Outram, who, with 1,500 men, is in
Lucknow itself. Sinister rumours of all kinds
are floating about, but I believe they are wholly
without foundation. Gen. Outram can hold Luck-
now, though he is fearfully outmatched, and he
has received provisions and ammunition. I ques-
tion if there is a force in Oude which will attack
this party while Gen. Havelock is alive, but an
accident to him might alter the position of affairs.
The Sepoys, like all other Asiatics, hold the death
of a leader a signal for victory, and invent all kinds
of rumours to that effect. You will very likely hear
many such, but they were np to the latest accounts
mere falsehoods. Even the story of General Have-
lock's sickness rests apparen•ly on native talk.
There is a statement circulated that General Have-
lock is cut off from communication with General
Outram, but this appears improbable. All that is
certain is, that Outram waits eagerly the advance
of Colonel Greathed's column. General Wilson
remains still in Delhi, but he has appointed Colonel
Burn Military Governor, and another officer Go-
vernor of the Palace. I can give you no news from
the Punjab, as my intelligence comes via B.mbay,
and your Bombay correspondent will anticipate
me. Indeed, he ought to have the latest from the
North-West, as the roads to Western India at e open
and the post still travels ; our post does not, ex-
cept on Governmet,t account, and Government will
give no detailed information to any one.

"The moral effect of the fall of Delhi has been
great, but we are kid too few to strike great blows.
No great body of troops can be available for another
month, and even then there will be great difficulty
in finding carriage. The Government is adopting
every expedient in its power to collect means of
transport. The zemiudars have been reque-ted to
furnish elephants,and bullock carriages are building
Calcutta. This will, however, be the great el:ffi-
c.illty,azul it ought to be suppled from England. It
is not too late even now. We want a dozen little
steamers,regular Tharnesferry-boats, and s,ooolight
vans, with coverts, and wheels of iron without tires.
It is difficult in places to mend tired wheels. A
few thousand tents, too, would he very much in
place, if sent in swift steamers. It has been sui,-
gestetl that Government might seize all private car:
rive?, and compel every zemindar to give up his
v!ephants ; but all revolutionary energy is wanting.
The Press Law is still in active operation,. The
Calcutta papers have been warned for republishing
articles from the Press, and the Friend of India
'was compelled to expurgate Vie Tones of the 31,t
August. It contained a supposition that religion
might be at the bottom of the Sepoy cruelties, which
is strictly the truth, but is calculated to interfere
With religious prejudices. The Government is on
this point strangely sensitive. You are aware that
by law the publication of a Bible is now a penal
offence, punishable by seizure of the presses. Of
course the law not enforced in such cafes, but it
exists, to the contempt of the natives, No native