The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-17 00:00:00

RECAPTURE OF CAWNPORE.

A let'er dated Cawnpore says,—
" The heading of this will show you that we were the
victors in yesterday's fight; the enemy numbered about
7.000, with about 1,000 cavalry. Their guns were three
24-pounderi, two 12-pounders, and two 9-pounders, be-
sides some horse artillery, which they took off, as we
Lad no cavalry to pursue them. We marched 12 miles
in the morning, and encamped 9 miles from Cawnpore.
At 2 p.m. the fighting part of the force again advanced,
leaving the baggage with a guard at the camp. We
heard that the enemy had thrown up au intrenchment
across the road, so, instead of advancing straight upon
their guns, we obliqued to the right, when about three•
quarters of a mile from them, for the purpose of taking
them in flank, a manoeuvre that saved us some hundreds
of lives. Soon after we left the road they found us out,
and did a good deal of execution with shot and shell be-
fore we returned their fire, as we had determined not to
commence till within 800 yards.. It was rather unplea
sant progressing slowly, as we did, through very heavy
marsh and ploughed land ; but when we got within
range, which we did in about a quarter of an hour, we
soon silenced their heavy guns, viz., the two 24-pounders
and two 12-pounders, which had worried us so much in
tl e intrenchment across the road, and the whole line
advancing, we soon drove every man away from them.
As we got into their battery they commenced firing on
us with two 9-pounders, concealed in a village in front,
and I took up my three guns to silence them with the
84th, while the other guns and regiments wheeled off t 3
the right, and peppered the retreating infantry. We
then all came back to the main road, as both men and
cattle were tired, having marched about 33 miles since
morning, and over some very bad ground. This ended
the first part of the business ; we had carried the ene-
my's position and taken six of their best guns, but they
still had one 24-pounder about 14 mile ❑earer to Cawne
pore, and the horse artillery. The 24-pounder was
taken by the 78th Highlande►s and 64th, our leading
guns advancing t 3 help them, and although the 64th
were a good deal cut up with the grape, as the rebels
fought to the last in this action, and their firing was
undoubtedly excellent (though it rarely is so), the
enemy were ultimately driven right away into Cawnpore
and through it, a few parting shots being administered
to the cavalry, who, during the whole time, had been
harassing us on our Andes and towards the rear, though
always repulsed. This was the battle of Cawupore. I
did not get touched, but the killed and wounded are
about 1 in 15 of our whole force.
___

" We had two fights on the 15r.b, one in the morning
and one in the evening, capturing three light guns in
the morning, and two i❑ the evening."
The following is an extract
_of a letter from
Ca,wnpore, dated July 19 :

"The accounts men give of the state of the canton-
ments are fearful. They have visited the house where
our women were murdered. That house and well are
described by men of not weak nerves as the most fearful,
sickening sight they ever saw. Four women aro saved,
Mrs. Greenway, wife of a merchant, and three half
castes."

The following is another extract of a letter, dated
July 17th :

" We marched on the 16th, and then learned that the
enemy had come out from Cawnpere to make their last
stand at tLe place where the grand trunk roal forks to
C twnpore and Delhi ; that they had there intrenched
theme 'lves in a v.ry strong position, with heavy guns in
front and flank', to sweep the road, and that all the
force, upwards of 4,000 men, had turntd out to make
their last stand. So it was determined to try and turn
their flank. Accordingly we struck off the road at an
angle, and then turned down towards them again. We
bivouacked under the trees, and started at 1.30 p.m.
The heat was fearful. Many men dropped from the
effects of the sun. At last the enemy caught sight, and
opened a very heavy and well-directed fire on us, which
we had to pass till we got to the turning-point. Then
we moved down in line upon them, and opened fire on
their guns, which were in a very strong position in a
village. We silenced two with our artillery, but
all we could do we couldn't get at the third
heavy gun, it was so well masked. The 78th
were ordered to charge and take the gun. I never saw
anything so fine. The men went on, with sloped arms,
Ike a wall ; till within a hundred yards not a shot was
fired. At the word • Charge,' they ,broke just like an
eager pack of hounds, and the village was taken in an
in. tant I was up almost as soon as they, and one man
told me, with a grin, he had just killed three men out
of one house. The enemy were now in retreat, fur we
had turned their position, but the fi,4ht was still hard,
IT their cavalry came round down upon our rear, and
the guns had to be halted and opened on them. After
that we got BO far forward towards Cawnpore that, with-
out knowing it, one of their heavy guns in position wat
passed, and they managed to slew it round and opan fire
on our rear. So we had to turn, and go back and take
it. This was done by the 64th. It fact it was, in point
of heavy fire and fatigue, a very hard fight, bat the end
was that we took eight guns in all and utterly routed the
enemy, who evacuated Cawnpore during the night and
blew up the arsenal and magazine. We bivouacked on
the field, with little bed and supper, and marched into
Cawnpore this morning, where we hold a position—the
barracks. All the force is knocked up, and must rest a
day. _ .

"Alas, alas ! all the women and children were mut,
dered by these devil{ yesterday, when they found the
day going against them.

DELHI.

The following letter r,:aelied us by the mail yes-
terday:—
"Camp near Delhi, July 26.
"We are still remaining in the position we took up on
the afternoon of the Bth of last month after fighting the
battle of Badlc-Serai ; it is a very strong one. We lie
about two miles from Delhi, separated by a long ridge of
bill, that rises in broken ground on the banks of the
Jumna to our left, and, smoothing down at its highest
point, extends to our extreme right, where our batteries
are placed. It is crossed towards the lift by the grand
truck road from the North-west, marked here and there
by the telsgraph posts, from which still bang broken
pieces of wire. A little further to the right, on the ridge
of the hill, stands the tower called the Flagstaff ;.and still
further along an old mosque, both occupied by pickets
of our men. To the extreme right is the bill on which
are placei our heavy batteries. Its top is crowned by a
bailding called Ilin 100 Rao's Iluuse, from an old Mah-
iatta chieftain who lived there. All these points are
connected by a road wbich runs al mg the summit of
the hill. It sides are covered by outcropping strata of
sandstone, which rise tier above tier. Part of the blope
towards our camp is occupied by the ruined buts of the
mutinous regiments and the ',owes of their unfortunate
officers.

" Behind the camp is a small river, which separa'es
us from the plain, commanded by three of our heavy
guns. It flews into the Jumna cn the north side of
Delhi, and is of great ad /outage to us, as its bank,,
which are faced with stone, are too tieep to allow the
enemy to bring their horse artill,ry over, to attack our
rear, as they did on the 19th of June. Profiting by the
severe lesson of that night we have blown up all the
bridges save the two in toe rear of our cam),-,. Our left
flank is covered by the Jumna, which is now much
swollen by the rains.

" To our right is a mound on which are p'aced three
heavy gurv, and about three-quarters of a mile beyond
this is the suburb called the Subzienundi, full of country
houses, enclosures, and gardens, in which a number of
de,perate fights have taken place between our men and
the enemy. We are encamped ea the ell parade ground
of the native regiments, and are perfectly safe from
everything but their shells, which fall into our camp al-
most every evening. without doing any great harm.
" We are lying on the defensive till we receive rein-
forcements, only firing from our batteries when the
enemy provoke us by opening theirs or coming out at
the gates. They are continually getting in reinforce-
ments. It is not known certainly whether the troops
from Neewuch hove yet reached Delhi. Our spies state
they are losing a good many by desertion. Their money
is failing, and it is generally believed their stock of per-
cus,iun caps is needy exhausted, and th, y cannot make
new ones. They Lave four separate commanders-in-
chief, and have shown in every attack a want of con-
centration, which has helped us much in driving them
back.

" We were not troubled aft.r the affair of the 6th till
the 15th. The day before they fired a salute of 21 guns
for the aack of Agra and the reverse we had experienced
there. They vowed to carry our batteries next day, and
came out in great force to storm the pickets under Flin-
doo Rao's house and in the Subzi-mundi. They brought
two guns to bear upon our right. Our men, under good
cover, kept them bacit for several hour, only losing 12
men, when Brigadier Charnbailgin, theadjatant-general,
ordered out our infantry and two troops of Horse Artil-
lery into the Sutz!•inundi. The infantry went in to clear-
he thickets and gardens in front of Hindoo Rao's hid
:and the Subzi-mundi. As they carve upon the enemy
they gave a tremendous cheer and dashed on. The Delhi-
wallahs turned their backs and ran in crowds to the
sates. The artillery galloped up and poured a shower
of grape into them. Our force was within 200 yards of
the walls. Such a shower of grape and musketry fell
upon us that we were compelled to fall bask. Chamber-
lain had his arm shattered below the shoulder. Our loss
was as heavy as 200 men killed and wounded, including
13 pffioers." We retired in good order. The enemy did
not follow us far. Our men are getting very discontehted
willo this kind of work. They are randy to carry any
position, however strong, the enemy must be driven
from. But to carry a strong position a dozen of time!,
only to see it abandoned and reoccupied r ext morning
is what no solliers will do without losing heart.
" &nue General Wilson has assumed command we
have I.i:claim-Al more strictly on the defenbive. We ans