The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-02 00:00:00

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.

LONDON AND SOUTH -EASTER?' RAlLWAY.—Traffic re.
turn for the week ending Nov. 28, 1857... —211,679 16 5
Corresponding week last year

Decrease in 1857
LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAY.—
Traffic return for the week ending Nov. 28,
0857 £11,819 2 5
Corresponding week last year 11,683 19 3
Total of the half-year to this date, 1857 376,019 13 10
Total of the half-year to this date, 1856 381,231 5 9
GREAT LUXEMBOURG RAlLWAY,—Traffic return for the
week ending Nov. 29, 1857 £1,047 13 3
Corresponding wok lad year
Wm, 70 18 9

CAPTURE OF AGRA.

CAMP OF THE MOVEABLE COLUMN
SOUTH-EAST OF AGRA, OCT. 16

I don't think I have ever mentioned a notable
and somewhat absurd feature of the rebellion—tire
electric guns ; but they are so continually before me
that I must disburden my mind of their. To pre-
serve the electric telegraph posts they were inserted
in enormous iron screws, into the hollow of which
the poles were inserted. It struck some ingenious
native to make these into cannon. A hole was
drilled near the apex, sometimes some iron bands
were put round to increase the strength, the piece
was then mounted on a small gun carriage made for
the purpose, and the result was a " lope"—that
great instrument of terror to the minds of the na-
tives. The plan has met with vast favour, and these
guns swarm all over the country. There is no end
to the number of cannon now said to be in every
one's hands. They are loaded with a rough grape,
and are certainly fired. Whether they ever do any
execution I cannot say ; they sometimes burst, but
also they are certainly sometimes fired without
bursting. I believe the effect is principally moral,
but it is a very ridiculous perversion of our most
recent progress.
To return to our history. On the sth we occupied
another district station, Allyghur, where a party of
fanatic Mahomedans had the temerity to make a
stand with two real guns of native manufacture,
and a park of electric guns. They were dispersed
in afe Tif minutes, when the Horse Artillery galloped
up, and very many fugitives were cut up by the
Cavalry. Next morning the Irregular Cavalry made
a raid on the head-quarters of two rebel Thakoors,
caught them in the act of decamping, and cut them
up with their followers ; after which their town was
given up to fire and plunder. So the district of
Allyghur was pretty nearly recovered.
Meanwhile the main bodyof the beaten mutinous
army from Delhi, which had made some stay at
Muttra and set up a bridge of boats there, had
crossed into the Doab, and, consequent on the
delay in our progress, we found. that they were here
two long marches- ahead of us. They had 22 guns,
but (as we are told) very little ammunition and a
vast quantity of plunder. They were in a very con-
fused and undisciplined state, though their numbers
were undoubtedly very large. They were under-
stood to be going, part of them to Bareilly and part
into Oude—to Lucknow and Cawnpore, they said.
They showed no disposition whatever to fight us ;
on the contrary, the direct road to 13areilly was
given up, and they hurried down the Grand Trunk
Road in a body. There remained of the regi-
ments which retreated from Delhi only the
Neernuch Brigade (Which had formerly attacked
Agra). These, under one Beera Singh, de-
clined to join the others, and they marched
to meet the Mhow Brigade, which had never been
at Delhi, but, after some stay at Gwalior, had
separated from the Gwalior Contingent and crossed
the Chumbul to Dholpore, where they Lad obtained
or taken from the Rajah three large brass guns to
add to their own field-pieces. The two brigades
uniting formed a considerable force, with much
cavalry and 13 guns, and they threatened Agra
with a second attack. The moveable column was
'therefore urgently called for, and, making a very
long forced march, it wound under the fort, a gal-
lant spectacle, gladdening the eyes of the long
isolated garrison, amid their hearty plaudits. The
troops bivouacked on the cantonment parade-
ground, awaiting the gradual arrival of their tents
and baggage, on that morning of the 10th of Octo-
ber, and the greater portion of the officers dis-
persed to see and breakfast with their friends in the
fort. Now Agra, the bead-quarters of the Civil
Government and of a crowd of refugees, was full of
purveyors of intelligence, official and non-official.
There was nothing that happened for a long way
round of which 50 safe people had not their own
particular and circumstantial intelligence. - The
military arrangements for guarding against sur-
prises, stratagems, and treacherous enemies were
also the most perfect ever known. The authorities
managed to make the lives of their friends tho-
roughly miserable by the excess of their precau-
tions. It was impossible to go anywhere or do
anything without being harassed out of one's pa-
tience.

Well, on this morning of the 10th f.:r the first
time in the history of beleaguered Agra, all the
newsmongers were offone4i.ccord,,thAtia:d all cer-_
tain intelligetee that thenititineerA; after threat-.
ening to cross the small Kharee river, 10 miles dis-
tant, had failed to do so, and retreated, and were
then six miles on the other side. It was also found
that they were unable to get the big guns over the
river. They were clearly making off ou hearing of
the approach of the column. So, friends arrived,
enemies flying, an impassable stream between, and
military precautions unrivalled, it well might be
that all Agra breakfasted that morning in peace
and security, with relieved minds and grateful
hearts. But suddenly, while breakfast was in every
man's mouth, a big gun was heard, and another,
and -another, and many more ; people started—
" Oh, no ; it must be a salute, though rather irre-
gular." Still more guns ; then people were seen
hurrying from cantonment—the camp was attacked.
Ye+, sa it was. Among their many ingenious pre-
cautions the Agra authorities had neglected one
very simple one—viz., to send some one with his
eyes open to look down the road, and the enemy
had quietly marched in big guns and all, and there
was not one signal of alarm till they actually opened
fire on our disordered camp and knocked down
several men and horses. Then there was of course
a scene of wild confusion. There was no command
and no anything, and camp followers and horses
fled in all directions. If the enemy's cavalry and
infantry had been pushed in the result might have
been most disaitrous, but, native like, they first
waited to see the effect of their big guns. That
delay was fatal to them. Our guns got into
action, our cavalry mounted, and when I galloped
up to the ground we were returning their fire.
Then their cavalry did charge right into the parade
in a great " gol." But they were too late. They
took a detached and disabled gun for a moment,
and they were so completely among us that the
artillery could not fire on them. But the tired
Sikhs sitting on the ground formed square with the
utmost coolness, and fired well into them. The
Lancers were ready, and charged them as the
Lancers can charge. They were broken and de-
feated ; yet some of them did actually sweep right
round the camp and cantonments, and created such
a panic among the general population as scarce was
seen—every one riding over every one else in the
mist indiscriminate manner ; in fact, there never
was and never will be so complete a surprise. But by
this time commanding-officers had come on the field,
and every arm was in action. Our artillery fought
nobly—in fact all did ; and though it was some time
before we could find exactly where we were and where
the enemy was, and they attacked on three sides at
once, eventually they were repulsed and began to
retreat. In fact, I think it must be that in sur-
prising us they surprised themselves. They could
hardly have known what they were attacking, or
surely they would have made a better stand. Once
they were repulsed it was all over with them.
Atter the charge their cavalry never showed but in
the distance. As soon as they were clearly in retreat
we followed, and before we had gone•very far they
had abandoned their three big guns,,and their re
treat approached to a flight. Here was enough for
a moderate man. Our troops, it might be fairly
said, had had enough of it ; a halt was ordered.
But another sort of men came into play in the right
place. At Agra, the command was taken by Briga-
dier Cotton, called " Gun Cotton." He would not
halt, and pushed on with fortunate dash. Speedily
the enemy were completely dispersed and routed,
and they hardly returned our fire. Their infantry
merely showed at the edges of the fields and then
fled through them. Soon we found and took their
camp, then we came on their baggage, which they
gradually abandoned. Our Horse Artillery from
time to time galloped up and opened fire ; then
that became unnecessary, and small bodies of
cavalry continued the chase. Eventually 10 or 12
well-mounted officers made everything fly from the
road, while the cavalry hunted up the fugitives on
either side. Never was dispersion more complete.
All the guns (13) and the baggage were taken, and
no six of the infantry went away together. Those
who saved themselves did so by hiding in the high
fields, and they were no doubt numerous. There
was, in fact, an end of the Mhow and Neemuch
brigades, excepting the fugitive cavalry, and, after
a ten-mile chase, the troops returned to relieve
Agra. The Sikh cavalry behaved admirably.
The state of things is now this : there is no open
armed opposition of any considerable forces north
of the Chambal. In Gwalior, the Maharajah still
keeps aloof from the mutineers with his own troops
and some of the Contingent whom he has gained
over, including, I believe, most of the cavalry.
Of infantry, the mutinous Contingent have now
but four regiments, but they have a very large
artillery—about 30 field-pieces and a magazine and
third-class siege train. Though they have often
threatened to atlack Agra, they have not done so,
k and have throughout followed a separate policy of
their own, They are now paid to_be about to march