The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-30 00:00:00

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

THE MUTINIES IN INDIA.

We have received, by Extraordivary Express, in
advance of the alcove mail, our file of papers from
Bombay of the 31st of August, from which we
make the following important extracts :

(From the Bombay Times of Aug. 31.)

S lIMMARY. —During the last fortnight the aspect
of affairs in India has not improved, and the in-
telligence which we send home by,this mail is cer-
tainly of a disastrous character. The flame of re-
bellion, which was then thought to be dying out,
burns with as much fierceness as ever, and sparks
from the blazing pile are lighting up the fires of
discord and insurrection in the neighbourhood of
the conflagration. We had at first congratulated
ourselves that the armies of Madras and Bombay
were staunch and loyal, and that they could be de-
pended on in the conflEtt with their insurgent bre-
thren ; but symptoms of disaffection are now being
exhibited among the sepoy regiments of both the
minor presidencies, which convinces us that, al-
though they may not break out into open mu' iny,
they can scarcely be trusted to fight against their
rebellious countrymen. We may yet hope, how-
ever, that the arrival of large numbers of European
troops, of which we have received s ?veral fresh ac-
cessions, will confirm the wavering loyalty of those
regiments still serving under cur banners,
and prevent them from joining the cause of the
inutineers. This is the only consolation we have
under the gloomy circumstances of our present
position, for the determination of the home Go-
vernment to send the Indian reinforcements by the
Cape route instead of dispatching them overland,
will postpone the day of reckoning by several
months.

GENERAL HAVELOCK'S COLUMN.

The force under General Havelock, which had
advanced from Cawnpore towards Luclinow,
to
render assi,ta.nce to the besieged garrison of that
place, has been obliged to retrace its steps. After
the brilliant victory on the 29th July at Busserut
Gunge, of which we gave an account in our last
Summary, the gallant general, having no cavalry
to follow up his successes, and being hampered with
sick and wounded, commenced a retrogade move-
ment towards Cawnpore, which he reached in safety.
He advanced again on the 4th of August, and was
met the next day by about 5000 men, whom he
engaged and defeated, taking their guns. He then
pushed on to the village of Busserut Gunge ; but
hearing that the enemy were in considerable force
in the neighbourhood of Lucknow, and feeling
that with scarcely a thousand Europeans he could
not cope against such fearful odds, he resolved to
fall back on Cawnpore and await reinforcements.
General Havelock's retreat was slow and deliberate
and the enemy everywhere fled b-fore him. On
the 12th August, however, they attacked him with
two guns on the northern side of the river, before
crossing over to Cawnpore. In this action we
suffered some loss, but succeeded in capturing the
enemy's gun., which the Highlanders did in
gallant style. The next morning the troops
crossed the Ganges, and arrived in Cawnpore,
where General Havelock was to remain uLtil
he could receive reinforcements from Lower
Bengal. During Havelock's absence, Cawnpore had
been threatened by a body of the enemy, but when
General Neill advanced to meet them, they took to
flight. It is evident, from all these circumstances,
that Oudo is the focus of the rebellion, and that it
will require a large European force to re-conquer
it. The regiments which mutinied at Cawnpore
and Lucknow, joined by the warlike inhabitants of
the province, have been organised into some kind
of order, and the country seems to swarm with
hordes of rebels. It would have been madnass in
General Havelock, with the diminished force under
him, to have encountered the immense array of the
enemy, as his troops might have been destroyed,
and the safety of Lucknow and Cawnpora imporit-
led. No intelligence has been received from Luck-
now, the communication with which is cut off, bat
it is supposed that the garrison is still holding out.
It is said that the Goorkas from Nepaul have re-
lieved the besieged troops, but this may be consi-
dered to be doubtful.

DINAPORE.
The mutineers from anapere,•who were allowed
to rAire from that place without molestation, al-
though there were 1,200 European troops in the
cantonment, retreated towards the Soane, and de-
stroyed the railway bridge across that river. They
next proceeded to Arrah, where they destroyed the
bungalows, and besiegeda fortified position to which
the Europeans and a small party of Seikhs had re-
tire 1. A native proclaimed himself Rajah at Arran,
and assumed the functions of royalty. In the
meantime detachments of her Majesty's 10th and
37th Regiments, consisting of 250 men, under the
command of Captain Dunbar, 10th Foot, were sent
in a steamer to the neighbourhood of Arrah,
chastise the mutineers. This detachment fell inte
an ambuscade, and was almost entirely di.stroyeil,
about 140 of them having been killed. The troops
were landed from the steamer in the, dark, a native
having brought a false message, which the com-
manding officer believed, that the magistrates of
Arrah had sent for relief; and shortly afterwards,
without being able to protest and defend themselves,
they were shot down in dozsns by the rebels, who
were in ambush behind a wall. Molt of the ofiici-rs
being killed, the survivors of the unfortunate party
made their way towardsthe river, and succeeded in
getting on board the steamer. More than 50 men
were killed, and many of those who escaped were
wounded. We officer and about 16 men, being
separated from the other', procee led by laud to
Dinapore, which they reached in safety. Amongst
the officers killed wQra Captain Dunbar, her Ma
jesty's 10th Foot ; Lieut. Anderson, late 22d ;
Lieut. Ingilby, late 7th; Ensign Sale, her Majesty's
37the and Ensign Erskine, her Majesty's 10th Foot.
The mate of the steamer and a railway volunteer
wore also killed. Lieut. Sandwith, her Majesty's
10th, Ensign Vernon, late 40th, Dr. Jackson, and
Messrs. Garstin and Macdonald, volunteers, were
wounded in this melancholy affair. The rebels burg
the dead bodies of the Earopeans to trees, and tarok
their Enfield rifles, cartridges, and all, which many of
them use]. They did not, however, long enjoy
their triumph, as they have had a severe beating
by Major Eyre, who attacked them at Arrab. Flo
had three guns, 50 gunners, 150 of the Fusiliers,
and 12 gentlemen volunteers from Buxar. The
mutineers numbered about 2500 men, some of them
with Enfield rifles. They fought desperately,
charging the guns, but they were beaten back ; and
the little garris na at Arndt, consisting of 45 Sikhs,
12 gentlemen, and a lady, were rescued by our
brave little fOrce. The rebels 11 tve gone to S is-
scram, on the Grand Trunk Read. Some reports
say that the mutineers are entrenching themselves ;
others that they are marching towards the Kur-
rumnassee. A party of Eeropeans is going after
them from Bonares. They have cut the telegrallt
wire, and stopped the dak, in consequence of which
our communication with Calcutta was interrupte 1
fur several days. The conduct of General Lloyd,
who commanded at Dinapore when the • mutiny
occurred, and who is indirectly -responsible for the
disaster at Arrah, has been severely criticised by
the Indian press. The Supreme Government have
also taken notice of his conduct, having.suspended
him from command, and he is also, it is said, to be
brought to trial for letting the mutineers escape.
The system, however, which places incapable and
imbecile men, who ought to be on the retired list, in
important commands in India, is chiefly
at fault ;
and unless a radical change is made by sweeping it
away, no good can arise from the prosecution
of individuals after the misclii I has been done. Sir
James Outram, who has been again nominated
Chief Commissioner in Oude, has het.'n appointed to
the Dinapore coaimand pro tem. ; ipaarj will,11`)
doubt, discomfit the matinee's, as sev6nr'e-e'll