The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-10-13
THE WAR IN INDIA.
THE RE-cAPTuRE OF cAwNPoRE
from the Bombay Telegraph

and the most dreadful atrocities continue to
be committed in various parts of India, yet
the broad wave of victory is spreading it
self over the land The advance of General
Havelock's column from Allahabad has
been one chain Of victories. In our last
we mentioned that General Havelock had
reached Cawnpore, but we were unable to
give details Of its capture. The column
marched from its encamping ground at
daylight on the morning of the 10th, and
after a thirteen miles journey halted to
breakfast within two miles of the enemy's
position in front of Cawnpore. After rest
ing three hours it advanced to the attack.
/ Gen. Havelock had with him 1900 Euro
peans and about 700 or 500 Sikhs against
| l3, 900 mutinous SepOys armed and discip-
lined in every respect like his own soldiers,
and commanded by the arch-fiend Nena
Sahib in person. The General, seeing the
enemy's position, determined to take him
in flank. For this purpose the 18th High
| landers were sent to the front with some of
| the Madras Fusileers on the left flank to
cover the movement. Her Majesty's 9th
and remaining companies of the S4th Foot,
with the guns, were on the right of the col
umn out of the enemy's view. While per-
forming this flank movement the Highlan-
ders and Fusileers were under heavy fire
from the enemy 'sartillcry, which, however,
did no damage, save killing the horse of
] Colonel Walter Hamilton. When our
troops got properly on his flank the col
umns were wheeled into line and advanced,
under a heavy fire of grape she'll and mus
kerry, to within 50 yards before they fired
a shot. Our men then opened fire, and the
18th charged up to the muzzles of the guns
and captured them-three "A Founders,
loaded as they were. Leaving them in
charge, on they presscd-nothing but death
could stay their avenging hands when once
raised to smite. The 18th next carried a
village at the point of the bayonet; this
was ON the right of the enemy's position,
and his flank was then completely turned.
The columns then moved on to their left
position after clearing the village. AS soon
as they got clear of the village the enemy
again opened fire upon our troops from a
gun he still had, when wo had to lie down
! and wait for our artillery; but the bullocks
being quite knocked up, only one small gun
of no use against the enemy's big enc could
be got into position. General Havelock
saw at once the difficulty, and instantly
gave the order to take the gun, which was
done in brilliant style by the Light Compa-
ny of the 18th under a heavy fire, which
was well kept up. This ended the affair,
and our victory was most complete. In the
absence of cavalry the line was halted, and
the General went up to the HighlandeIs
and paid them a well-merited compliment
on their performances. The whole force
behaved most nobly, and every soldier was
eager for the fray and did his duty manful-
ly. On the evening of this engagement the
column encamped outside the walls of Gavin
pore, and on the morning of the 18th our
soldiers entered the city. Accustomed as
they had been to scenes of slaughter, the
spectacle that met their eyes nearly petri-
fled them with horror. They marched
straight to a place where they were told
Us women and children were confined, but
on their arrival they found that they had
come too late They only found the clothes
of tie poor victims strewn over the blood
stained ground. The scene of the horrible
catastrophe was a paved court yard, and
one of the Highlanders in writing to a CO.
temporary says: There were two inches
of blood upon the pavement, and from the
report that we got from the residents of the
place it appears that, after we had beaten
| the enemy the evening previous, the Sepoys
and SOwars entered the place where the I'M
happy victims were, killed all the ladies,
and THEW the children alive, as well as the
ladies' dead bodies, into a we'll in the COM
pound. l saw it, and it was an awful sight
1t appears from the bodies we saw that the
women were stripped of their clothes before
they were murdered. Miss Wheeler, daugh-
ter of Sir HI. Wheeler, they say. killed five
of these fiends with a revolver before they
could get near her. What an heroic spirit
she must have had The sight of the place
where these poor ladies were murdered is
indeed awful Long tresses of hair-dress-
es covered with blood-here and there
workbox or bonnet" A feeling more ter
rible than vengeance arises in the heart at
reading this, and even the most reverent
shudder when they think that omnipotence
could have deemed such terrible ordeal
necessary. The history of the world af-
fords no parallel to the terrible massacres
which during the last few months have de-
solated the land. Neither age, sex, nor
condition has been spared. Children have
been compelled to cat the quivering flesh
of ther murdered parents, after which they
were literally torn assunder by the laughing
fiends who surrounded them. Men in many
instances have been mutilated, and, before
being absolutely killed, have had to gaze
upon the last dishonor' of their wives and
daughters previous to being put to death.
But really we cannot describe the brutal