The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-11-27
THE INDIAN MUTINY.
The Fall OF Delhi and Relief OF Lucknow
The Killed and Wounded, &C., &c., 30.
THE CAPTURE OF DELHI.

[From the Bombay Gazette, Oct. III
The following account of the last days of the
siege of Delhi and the assault of the place win be
read with much interest. 1t is written by an
| eye witness:-
Your readers will have understood, from the in
| telgence which has been from time to time pub
lished that from the period of the arrival of our
army before Delhi in June last, up till very lately,
the position occupied by our troops has been in ef
| feet a purely defensive one. Ii extended from the
picket az Metcalfes house. close to the river on the
left along the ridge facing the north side of Delhi
| far the Sudzee Mundee suburb on our right,
| where this ridge terminates distance from the
| city wall averaging from 200 to l 500 yards.
We had from the first no choice to the front of
attack, our position on the north side being the
only one that could secure our communications with
| the Punjab, whence our supplies and reinforce
ments were drawn.
Whether the city might or might not have been
carried by coup de main as was contemplated first
in June and afterwards in July it is needless to
inquire; but. Judging from the resistance we after
wards experienced in the actual assault, when we
had been greatly reinforced in men and guns it ap-
pears to fortunate that the attempt not made
The strength of the place supposed to
sst in the strength of its actual defences though
these were much undervalued; but every city,
| without fortifcations, is, from its very nature,
strongly defensible (uness it be efectually
| rounded or bombarded) and within Delhi the enemy
possessed magazine containing upwards of two
hundred guns and almost inexhaustible supply of
ammunition, while their numbers were certainly
less than double those of the besegers. Few
will doubt, then, that the General in command exer-
| csed sound discretion in refusing to allow hand
full Of troops unaided by siege guns to attack such
place knowing, as he did, what disastrous results
must follow a failure.
| ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ASSAULT.
BY the beginning of this month, however we re-
ceived the siege train from Ferozepore aud further
reinforcements of European and native troops from
| the Punjab, and it being known that there was no
hope of any aid from down country for considcra-
BILE time it resolved that the siege should be at
1 commenced
vigor.
Our available force amounted in round numbers to
$500 infantry 1000 cavalry and 600 artillery, Eu-
/ ropeans and natives-the regiments in camp being
| her Majesty's 9th Lancers, her Maesty's 9th Dra-
| goon Guards, Guide Cavalry, Hodgson's Horse and
detachments of the lst, I'd and 5th Punjab cavalry
her Majestys Sth foot (part of, 52d foot Goth Rifles
(part off, 6lst foot 18th foot lst and I'd Bengal Fu-
| seers, Sirmoor and Kumaon battalions (Ghoorkas),
4th Sikh infantry Guide infantry, lst, I'd and 4th
regiments Punjab infantry; four troops of horse
| tlery (Tombs, Turner's, Remingtons and Rennic's)
two light field batteries (Scotts and Bourchier's)
and companies of foot artillery attached to the
| siege guns, which numbered about forty heavy guns
and howitzers and ten heavy and twelve light NOR
i tars.
The means of the engineers were very restricted
not in officers but in trained men, of whom there
were only about l20 regular sappers. Some compa
| nies of Muzbee Skhs had, however been RAPIDLY
raised and partially trained; and a body of coolies
had also been collected, who worked remarkably
| well. The park had been at work for some time in
| collecting material, and 10000 fascnes, 10 900 ga
bions, and 100000 sand bags were ready for future
| operations; field magazines, scaling ladders and
| spare platforms had also been duly prepared and
great credit is due TO Lieut.. Brownlow of the Engi
neers, in charge of the park whose activity and in
telligence contributed not a little TO the eventual
/ success of our operations
The north face being the side to be attacked il
was resolved to hold the right in check far pos.
sbe. and 10 push the main attack ON the left first,
as the river would completely protect flank as
/ we advanced; second as there was better cover on
that sde third after the assault the troops would
| not find themselves Immediately in narrow streets
| but in comparatively open ground.
The front 10 be attacked consisted of the Moree
| Cashmere and water bastons, with the
tain walls connecting them. These bastions
had been greatly altered and improved by
own engineers many years ago, and presented
regular faces and nanks OF masonry with pro
pery cut embrasures the height OF the wal
was "a feet above the ground level, Of which
however, eight feet was mere parapet three feet
thick the remainder being about four times that
thickness; outside the wall was very wide BERN
and then ditch l6 feet deep and 20 feet wide at the
bottom escarp and counerscarp steep and the latter
unrevetted and the former revetted with stone and
eight feet in height. A good soping gacis covered
the lower ten feet of the wall from all attempts of
| distant batteries.
ON the evening Of the 7th of September No.
| advanced battery, in two portions, was traced
about 200 yards from the Moree bastion the right
| portion for five ls-poundcrs and one sinch
howitzer was to silence the Moree and prevent it,
interfering with the attack on the left. The left
portion for four H-ponndcrs was intended to hold
the Cashmere baston partially in check. The work
ing parties were very little disturbed during the
night; the covering parties in front kept the
musketry at n distance, and except three wellaimed
showers Of grape thrown from the Morec, which
knocked over some workrA I'm, we received no further
annoyance. By the morning the two portions OF the
battery were finished and armed. though not ready
20 fire until near sunrise; trench also made
connecting the two portions and extending little TO
the right and left. so as TO give communication with
t1n and xUIt ill.,.
nearly up TO our left attack, formed sort OF first
parallel, and gave good cover 20 the guard Of the
trenches, the doolies, &c. For some timc we were
well pounded from the Moree with round sliot and
grape; but guns in the battery got gridu-
ally into play the enemy's fire grew less and less.
and was at length completely overpowered. This
battery became known ~ Brind's, being worked by
that officer with great effect till the end Of the siege
On the evening Of the sth and 9th No. battery
| was traced and commenced. To our surprise we
had been allowed TO seize this advanced position at
Ludlow Castle within 500 yards Of the city, without
| even fight for IL, ON the prcvious day. In fact
there II little doubt the enemy still thought the at
tack was 20 be the right, where all the lighting
had hitherto been, and where all old batteries
were located. Ludlow Castle and the Koodsee Bagh
| were now occupied by strong detachmcnts, and
formed chief supports 70 the left attack. During
the 9th sharp fire Of muskctry, shot and shells
| opened on these positions by the enemy from the
Jungle in front, and rom Cashmere and water bas-
tons, and the Sclimgurh, but great damage was
| done.
During the nights Of the 9th and 10th No. battery
was completed and partially armed but not yet un-
masked II was in two portions--one, Immediately in
front Of Ludlow Castle for nine "a FOUNDERS to open
| breach in the curtain between the Cashmere and
water bastons Immediately to the left OF the for
mer and 10 knock of the parapet 10 the right and
left for some distance, so to give no cover TO the
muskctry; the other portion, 200 yards to the
right, consisting OF seven sinch howtzers and two
lspounders, TO aid the first portion, and work
with Il FOR the same end No. battery was also
| commenced on the left, and No. battery, for 10
heavy mortars completed in the koodsee Bagh, but
| not yet unmasked Major Tombs was in charge OF
this battery; the light mortars under Captain Blunt,
were afterwards worked from the rear of the Custom
House.
During the nights Of the 10th and llth No. 2 bat.
| terry was strengthened, armed and unmasked, and
No. battery completed. This last made in the
| boldest manner within $50 yards Of the water has
| ton, behind n small ruined house In the Custom
House compound. and under such fire of musketry