Smyrna times., 1857-12-17
British HerOism in India.

The British journals and people are paying
! high tributes to the herosm of their country
men in India,-but these tributes are not more
eulogstic than are deserved. There were
teats performed at the storming of Delhi which
equals, in intrepid valer, anything the poets
tell of at the siege of Troy, and display n Ro.
man courage of which any nation might Justly
be proud. Indeed, the attacking of the AloguI
capital at ALA place containing one hundred
and fifty thousand inhabitants, and defended by
twenty five thousand of the Rebel ce,-wilh
hardly halt as many men as were at our Tie
mann meeting at the Academy of Music the
other evening. was itself one ofthose bold dash
ing adventures which show of what mettle the
soldiers of England are made. The leading
incidents OF the grand catastrophe, as already
narrated in these columns, we think surpass in
dramatic interest those of the memorable dem
onstration against Sebastopol, during the late
Russian War.
Among the many actions Of surprising merit
which illustrated the closing combat, was
feat OF heroic devotion performed by Lieuten-
ant Salkeld, of the Engineers, and three SER
jeants, 10 whom was entrusted the blowing open
Of the Cashmere Gate. To effect this purpose,
it was necessary to atfiX bags of powder to the
gate under fire of musketry poured through
loopholes IN the door itself and from the walls
on both sides. Merely to reach the end in
view was more than could reasonably be cX-
pected; but to escape with life was a thing
hardly to be thought Of And the chances of
destruction proved to be scarcely less over
whelming than they must have appeared to
these courageous men. Lieutenant Salkeid,
severely wounded once, Just managed to stag
ger TO the gate and put his burden at the de-
sired spot before another bullet brought him
down. The first sergeant who advanced to fire
the train fell dead; the second lit the match
and fell riddled with balls ; and the third alone
escaped unhurl by casting himself INTO the
ditch TO avoid the effect of the explosion. The
herOism of these gallant men, as thus displayed,
was not for nothing. 1t was not mere dare
devil cXhibltlon,-Or u vain glorious seeking
tor reputation at the cannon's mouth. The
explosion laid the gates in ruins, on which the
stOrnlng party burst in. Almost every one
carrying ladders were knocked over. The
breach and gate were then forced, and on the
resistless torrent rushed, defyng all opposition.
The British forces gained possession of the
large buildings in the neighborhood, forced
their way along the ramparts TO the Cabul
gate, IN the free of most obstinate resistance,
until at length the whole line of works. nclu-
ding the Cashmere and Moree gate and bas-
tions, and the English church and college, were
all IN their hands.
We repeat it, and, as Americans, We can af
ford to repeat it, there is nothing in the an
nails OF ancient or modern warfare, to surpass
such achievements as thasc,- and the home
exultation over them, therefore, is neither mis-
placed nor unnatural. Indeed the whole his
tory Of the Indian Rebellion brings out in bold
relief the measurable superiority Of the Anglo
Saxon race over Mussulman, Tartars and HIM
doos,-a superiority which scouts at the suppo-
sition that the British Empire in India can be
expatriated by race, or races, of which that
now famous monster, Nena Sahib is the type.
N. Y. ErPreSS.