The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-11-28
The War In India.

we puDiisneu exclusively yesterday morning
the series of official dispatches containing the
authentic history of the war in India, from the
date of the attack on Delhi up to our latest
dates, and comprising the account of the cap
ture of Delhi the relief of Lucknow and the
seeming overthrow of the plans of the mutineers
in that section of country.
Though it would be precipitate to conclude
that the war is over yet-especially as Dude
and Rohilcund are yet in the possession Of the
enemy, and Nena Sahib on one side with his
army, and the fugitives from Delhi, on another,
with theirs, are roaming the country-stil it is
quite apparent that the remainder of the strug-
gle cannot present any appearance of equality.
Despite the numbers of the Scpoys, and not
outstanding the advantages they possessed in
being on their own soil, under q climate which
could not injure them, and in the midst Of
population well disposed toward their cause,
the natives of India have proved incapable of
standing their ground even against the van
guard of the army they were to have conquer
ed. They have been utterly crushed before
their enemy had completed his preparations for
crushing them.
1t was in May that the mutiny broke out.
Within the space of few days, it developed
itself throughout the rich countries which
skirt the Ganges and the Jumna extending
the whole distance from Pcshawar to Calcutta,
and almost from the Brahmaputra to the Indus.
There was not town or station of any i'm
portance in Northwestern India and Bengal
with the exception of the capital-where the
British authorities were not attacked, where
that attack was not anticipated and prevented
just in time. All the large cities, beginning
with Delhi, were seized, and in them arsenals
and bullion sufficient to support an army for
couple of campaigns People and Sepoys WED
with each other in the ardor Of their aspirations
for liberty, and in the ierocity of their hatred of
their hereditary oppressors So overwhelming
was the outburst, so sudden the attack that for
a moment the British were paralyzed. Before
they could recover their senses, the officers of
many regiments had been slaughtered, Delhi
had been a scene of indescribable outrage, Nena
Sahb and his followers had stated their fury and
their lust on one thousand English, comprising
among them numbers of tenderly reared ladies
and little children. From the mountains to the
sea there was but one story; every white per-
son, young and DID, male and female, was being
beheaded with the most fiendish brutality.
The day the news reached England measures
were taken to send troops to India But long
before these troops had been shipped, every
reliable man in India was on the alert. A little
army was gathered on the hills outside Delhi
it consisted mainly of fugitives from the
city, In Dude, the remnant of the British
were formed into another little army, and
Lucknow was refortiied and garrsoned An
other little party took possession of the fort at
Agra A fourth secured Allahabad Mean
while handful of troops, chiefly Scotch High
landers, under General Havelock, were the first
to recover from the stunning effect of the out
break, and to commence offensive operations.
They took Cawnpore, and avenged on all the
Sepoys they could find the heart rending cruel
ties which have made the name of that place
forever memorable. They engaged, near o
score of times, the insurgent army lowering
around that place and Lucknow and each time,
though enormously inferior in strength to the
enemy, they beat him. Finally, after series of
conflicts, they succeeded in relieving Lucknow
just as the provisions of the inhabitants were
giving out, and the besiegers had undermined
the works.
simultaneously with these operations, the be-
sieging army at Delhi, which at first consisted
at most of 1900 to 1000 men. received rein
forcements from the Punjab together with con-
tingents from Cashmere and some Ghoorka
levies. With these the siege was commenced in
regular form, and just at the moment Havelock
was relieving Lucknow, the army under Will
son was storming Delhi, and taking it after an
almost unexampled conflict.
These two achievements occurring at two
great centres Of the operations Of the mutt
neers convey to military men the impression
that all Is over with the mutineers. Before an
other step can be taken by them, functions will
be formed between the army Of Havelock and
the achievements now ascending the river;
Delhi will become base of operations in the
North and the insurgents, instead Of being the
masters of the country, will become mere vaga-
bonds, while the British will hold all the strong
points, all the lines of communication, and all
the available means Of support in the country.
Such results are indeed astounding when we
bear in mind the petty handful Of men who,
have achieved them, the brief space Of time the
struggle has lasted, and the overwhelming
numerical superiority of the mutineers. In
single sentence, eight thousand Englishmen
have conquered over fifty millions Of natives in
the course of four months. We doubt If history
will furnish parallel to such an achievement
The names ofWilson, Havclock, 0utram, Nichol-
son, Neil and Wheeler will 60 down TO posterty
side by side with those of the great heroes of the
world; Englandmay ellbe proud OF them. Their
exploits and the successes of the armies they
have led appear the more brilliant and the
more startling when we compare them with
those of the British army during the Crimean
war. One can hardly realize that the soldiers