New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-25

And II tney hesitate 10 Ptonouhco tne PioPoi 'ei-
dict on the perpetrators, even to their Chief the
Public will be less forbeariBg and will be apt to
include them in its judgment Of condemnation.
At last we are in possession OF detailed accounts
of the attack and fall of Lucknow. The principal
sources of Information, in military point OF view,
the dispatches Of Sir Colin Campbell have not yet,
indeed, been published; but the correspondence of
the British press, and especially the letters of Mr.
Russell in The London Times, the chief portions of
which have been laid before our readers, are quite
sufficient to give general insight into the proceed
ings of the attacking party.
The conclusions We drew from the telegraphic
news, as to the ignorance and cOwardice displayed
in the defense, are more than confirmed by the de-
tailed accounts. The works erected by the Hin
docs, formidable in appearance, were in reality of
no greater consequence than the fiery dragons and
grimacing faces painted by Chinese I" braves on
their Ids or on the walls of their cities. Every
single work exhibited an apparently impregnsbe
front, nothing but loOpholed and embrasured walls
and pArapeta difficulties of access Of every possible
description, cannon and small. arms brstliDS every
where. But the TANKS and rear of every position
were completely neglected, mutual support of the
various works was ne Ter thought of, and even the
ground between the works, as we'll as in front of
them, had never been cleared, so that both front
and flank attacks could be prepared without the
knowlede of the defense, and could approach
under perfect shelter to within few yards from
the parapet. 1t was Just such cOnglOmerate of
intrenchments as might be expected from body of
private sappers deprived of their officers, and
serving in an army where ignorance and indiscipne
reigned supreme. The intrenchments of Lucknow
are but a translation Of the whole method of
Sepoy warfare into baked clay walls and earthen
parapets. The mechanical portion of European
tactics had been partially impressed upon their
mind; they knew the manual and platoon drill
we'll enough; they could also build battery and
loOphole wall; but bow to combine the move
ments of companies and battalions in the defense of
position, or how TO combine batteries and loop
hoed houses and walls SO as to form an intrenched
camp capable of resistance-of this tiey were
utterly ignorant. Thus, they weakened the solid
masonry walls of their palaces by over loophollng
them, heaped tier upon tier of loopholes and en-
brasures placed parapesd batteries on their roofs,
and all this to no purpose whatever, because 1t
could all be turned in the easiest possible manner
In the same way knowing their tactical inferiority,
they tried to make up for it BY examining every
post as full of men possible to no other purpose
than to give terrible effect to the British artillery
and to render impossible all orderly and systematic
defense as soon as the attacking columns fell upon
ihi, motley host from an unexpected direction.
And when the British, by some &c ,idental circum-
stance, were compelled to attack even the formi-
dable front Of the works their construction was SO
faulty tina! they could be approached, preached and
stormed almost without any risk. At the Imam
barra this was the case. Within few yards from
the building stood pucka (sun-baked clay wall.
Up to this the British made short sap (proof
enough that the embrasures and loophOles on the
higher part Of the building had no plunging fire
upon the ground immediately in 'front.', and used
this very wall as preaching battery, prepared for
them by the Hindoos themselves They brought
I'D two 6s-poapders naval guns) behind this wall.
The Ightest 6o-pounder in the British service
weighs s. cwt., withOu. the carriage; but suPpos-
ing even that an Snch gun for hollow shot only is
alluded to, the ehtest gun Of that class weighs 80
cwt., ard with the carriage at least three tuls.
That such guns could be brought up at all in such
proximity to palace several stories high, with
battery Oh the roof, shows contempt Of command
ing positions and an ignorance of military engineer
ing which no private sspper in any civilized army
could be capable Of.
Thus much for the science sgairst which the
British had to contend. As to courage and obsti-
macy, they were equally absent from the defense.
From tie Martin ere t, the Mu:abagh on the part
Of the natives, there but one grand and unani.
nous act Of bo.tpg, as soon as a column advanced
10 The attack There is nothing in the whole series
If engagements that can compare even with the
usssacIe for fight i! can tcarcely be called in the
Secundrabsgh during Csmpbes relief of the Resi-.
terey. No sooner do the attacking parties ad