The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-05-25
THE WAR IN INDIA.
The sei;ge Of Lucknow-The Storming Of the
Bequms Palace.

came Kissing overhead, and announced that they
still fighting in the front. The road, which Is
lined by high walls on both sides, enclosing the
residences of some wealthy people, now in ruins,
above which rise continuous groves of trees and
eastern shrubs, leads from the broken canal
bridge, and is met just in front of the Begums
Palace by another road of a similar kind, but
little more open, which passes by the bridge
Bankes House to Dilkoosha. Externally all we
could see of the Begum's Palace were some gilt
tering domes, the cupolas and mlnarets OF mos
que on the left, and the balustrades around
the fat roofs Of the numerous buildings inside
A high wall, forming the outer barrier, loop
holed at every inch, enclosed the building all
around, but it bore frequent marks of our cannon.
In front OF this wall there was very high parapet
of earth with scarp and ditch fifteen or six
teen feet deep, and two small bastions with embra
sures for two guns, which swept the approaches to
the place, or were intended to do so. The embra-
sures, however, had been beaten into ragged holes,
choked up with sand and timber by the fire of our
guns. just in front of us, within Is or 20
yards of the ditch, there large hole in the
ground, caused by mine which the Sepoys
sprung when it was too late to do them any good
or us any harm. In the ditch itself there lay
heap of the dead bodies of the envy, which
men were dragging out Of the palace and finging
over the trench. The enemy had literally dug
their own graves. AS we crossed the narrow ramp
of earth leading to the gateway could not but
feel astonished at the small loss by which had
gained such position. Along the front of this
WALL in addition to the guns there were loopholes
for at least 1900 muskets, and it seemed scarcely
possible to effect an entrance at the point where
one portion of the Esd and of the Sikhs had rush
ed through, with bayonets at the Charge, on the
astounded foe.
The only way of getting at the enemy was by
hole, niscalled breach, and batterng in the door,
by guns, narrow and low that not more than
one man could enter at time, and then only by
bonding his head But to avail themselves even
Of this mode Of entrance men had to struggle
through the outer breach, or to Chamber up the
steep bank Of the ditch, where, impeded by their
numbers in the narrow space, as they made for the
inner breach, they were held in check under the
enemy's fire till some of them forced their way in
through their bricked-up windows, which led them
into small dark rooms filled with sepoys Held by
such troops as those who assaulted the place, the
Begum's Palace had been mpregnable to infantry.
Entering with difficulty through the suffocating
breach, rank with hot air, gunpowder and dead
bodies [ passed into the first of the courtyards in
which the fight took place.
How could have escaped who entered i'll
such fashion is beyond my comprehension. But
there few slain outright, for the apparition Of
these brawny soldiers alone unnerved the hands of
their enemies Many fled at once, and were pur-
fering resistance others fred their muskets or
match-locks once, made wild thrust with the
bayonet and ran also; others, surprised in holes
and corners, fought with ferocity of wild beasts.
One officer of the 93d killed with his own hand
eleven sepoys, whom he shot with his revolver or
sabred in the courtyard The sepoys and match
lock men fed from court to court towards the I'm
amharrah and the out-works of the Kaiserbagh.
Onward went the torrent of Sikhs and High
off Mo
by the left of the Palace, upon field gun,
which they captured. Pressing UPWARDS, they
seized SERIAL, or garden enclosure of the Palace
Two companies OF the 93d, under Stewart, went too
far in pursuit, and came under heavy fire from
loop holed wall A company of the Add, under
Drysdae, were led to their succour, and had five
men killed in moment When they came back
they found, | am told, that the enemy had off the
the heads Of their comrades.
just turning to the left, we were about entering
a courtyard, when an officer said, "Mind what you
are about! There some fellows hid inside
there, and one Of them Los just shot sergeant of
the ODD and man of the 9Uth." This is, as you
will have observed, mode in which our men fire.
quenty lose their lives in this odous warfare.
Soon afterwards | saw of these fanatics-a fine
old sepoy-with grizzed moustache, lying dead
IN the court, sword cut the temple, bayo-
net thrust through the neck, his thigh broken by
bullet, and his stomach slashed open in desper-
ate attempt to escape. There had been five or six
Of these fellows altogether, and they had either
been surprised and unable to escape, or had shut
themselves up in a small room one of many look
ing out on the court At first attempts were made
to start them by throwing live she'll. The use
of bag Of gunpowder successful and
out they charged with the exception of one man,
and were shot and bayoneted on the spot. The
man who got away did SO by desperate leap
through window, amid shower of bullets and
many bayOnet thrlsts. Such are the common in
cidcnts at We went up to the top of the
mosque, upon the left Of the Palace but the fire of
the kaserhagh too near and sharp for one to
remain there without cover.
Horrible sight IN the Palacc
From court to court of the huge pile of buildings
we wandered through the same scenes-dead Sc
poys-blood splashed gardens-groups of eager
IIghanderS looking out for the cnemys loop holes
-lnore eager groups of plunderers searching the
dead many of whom lay heaped on the top of each
other amid the ruins OF rooms brought down upon
them by the cannon shot. Two of these were
veritable chambers of horrors. 1t must be remem-
bered that the sepoys and matchbox men wear
cotton clothes many at this time of year using
thickly quilted tunics; and in each room there
were number Of resajs, quilted cotton cover
lids, which serve beds and quilts to the natives
The explosion of powder sets fire to this cotton
very readily, and it may be easily conceived how
horrible are the consequences when number of
these scpoys and nujecbs get into a place whence