The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-01-07

Capture Of Delhi.
The city Of Delhi, the stronghold of the mutineers,
months, was taken by them ON the 10Th of September.
The details of this important event, so far as they
were known in England, are given in a letter to the
London Times, from Bombay, Oct. Sd, from which
we make the following extracts
At length I am able to announce to you the faIl of
the revolted capital Of Worth India, or. if
that appelIation be not strictly correct, of the ancient
chief city Of the Mogul empire, in which a faithless
soldiery had sought to re-erect the independent throne
Of the descendant of Baber. Delhi is once more in
possession Of the British. Our information at present
is more scanty than could be desired, owing partly to
the dawk communication being unluckily Intercepted
between Lahore and Mooltan. But the main facts
have reached US from so many quarters as to leave no
doubt whatever that the place was assaulted with
success on the 14th of September. when n permanent
Judgment was effected, that during the four or five
following days further advances and ACQUISITIONS on
the city were made, and that finally on the 10th the
whole of the space enclosed within the walls was in
our possession I should observe, however, that We
have not received as yet such certain evidence of the
truth of the latter part Of this story as of thar of tlIs
former. The proceedings Of the 14th, 18th and 10th
are known to US, however, compendiously from the
official bulletins issued by the Chief Commissioner at
lahore, and founded, as you know, on telegraphic
messages from Delhi But of the final occupation on
the 10Th we have only heard by an express from the
Residency at Jeypore in Rajpootana, which reached
Lord Elphinstone by way Of Ahmedabad yesterday.
It is dated at Jeypore on the evening of the 23d, and
Is to the effect that the news had just been received
at the Residency both from the Nawab OF Jhuiur. to
whom it may be presumed to have been forwarded by
his master, a chief resident in the immediate neigh
borhood of Delhi. Thus the tidings of our ultimate
and complete success rest at present on native author
ity only, but as the natural sequel and complement
ofour undoubted triumph Of the 18th they are univer-
sally credited
Affer giving the details of the siege from the LIST tn
the 18th of Sppfember fbe Letter n
On the morning of the 18th, soon after day-break.
the assault took place The attacking columns were
-as I gather from q letter that I have seen. written
on the following day by an officer of rank in the army.
which, though short, is as far as I know. the oniy
communication Of so late n date that has as vet
reached ~Bombay-three in number, one being held.
as I understand ii, in reserve. Their strength is not
given The main point of assault was the breach at
the Cashmere bastion- One column, however, con-
sisting Of GLoorkas and the newly arrived Jummoo
contingent, was directed to make a diversion by at
lacking the kishengunge suburb, which lies outside
the Lahore gate on the western side Of the city, and,
If it succeeded in carrying the suburb, to assault the
gate itself. But the suburb was occupied by the
enemy in force, with a battery of heavy guns. The
Cashmerian troops behaved indifferently, and in spite
Of the efforts of the brave Ghoorkas, the column was
repulsed. Its commanding officer, Major Reid, of the
Sirmoor battalion, Is among the wounded of the day;
bat on the northern side Of the city all went well.
The troops entered at the breach with no serious OPP
position, and spreading to the left and right, occupied
the "whole line Of defences from the Water bastion 10
the Cabul gate, including the Cashmere gate and
basticn, the Moore gate and bastion, the English
church, SINNERS house, and the grounds about"
The principal loss sustained by the assailants was
due to the obstinate resistance they met with in clear
ing their way along the ramparts to the Cabul gate,
and afterwards in an attempt to penetrate beyond
that point INTO the aenser parts of the city in the
amounted to about 500 killed and wounded. Five
officers are reported to have been slain. OF the loss
Of the mutineers 1 do not observe even an estimate.
r. A. I. -
resreating both to the south of the city in the direction
Of Kootub, and also across the bridge of boats. and
that our cavalry had moved round the city to inter-
cept and destroy the former. Our victorious Infantry,
prudently recalled from too hasty an advance into the
close lanes of the city, occupied the comparatively
open space inside the Cashmere gate, and the walls
which they had won upon either side Of it. Head
quarters were established in the house once occupied
by the renowned Irregular Horseman, Skinner, and
now known to Us by his name, to the natives as
Secunder's- Preparations were at once made for
Smelling the enemy out Of the Palace, the Selimghur,
and the other strong places Of the city, and firing
commenced next morning, the 18th. BY the evening
Of that day, n breach was effected in the wall Of the
magazine enclosure, which was held in force by the
enemy, and the place was stormed the next morning
bv the 6Ist Foot. and detachmeEts of the BeeIoeh
battalion and Wilde's Rifles In it were captured
I25 pieces OF cannon The Palace being now well
exposed, the guns and mortars opened upon it from
the magazine enclosure, and the enemy appears to
have fallen back at all points. Thus the Kishengunge
8otH<tI WtAA-&4 ~1 ehAt4tV ~ n
abandoned and occupied. and the guns there taken
sweiledt the total number ofcaptured pieces to upwards
of200. The battery on the further side Of the river
peems also to have been abandoned, and at the date
of the latest certain and official news d. m. on the
26th-an attack upon the magazine had been re-
pulsed, n chair Of posts had been established from
the Cabul gate to the magazine, and the eneni v. some
hours before dayfsll, had been maintaining only a
detached and desultory warfare from the tops of the
houses. Many townspeople had come in and received
quarter. which was Of course refused to every Sepoy.
All this Is 50 satisfactory that we may well credit the
tale from Jeypore. that on the 10th the place was
entirely in our hands
A posrscript to this letter gives the operations on
the 18th and 18th as foIiows:-
On the 18th, Smelling the Lal Killa [Red Fort;
this appears to be some other stronghold than Selling
hur1 and city. Fighting NIL day, leaders and native
officers in open dissensicn, accusing one another, in
presence Of the King, of cowardice. In the end
unanimity prevailed, and they resolved to attack and
fight rs men without hope Of mercy or pardon.
Friday, the 18Th Smelling all night on the Lal
KiIlA This morning fighting recommenced and
mutineers on some points successful, but constantly
repulsed Rifles doing much mischief among the
rebels City people. both rich and poor, running
away. Suburbs, where Reid failed (rhe Kishen-
gunge) is ours, and also the rebels battery there.
King aad two sons concealed. One bastion Of the
Lal Killa destroyed, and it viii be taken. Capt.
Eden adds-Thc above is from the Durbar news
writer 10 the Raah 1t Jeypore. There may be some
exaermstion, bat in the main 1 am inclined to believe
this report, as the man hae always sent US correct
reports On the whole. Afer this the report Of the
toea1 occupaton Of the city on the 20th may be
aceeptsd unhesitatiDgly-
The King Of Delhi and his two sons escaped dis
guissd in Somen,s cl0fhes-
Prom oder parfs - tpdis the news is contained in
3 sasnsr1l 0utDn's 1nrcs resched Caunpors on the
18th Of S~eptenbsF, ahd On he 10Th, General Have
lock 1T that plpet ar tie felief Of the beIesguered
pnEzspl = 3Geknew. II vas confidently believed
s1cs tss sssT3ss ygs.f . hold ss.' ont .nssi d re 3 800, sss'sss'