The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-02-01

MONDAY ING.-....-....FEBRuARY /. Is:s
THE WAR IN INDIA.
Relief Of Lucknow--D Desperate Ffwhtiu,
Jamring ITS Defence--SceBes and Incl
sAn extraordinary gazette, published at Calcutt
On the oeth December, contains Brigadier Inglis
narrative OF the events at Lucknow, from the frs
ATTACK on the garrison to the arrival of the fore
under Generals Hsyelock and 0utram. After re
counting events mp to the 21st of July, and An
nonncing the death of Sir Henry Lawrsnoe, tn,
narrative continues:
Indeed, our heaviest losses have been caused y,
the nre from the eBemys sharp shooters stationsS
In the adjoining mosques and houses of the nativ,
nobility, the necessity Of DESTROYING which haf
been repeatedly drawn TO the attention of Sir Hen
ry by the stan OF engineers but his inyariabl.
| reply was, "Spare the holy places aud uriyats
| property too, as far possible" And we have
consequently suffered severely from our tender
ness to the religious prejudices and respect to the
rights OF our rebsllous citizens and soldiers
AS soon as the enemy had thoroughly compieted
the Investment of the residency, they secured
these houses. some of which were within pistol
shot OF our barricades. in immense force and rap.
idly made loopholes on those sides which bore on
our post; from which they kept up terrific aud
lncessabt flre by day aud night, which caused
many daily casualties, there could not have
been less than 5000 men firing at one time into
our position. Moreover, there was no place in The
whole OF our works that could be considered safe
for several OF the sick and wounded who were
lying in the banqueting hall, which had been
turned into a hospital, were killed in the very
centre of the building; and the widow of Lieut..
DorIi, and other women and children, were shot
dead in a room into which it had not previously
been deemed possible that bullet could pens.
trate.
Neither were the enemy idle in erecting bate
rles They soon had from 20 to 20 ..guns in po-
stion, some of them of very large calibre. They
were planted all around our post at small dis
| tances, some being actually within fifty yards of
our defeDses, but in places where our own heavy
guns could no. reply to theui; while the perse-
yerance and ingenuity of the enemy ia erecting
barricades in front aud around their guns in a
very short time, rendered all attempts to silence
them by musketry entirely unavailing. Neither
could they be efiectually siieDced by Shells by
reason OF their extreme proximity to our position
| and because, moreover, the enemy had recourse to
digging very narrow trenches, about eight feet in
depth, in rear of each gun, in which the men lay
while our shells were flying, and which so effect
ually concealed them even while working the gun
that our bafied sharpshooters could only see their
hands while in the act of loading.
The enemy contented themselves with keeping
up this iucessant fire of cannon and musketry
until the 10Th Of july on which day at 10 A. Nj.
they were assembled in very great force all around
our position, and exploded heavy mine inside
our outer line of defences at the water gate. The
mipe, however, which was close to the Kedan and
apparently sprung with the intention of DESTROY
ibg that battery did no harm. But as soon as the
smoke had cleared away, the enemy boldly ad-
vanced under cover OF a tremendous fire of can
non and mnsketry, with the object of storming
the Redan. But they We're received with such a
heavy fire that after a short struggle they fell
back with much loss. strong column advanced
at the same time to attack Innes post, and came
on to within ten yards of the palisades affording
to Lieut.. Loughnan, 18th Native Infantry, who
commanded the position, and his brave garrison,
composed OF gentlemen of the uucoyenanted ser
vice, few OF Her Majesty's 32d Foot, and of the
18TH Native Infantry, an opportunity Of distin-
gushing themselves, which they were not slow to
avail themselves of, and the enemy were driven
back with great slaughter. The insurgents made
minor attacks at almost every outpost but were
invariably defeated and at L. NJ, they Ct sssd
their attacks at almost every outpost, and their
attempts to storm the place
But all their musketry, fire and cannonading
continued 10 harrass us unceasiug as usual, Mat
tiers proceeded in this manner until the 10th Au.
gust, when the enemy made another assault, hav-
ing previously sprung mine close to the brigade
mess, which entirely destroyed our defences for
the space Of 70 feet, and blew in great portion of
the outside wall OF the house occupied by Mr. shil-
lings garrison. On the dust clearing away A
breach appeared through which a regiment could
have advanced in perfect order, and few of the
enemy came on with the utmost determination,
but were met with such withering flank fire of
iuusketry from the officers and men holding the
house OF the brigade Mess that they beat speedy
retreat leaving the more adventurous of their
Numbers lying on the crest of the breach.
While this operation was going on, another
large body advanced on the Cawnpore battery aud
succeeded in locating themselves for few mo
meHts i'll the ditch. They were dislodged by hand
grenades. At Captain Andersons post they also
came boldly forward with scaling ladders, which
they planted against the walls but here, as else
where, they were met with the most indolnitable
resolution, and the leaders being slain, the rest
fed, leaving the ladders, and retreated to their
batteries and loop-holed detences, from whence
they kept up for the rest of the day an unusually
heavy cannonade and musketry fire
On the 18th August the enemy spTang another
mine, in one of the Sikh lines with very fatal ef-
fccts. Capt. Orr, unattached, Lieuts. Meclam and
Soppitt, who commanded the small body of drum
mers: composing the.garrison, were blown in the
air, but proyidentially returned to earth with no
further injury than II severe shaking. The garri-
son were not SO fortunate.
No less than eleven men were buried aiiye unG er
the ruins, from whence il WAS impossible to exlri-
cate them, owing TO the tremendous fire kent MI
by the enemy from houses situated not ten yat ds
III front of the breach. The explosion was followed
by general assault of less determined nature
than the two former efforts, and the euemy were
constantly repulsed without much difficulty but
they succeeded, under cover of the breach, in es-
tablishng themselves in Of the houses in our
position from which they were driven in the
evening by the bayonets OF her Majesty's 32d and
S4th foot.
last serious assault. Having exploded a large
mine few feet short of the baston of the the IS
FOUNDER gun, in Major Apethorps post, they ad-
vanced with large, heavy scaling ladders, which
they plated against the wall and mounted, there
by gaining for an Instant the embrasure of gun.
They were, however, speedily driven back with
loss by hand grenaders and musketry. few
minutes subsequently they sprang another mine,
closed to the brigade mess aud advanced boldly
but soon the corpses strewed in the garden in
rJnt of the post bore testimony 70 the fatal
racy Of the rifle aud mnsketry fire of the gallant
members of that garrison; and the enemy He'd ig-
nomineously. leaving their leade.', line looking
old native officer, among the slar:. At other posts
they made similar attacks, but with less resolution
and everywhere with the same want of success
Their loss upon this day must have been very
heavy, as they came on with much determination
and at night they were seen bearing large mum
bers of their killed aud wounded over the bridges
in direction OF cantonments.
The above is faint attempt at description Of
the four great struggles which have occurred du
ring this protracted season Of exertion, exposure
and suffering.