American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-01-01
gRA WAR I'M IwDxA.
THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW.

The story of the relief OF Lucknow
will form one of the brightest pages in
the annals Of British hcroism. Have
lock had to fight his way from the from
tier of Dude, with only $500 men,
through a country in which every man
was in arms against him, and every
town, village and house had been con-
verted into fortress. There was but
one practicable road along which he
could advance; on either side of it
there was nothing but succession of
quagmires. The bridges over the in
terycning rivers--swollen at this season
10 thoir utmost magnitude--had been
blown up; and on the farther banks
were intrenched disciplined regiments,
far outnumbering his small band of
Englishmen, with an ample supply Of
heavy artillery in position. These
means of Observation-Disclosures and ar,
tifcial--must have turned to account
with will; for the relieving party took
sixty days to advance the iifty.three
miles OF distance from the bank Of the
Ganges opposite Cawnporc to Luck
now. The enduring valor of the be-
sieged is equally admirable with that
displayed by their liberators. Through
three weary months they had resolutely
rcpclled all assaults from overwhelming
odds in improyised intrenchments, with
very inadequate supplies of everything
that was necessary for defence and the
support of existence. Yet, borne up
10y eir owti high hearts, and by their
.a!,h IN the anxiety of their country
men for their relief, no feeble wailing
was heard, though the women and chill
dren outnumbered the fighting men ;
while the counter attacks Of the garri-
son repeatedly made the assailants reel
backward in dsmay, and afforded op-
portunity to drive into the Residency
tho herds and other stores of provis-
ions collected by the mutinecrs.-
Every nerve has been strained to the
utmost, both by our bcleaguered coun-
trymen and by those who have fought
their way through hostile myriads to
relieve them. One day perhaps a few
hours-longer, and most probably the
unsurpassed passive and active hero
ism displayed on both sides would have
been unavailing, The mines of the
assailing force had been advanced be-
.yond the lines of defence and short
time would have seen the extemporized
bulwarks Of the Residency blown into
the air, and the infuriated Sepoys, and
their yet more brutal abettors from the
bazaars, pouring over the ruins to over
whelm the defenceless inmates. We
read this aenoument and draw long
breath of relief at the close, as if we
ourselves had just made some hair
breadth escape. But not moment is
left us to pause on this reflection. We
: are Immediately hurried on by the tale
which tells how English promptltude
and resolution forthwith assumed the
aggressive, and put the assailants on
their own defence. On the 25th Of
September the Residency was entered
by the succoring force on the 26th the
intrenchments of the beleaguered army
were stormed, and during the next three
days the foe was driven from one post
80 another through the narrow and tor.
tuous streets of Lucknow. Further
we know not. At the last moment to
which our information is brought down,
the greater part Of the city had fallen
into the possession Of our troops, and
doubtless the rest would soon follow. -
London NeWs.