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64 th , commanded by Major Bin ^ jKam , with provisions , left Gawnpore , but were able to get no further on thait AUumbagh , where they left their supplies ; returning to Cawnpore without having experienced any molestation eStheron their advance or return .. ' , On the 11 th , a partr of one hundred and fifty arrived ? at the latter places from tie former , bringing with them a large number of camels and elephants to assist in carrying back provisions . On tie 14 th , a : second convoy under Major M'Intyre , of the 78 th Highlanders , was despatched . He was obliged , ho-wever , to entrench himself , when within four miles of his destination , returning his stores , which he was not strong enough to protect , and a-waiting reinforcements . Allumbagh was now occupied by ahont 1 . 000 rneni The approaches are commanded by heavy guns , and the ground cleared and exposed in all directions to the distance of about five hundred yards ; " ¦ :
It is believed that there is no great reason to fdar for the safety of pur countrymen at this post '¦ ; arid it is hoped that long before tjie : present tinieGreatlied ' s flying column will have effected a junction with Ilayelock arid Outram . . : r Iri the rneanwhile , Colonel Grreathed and Brigadier Showers have : performed admirable services in hiiritmg down ; tI ) e ;' tugitiyea - - fr 6 m " ; : Delhi . ;; We reproduce from the Bombay Times a narrative of their achievements . The Colonel ' s ;¦ : colutnn consisted of 160 Q arifantryy and 500 cayalry , three troops of horse artillery ,-andeighteen , guns;— ¦
" It crossed over the river Jniimna , and took the directibn of Allyghuri a strong fort situated in -the inidst off swamps and marshes- ; ' - , ' . They halted at Grhazeeoodeentiggur on the 25 th of September , inarching on the 26 tlt to Secunderabad , where a vast amount of English property , amongst which' ladies' wearing apparei was conspicuous , -was found , and tlie place was burnt . : . ; .- . " * ' On the 27 th , they Overtook the ' eneriiyatBoluricl ^ ahuhur , where the Jhansi rebels , with a large mass of other insurgents , ; had taken up a strong position ^ wliic ; h they seemed . deterrniried to defend . . This position Was well selected ,, and their : guns and ¦ men carefully- concentrated . 7 : They were soon : silenced by our artillery , ^ he wrhble band being driven ' from their eritrerichments , arid immediately pursued by bur ' cavalry . Some of their tiorse formed a line to cover the retreat and receive the
attack of Watson ' s Irregulars , but were soon dispersed . The 9 th lancers made a Drilliaht charge , and , dashing down the street , where they suiffered considerably , drove the enemy through and beyond ; the town .: The : rebels appeared to select and single out the officers for attack . Lieutenant Blair was severely wounded in the shoulder , as were more slightly Lieutenants Sarel and jpries ; ' aii . d Captain Best , of the Irregular ; Cavalry . About a hundred of : the enemy were left dead upon the field ; Seven light guns , with shot , all of hammered irou , were captured , with tweuty-iWe boxes of powder , and large quantities of musket ammunition . The . erxemy are said to have lost one hundred and fifty . Our casualties of all kinds were under fiftyy there being six officers wounded . : ¦ . . ¦ ¦ ¦' :. '• ¦ ¦¦• ' - ¦ ¦¦• • ' ¦ ' ¦' . ' ¦ : ¦ ¦ / ' . .. ¦ , ¦ •¦ •; ' ¦•;¦ . ¦
" On the morning . ; 6 f the 29 th , the force marched oh Malaghur , which they found abandoned , and immediately prepared to blow ; up the tort . On this occasion ^ Lieutenant Home , of tlie Engineers , lost his life by the explosion of a miue , prematurely fired . It was he who , on the T 4 th of September , assisted Lieutenant Salkeld hi blowing" up the Cashmere Gate , under a storm of musketry fatal to almost every one within its reach . Thus far we are merely giving , for the sake of perspicuity , and in a corrected and amplified form , the tiding
forwarded by the last mail . Tlie column here remained for a couple of days , in command of four cross roads , by which the mutineers might be overtaken , in whatever direction they should appear . From this , the wounded officers and men , with all the camp followers that could be spared , were despatched for Meerut . On the 2 nd of October , the force was once more on their way . Tlie following day they reached Koorga , a distance of twelve miles . The enemy had becii there but two days before , but some eight or nine of tlieir number were taken and shot . -
"On the'ith of Ootober , they encamped at Soomlah , and on the 5 th reached Allyghur . This fort is situate in the midst of swamps and marshes , above fifty miles from Delhi , as from Agra . Our troops were opposed by some Mohammedan fanatics and the rabble of the town , by whom our adherent , Gobind Singh , and his followers had some time Sincebeen expelled . They were quickly dispersed on all sides , the cavalry cutting up about four hundred , and two 5-poundcr guns having fallen into our hands . Bourchier ' s battery , with the cavalry , European and native , took a circle ol ' . tho town ,
leaving the church on the lei ' t , and , scouring tho cornfiolda and gardens , pushed on by the Cawnporo road to tho eighty-soventh milestone from Delhi . Here they opened out for Bkirniiahing , and then swept back again , clearing tho villages and cutting down the enemy hid amongst the high crops of- millet and maize . There aro supposed to have been four hundred of the Gwalioi Contingent in tho neighbourhood , very few of whom Scaped . " On the 6 th , tho forco marched on to Akiirabad , another stronghold of fanaticism aud revolt , tho cavalry rapidly moving in advance , They -were uccompanied by
Mr . George Campbell , ascommissioner , ¦ and succeeded in killing two distinguished rebel chiefs , Mungul Singh and Mehtab Singh , with about a hundred of their follo \ yers . Four guns were found loaded ^ and pointed towards the entrance of the fort . These , with a large quantity of powder and grape-shot , were captured . Rumour now ran that the mutineers from various . quarters , cbiefly from Indore , had congregated at JDholpore , thirty-three miles from Agra , on the Gwalior road . On the 7 th , jt was ascertained that they were pushing on as hard as they could ^ . Mith the view ; of surprising the weakened garrison . The enerny , amounting to about 5000 disciplined troops , and about 10 , 000 of a . rabble , with three siege guns , ajid twelve or fifteen light field- pieces , had
meantime crossed the Kharra river , about twelve miles north of Agra ^ on the 9 th . of Octoher . : About nboa of that day , their , . advanced , guard was within four miles of the cantoaimentsj where they fired upon the militia cavalry sent out to . watch their movements- Greatled ' s column had at the same date reached Hattrass , on the western side of the river , and was pushing on the advancedguard ; of five hundred cavalry and two batteries pf artillery . They crossed the pontoon bridge a little after daybreakj arid . > Verie then , as it turned but , withiu five miles of the enemy . The enemy meanwhile were supposed to have disappeared . :
"Oh the morning ¦ .. of ; the ; 10 th , Greathed's movable column marched intothe cantonments of Agra , and the troops , wearied with along and fatiguing march , had just encamped , when they were unexpectedly attacked by tlie enemy as they were preparing to breakfast The rebels expected to have nothing niore than the feeble garrison : to deal with , and the adversaries on both sides were !¦ equally ¦ taken bysurprise . Four Ghazees ( Moiaminedaii fanatics ) , beating drums , now entered the cairip , aiid cut down an officer , : who was washing ,. and -a ' sergeant-major , who was ( asleep ., Their guns opened on our camp , while their cavalry charged oil our farik , before our men had tithe to seize their arms , rand succeeded in capturing one of our guns . Never was surprise
more complete , nor more rapidly : repelled : In five ' niinutes , our men were in their saddles , and , befoie the fifth shpt of the enemy had been fired , pur hdrse artillery were : replying . The ; Sikhs charged . first , followed by the 9 th Lancers in their shirts , when the infantry , consisting of her lilaj ^ sty's 8 th and 75 th , with the Sikhs , came into action , and ' our guiis opened fire . Lieutenant French was killed , Lieutenant Jones severelj * wounded when , theyj' ivitli nine , of the Lancers , attacked about fifty Seppys in possession of a gun , which was instjintly retaken . Colonel Cotton , > vho chanced to be on the ground at the time , as senior officer , instantly took command . A stout resistance was at first attempted ; but , oh tie approach of our gun ? , the hearts of our adversaries failed them . Rushing dcrvni the Gwalibr road , they dispersed themselves over the fields of millet ,-iwith which the countryis now covered ; Tlie Lancers and Sikh cavalry kept at their
heels , and cut them to pieces , while the horse artillery , always in advance , mowed them dbw'n with grape . Where the crops were too heavy for horse to penetrate , they were pursued by lier Majesty ' s 8 th arid 75 th Regimeiits , arid the 2 nd and 4 th Punjab Infantry . The worn-out men acquired strength from the excitement and the wearied horses sympathized with their riders . After a fierce contest of two hours , during which great havoc was occasioned by our artillery , the enemy were conipletely routed , and driven , ten miles along the road to Gwalibr , where they only escaped by being able to reach the river . Here a body of infantry , drawn up on the further bank to assist the fugitives , were cut to pieces by our guiiB . All their "baggage , camp equipage , and treasure , their guns ( thirteen in number ) , with ail enormous quantity of plunder , fell into our hands . They are said tohave left about two thousand dead on the
field , our casualties amounting to about eighty . Greathed ' s force , which had now been sixteen days almost incessantly on the march , during which they had fought two pitched battles , and four affairs of lesser mote , in which together about four thousand of the enemy must have fallen , found a brief breathing space in Agra . A portion of the fugitive insurgents made their way to Bluirtpore , where they were refused admittance , and ordered by the Rajah to lay down , their arms . On refu . sing to do so , . six or eight were killed on tlio spot , fourteen were taken prisoners , of whom six were liung at Agra . The rest of thorn escaped . At Muttra , Mynpoorie , and all the other forts and towns around , they were signally repelled .
u Careatlied ' a column once more took the field , and reached Mynpoorie on the 19 th , where a large body of the enemy were said to have assembled . On reaching the spot , after a forced march of twenty-two miles , they found tha place abandoned , tho Rnjnh having accoinpanniod the fugitives , his guns and about 20 , 000 / . worth of treasure being found in the fort . Brigadier Grant now took the place of Colonel Greathed , who was vcquired for other service . They Avero now pushing on towards Qudo , expecting to bo at Oawnpore by tho 27 th , and woul < l jtrobnbly reach LucUnow , largely reinforced , by the 3 . 0 th . A portion of the rebels round Agra had established themselves about tho 20 th on the further side of tho Kharra Nuildee , a further portion of them being at Futtehpore-Sikree , whither the 8 rd Bengal Europeans proceeded from Agra on tho 22 nd to meet
them . The main body of the Delhi fugitives , retiring south-westward , were believed .-to have turned off from he trunk-road about Canbuge , and to have crossed over into Oude . A portion of them had previously proceeded towards BaTeill y , and another had joined the Raees at ¦ Furruckabad . ' ' ' , '" ,, ¦¦ ¦ , ¦ ; ; : ; \ v ¦ , V : '¦ ¦" .:. : v ' ¦ ¦' ;¦ : ' ' : ' - Vl ¦ . ¦'¦'¦ ¦ ¦'¦ ' " Brigadier Showers's ysolumn , which left just after that of Golohei Gxeathed , proceeded to Kootub , and after sweeping the country rourid for a week , returned to Delhi on the 29 th . of September . It sUirted afresh on the 2 nd of October , and proceeded to Rewarree , which it found deserted . The chief , Rao Toolaram ,
nbtwithstanding his professions of friendship , had evacuated the fort , which was found armed with twelve guns and mortars , all in position on the ramparts ; ready loaded .. In the foundry were two new trass pieces , just turned out . These , t 6 gether with a quantity of military stores and ammunition , fell into our hands . The force on the 5 th of October wasatGoorgapn . Qn the 12 th , they reached Janffoo Sata , where the horsemen of . the Newab of Jhujjur , whohad crossed the ^^ river , were ^ disarmed without resistance ^ The chief himself , like his neighbours , nb / vr anxious to show his loyalty to the British Goyexnmenty was apprehending and making over to us all parties within his reach concerned in the rebelliori . " ' ;
The course of events at Cawnppre is thus described :- — V . '; : ' . ' ' -: - : ' . : r- /¦'¦ ¦ - ' : \ ' , ' :. V ' l '/ : ' ]' r ¦' '¦ " (' / "Between the 2 nd and 24 th of October , everything continued quiet within aiid around the town , the Commandant , Colonel ' .. WilsonrrT . on whom reinforcements of two or three hundred at a time were daily dropping ; ---attending to the wants of Lucknow , and watering the movements of the enemy iii the neighbourhood . About the 14 th , it was reported that the insurgents were mustering in force at Bhitooi . to the northward—the former residence of Nana ; Sahib , supposed not unlikely now to beat the head of them . Qa the 17 th , orders were issued for the detachment ,, for some tittle back ready to start formefcnow , to ihpye off immediately . At ten o'clock
the same evening , the order was cancelled , and at midnight a field battery , w ith six huridred-and-fifty bayoiiets , arid a few native horsemen , provided vvith fpux days' provisions , mpveel off as quietly as . possible fo > r IBhitoor ^ This was the native festival of the 3 > ewalee , or feast of lamps , when there is a general holiday and an unusual amount of festivity . They approached Bhit oor early in . the : morning , and after a shoTt rest moved oil about noon ¦ . Having rrtarched six miles , they leaned that the . enemy- occupied . a : grove of : trees , . half a mile In .. front , with , a £ ? and a 24-pourider giiri in position . The small force now deploy i 90 thj Syliich was in tlie rear , in commencirig to move biT the road ,. / were opened qri , by the enemy , the first shell
bursting in fron t of them , killing two and wounding two or ^ hree others . Our guns were now run up , but the range at first ; was too long , when they closed in , and after firing twenty or thirty rounds silenced the enemy , and our infantry charged and carried everything before them > The action lasted for an hour . We lost two killed , and had six severely wounded . The enemy probably lost aboiit one hundrecl , though this is matter of corijectur * . Great havoc might have been cornmitted on the fugitives , had cavalry been available , Tlieir guns were behind them , with two Waggons arid three country carts laden with ammunition . The 19 th was occupied iri
destroying Bhitoor . On the morning of the 20 th , the gallant and victorious little band returned to Cawnpore . On their way back , the village of Sheo-Rajpore was destroyed , and , in a house filled with straw , five of the rebels were discovered by the men of the ( 54 th probing the mass with their bayonets . They dashed out sword in hand , when they-were immediately despatched . Tvvo of the prisoners brouglit in were hanged ; one of"them was the bearer of letters from Nana Sahib to the people in and around Bhitoor , calling upon them , to provide ammunition and have supplies ready for his arrival , expected in the course of fifteen days . "
Further items of news are thus summarized loy tlie Indian papers : — "There lias been no further outbreak of mutiny or disaffection in the Bombay army , and the Presidency generally is as quiet as could bo expected under the circumstances The B heels in Kandeish are said to bo still restless , and it is reported that Mr . Chapman , C . S ., an < l Captain A . Graham ^ 4 th Native Infantry , have b « en wounded in some collision with them near Halligaunt . No authentic particulars of this affair , however , have been made public . " The INInlwu Field Toree , under Brigadier St \ iart , had a alight engagement with a body of rebels in front of Dbar on the 22 nd ult ., and drove them into the fort of that place , capturing srnvic of their guns . The latest jiccoxmts , diitcd tho 20 th ult ., mention that the fort wan being besieged .
" We have lmdn ' o second mil it hry execution nt Bombay , Two conspirators , one of them a Subnhdar of the lltli Native Infantry were sentenced to he hung , but they hatl their punishment ' commuted to transportation for life . This leniency , especially « s displayed towards u ringleader , andiu contrast with the severity exhibited in . the case of tho men who ivcro blown from guns on tho 16 th ult ,, has excited considerable dinaflectioa among t , h <» community . It ia feared that tho disaffected may mistake the motive of it . "
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 5, 1857, page 1157, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2220/page/5/
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