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We are now better able to understand the course of events in connexion with the Gwalior Contingent , the intelligence of which first startled the country in the middle of last week . It appear * , from deapatches published during the present week , that General Wlndham attacked the formidable force which was subsequently so roughly handled by Sir Colin Campbell . Windham had an encounter with the enemy on the 26 th of November , and defeated them ; but on the following day they rallied , and , as already tnown , forced the English General to retreat with immense loss , and burnc a large number of his
tents . A successful sortie was afterwards made by our men , when Brigadier Wilson , of the 54 th , fell . The Gwalior men made another attack on the 28 th of November , but were repulsed . Sir Colin Campbell ' s action was fought on the 6 th of December ; and a telegram received on Sunday says that " the whole of the enemy ' s artillery , ammunition , and baggage , fell into our hands . " This , however , is an exaggeration ; for , some day 3 later , General Hope Grant came up with the fugitive Gwalidr army ( still well appointed ) at Sernighaut , as they were beginning to cross the ghaut over the Ganges . At once attacking them with his cavalry
and artillery , he gained a victory , after half an hour ' s sharp fighting , and took ( according to adespatcli from Sir Colin Campbell to the Governor-General , dated December 10 th ) fifteen guns , consisting of one 18 » pounder , eight 9-pounders , three 12-pounder howitzers , two 4-pounder howitzers , and one 6-pounder ( native ) , with all the enemy ' s stores , carts , waggons , large quantities of ammunition , bullocks , hackeries , &c . General Gran * estimates the loss of the rebels at about one hundred . Our force did not lose a man in the action ; but the General was slightly wounded . "I congratulate your Lordship , " says Sir Colin , addressing . Lord Canning , " the happy finish of this particular campaign . "
In returning to Cawnpore , the Commander-in-Chief took with him , besides the poor beleaguered creatures he had saved , and the state prisoners , a large quantity of treasure , consisting of twenty-three lakhs of rupees and the King ' s jewels . He also carried away all the guns which were worth having . The ladies and children , and the sick and wounded , from Lucknow , to the number of about eight hundred , have arrived at Allahabad , and are probably by this time safe at Calcutta . Our troops have abandoned Lucknovr , but General Outram remains with a division at Alumbagh .
The Oude insurgents have moved southward , nnd compelled our allies , the Ghoorkas , to retire from the Azimghur and Taunpoun stations , which are respectively about one hundred and one hundred and fifty miles from Lucknow . All Europeans on the march upward have been ordered to halt at Benares , till the arrival of Colonel Franks to take command . Bohilcund , Agra , and Delhi , seem , according to the cautious wording of the telegram sent by Lord Lyons , to be tolerably quiet . We further read : —
" A petty insurrection at Kolaporo on the 6 th of December was suppressed in three hours by the promptitude and decision of the Commissioner , Colonel Legrand Jacob . A rising to resist the enforcement of the Disarming Act having taken place in the Southern Mahratta country , the insurgents , about 1000 strong , were attacked and defeated by Colonel Korr , of tlio Southern Mahratta Horse , near Kullidgeo , on the 80 th of November , and the country has since been tranq \ iil . The Bengal 84 th and 78 rd have mutinied at Challigatory and Dacca , thua extinguishing tho Bengal army . The 48 rd and 70 th , which had boon disarmed , are to bo sent to China , Two regiments of Holkar ' s Regular Infantry Were disarmed at Indoro on tho arrival of tho Mhow column ; they , like tho regular cavalry , having been conspicuous in tho attack on tho Kcsldcncy on tho 1 st July .
" Sir R . Hamilton assumed charge of hia functions on tho Kith . Sir John Lawrcnco reports tho Punjab qulot enough to permit tho railway survoy to bo proceeded With . Tho steamer Groat Britain ^ with 1000 cavalry , consisting of tho 8 th Hussars and 17 th Lancers , arrived [ at Alexandria ] yestorday [ Junitary Ord ] . A wing of the 72 nd Highlanders , arrived per steamer Scotia , now forme part of tho Bombay garrison . " Further intelligence ia thua conyoyod i » othor ' ~^ OfflcIartoie ^ rlmir : ' -= ^~" "' " ' ""*" " Tho Jiiunporo frontier having boon throatenod by a largo body of rebels , Colonel Longden foil back on Jaunporo . Ho was hnmodiatoly reinforced by European troops . This had a groat ottoct ; and up to tho . 8 th of Docombor all was quiet on tho frontier . Colonol Franks bos boon appointed to command tho troops there . " Tho Rowah troopa have- twico defeated tho Myhoro robolu , capturing tho forts of Kunuhvnporo and Zonih . " Mouldnoro wan attacked by robolg on th . 0 8 th . of
November . The Contingent behaved badly , and then officers were forced to escape . The rebels captured al the gans and plundered the cantonment . They were however , pursued by a portion of the Hyderabad Contingent Cavalry , under Major Orr , and on the 12 th of November were cut up , after an obstinate figtot , leaving i hundred dead on the field . All the guns and plundei were retaken . : " Colonel Durand , with the column from Mhow , advanced on Mundesore on the 23 rd of November . The rebels were attacked and defeated with heavy loss . Five of their guns were captured . Neemuch , which was threatened by these men , has thus been relieved , and the remnant of tha insurgents , who still hold the fort of Mundesore , are much dispirited . Killed s Lieutenant Redmayne , her Majesty ' s 14 th Dragoons . Wounded Lieutenants James , Martin , and Prendergast . " The detachment of the 34 th Native Infantry [ at Chittagong ] mutinied on the 18 th of November , released the prisoners , and plundered the treasury . They have fled towards Sylhet . No lives have been lost . On hearing of the Chittagong- mutiny , it was determined to disarm the three companies of the 73 rd Native Infantry stationed at Dacca . They resisted , but were overpowered , and fled towards Jelpigorie , the head-quarters of their regiment , leaving sixty killed . Three sailors were killed . A detachment of the 73 rd Native Infantry , with fifty Ghoorkas and eighty Irregular Cavalry , have marched to intercept the mutineers from Dacca . The troopers fled during the night , but were fired upon by the rest of the party . The Europeans from Barjeelhing (?) , with three guns , have been sent to Jelpigorie . Europeans have also been sent from Calcutta to Chitta ^ gong and Dacca . "Two thousand seven hundred and four men from England have arrived since the last mail . " The Bheels in Candeish are still in rebellion ; but no great success has been reported . An armed band has attacked a place called Peinth in one of the telegrams , and plundered the Treasury . Surat troops have been sent for from Madras and Bombay , and police from Taimal and Nassick , to restore order . The rising of Berunds was entirely crushed after a body of them had been severely chastised at Hulfullee . All is quiet in the Punjab , Scinde , the Nizam ' s country , and Madras . Jung Bahadoor is said to have passed Segowlie with 9000 men . He has gone to Gorruckpore , to help Sir Colin Campbell . It was he who visited England . in 185 O ; and . it will be recollected that he offered assistance to Lord Canning in the early days of the revolt—an offer which was refused , and almost immediately afterwards begged for . An alarming statement is published in the Daily News of yesterday , where we read : — " A report has reached us—we regret to add , from a reliable source—that , as soon as Maun Sing ' s adhesion to the insurgent cause in Oude became known , all the small Talookdaw , who had hitherto stood aloof , hastened to make the best terms they could for themselves with tho rebels . It is stated that , with a view to make their accession the more acceptable , such of them as had previously concealed and protected European fugitives , delivered them up to the euemy , and that all our unfortunate countrymen and countrywomen thus surrendered have been butchered . " The events at Dacca have been signalized by the accustomed bravery and promptitude on the part of our countrymen : — 11 When , " writes the Times , " the defection of the two companies at Dacca reached the ears of Colonel Sherer , tho officer in command at Jelpigorlo , he at once decided on his course . Calling out the regiment , ho boldly announced the mutiny of the detachment , struck its insurgent companies off tho roll of tho corps , distributed the promotions among tho rest , and actually marched them out to meet tlioir traitorous comrades at tho point of tho bayonet . That tho regiment was fascinated by tho resolution of its commander , that it answered his call , and followed him to the encounter , aro known ; but for tho result wo have yet to wait . " TU > : OrEUATIONS AGAINST THE OWAUOtt CONTINGENT . Tho lamentable errors of General Windham , and the mustorly operations by which Sir Colin Campbell retrieved our disasters at Cawnpore , are thus related by the Calcutta correspondent of tho Daily Newa i" Cawnporo had been left under tho command of Gonoral Whulham , tho hero of tho Redan . Ho had with him about 8000 men , consisting of portions of tho 84 th , 01 th , 82 nd , and 88 tin Regiments , besides artillery . It ia said that his ordora from Sir Colin were on no account to risk an engagement . Howover that may bo , he heard on _ tli < j-20 tU-that-tUc-G . walior ^ orebol&-wove-advftuolns-on ' Cawnporo . On tho 25 th , information reached him that the advanced guard had arrived at Pandoo Nuddy , about eight miles from Cawnporo . Those wero not tho Gwalior troops : thoy woro Koor Singh ' s rubble , who , having been boaton out of Uohar in August by Vincent Kyro , had aiuco joined tho Gwalior dleciplinod troops , and Had come on as tlioir advanced guard , Windham , thinking thoy woro tho Gwalior troops , wont out on the 20 th to attack them , and , after a contest of an hour and a half's duration , boat thorn . Ho thought , most probably , that ¦
: r this defeat must bo disorganize the rebels that tliej L would make no more head against us . At all events , all , accounts agree in stating that no precautions whatever - j were taken against surprise , that our standing camp re-: mained as though we were in a peaceful cantonment , i and that no attack was anticipated for . a moment . Bnl r the Gwalior men were rather enraged than discomfited . They had sent forward Koor Singh ' s rabble as a ' feeler / - both to deceive Windham and to mask their own movements . They were very nearly being successful . Finds ing from Windham ' s attack on Koor Singh that i he was prepared to expect them on the east side of i Cawnpore , they moved rapidly on to the Delhi road , ' making a circuit , and then , on the morning of the 27 th , marched on the station from the westward . Instead , however , of attacking with promptitude , they contented themselves with assuming a threatening attitude at Nawabgunge , a suburb two miles distant from Windham ' s standing camp . This enabled the latter to make preparations . He ordered out the troops , and , inarching at the head of more European troops than the lamented Havelock had ever had under his command , went down confident of success to attack the rebels . Our troopa , accustomed to be led to victory , went on . with their usual dash , the 64 th , one of Havelock's victorious regiments , leading . They charged a battery in the left centre of the enemy ' s line , and . gained it , the enemy yielding to them at every step- By advancing the other regiments to support the 64 tb , the victory would have been assured ; but they were left alone , and the enemy closing on them with their left wing , they suffered very severely ; they were compelled to abandon the guns they had gained . The want of a general was evervwhere conspicuous ; confusion reigned ou all sides ; no distinct orders were issued , and our troops had to bsat a hasty , it may be called a disgraceful , retreat into the entrenchments , leaving standing camp , stores , camp equipage , and the entire station of Cawnpore to the west of the canal in the hands of the enemy . Our loss was proportionately heavy , and several of our men , and even some officers , fell alive into the hands of the enemy . It is stated in private letters that one of these was forthwith , hanged , a second beaten to death with shoes , and a third , tied to a cart-wheel , which in a few successive revolutions crushed him to death . Our camp and stores they burned , and that same evening advancing close to our entrenchment they took possession of and burned the whole of the cold-weather clothing for our men , which had been stored up at Cawnpore . On the following day , the rebels attacked the entrenchment , commencing 1 with a very heavy cannonade from the right and left of their line . Windham attempted a sortie , in which , after some hard fighting-, the Rifles managed to capture two guns , but our right were driven back with much loss . It was the sound of the firing on this day which reached the ears of Sir Colin Campbell : a messenger at the same time arrived with accounts of the critical state of Windham ' s party . Had the rebels at this time cut the bridge of boats , which affords the only means of communication with Oude , Sir Colin would have found it a difficult matter to cross the Ganges ; but the rebels not expecting his return , and making sure of Windham ' s force , were probably anxious to avail themselves of the bridge of boats to crush Sir Colin Campbell . At all events , they let it remain , and by so doing were lost . The movements of the favourite lieutenant of Sir Charles Napier were too prompt for them . With his artillery and cavalry , he marched thirty-eight miles in fifteen hours , crossed the Ganges by the bridge of boats on the night of the 28 th , on tho next day fell upon tho rebels , drove them back , in a way which made the troopa feel that they once more had a General at their head , into tho town , and then returned to escort the ladies and wounded across the river . Although harassed in this operation by tlio rebels , who poured in a desultory fire from tho town , and threatened on tho left bank by the Oude insurgents , ho in tho space of two days successfully effected this very delicate operation . He did not at once attack the enemy . Commanding from tho entrenchment tho head of the road to Allahabad , he made arrangements for a safe escort for tho ladies , sick , and wounded , as far as that station , remaining meanwhile on the defensive . On the morning of tho 0 th , tho last wounded man having left the entrenohment , he turned hie attention to tho rebels , and at cloven o ' clock moved out to attack them . No details of tho action have yot boon received in Calcutta ; but it is known that the enemy woro totally and completely defeated . " The Bitmo writer adds : — 41 With respect to Gonoral Winduam ' a conduct on tho 27 th and 28 th , ovory account rocelved from the camp expresses but one opinion . By some it Is said that ho has boon placed under arrest for fighting contrary to tho express ordors of his Chief ; by others , that , disgusted -witl » -tho ^ Bontlmeat 9- © xpre 8 aedwby ~ Slr-.-OoHn ,- ^ -ho-Ufta-- ^ thrown up hia appointment on the staff of tho Indian army . But both theao statements should bo rocoivod n with caution . Thoy may or may not bo truo ; but tula foot ia certain , that Sir Colin found tho camp on tho 28 th in- » atato of utter disorganization , and discipline ! almost at an end . Ho quickly restore *! both order and confldunfl * . As for tho Chief himself , ovory ono pronounces him a nolblo old man , and a glorious ooldior , By tho nromptltudo of hia movements ho has aavod both Luoknow ana Cawnporo , and everywhere vindicated our
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No . 408 , January 16 , 1858 . ] T H E I , E A D E B . & 1
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THE INDIAN REVOLT . —?¦
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 16, 1858, page 52, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2226/page/3/
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