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— ¦ ifrm intelligence from the insurgent districts again arames somewhat of its former character , and ex-» Eea a degree of interest which the telegrams imperfectly satisfy . A new chapter of the insurrection is by rtdTtime opened j for , according to the last accounts , SiT Colin Campbell was before Lucknow , and we mav therefore expect to hear by the next advices that •^ important blow has been struck against the strongbold of the Oudean rebels . The Commander-in-Cbief reached the Alumbagh on the 1 st or 2 nd of March , and pushed on a strong force to the garden flfthe Dilkhoosha , which is only a mile from the Mtr On the 5 tli > ne was at BeedeecoU - He had re " ceived his siege trains from Agra on the 23 rd of February , and had subsequently learnt that Stewart ' s , Orr's , and Whitelocke ' s columns were on the road tovsrds Jhansi . This induced Sir Colin to make the adrance on Lucknow ; and , at about the same time , General Franks , with a column of about four thousand men , joined the main force from Ocdabad . Previousl y to the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief at the Alumbagh—viz ., on the 21 st and 25 th of February—Sir James Outram was attacked by a large force of the enemy . The first of these assaults appears to have been made with desperate vigour . Two sides of Sir James ' s position were flanked , and a leavy column came down in front . The English General , however , had received intelligence of the attack from spies , and took the best precautions against it . "He moved out on the approach of the enemy , " says the Foreign-office telegram ; " cut off both their flanks ; took two guns , and forced them to retreat . His loss altogether was trifling—viz ., twenty-one wounded . " It would appear that not one of our men was killed . The attack on the 25 th of February was repulsed with the loss to the enemy of three guns . On both occasions , the insurgents lost a great many men .
The Goomtee was . crossed by Sir James Outram an the 6 th of March . The General then took up a position within range on the eastern side of Lucknow , nearly opposite to that of Sir Colin Campbell . He was immediately attacked , but the enemy were defeated by Sir Colin , who marched upon them , from Chanda , finding-, apparently , that his subordinate vista in some danger . Outram ' s force is set down at fiix thousand men and thirty guns . With respect to the general amount of our force before Lucknow , various accounts are put forth . In one of the telegrams it is stated at 50 , 000 " men" ( qy . infantry ?) , with 10 , 000 cavalry and 120 guns . The Calcutta correspondent of the Times , however , gives a different account . He states ( writing on the 22 nd of February , previous to Sir Colin Campbell ' s advance ) : — " After leaving a garrison at Futtehghttr , and strong parties to watch different points of the river , Sir Colin may still have with him sixteen regiments of European infantry , three regiments of European cavalry , 3000 fiifch horse , eighty siege guns , eighty first-class field pieces , and perhaps fifty guns of smaller calibre . His supplies of ammunition are on the Sebastopol scale , and regularly increased from the depots at Agra , Allahabad , and Calcutta . Unfortunately , the sixteen regiments cannot be estimated at more than 8000 men , reducing th » whole European force to leas than 10 , 000 . " [ This account , the writer afterwards states , is exclusive of the forces under Colonel Franks , Sir James Outram , and Jong Bahadoor . ] " It was expected in camp that all ironld be across , carts and men , by the 18 th inst . They have a march of forty-eight miles to reach Lucknow , Which will occupy the ammunition carts , the slowest portion of the cavalcade , two days at least . Two days uoro must be spent in raising the batteries and in gonoral preparations for the assault . Tho chief is cautious almost to tardiness , and I shall be surprised if fire Opens much beforo to-morrow , the 28 rd ( of Fobruary ) . I give you a calculation current in Cawnporo ; but I am bound to tell you tho officials hore expect the cannonade to begin on tho 20 th inst . " A telegram from Malta , published in the Times , says that tho general attack was . expected to begin about the 10 th of March . The opposing force has been calculated at 200 , 000 men ; but this may be an exaggeration . The enemy continued , at the last dates , within tho city Tho welcome announcement is made that tho English ladies , who had been imprisoned With , the Queen , are alive and have been woll treated . ITroin various other telegrams we dorivo tho following additional facts : — " Brigadier Campbell has placed a strong brigade and patxols as far as tho old roud from Cawnporo . In tho attack on Dilkhoosha , Colonel Littlo was wounded ; and , iriiurwpEgombnT whicl ^^ enemy just beforo ho effected a junction with tho Comiflandor-in-Chiora force , Major Percy Keith , of tho 2 nd Dragoons , was killed , and Lloutonant lanes , of tho Engineers , wounded . * ' Tho enemy [ jit Lucknow ] has erected a strong lino of defence along tho canal , which will require siogo artillery , Tho casualties from tbo flrd to tho Gth of Match incluaivo -wore two ollicora and uino mun killed ,
and 323 men wounded . The enemy is alarmed , but likely to fight . One party is anxious to treat . The green flag has been hoisted by a fanatic , who proclaims a religious war . The rebels have attacked the friendly Rajah of Chodaree , whose troops mutinied . They captured hi guns , and retired to Calpee on the 21 st of February . " Franks ' s column has had a decisive action . It marched on the 29 th of February , in adrance of Budlapore , and encountered the enemy near Shandina . Brigadier Franks prevented a junction between the two insurgent corps—the first under Mahomet Dnssein , and the second under a disaffected Chuckladera ; the former had 21 , 000 men and 21 guns ; the latter 8000 men and 8 guns . He out-manoeuvred them , and beat them separately , killing and wounding 2800 , and taking all their guns .
" The rebel corps of Mahomet Dussein had taken up a strongly entrenched position on the north of Kadshagunger , eight miles from Shanda . Brigadier Franks outflanked , them and forced them to retire , with a loss of eight guns . Three miles further he halted , when the second corps of rebels attacked him ; he was again victorious , and all obstacles on hi 3 march to Lucknow were removed- At the same time , Brigadier Hope Grant marched from Oonas to Futtehpore Chowrassie , the old haunt of Nana Sahib , blew it up , took four guns , and killed 1800 men , with casualties amounting to seventeen or eighteen . On February 23 rd , he attacked Meangunge , a fortified town in Oude . After a breach hod been effected , the place was stormed by her Majesty ' s 53 rd Regiment . The rebels lost 500 killed , and four guns . Our casualties were eighteen , two officers not named being- among the wounded . " Jung- Bahadoor crossed the Goomtee at Sultanpore on the 3 rd of March ; small-pox had broken out in the Ghoorka camp . " A large force of rebels crossed in Ghorackpore on February 5 th . They were attacked by Colonel Rowcroft , and pursued for seven miles . The enemy ' s loss was great , and eight guns were token . Orr * s column has advanced past Bentka , twenty miles north-east of Saugor , on the road from Shaghur to Petoria , having had some skirmishes with rebels . Brigadier Stewart was at Bhauri , near Goona . The fort of Rhotos had been taken and occupied . The force under Sir .. Hugh Rose occupied the Fort of Barodia on March 1 , and repulsed an attempt made by the enemy on the fort during 1 the night of the 3 rd of March . Sir Hugh Rose forced the passage of Mudinpore m route to Jhansi . " The report that the ex-King of Delhi had been convicted and sentenced to transportation for life was erroneous . His trial is not yet completed . General Roberta's force is at Nusseerabad , on its way to Kotah . Some disturbances are reported in the southern Mahratta country , in Sawunt Waree , and Malabar . The , Punjab is perfectly quiet , and sending assistance where wanted . The insurgent Bessayees have taken refuge in the Canara districts of the Madras Presidency . A movement was made against them by a force under Colonel M'Clean on the 3 rd of March ; but they evacuated a strong position which they had chosen , and are now with their followers dispersed through the Canara jungles . Operations against the Bheels are in progress . Nana Sahib was still in Onde at the lost dates . " Chamberlain ' s force under Brigadier Penny crossed the Ganges to Rohilcund on the 17 th , and encountered the rebels on the 24 th of February . Major Coke goes with a force of Punjab regiments to watch the upper part of the Doab . Sir John Lawrence and General Van Cortlandt reached Delhi on the 24 th . From Bajpootana wo have cheering news . The dates from Nusseerabad are to the 27 th of February . General Roberta ' s brigade was ready to march with a strong body of infantry , the 8 th Hussars , 200 Scinde horse , 800 regular cavalry , two troopa of Horse Artillery field batteries , besides eighteen siege guns , the General only waiting the arrival of tho 72 nd Highlanders , due at Nusseerabad on the 8 th of March , to start for Kotab , where the enemy muster 8000 men , with 100 guns . Probably only twenty are of use in tho field . " The Mokdurad Pass , in , tho hands of the rebels , may have to be forced . In Kandeish there is nothing new . In the South Mauratta country , the old rebellion of the Jffawunt Norio Chief has been renewed , and an attempt to pursue tho main body from Belganm was defeated by tho thickness of the jungles in which tho onemy had taken refuge . 41 Tho 92 nd Highlanders have arrived at Bombay . "
JRUMOOllS AND JFACT 8 . In tho latest letter of the Times Calcutta correspondent we read : — " It is tho universal opinion of tho officials that tho garrison [ of Lucknow ] will not light ; that they are in despair , quarrelling among hemsolvos , anxious to accept any terms , and ready to slink away to hide in thoir own homos . S . u . i i . the view expressed also by Sir James Outram , whoso position at tho Alumbagh giwrhinrthTsrmxssnro can bo known to any European , and such scorns to bo tho secret belief oven of tho chief . Colonel Franks and Jung Bahadoor aro both advancing at a foot ' s pace , evidently under orders to cut off * escaping mutineers , rathor than instantly reinforce tho chief . Jung Bahadoor , with 0000 mon , hns only just crossed tho Gogra , and complains that Qovormnont vacillntes between lighting and treating . Colonel Franks , with her
Majesty ' s 10 th , 20 th , and 97 th , and six Ghoorka regiments , or 5500 men in all , 2500 of -whom are Europeans , has only advanced to Sultanpore , and waits apparently for final orders . Meanwhile , some project to detach the landowners from the mutineers is discussed at Allahabad . I am assured that a proclamation will t > e speedily issaed , promising life , perhaps estates , to all who lay down their arms before a certain day . Some great exceptions will be made , among whom , I believe , is' Maun Singh . The blood of Neill , - which rests on his head , weighs him down in the scale . I fear I shall nave caused much premature delight to individuals by my statement of last mail , but the error was not mine . Mr . Osborne , opium agent at Bustee , Goruckpore , reported the safety of the families named , saying Mrs . Donon and her children had arrived in safety at his house , and the remainder were on the road . They were not , and by last accounts are still in Lucknow alive , but closely imprisoned . Messages have been received from Mrs . Orr , saying she hoped to get out , but the difficulty was to save her and her child together . . ' . " There are still very large bodies of insurgents in different places . Even in Behar , it was not till the 18 th of February that Colonel Mitchell seized Rhotasghttr , driving out Umur Singh , with the remnant of Koer Singh ' s old force . These men have been marauding now for six months unopposed , until , emboldened by impurafy " , they approached the Grand Trunk Road , cut the telegraph , became inconvenient , and were smashed . The Gwalior mutineers were till the 4 th inst . still at Calpee with the remnant of the Dinapore men . They had lost their guns and most of their men , but were still 4000 resolute men . They were watched by Captain Thomson and some Sikh Sowars , but on the 3 rd of February a wing of the 88 th arrived to his support . The mutineers advanced to attack , and were met by General Inglis with bis 88 th . They ¦ were driven back , but retired fighting step by step for four hours , and their skirmishers succeeded in covering their retreat across the river . Some eighty -were found dead , while General Inglis had only three men wounded , and Captain Thomson shot through the thigh , —a small loss , considering that the enemy stood . . . " Sir Robert Hamilton is quieting the Sangor territory fast . Like Sir John Lawrence , Montgomery , Edwardes , Nicholson , and , in fact , all the successful men of the mutiny , he has little reverence for the lives of mutineers . He hung two hundred men active in the murder of the Bartons over the gate of Batghur as a warning of the sanctity of European life . .... " The trial of the Wing of Delhi certainly proves three things : —First . The revolt was instigated by the Shah of Persia , who promised money and troops . His proclamation to that effect was posted over the Mosque gate , and was taken down by order of Sir Theophilus Metcalfe , who moreover was warned by John Everett , a Christian Rissildar , very popular with the natives , that he had been warned to fly , as the Persians were coming , and that the Mussulmans were exceedingly excited . Sir Theophilua thought the matter one of no > importance . —Second . A paper was produced addressed to Mr . Colvin by Mahomed Dervish , revealing the whole plot six weeks before it broke out . Mr . Colvin treated the warning as unimportant , and never even reported it to Governments—Third . The murders of the Europeans in DeEM were committed by order of the King , in the presence of the royal family , ; and by means of the Kbaasburdaro r bia special personal guard . " The same writer speaks of having seen a letter from Sir John Lawrence , in which he says that the danger in the Punjab is passing , but that even now . there are only 64 , 000 Europeans in that locality . The sons of Dost Mahomed are said to hwve tried to induce their father to make a descent on Peshawur , for the sake of regaining their ancient province ; but the Ameer discountenanced the enterprise , and took measures to prevent it . An- act of great audacity has been committed within the very hearing of the Governor-General . One day , a satate of cannon was heard at Lord Canning ' s tent near Allahabad , and information was soon brought that a neighbouring chief had proclaimed his independence , and had fired a salute in his own honour . The Governor-General , it is stated , haa not a man to spare for the chastisement of this insolence . In the early days of the rebellion , the old landholders succeeded in wresting their former estates from the bankers who had purchased them ; but a measure has just passed , restoring them to the latter
possessors . THE ! WRITXNCr ON THE WAU-. The first of Mr . Bussell ' s special letters from India to the Times was lost in tho Ava ; but the second makes its appearance in Monday ' s paper . It ia marked with all tho old Crimean dash' and vivid power , and contains , moreover , some facts of interest . Thus Mr . Russell describes the scene of the mas-8 acre-at"Gawnpore , ~ lettingr » in ,-afc-tho-0 ame-time , _ a rather startling light on tho celebrated writing on tho wall appoaling to tho soldiers for vengeance : — - " Wo walked ovor to inspect tho sito of tho horrid butchery which hns rondorod tho Sepoy mutiny infamoua for ovor . The house in which it took place ia now in ruina \ it was pulled down to clear tlio ground for tho guns of tho ttito do jpont across tho Ganges , and the very outUao of tho walla ia scarcely traceable . It
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No . 419 , Aprel 3 , 1858 . ] THE LEADER , 316
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THE INDIAN REVOLT .
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Leader (1850-1860), April 3, 1858, page 315, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2237/page/3/
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