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ere in high glee at this . Sugar and salt were strewed wut in abundance , and the resemblance between them as so great that many got sucked in with the latter , ur commissariat suffered much from captures by the lerny , at a time , too , when we could ill spare it . birty-eight carts , with tea , sugar , arrack , and medical mforts , were taken from the 2 nd Brigade . "
THE AFFAIR AT K . OONCH . A . letter from India gives a painfully interesting : count of the incidents attending the battle of oonch : — " Koonch , in Jaloun , -was attacked by Sir Hugh Rose i the 7 th of May . The enemy had taken up a posi-3 ii on the Koonch road , and had a battery and twelve ins on it . The 2 nd brigade , under Brigadier Stuart , the 14 th Dragoons , attacked in that direction . Orr , the Hj'derabad Contingent , attacked from the Ait ad , and the General with the 1 st brigade circled round the left towards the Neddygaon road , thus making flank movement , and turning the enemy ' s batteries id defences . The General then advanced the 1 st l >
riide towards the town on the side of the old fort , and ere was a mutual cannonading . The General now » t knocked down by the sun , and was obliged to lie > vm under a tree , and have cold cloths and water apied to his head . This caused a delay of about twelve mrs . When he got a little strong , he at once mounted s horse , and putting himself at the head of the 1 st Lriide , led it against the town , took the old fort , which mnianded the whole of the enemy ' s position , and soon iidered it untenable . . " Tlie General was a second time floored by the sun ,
d-would have fallen from his horse had he not been ted off . "Water , &c . was again applied . Iathemeanne , the Hyderabad Contingent had also attacked a . rden , and two companies carried to the light of the id brigade ; but , as they were not supported , they ; re obliged to fall ba « k . In about twenty minutes , e General again got better , and sent off an order to rigadier Stuart to attack , and the General made wight through the town to take the * enemy in rear . ere he had a third , sun-stroke . The Dragoons made eir first charge and killed seventy mutineers of the jralior Contingent , 32 nd , 12 th , 52 nd , * and other regi-¦
ents . . . . ' . - " There -was some delay in Brigadier Stuart ' s ad-Liicing ; consequently , when he got into the enemy ' s sition , every man had bolted . The General , recoverg a little again , got on his horse , and hearing that the irsuit was slack started off at gallop , collected some > rse and set off in pursuit . Four hundred Sepoys were lied , and nine guns and much ammunition taken . The rce did not get back to camp till nine p . m ., liaving been it since ten of the previous night . Thirteen Europeans opped down dead from sun-stroke , and many others e suffering from it . Including these thirteen , we lost out twenty-five killed . The General showed g reat uck and much skill . "
SUICIDE OF THE ItAJAH OF SHOBATORE . The Rajah of Shorapore committed suicide on the Uh of May . The subjoined particulars are given the Bombay Times : — " The Rajah , a young man of twenty-three , had been ied for levying war against the British Government , e was sentenced to transportation for life , and at four m . on the 11 th was sent from Secunderabad , under an cort of eighty non-commissioned rank and file of the h , 10 th , and 49 th Madras Native Infantry , comanded by Lieutenant Pictet . His destination was
bingleput , where he was to remain until transported to me penal settlement . The Rajah ' s hands and legs ere ironed . On arrival at Umbarrapett , twelve miles on Secunderabad , ho was unhandcuffed , in order that 3 might take his breakfast , the leg-irons still being 3 pt- He was then placed in a dooly , and the dooly as put inside a two-poled tent , double sentinels , facing wards on each side of the dooly , inside the tent , being j ated . At eleven a . m . the report of fire-arms was jard , and on Lieutenant Pictet arriving at the tent he und the Rajah in the agonies of death . The unfortuite man expired in about ten minutes afterwards . The
> rpso was back to Secunderabad , and , as soon ) it reached there , an inquest was held on it in the ospitnl of her Majesty ' s 1 st lioyals . From the evidence ion given , it appears that , when tho handcuffs were iken off the Kiijah by tho officer commanding tho icort , the latter at the same time divested himself of is "belt , to which was attached a revolver . The reaver was laid on the dooly pole , and given in charge ftho sentries , who wore told to tnkc care of it until his
Lieutenant Pictct ' s ) tent arrived . Up to this point , voiding to our correspondents , all ia dour ; but now rnieH tho mysterious part of this tragical occurrence , fas the Kiijah allowed by the sentries to obtain posseson of the revolver ? Kit one an yet knows . Tho two sntrios arc , it seems , MiissiuiimiiH , and bulong to the Oth Native Madras Infantry . Tlioy are prisoners , and a investigation is going on . Thu Unjah shot himself i tho stomacli , and tho ball passed right through tho ody nnd one of tho lower curtains of tho tout . "
MOVEMBNTS OP NANA 8 AUIIJ . Tho Bombay Telegraph and Courier makes some tatoments und remarks with respect to tho
movements of Nan a Sahib , which show how dangerous an enemy we have yet to deal with . We read : — " Amid all the surprises , captures , and successful attacks made by our troops , the INana Sahib still manages to preserve his liberty . A lakh , of rupees has been set upon his head , yet native cupidity has remained unassailable . He has now , we are told , managed to escape the 'flying columns' ofOude , and , it is said , is on his way to the Deccan . Should such be the case , he might manage to do a good deal of mischief ; and we can only hope that the Poonah people -will be upon their guard . Two squadrons of the 17 th Lnncers , two companies of the 18 th Koyal Irish , and one company of Natives , are to leave the Deccan capital for Jaulna in a few davs .
The cause of this movement has not transpired . It is a small force , and , without artillery , can effect but little good in the way of fighting-. The authorities may , however , know where game is to be found , and intend to lay their hands upon it quietly . It is just possible that Jaulna is not the destination of this flying detachment at all , as we cannot perceive what such a small force can be required for in that direction . The name of the field officer who is to command this little brigade has not transpired , and we understand a good deal of mystery is attached to the whole affair . It would not at all surprise us to hear that Government had received intelligence of the -flight of the Nana Sahib , and that
this column was about to be despatched to intercept him on the frontier . "We have always been of opinion that he would ultimately shape his flight in the direction of the Mnhratta capital . It was the home of the family which-he by adoption represents , his friends and relations are numerous in the place , and if he could only once hoist his flag from the palace of the Peishwas , even M'ere it not allowed to flutter in the breeze for an hour , its moral effect would be tremendous . Greater vigilance is required at the present time in Poonah than during any previous period of the crisis . The emissaries of the Nana Sahib are to be found in every Deccan village .
Maharastra is filled with them : and their reDresentations Maharastra is filled with them ; and their representations are as specious as they are fal- e . The Sawunt brothers are not the most dangerous malcontents in the southern Mahratta country . It is the chiefs who ought to be watched ; and the travelling " Brahmins of Poonah and Sattara . At the latter place , the snake is scotched , not killed ; and although the decision and vigilance of Rose have managed to keep down disaffection with a strong hand , yet the dying embers might still be blown into a flame . Our perils are not past . "
sir colin Campbell ' s advance osj bareuvlt . Mr . Russell has sufficiently recovered from his late attack of sun-stroke to enable liipi to resume his letters to the Times . Some of these appear in Tuesday ' s and Wednesday ' s papers , and one contains the following lively account of the advance on Bareilly : — " The first shot as we apprcached tlie stream which crosses tho road was fired by the enemy from a rude breastwork thrown up about half a mile in front of the bridge , but a few shot returned from our batteries speedily drove them back fiom this advanced position , and they fell back from the bridge itself , where they made some show of a stand , towards the deserted and
half ruinous buildings which formerly were the lines of our force at Bareilly . It is difficult to say why the enemy did not make some preparation to resist the passage of the stream , which , though fordable everywhere , had Btcep high bank ? , offering considerable obstacles for infantry , and still more for cavalry . Still more singular , perhaps , was it , that they did not impede our advance by breaking down the bridge . As the column advanced skirmishers full in and retired on the flanks , and the leading regiments deployed into line . Littlo could be seen of the position of the enemy , as they were screened by the ruined cantonments and lines , but their cavalry showed now and then through the trees in considerable numbers on both flanks . Suddenly a gun was
opened upon Tombs s troop on our left in such good range that tho first four shots all took effect ; but our gtins , soon unlimbcring , very speedily silenced this piece , as well ns some others with which the enemy nought to annoy our cavalry on the left . Advancing still without meeting with any opposition from the enemy's infantry , we approached our old cantonments , our artillery now niul then searching their front -with its fire . The enemy replied with occasional shots from th « ir small pieces , which did no execution ; but their cavalry exhibited increased activity , and n strong body , with thrco horsed guns attached , caino out from the enclosure and menaced our left and bnginigo with distant demonstrations . On
our front dud right , also , such bodies of the enemy ' s horse enmu out from time to time as proved they had more thim 2500 . sabres in the field . In the absence of nny definite ) information respecting tho utrcngth of tho enemy ' s infantry , or tho position they occupied , or even tho locality itself , the Comniuiulor-in-Chiuf wai naturally aver-so to engage hid choice troopo in any precipitate ) attack upon tho town ; indeed , so little did lie know of thu position of tho place tin t ho ordered up the niortnra and heavy field battery to bombard what he thought wan thu town , but what in reality was an outlying Hiiburb nearly f \ vo miles distant . Some companies of a Punjab regiment woro now sent
forward to explore the ruined mass of one-storied houses in front of our lines ; the 42 nd Regiment , divided into two wings , the left somewhat retired , moved up in sapport , while the 79 th covered their left at some distance . As soon as the Sikhs got into the bouses , they were exposed to a heavy fire from , a large body of matchlock men concealed around them . They either retired of their own accord , or were ordered to do so ; at all events , they fell back with rapidity and disorder upon the advancing Highlanders . And now occurred a most extraordinary scene . Among the matchlock men , who , to the number of seven hundred or eight hundred , were lying behind the walls of the houses , was a body of Ghazees or Mussulman fanatics , who , like the Roman
Decii , devote their lives with solemn oaths to then country or their faith . Uttering loud cries , * Bismillab , Allah ! Deen , deen ! ' one hundred and thirty of these fanatics , sword in hand , with small circular bucklers on the left arm , and green cummcrbungs , rushed out after the Sikhs , and dashed at the left of the right wing of the Highlanders . With bodies bent and heads low , waving their tulwars with a circular motion in the air , they came on with astonishing rapidity . At first they were mistaken for Sikhs , whose passage had already somewhat disordered our ranks . Fortunately , Sir Colin Campbell was close up with the 42 nd ; his keen , quick eye detected the case at once . 'Steady , men , steady ! Close up the ranks ! Bayonet them as thev come on !'
It was just in time , for these madmen , furious with bhang , were already among us , and a body of them sweeping around the left of the right wing got into the rear of the regiment . The struggle was sanguinary , but short . Three of them dashed so suddenly at Colonel Cameron that they pulled him off his horse ere he could defend himself . His sword fell out of its sheath , and he would have been hacked to pieces in another moment but for the gallant promptitude of Colour-Sergeant Gardiner , who , stepping out of the ranks , drove his bayonet through two of them in the twinkling of an eye . The third was shot by one of the 42 nd . Brigadier Walpole had a similar escape ; ho was seized by two or three of the Ghazees , who sought to pull him off his horse , while
others cut at him with their tulwars . He received two cuts on the hand , but he was delivered from the enemy by the quick bayonets of the 42 nd . In a few minutes , the dead bodies of one hundred and thirty-three of these Ghazees , and some eighteen or twenty wounded men of ours , were all the tokens left of the struggle . About the same time , however , the enemy ' s cavalry , issuing in considerable numbers on our left , made a charge across the plain , which created a panic . among the sick and the camp followers . They swept across as though they intended to make a dash at our baggage , cutting up as they went some of our camel-drivers and bazaar people ; but they were soon checked by the fire of our guns , and thev retired hastily the moment our cavalry approached them . "
On the 7 th of May , our advance was pushed right through the town , where ' :- — " In the gaol was found a poor lunatic , Mr . Heal y , /" Englishman , who was left behind when the insurrection broke out , and wliose life had been spared by the superstition of the Maliomedans . He was quite reconciled to his . place of residence , and refused to leave it when asked to do so . His companion was a man who had been shot through both legs , und who , with a match in , his hand , was ready to fira a mine as soon as our soldiers entered . All the other inmates of the gaol were gone . " rim Commander-in-chief ' s address at baheillv . Sir Colin Campbell has published the annexed address to tho troops , dated " Head Quarters Camp , Bareilly , 11 th of May , 1858 " : —
" The Cominaudcr-in-Chiof has received the niO 3 t gracious commands of her Majesty tho Queen to communicate to tho army the expression of the deep interest felt by the Queen in tlie exertions of tho trcops and the successful progress of tho campaign . Sir Colin Campbell has delayed giving execution to the Royal command until lie was a bio to announce to the army that the last great stronghold of rebellion had fallen before the persevering efforts of the troops of her Majesty and the Hon . East India Company . " It is impossible for tho Coininander-in-Chief to express adequately his House of tho high honour done to
him in having been chosen by tho Queen to convey her Majesty ' s most gracious acknowledgments to the army , in the ranks of which he has passed his life . The Comniunder-iu-Cbief ventures to quote tho very ^ vords of tho Queen : —' Tliat so many gallnnt , and brave , and distinguished men , beginning with ono whose name will over be remembered with pride , Brigadier-General lluvi-loe-k , should have died and foPon , is a great grief to tbo Quiicn . To all European an well as native troops who lmve fought so nobly and sogiilliintly , and among whom tho Queoti is rejoiced to kcu tho D . 'lnl , tlio Quoen wishes Sir Colin to convoy thu ex |> roHdion of her great admiration and gratitude' "
THIS AUHlDKIt OF SIA . IOK WATHKI'IELD . Tin s tragical ocuurrentJcj is tliusi described in tho lioinbuij Times : —• " Tlie Major and ( Janlniu Fanshuwe woro travelling together in a van with the intention of proceeding to Allyghur . They at first intendud to have gone , vit \
Untitled Article
STo . 433 , July 10 , 1858 . ] TH E X , E A D ! E R , 653
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 10, 1858, page 653, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2250/page/5/
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