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    No. 397, October 31,1857.] THE LEADEB. 1...

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    THE INDIAN REVOLT. —?— . ¦ TALL OF DELHI...

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    No. 397, October 31,1857.] The Leadeb. 1...

    No . 397 , October 31 , 1857 . ] THE LEADEB . 1035

    The Indian Revolt. —?— . ¦ Tall Of Delhi...

    THE INDIAN REVOLT . —?— . ¦ TALL OF DELHI . A perfect hurricane of joy passed over London on Monday evening on its becoming generally known that Delhi had fallen before our arms . The fact of the telegraphic message having arrived began to be known in some / quarters about five o ' clock , and it was not long before extra editions of the chief papers were issued ; but the first bare intimations of success rather stimulated than satisfied the curiosity of the public . Tlie intelligence , as in the case of the battle of the -Altn . i ( on the third anniversary of ¦ which , by the way , our present success was finally achieved ) , was read from the stage at all the theatres , and was received with tumultuous applause , followed by the National Anthem . On Tuesday and the following day , people were obliged to content themselves with the brief an < l somewhat confused details

    of the telegrams from various sources ; but the papers of Thursday contained fuller accounts , though even these are not so complete as what we may expect to receive by the next mail . However , they possess a deep interest , as will be seen from the particulars which we now proceed to give . " The siege train , " writes the Bombay Times , of October 3 rd , " arrived on the 5 th September , and active preparations were immediately made to commence offensive operations . Several batteries , armed with heavy guns , were established in commanding positions , within a short distance from the city walls , so that the bastions could be destroyed by our fire . This was successfully accomplished , but with the loss of two officers ,

    Lieutenant Hildebrand , of the Artillery , and . Lieutenant Bannerman , of the Belooch . Battalion , who were killed . Having thus established batteries in advanced positions , the bombardment of the city commenced , and the Cashmere and Mooree bastions suftered severely from our shot and shell . The enemy replied smartly with grape and musketry , "but our loss was inconsiderable , and our fire was kept up with undiminished vigour . On the 10 th and . llthof September , one or two sorties were made by the enemy , but without any result , notwithstanding the proximity of our batteries to the walls . For two days longer , out artillery continued to play on the city , until , on the 12 th , the Cashmere bastion and half the adjacent curtain were in ruins . "

    It was now determined to assault the city ; and by the morning of the 14 th the preparations for this were completed . Previously to the attack , however , General Wilson issued to his troops the following order , which lias been highly commended : — " The force assembled' before Delhi has had much hardship and fatigue to undergo since its arrival in this camp , all of which has been most cheerfully borne by officers and men . The time is now drawing near when the Mnjor-General commanding the force trusts that their labours will be over , and they will be rewarded by the capture of the city for all their past exertions , and for a cheerful endurance of still greater fatigue and exposure . The troops will be required to aid and assist the Engineers in the erection of the batteries and trenches , and in daily exposure to the sun , as covering parties .

    Tho artillery will have even harder work than they yet have had , and which they liave so well and cheerfully performed hitherto ; this , however , will be for a short period only ; and , when ordered to the assault , the Major-General feels assured British pluck and determination will carry everything before them , and that the bloodthirsty and murderous mutineers , against whom they are fighting , will be driven headlong out of their stronghold , or bis exterminated ; but to enable them to do this , ho wnviis tho troops of tlie absolute necessitv of their keeping togother , and not straggling from their columns . . My this can success only be secured .

    " -Vlajor-ticiierid Wilson need hardly remind tho troops of the cruel murders committed on their officers and comrades , as well as their wives and children , to move them in the deadly struggle . No quarter should bo given to tlie mutineers ; at the same time , for tho sake , of humanity , and the honour of the country they belong to , ho calls upon them to spare all women and children that may come in their w a 3 ' . " It is so imperative , not only for their safety , but for the suocess of tho assault , tlmfc men should not straggle from their column , that tho Major-Genornl foolit hia

    s duty to direct all commanding officers to impress this atrictly upon their men , and Ho is confident that , after thia warning , tho men ' s good sense and diBciplino will induce thorn to oboy their oflicon . and Iceup ateacly to their duty . It is to l >« explained to every regiment that indiHoriiniunlo plunder will not b « allowed ; that prize agent * hnvo boon „ ,,-pointed , by whom all capture ! property will bu collected und Hold , to ho divided according to tho rulw * and n >« -ulntioiui on llii * hunt ! , fairly among all men c » iK 1 , i T tlmt any mm . found guilty of having concealed captured property will bo made to restore it , « nd will forfeit nil

    claims to the general prize ; he-will also be likely to be mad « e over to the Provost-Marshal to be summarily dealt with .. The Major-General ealls upon the officers of the force to lend their zealous and efficient co-operation in the erection of the works of the siege now about to be commenced . He looks especially to the regimental officers of all grades , to impress upon their men , that to work in the trenches during a siege is as necessary and honourable as to light in the ranks during a battl-e . He will hold all officers responsible for their utmost being done to carry out the directions of the engineers , and he confidently trusts that all will exhibit a , healtly and hearty spirit of emulation and zeal , from which he has no doubt that the happiest results will follow in the brilliant termination of all their labours- "

    The word having been given to march , the / army moved down in three columns . The assault took place soon after daybreak ; the storming was e-ntirely successful , and we were soon in posseasion of the end of the fort , with the Cashmere , Cabul , and Mooree gates and bastions , the English church , Skinner ' s house , the College , and the grounds about . The breach had been formed near the Gtoshmere gate ; and , on entering it , very little opposition was experienced . The troops then advanced along the ramparts to the other points , and during their 'progress the resistance was obstinate and sanguinary .

    Out chief loss was in attempting to reach the Jumma Musjid , and to penetrate beyond the Cabiil gate . Preparations were soon made to turn the gurts from tlie captured bastions on to the city ; but the enemy for a time retained possession of the Lahore and other bastions , the Palace , Seleymghur , and the chief parts of the city . Large bodies of the mutineers , however , were seen retreating , and at night the rebel cavalry left , and made off , it was believed , in the direction of Kewaree . On the 15 th , many of the city people came in to beg for quarter , which was granted them . The Sepoys themselves wanted to couie , but were not permitted .

    The magazine was shelled on the second day , and the captured guns on the Mooree and Cabul bastions were brought to bear on the Burn bastion and Lahore gate—positions occupied by the mutineers . By eight in the evening , we had made a breach in the magazine , and the enemy's musketry fire was much reduced . At daylight on the 16 th , the magazine was stormed by the 61 st Foot , the Belooch battalion , and part of "Wilde ' s regiment . Forty of the rebels were killed , though in ' this particular exploit our loss was but small . One hundred and twenty-five £ ? uns were

    taken in the magazine . Our mortars continued to play on the Palace from the magazine enclosure ; the ertemy entirely abandoned the Kisheaigunge battery , and thus yielded into our hands five 18-pounder mortars , ' which were found in position , and which swelled tlie number of pieces of ordnance taken in and before the city to upwards of tvro hundred . The battery across the river opposite Kinghur was also abandoned by the Sepoys , who , broken up into deta , ched groups , now fought from tlie tops of houses in a disorganized and desperate manner .

    Dewan Hurree Chund , the commandant of the auxiliary force sent by the MaliaTajah Runbheer Singh , died of cholera on the 16 th : our own loss of officers on that and the other days , from wounds received in action , was heavy . By the evening , however , we had established a line of posts from the Cabul gate to the magazine . An attempt was made by the enemy to retake the latter , but it was repulsed , though not without loss to us in killed and wounded . Of the events of the 17 th , 18 th , and 19 th of September , we have no record ; but , on Sunday , the 2 0 th , the entire city was occupied by our troops , who had thus to encounter six days' fighting before the stronghold of the rebels fell completely into their hands . What has become of the so-called King is uncertain . He and his two sons appear to have

    escaped disguised as women , while the females of the Zenana lied dressed in men's clothes . It lias been reported at Ahmedabad , on the authority © f letters from Ajniere , that the King has been captured ; but this seems not to be certain . Two regiments and a half arc stuted to have reached Klioorja from Delhi , and to have said that they were on their way to Lucknow , their home , and the place where they swear they will die . They wore badly oil" for arms , but possessed money . They reported that the streets of Delhi during the contest were kwec-deep in blood . The Paris J ' rme asserts that tlio EngLish found 3 ) clhi denuded of provisions ; that their communications have been cut off by tho insurgents ; and that their position is now changed into that of tho . besieged , instead of the besiegers . But this must bo received with caution .

    An announcement in a postscript of the Siudian , dated September 23 rd , explains why theTO is a g-i ^ p in tho intelligence : — " The Lahore daks of tho 15 th , lGth , and 17 th are now due . Information has been received hero from Mooltan that , about ninety miles from that placo , tho ( Ink horses had been seized and carried away by Home maraudei-8 , which has caused an interruption in tho dale . Active wouHuros Imve , howovor , been adopted by Major Hamilton , conuniasioner ol Mooltan , for

    keeping open the line , and the Lahore dak is hourly expected . " J ¦ The loss on both sides in the taking of Delhi was considerable—on that of the rebels very great . Full particulars are not yet known ; but it appears tbati about forty British officers , and six hundred men , were killed and wounded . The killed among the omcers include Lieutenant Bradshaw ( 52 nd \ Lieutenant Fitzgerald ( 75 th ) , Lieutenant Tandy ( Engineers ) Lieutenant Murray ( Guide Corps ) , Major Jacob ( 1 st Fusiliers ) , Captain Itoss ( Carabineers ) and Lieutenaut Humphreys ( 4 th Punjab Infantry ) the last three of whom died of their wounds The wounded , but surviving , omcers ar e , Brigadier-General Nicholson , Lieutenant Nicholson , of Coke's Regiment-Greathed , MaunselL Ciiesney , Salkeld , Brownlow ' , Hovenden , and Medley ( Engineers ); Waters and

    Curtis ( 60 th Rifles ); Anson , A . D . C . ; Baynes and Pogson ( 8 th Foot ) : Greville , Wemyss , and Owen ( 1 st Fusiliers ) ; Reid ( S-irmoor Battalion ) ; Boisragon ( Kumaon Battalion ) ; Pemberton , H . Gustavinsle ( Sappers ); Cuppage ( 6 th Cavalry ); Bayley and Atkinson ( 52 nd Foot ) ; Shebheare ( Guides ) ; Graydon ( 16 th Grenadiers ) j ^ Spece ( 6 ath N . I . ) ; Lambert ( 1 st Fusiliers ); Gamble ( 38 th N . I . ) ; Hay ( ftOfch N . L ) ; Prior ( 1 st Punjab Infantry ); and others whose names are not yet known . Prior to the assault , Captain Fagan , of the Artillery , a very brilliant and dashing officer , was shot through , the head , and killed , while loo-king over the breastwork to observe the line of fire from the new battery . Major CampbeU , of the Artillery , and Lieutenant Lockhait , were also wounded a few days before the storming of Delhi . The Bombay Times relates : — -

    " The news of the fall of Delhi readied the Governor of Bombay while a large dinner party was being entertaiued at Government House . Lord . Elphinstone immediatel y announced the joyful tidings to the assembled company , and called upon them to fill their glasses , and drink to ' The health of General Wilson and his brave Army . ' This was done with much enthusiasm , tke band striking up ' The British Grenadiers . ' " An interesting anecdote of t"he last days of the rebels' power in Delhi is contained in a letter from , the English camp , dated September 2 nd : —

    " The drama is drawing to a close , and the bloody rebels are well aware of such being the case , as on the 31 st ult . they sent in a white flag to ask for terms , offering to give up all actual murderers . The answer was as follows : —' The British Government will hold no terms with murderers , rebels , and mutineers . Surrender must be unconditional . Any other rebel coming to propose other terms will be hung . All future negotiations will be carried on at the muzzles of our guns . ' " In a communication from tlie Chief Commissioner ' s Office at Lahore , dated September 16 th , we read : —

    "No official account haa yet been received of the auccessful attack by a portiou of General Van Cortiaudt ' s force on the rebel village of Mungella , but a number of the 10 th Cavalry men have been killed , and thirteen of them , with some others , made prisoners , were immediately executed on the spot . About 20 , 000 rupees ' worth of plunder is said to have fallen into the hands of our men , and eighty horses and some two thousand head of other cattle . ..... " General Van Cortlandt reports tho destruction on

    the 13 tu instant , by a portion of the Hurrianah irregular force uuderbis command , of the insurgent village of Mungulpore . The rebels drew up a force of from seven hundred to eight hundred horse , from four hundred to five hundred infantry , and soiuo gunti , to defend tho village ; but , after the exchange of a few shots , they broke and fled with the utmost rapidity , leaving their camp in our hands juwt as it stood ; some ammunition and live cart-loads of Sepoys' things , suou as coats , pantaloons , & c . "

    Other important facts from the seats of rebellion are thus summarised by the Bombay Times : — " Tho Hon . J . 11 . Colvin , Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces , died at Agra on the 9 th of September . All was quiet at Agr-a up to the 19 th idem . Huveloek ' s and Outrnm ' s forces crossed the Ganges on tho 19 th of September , to advance to the relief of Lucknow . liundelound is in a disturbed state , Saugor and Jubbulporc being threatened by the Dinapore rebels , under Koocr Singh . Tho troops in Assam ha . ve evinced a mutinous spirit , and ore platting against tlie , British Government . Her Majesty's 21 st and 23 rd Regiments and Q 3 rd Highlanders havo reached Calcutta .

    " lho native artillery at Hyderabad , hvScinde , were diminned on the 9 th of Septombor , a conspiracy having been discovered among the guiuiera . Tho 21 st ItegimentBombay Native Infantry wore disarmed at ICurmchee on the I 4 tu of September , the men having orgmiized an oxtcnaivo plot to murder the JCurojwjau inhabitant * . JCigbteon of the conspirators wero summarily executed , and twenty- ! two transported for life . " At Shikarporc , in Upper Scindo , a disturbance occurred on the ' 23 rd of September , the native artillerymen having soi / . ed the guns , but wore hooii beaten oil" by the loyal portiou of the trooiw . An attempt was madeat Alunedub . ul , on Uio Iflth of September , to create a mutiny among tho 2 nd Uombay Gronuuiers ; but tho

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 31, 1857, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31101857/page/3/