civil capacity of chief commissioner of Oude. His march up. ward from Allahabad, however, was much impeded by the heavy rains, and at one point a small body of the enemy attempted to harass his flank; but being vigorously attacked by a detachment under major Eyre, they were destroyed almost to a man. It was thus the 19th of September before general Havelock was in a position to cross the Ganges for a third time, and to advance with an efficient force to relieve the long-beleaguered garrison at Lucknow. 28. On that day the army of relief crossed the river by a bridge of boats, and encamped on the other side. General Havelock's force consisted of about 2000 European infantry, the Sikh regiment of Ferozepore, three batteries of field artillery, and a handful of volunteer cavalry. The rebels mustered above 40,000 strong, but their numerical superiority only served to enhance the prowess of their conquerors. The first engage ment took place on the 21st of September, at the village of Mungarwar, and resulted in the total defeat of the mutineers Five field-pieces and two guns in position were taken, two of the former being captured by the volunteer cavalry, led on to the charge by general Outram in person. 29. From this point the army pushed on by forced marches, without encountering any organized opposition, until it arrived before the city of Lucknow. Skirting the suburbs of that once stately capital, general Havelock forced his way through every obstacle, and, by the evening of the 25th, had relieved the heroic garrison. 30. The relief was opportune. Two mines had already been driven under the chief works, and, in a few hours more, would have been loaded and sprung. The besieged would thus have been placed at the mercy of those who knew no mercy. 31. The city, however, had still to be subdued. From several advantageous positions the enemy continued to fire upon the fort, and were only finally dislodged after a series of determined assaults. 32. In these operations the loss of the British was very severe. General Neill, the brave and energetic saviour of Benares, and the inexorable avenger of the massacre at Cawnpore, was among the slain. With him fell major Cooper, in command of the artillery, and many other gallant spirits. Even now much remained to be done. Taking courage from their overwhelming numbers, the enemy soon closed again around the army of de liverance, and cut off their communications with Cawnpore Encumbered with not less than 1000 women and children, and sick or wounded men, it would have been hazardous, if not impossible, to have attempted a retrograde march across a dif ficult country, harassed on all sides by an active and desperate enemy. Under these circumstances, sir James Outram, who had now assumed the chief command, determined on remaining at Lucknow, and awaiting the arrival of re-inforcements. His position, indeed, was critical, but events in another quarter were in the meantime operating in his favour. 33. Until the latter end of August, the British troops before Delhi are rather to be considered as an army of observation, than as a besieging force. Their inferiority in numbers and artillery was barely counterbalanced by their superior discipline, courage, and physical strength. These advantages ena. bled them, indeed, to maintain their ground, but not to assume the offensive. 34. Toward the close of August, however, a re-inforcement of European and Sikh troops, under brigadier Nicholson, arrived from the Punjab, and, on the 25th of that month, the rebels were defeated at Nujuffghur, with great slaughter and the loss of thir teen guns. A few days later a heavy siege-train was received from Ferozepore, and breaching batteries were constructed on the north side of the city. The siege may be said to have commenced on the 7th of September, and, by the evening of the 13th, the engineers reported two practicable breaches - one near the Cashmere, the other near the Water bastion. Arrangements were, therefore, at once made for an assault to take place at daybreak on the following morning. 35. The first column, commanded by brigadier Nicholson, advanced under a tremendous fire, and, applying their scalingladders, carried the Cashmere bastion, and established themselves in the main-guard. Almost simultaneously, the second column, under brigadier Jones, stormed the Water bastion, and effected a junction with their comrades inside the walls. 36. A third column, under colonel Campbell, awaited the blowing open of the Cashmere gate to join in the assault. They had not long to wait. Lieutenants Salkeld and Home, of the engineers, accompanied by three sergeants carrying the powderbags, walked up to the gateway in broad daylight, and, while exposed to a heavy fire of musketry, coolly fastened the bags to the iron spikes of the gate. In the performance of this heroic exploit, lieutenant Salkeld was severely wounded, and two of the sergeants killed upon the spot; but the train was lighted, and the gate blown open with a tremendous crash. 37. As the smoke cleared away, the storming party sprang through the ruins with a British cheer; and, the three columns uniting, made themselves master of the whole line of works, from the Water bastion to the Cabul gate; and before nightfall were in possession of Skinner's house, the Church, the College, and the adjacent grounds. This brilliant success, however, was not achieved without great loss of life. 38. Of the European soldiery, eight officers and 162 rank and file were killed, with fifty-two officers and 510 rank and file wounded; of the sepoys, 413 were placed hors de combat, of whom 103 were slain outright. The total number of casualties thus amounted to 1145, or one-third of the entire assaulting force. Among the mortally wounded was brigadier Nicholson, whose death was justly deplored as a national calamity. 39. Simultaneously with these main attacks, a diversion was made by a fourth column, consisting of Sikhs, Ghoorkas, and Cashmerians, on the suburbs of Kishengunge and Pahareepore. But, in spite of their most strenuous efforts, these troops failed to overcome the desperate resistance offered by the enemy, and, in the end, were compelled to retreat, though not ingloriously. 40. The day following the assault was consumed in shelling the palace, and in battering the magazine. A breach was effected, and, at daylight on the 16th, a storming party dashed forward with such impetuosity that the rebel artillerymen dropped their lighted port-fires and fled, leaving undischarged six guns of large calibre commanding the breach and loaded with grape. On the 17th, the British troops became masters of the Bank, formerly the palace of the Begum Sumroo, and, shortly afterward, of the Jumma Musjid, or principal mosque. Heavy guns were now brought to play upon the palace and the bridge of boats, and, by the evening of the 20th, the rebels entirely evacuated the city and its suburbs. Then was seen the extent of the damage sustained by the former capital of the Moghul dynasty. Whole streets had been laid in ruins; dead bodies tainted the air in all directions; the inhabitants, reduced to beggary, were crouching, terror-stricken, in obscure lurkingplaces. But the British soldier is merciful in victory, as he is irresistible in battle. To armed rebels, no mercy was shown; but women and children, and the defenceless citizens, were spared and protected. 41. The venerable descendant of Timour-venerable only by reason of his gray hairs and extreme old age. - had fled, with his principal Begum, two sons, and a grandson, to the tomb of his ancestor, Hoomayoon, son of the mighty Baber. Here he was discovered and seized by captain Hodson, of the 2d European fusiliers. His own life, and that of his queen, were respected-but the princes were led out and shot, and their dead bodies publicly exposed at the kotwalee, or mayor's court. 42. Gen. Wilson, whose health failed him in the hour of victory, now resigned the command to brigadier Penny, C. B., a veteran of approved gallantry. Colonel Burn, whose father os gallantly defended Delhi against Jeswunt Rao Holkar in 1803, was appointed military commandant within the city, and measures were successfully taken to re-establish order, and to afford protection to well-disposed and peaceful citizens. Two movable columns, consisting each of 1600 infantry, 500 cavalry, three troops of horse artillery, and 18 guns, were told off, and ordered to follow up the retreating enemy without delay. One of these, commanded by colonel Greathed, of the 84th, came up with a rebel force strongly posted near Bolundshuhur, and, after a spirited engagement, utterly discomfited them with the loss of two guns, a vast quantity of ammunition, and 100 men. 43. On the same day the other column overtook the mutineers at Muttra, and inflicted severe chastisement. The security of Agra was thus assured,. and a direct road laid open into Oude. Re-inforcements from England were at the same time arriving at Calcutta, and each successive day fresh troops were rapidly pushed up the country. The tide had turned. The mutineers had lost their opportunity. 44. Since June, 1857, a large body of Europeans, including many women and children, had been held beleaguered in the residency at Lucknow. Towards the close of September, general Havelock attempted to relieve them. He had penetrated through the enemy's numerous forces to the residency just in time to prevent its fall. His force not being sufficient to protect the retreat of the women and children to Cawnpore, he remained at the residency, the garrison of which was strengthened by a portion of the troops, the rest falling back upon Cawnpore. 45. Lucknow was held by 50,000 rebels, who pressed the siege of the residency with great vigour, and the position of the defenders was extremely critical. 46. Sir Colin Campbell, the commander-in-chief, left Cawnpore with a strong force, on the 9th of November, to relieve Lucknow. He succeeded, by a well-conceived stratagem on |