46

ORDERS FOR ADVANCE.

I told you that Brigadier Wilson spoke well of the conduct of his men; they and the men of the 4th Irregulars are, it seems, considered staunch, and are to be employed with the Army, being kept, however, as far as possible out of harm's way in the event of their being inclined to join the enemy.

There will not be an opportunity for me to write to-morrow, but the day after I hope to be able to send you a long letter. The news of the Nussereebad regiments' mutinying is, I am sorry to say, true-the 15th and 30th. I trust we shall have finished Delhi long before they can get there, and they will have but little hope of escape then. The 8th Irregulars are staunch, it seems, at Bareilly, so things are not quite so bad there after all. I am sorry to say poor Howell is very unwell, but his is the only case of sickness I know of in camp.

I saw Dr Mackinnon, with his kind, smiling face, this morning. I expect we shall have a very large party at the mess to-night, as all the Meerut Artillerymen are, I believe, coming. I did not see either of the Pembertons, but I think they are both hereDuncan certainly. They will most likely be at mess to-night.

Greathed, the Commissioner, came in last night. He is the Governor-General's Agent with the Army. It was high time he came; for Metcalfe, though a particularly nice, gentlemanly fellow, is rather harum-scarum, and better calculated for an irregular horseman than political adviser to the General.

Good-bye till the day after to-morrow.

preserve you and the little chicks.

Heaven bless and

(Diary) Sunday, 7th June.-Wilson going on this morning;' large party at mess. Orders for advance at 1 A.M. to-morrow.

* Every one advanced together on the 8th of June.-H. W. NORMAN.

CHAPTER IV.

FIRST BATTLE BEFORE DELHI, AND COMMENCEMENT OF THE SIEGE.

Colonel KEITH YOUNG to his wife.

DELHI CANTONMENTS, Monday, 8th June (11 A.M.).

Happy indeed will you be to hear that the Almighty has preserved me unhurt throughout to-day's battle. We have gained a glorious victory, but there is one sad, sad tale to tell-poor Chester has been killed! You may imagine the gloom which this has thrown over us all. Had it not been for this we should have been so happy, for our loss has been comparatively trifling, and poor Chester is the only officer, I believe, known to be killed, though Russell of the 54th is very dangerously wounded. Chester's death must have been instantaneous, a round-shot tearing through his side, and killing also his white horse, 'Sir Walter,' which he was riding at the time. There were two fights this morning, the first about five miles from Allee pore, the second at the Ridge on which Hindoo Rao's house is situated. Chester was killed at the first, which took place soon after five o'clock; his body is being brought in, and will be interred in the cantonment burial-ground this evening. When Chester fell I was on the opposite side of the road with Mactier, and I cannot tell how shocked we were, on coming across the road, to find him lying dead.

To-morrow we shall probably commence bombarding Delhi, which we can do with heavy guns from the Ridge we now occupy with our pickets. This will be altogether an Artillery affair, and I shall have nothing to do with it, so you must not imagine me in any more danger.

We took all the enemy's guns-twenty or more; the scoundrels ran away from us as hard as they could into Delhi. The little Goorkhas behaved admirably, as did also the Sappers and Miners.

48

COLONEL Chester KILLED AT BUDLEE-KA-SERAI.

George Hall and Major Martin were detached to the left with their men, and I have not heard yet what they did. Mactier sends his best regards; Shute is quite well.

(Diary) 8th June.-Off about 2 A.M., and a sad though victorious day of it. Enemy in position at Budlee-ka-Serai, about five miles opposite, and at daylight three guns opened on us a terrific firepoor Chester killed. We carried their guns, and then advanced, driving the enemy from the Ridge on which stand the Flagstaff and Hindoo Rao's house; these we occupy in force. All over at about 9 A.M., and at 4 P.M. or earlier we get up our tents. Funeral of poor Chester.

Notes from Captain SEYMOUR, Her Majesty's 84th, Assistant Adjutant-General Queen's, to Mrs KEITH YOUNG.

SIMLA, June 1857.

Some people have been spreading reports here which have caused alarm, and lest any should have reached you I would mention that I have just seen a public notice from Lord William Hay that there are no grounds for the least apprehension, that he has taken the necessary steps to keep peace in the bazaar, and, if necessary, that he could bring in any number of armed men; and lastly, he requests that the residents will bring to his notice all cases of insolence, either on the part of servants or the people of the bazaar. There are some terrible croakers in this place; do not believe anything they say.

In case you have heard that a body of mutineers had reached Budlee, which has caused some alarm in Simla, you will be glad to learn that they marched towards Umballa on the 11th, and reached a place called (as it was pronounced to me) Leisuarm. I can't find it in the map, but the report is from Lord William Hay, who received a letter this morning.

Thank you very much for sending me the account of the victory. I knew you would have so many notes to write to answer inquiries that I did not like to trouble you with one. I received yours on the road on my pilgrimage to the Readingroom at Burra-Simla.

Colonel Chester's death is a sad blow, just, too, at the time when

CAMP BEFORE DELHI.

49

he had rendered such valuable services and been so conspicuously useful. He was always exceedingly kind to me, and I shall ever regret him.

All the passengers in the P. & O. Company's steamers coming to Bengal were bundled out at Madras, and the 43rd Light Infantry placed on board and brought up to Calcutta.

Many thanks for the extracts from Colonel Keith Young's letter. The troops coming round the Cape are arriving in fast steamers; but none are coming by this mail overland; the delay in getting an answer from the Sultan, and the uncertainty of steamers being ready at Suez, prevented it.

Sir EDWARD CAMPBELL to Mrs KEITH YOUNG.

SIMLA.

MY DEAR MRS YOUNG,-The enclosed is from Shute. The dâk left apparently very early in the morning, which accounts for your getting no letters.-Yours, E. F. CAMPBELL.

Captain SHUTE to Sir EDWARD CAMPBELL.

DELHI CANTONMENTS, 9th June.

I wrote to you yesterday in pencil after our engagement, and forcing these wretches from their position and taking their guns, &c., with the loss on our side of poor Colonel Chester and others by cannon-shots, which were thickly put in.

Everything quiet last night, though all day yesterday round-shots were coming in from the city. To-day we have two heavy guns in position, which they do not seem to like, and they are quieter. Buried poor Chester and others last evening. More in my letter by-and-by. I am very well, and all right; and I hope we shall bring Delhi to its senses soon. Bunny, I should have told you, is well.

Colonel KEITH YOUNG to his wife.

CAMP, DELHI Cantonments, Tuesday, 9th June (10† A.M.). We are getting on as well as we possibly can. The enemy were quite quiet last night as far as disturbing us, but firing was heard to a great extent in the city, and it is supposed they were fighting amongst themselves. It is fortunate they let us alone

50

HINDOO RAO'S HOUSE.

not that they could have done any harm; but everything being so quiet the men got a good night's rest, of which they were all much in need. This morning the enemy commenced firing again from the city; but during the night a battery of heavy guns had been erected by our people on the heights, and they have now quite silenced their fire. These heights (on which Hindoo Rao's house and the Flagstaff are situated) are nearer the city than was supposed, and our batteries completely command the gateways, and I fancy shells can also be thrown into the Palace from these batteries, which will simplify matters very much. Our camp is on the parade-ground, quite out of reach of the enemy's fire. You never saw such a scene of devastation in the cantonments, only the walls standing, and things lying about the roads in every direction-broken dinner-sets, music-books, &c.

I went to look at the public garden this morning, near which the Head-Quarters' tents are: the summer-house in it burnt down, but the trees and shrubs uninjured.

Wasn't it sad news I wrote you yesterday about poor Chester? I have since heard more accurate particulars of his death. It seems he lived for a minute or two after he was struck down, and young Barnard, the Aide-de-Camp, jumped off his horse and went to his assistance, holding his head until he died. He was quite sensible at first, and spoke to Barnard, asking him to raise his head that he might look at his wound; and seeing-as well he might, poor fellow-that he couldn't live, he wanted Barnard to leave him, which he would not do, but gave him some water to drink, on which he said, 'What's the use of giving me water?' But it seemed to revive him a little, and he died without apparent pain. His remains were interred in the burial-ground yesterday evening, Mactier and I having had the body bound up in blankets, and we got Mr Rotton to perform the service. That poor fellow Russell, also, whose wound proved mortal, was laid by Chester's side in another grave.

I am sorry to say that two more officers were killed that I had not heard of when I wrote to you yesterday: Harrison, Her Majesty's 75th, and Delamain, 56th Native Infantry; and poor Howell, I regret to add, died of cholera the night before we left Alleepore. Light, of the Artillery, slightly wounded in the forehead; Greville, 1st Fusiliers, slightly in the hand; and