52

THE GALLANT GUIDES.'

not heard yet whether that can be done. Our guns that are in position are at Hindoo Rao's house, and the enemy are evidently most anxious to get us out of it if they can; and yesterday they came out in great force to the attack, but were repulsed at every point. Our men, however, suffered some loss, principally from foolishly pursuing them too far; and the gallant Guides, who had only come off a thirty miles' march in the morning, were foremost in the fray they are a noble lot of fellows.

Norman is a very gallant and intelligent young officer, and, I hope, will some day be Adjutant-General of the Army.* We don't know who is likely to succeed poor Chester, but Neville Chamberlain is spoken of.

The Calcutta dâk of the 29th is in to-day; at least I have got a packet of that date, and there may be more later. I have heard nothing from Agra or Meerut. Of course the road is open now from Delhi to Meerut, but the insurgents will hardly venture to go to Meerut to attack it; and if they do, it is known that they are strong enough at Meerut to resist any attack that can possibly be made upon them. General Wilson's force joined us, because Delhi is our grand object, and, that taken, our task afterwards will be an easy one. Wilson's force arrives very opportunely, and he himself is worth anything. He is, in fact, the head in camp. As to the new Chief, he is very sick, and never leaves his tent; and General Barnard, though a good, kind man, is not quite up to the work required of him.

There was a very good account of the 60th Native Infantry from Rohtuck yesterday I forget the date. I saw Shute this morning, and Hodson; both quite well. I sent Mrs Hodson's letter to her husband.

Norman has just been with me. He says there are good accounts of late date of all the Saugar troops, and from Mooltan; and that the Nusseree battalion was doing good service on the 8th.

(Diary) 10th June. It seems that there was no flag put up at the Flagstaff after all, so got Becher's people and had the General's put up this morning. A fine view of the city; fellows firing away.

* He became Acting Adjutant-General in May 1859, and again acted as Adjutant-General in 1861, but in January 1862 was made Secretary to the Government of India in the Military Department.

THREE REGIMENTS LEAVE ENGLAND.

53

Take another ride to the gardens; warmish day. Nothing doing last night, but firing going on all day from our batteries and the enemy's, and we don't appear to have much the best of it; people looking rather gloomy, and talking of the necessity of an assault. Dine at the Artillery mess; and no sooner in tent and in bed than there is an alarm, and all turn out-great confusion. Nothing, however, came of it.

CAMP, DELHI Cantonments, Thursday, 11th June.

I had just dated this when your letter of the 9th was put into my hand, and I am distressed to find that you should have been so needlessly anxious about the non-arrival at Simla of the dâk from this of the 6th. You must not indeed make yourself unhappy when there is no dâk in: it is only surprising to me that, considering the way in which our rear is exposed, the mail-carts are able to get on at all; and both Mactier and I have fully made up our minds, as the dâk was late this morning, that it had been plundered on the road, and this we must expect ere long, though everything should go as right with us as it is doing at present.

We are occupying the same position still, and shall not move from here, I imagine, until the assault is made upon Delhi, and when this is to be is not yet decided. A man who came from the city this morning describes the place as a perfect pandemonium. All the people (soldiers as well), frightened at our shells and shot, are rushing away from this side; and as none, I believe, are allowed to leave, the place must be in a dreadful state of confusion. A party of the insurgents of the Gwalior contingent (Horse) came into camp and gave themselves up this morning, and they say there are many anxious to do the same, but they can't get out of the city. I suppose we shall be able to make some arrangements with them before long. I saw Major Martin this morning, who has come in with his party near here—they being considered quite staunch now.

Mr Greathed had a letter just now to say that three regiments had left England on an account being received of the first row at Barrackpore. The 88th and a battalion of the Rifles are two of the regiments; the third I can't remember.

We don't find it particularly hot in tents, and the nights and mornings are quite cool; this morning I was glad to put on my

K

54

OCCUPATION OF METCALFE HOUSE.

puttoo coat. There is no present appearance of rain, and I trust it will hold off until we are in possession of the city. I am very glad to hear the servants are behaving so well: this is a great comfort to me; and if Mrs Hall does not like the janpanees, I would still keep them on until the fall of Delhi.

What a capital corps the Guide Corps is! They are invaluable to us, and Daly is a first-rate officer. His Adjutant, poor fellow, died yesterday evening. Daly was with me five minutes ago having a cup of tea. All our party are quite well, and I have seen nearly every one of them this morning-Becher, Norman, Shute, and also Hodson, who was very thankful for the letter you enclosed to him. Metcalfe was with me too just now, looking well. Mactier sends many kind messages to you: it is pleasant having him as my chum.

The enclosed is from Mungroo (syce). Tell the servants all are well here. Soobhan has told me to ask you to pay the old khansamah on his account. Will you settle about this?

(Diary) 11th June.-Firing again this morning soon after daybreak, and some of the shell came into camp about two or three hundred yards from my tent. The best news to-day is that some half-dozen of the Cavalry, Gwalior contingent, came in last night and gave themselves up; the worst is, the mutiny at last of the 60th, at Rohtuck. All officers safe in camp. Change the position of the Head-Quarters, going more to the left, near the 2nd Fusiliers.

CAMP, DELHI CANTONMENTS, Friday, 12th June (10) A.M.). I found your letter of the 10th June waiting for me on my return to my tent just now. How regularly our dâk comes, and how very uncertain our letters are in reaching Simla! On the 10th you ought to have received my pencil letter of the 8th giving an account of the fighting of that day, and telling the sad story of poor Chester's death. I wish he had been here now, brave old man, to see how gloriously we are progressing towards the capture of Delhi. We have made a move in advance to-day, occupying Metcalfe House, and I hope in a day or two matters will be in train for taking the city. In the interim our position is on the Ridge, to drive us from which the enemy made another most determined attack this morning soon after daybreak, but

FLAGSTAFF picket surprised-repulse of enEMY. 55

they were repulsed everywhere with great slaughter, particularly in the direction of Hindoo Rao's house, where some three or four hundred of them were killed. The Guides are said to have behaved particularly well. The loss on our side has been small: some six or eight killed, and thirty or forty wounded; amongst the latter one officer, Curtis, 60th Rifles, slightly wounded. Captain Knox, Her Majesty's 75th, was killed; he commanded the left picket, and, poor fellow, owes his death to the careless lookout he allowed his men to keep-they got close up to his post at the Flagstaff before he was aware of it, and some of the enemy were actually killed between our camp and his post. It is said, but I know not with what truth, that this was a last desperate effort of the enemy-that they have only three days' provisions, and that there is dreadful sickness in the city; probable enough, but we shall know in the course of the day.

I was speaking to some of the men of the Gwalior contingent that have come over, and they say that the Sepoys are committing all kinds of atrocities in the city, and that the city people are all ready to rise on them when we go in. The Sepoys have lots of money; one man killed to-day had eighty gold mohurs on him, and another thirty-three.

From what we hear of the Jullunder mutineers, in all probability they will be intercepted, a force having marched after them on the morning of their flight, with guns, Infantry, and Irregular Cavalry. Our Irregulars and the Goorkhas are behaving as well as men can behave. I had a letter just now from Bagot, of the 9th-all well.

Daly is now sitting in my tent, and I saw this morning Bunny, Shute, Norman, Hodson, Becher, and Nicoll all well, and many others; indeed, I have heard of no casualties except those I have mentioned, and I have seen officers from all the posts. George Hall I saw yesterday afternoon quite well, and he and Major Martin could not have been in the way of the fighting this morning, no Cavalry having been engaged. Norman, too, who was with me a little time ago, is looking as well and cheerful as ever.

Many kisses to the dear children. May God watch over them and you, as He has hitherto done, is my constant prayer.

56

'ORDERS' BY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

(Diary) 12th June.-Just as I was dressed and going out, heard fire of musketry, and messengers came hurrying down to say that the enemy had got on the Ridge. Alarm sounded, and great confusion. Went up to the Flagstaff-found it too true; the enemy had crept up, and the picket had allowed itself to be surprised. The relieving officer, Captain Knox, killed; and also two or three men of Her Majesty's 75th. Some of the enemy killed on the Ridge, and on our right great slaughter made of them. A quiet day afterwards.

The following ORDERS by the GOVERNOR-GENERAL are sent for your information and guidance:

Sir Henry Somerset to assume command of Her Majesty's and the Honourable East India Company's Forces in India until further orders; Sir Patrick Grant to proceed to Bengal as Provisional Commander-in-Chief of that Army, pending the appointment of a successor to General Anson; MajorGeneral Reed, C.B., to assume command of the Bengal Army till Sir Patrick Grant arrives; Major-General Sir Henry Barnard to command the Field Force proceeding against Delhi; Brigadier Cotton, Her Majesty's Service, to be Brigadier-General, and command the Peshawar Division for the present.

The above message came by telegraph from Bombay this day, 12th June 1857.

(Signed) J. R. COLVIN,

Lieutenant-Governor, N.W.P.

JAMES NOWELL YOUNG to Colonel KEITH YOUNG.

MEAN MEER, 12th June.

MY DEAR COLONEL,-As these three trials-viz., Boral Sing, trooper; Dhawkul Sing, trooper; and Fagwa Mahomed Khanin 8th Light Cavalry, will not stand scrutiny by legal spectacles, I write a few lines accompanying them to acquaint you with the General's reasons for not disposing of the trials as would have been done in ordinary times.

On the 3rd instant, when the horses of the 8th Cavalry were being taken from the regiment, there was much confusion. The