ILLNESS OF BRIGADIER HALLIFAX.

35

I am sorry to say that accounts were received this morning of the death of Colonel Mowatt. He, it seems, gave up at oncemade up his mind that he was to die, and this, poor man, had a good deal to say to his non-recovery. I am very sorry also to say that Brigadier Hallifax has been pronounced as too unwell to accompany the force, and he went back the day before yesterday to Kurnaul, and I hope by this time is at Umballa. I saw a medical statement of his case this morning, and pray tell Mrs Hallifax, with my kind regards, that there is nothing the matter with the Brigadier that the quiet and rest of Simla will not remove. It appears he had, among other ailments, an attack of ophthalmia, but the principal thing the matter with him was a tendency to apoplexy, which would have endangered his life had he passed another day in a tent. All our party are as jolly as possible, except Congreve, who has fever, liver, and severe cough. I fancy he will not go on with us from here; but nothing has been settled yet.

Chester is, happily, as well and plucky as ever, and he, Norman, and I have taken up our quarters to-day in one of General Barnard's large double-poled tents; there are tatties and a punkah, so that we are very comfortable. The General is very kind and considerate-coming over to Chester's and finding his tent small, insisted on our coming over here. We are also now members of the Artillery mess, and, judging from the dinner last night, we are likely to fare most sumptuously in future.

There is a report that Hansi and Hissar have been plundered, but it wants confirmation. From other quarters the news is good, and the only contretemps we know of is of a small party, a Havildar and eight of the 60th Native Infantry, with two officers, who went to collect boats on the Jumna, having been obliged to cut and run into camp on account of the villagers rising. I think it is likely enough that they were taking boats without paying for them. All got into camp without damage, losing some of their things. Better, perhaps, say nothing of this unless to give a correct version of the affair if you hear an exaggerated account of it.

The telegraph wire was found cut here, but it has been repaired, and is in full operation again. The people of Paniput are very civil, and have come forward with money and stores. Mrs Chester

36

DEATH OF BRIGADIER HALLIFAX.

is not to return to Simla until we have taken Delhi, and, please God, this we shall do before a week is over, unless we have to wait for the siege-train, which is not likely.

No cholera at all in camp. The 9th Lancers haven't had a fresh case since they left Umballa; and, except Colonel Mowatt, Turner tells me there was no case in the Artillery.

(Diary) 1st June.-A party of eight Sepoys (60th), with Captain Fagan and Mr Martin, came rushing in just as we had finished dinner, and said they had been attacked by thousands, and had just escaped with their lives!-Spend the day in Chief's tent, and dine there at five, sleeping at the Artillery as before. People here civil, they say. Colonel Mowatt died of cholera.

CAMP, LUSSOWLEE, Tuesday, 2nd June (10 A.M. ).

Poor Mrs Hallifax, there is sad news to communicate to her. Dr Tritton joined us this morning, and brought in word that the Brigadier died last night at Kurnaul. Dr Tritton has promised me that he will himself write to Mrs Hallifax; but I have thought it as well to write a few lines also, which will you read and give her and I know how well you will console and comfort her under her heavy affliction.

All is going on very well here. We had a fearfully long march last night, some good twenty-two miles, but nobody appears the worse for it, and we are now in a most favourable position, being only nine miles from the Advance Column at Raie, where we join them in the morning; and the next day Brigadier Wilson is expected there, and then 'Hurrah for Delhi!' The bridge at Bhagput, close to Raie, is in good order; Brigadier Wilson will cross the Jumna by it. The promised despatch with further accounts of his victory has not come in yet; but there has been a letter from Meerut stating that all was well there, and that Her Majesty's 84th were beginning to arrive at Cawnpore; and things must be quiet all below there, as the letter which mentions the arrival of the 84th talks of the telegraphic communication being open the whole way to Calcutta.

You would have been much amused could you have seen our proceedings of yesterday evening. We all (of our party, I mean) congregated at the Artillery mess, where, after having a cup of coffee, we lay down on the ground till about 10 P.M., when the

BRIGADIER WILSON'S SECOND VICTORY.

37

trumpets sounded, and when all was ready off we started at the head of the troop, except Chester, who accompanied Dr Brown in his buggy. At half-way the Artillery had made first-rate arrangements for tea, &c., and there we pulled up for nearly an hour, taking a snatch of sleep on the ground after we had refreshed ourselves. Frank Turner, Norman, Bunny, Mactier, and myself were sharing the same blanket. The two latter galloped on with me as the day broke, and we got in soon after sunrise. The 75th, which had started at sunset, were most of them in before us. It was a good lift for them getting conveyed here in carts.

The siege-train was at Kurnaul last night, and is expected at Paniput to-morrow morning. Tell Mrs Shute, with my kind regards, that I saw her husband this morning. He is quite well, also Maisey; there is, indeed, no sickness in camp, and Congreve is better. I fear it is true that Hansi and Hissar have gone. There was a letter to-day, of 24th May, from Colonel Seaton, with 60th Native Infantry-all well.

(Diary) 2nd June.-Very hot. Breakfast at General Barnard's -a good, kind little man. Another victory by Brigadier Wilson; but it is an anxious time without him. The question is-Ought he to join us? I think he ought.

CAMP, RAIE, Wednesday, 3rd June (61⁄2 A.M.). Chester is hard at work with his letter; he writes most regularly every day to Mrs Chester, and I can imagine her delight at receiving his letter, for she must indeed be most anxious about him. He bears up most wonderfully; and I trust he may be spared to receive the reward of his exertions-our speedy success.

We have very good accounts of Brigadier Wilson's force; but, in consequence of his having been attacked a second time, he has not yet commenced his march to join us. I suppose he will do so to-night, which will bring him in the day after to-morrow. In the last attack which took place, I think on Saturday, he gave the insurgents, it is reported, a tremendous thrashing, killing upwards of five hundred of them, and they are said to be much dispirited in Delhi in consequence. A party of two hundred tried to make off to their homes, but were intercepted by the Bullubghur Raja and thirty thousand rupees taken from them.

38

IN CAMP AT RAIE.

I have not seen Brigadier Wilson's official despatch, but I understand that he mentions two officers as having been killed -Lieutenant Perkins of the Artillery, and Captain Andrews of the 60th Rifles.

All in camp are in the best health and spirits, and the only fear appears to be now that the insurgents have been so thrashed that they will not venture to make a stand at all when our force advances. There is a very respectable force here now: the 1st Fusiliers and 75th, two troops of Horse Artillery, and the whole of the 9th Lancers; but I imagine that there will be no onward advance until General Wilson joins, unless there should be news from Delhi rendering an onward move at once desirable.

As we approached our camping-ground this morning, we saw evident signs of the insurgents having been at work about here. For the last three miles or so the telegraph wire is carried off, and many of the posts removed. This is very annoying, and I fear they will hardly get the wire up to work to-day. It was close to this that the lady fugitives from Delhi were maltreated; and five men who were concerned in these outrages were hanged last night by the civil authorities, and they have several more under trial this morning. We met a party of the Jheend Raja's troops, Cavalry and Infantry, with two guns, who were on their way to chastise a village some three or four miles off, where a large quantity of the Delhi plunder is said to be stored. I have no doubt the work will be done satisfactorily. Metcalfe, McAndrew, Maisey, and several others were accompanying the force.

Was it not sad my having to write to poor Mrs Hallifax of her husband's death? How is she? When he left Kurnaul I thought he was looking very well, and was not at all prepared to hear of his death; but it seems the extreme heat of the tents had quite upset his head, and brought on a species of apoplexy.

I can't particularise every one you know in camp, but all are quite well. Becher is a little pulled down by the heat and hard work, but he seems to have excellent health, as have Norman and Mactier. Of course Mactier was with the late Chief when he died, and Coghlan, the doctor of the 75th, a clever man, was in close attendance also. I must really say good-bye, or I shall be late.

HODSON OF 'HODSON'S HORSE.

39

CAMP, RAIE, 3rd June (later).

I was able to tell Hodson* just now of the 'strong-minded woman,' his wife, from whom he said he had not heard for some time. He is a first-rate officer, one of the very best in camp. He is attached to Colonel Becher's department, who has also two other assistants, Shute and Garstin.

I hope I have been premature in mentioning the death of Captain Andrews of the 60th. It was from an account of the business received in a private letter from Meerut; and Brigadier Wilson's despatch of the second fight, which I have since seen, only gives the name of Lieutenant Perkins, Artillery, as having been killed. The names of Lieutenants Light and Elliot, of the Artillery, are stated as having done good service. It seems the second fight was merely one of Artillery, the scoundrels not venturing to come much nearer than a mile of Brigadier Wilson's position; and as soon as he had silenced their guns and began to advance upon them, they bolted like a shot, and our men were too much knocked up with the heat to be able to carry on the pursuit. I fancy the scoundrels were too much frightened at the way they were cut up on the previous occasion to put themselves in the way of the Carabineers again.

We are in orders for the whole force to march at 1 A.M. to Alleepore, which is only ten miles from Delhi. At Alleepore I suppose we must remain for some two or three days for the siegetrain, which it seems it will be necessary to take on, as there is little prospect of the rebels venturing outside the walls to meet us when all our force is congregated there.

There has been considerable discussion as to whether Brigadier Wilson's force is to come over and join us, and it is decided in the affirmative, and I think rightly so. Our object is Delhi, and everything must be sacrificed to this; and with Delhi once in our possession the rebellion must cool down. But the civilians on the Meerut side, Messrs Greathed and Williams, are most anxious that Brigadier Wilson should remain where he is, and they talk of all manner of disasters if he is removed. They are wrong; and as to Meerut itself, they have fortified

* Major Hodson, of 'Hodson's Horse.'