DESPATCHES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 548, 3 February 1858, Page 3

DESPATCHES.

Government House, Calcutta, sth October. 1557. To Colonel Birch, C.8., Secretary to Government Military Department. Sir,—l have the honor to forward for submission to Ills Lordship the Governor-General in Council two despatches which have arrived from Major-General Wilson, commanding the field force before Delhi, and the Adjutant-General of the arm}'. I beg very particularly to call the attention of his Lordship to the matter contained in these two communications and to give expression to the very cordial feeling I experience towards Major-General Wilson and the force under his command. It is impossible to be too lavis'.i of praise for the untiring energy, invincible fortitude, and splendid gallantry by which this force has been distinguished, from the general in command to the private soldier in the ranks. All have done their duty most nobly, and the steadfast courage of the men has enabled the general to carry out his enterprise in spite of scanty means and' a deadly season. I have the honour to be. Sir. etc.. C. Campbell, General Commander-in-Chief.

Head Quarters. Field Force, Delhi, September 16, 1557. To Captain W. H. Norman, Assistant AdjutantGeneral of the Army. Sir, —I have the high satisfaction of reporting for the Major-General commanding in the Upper Provinces, and through him of His Excellency the Comniander-in-Chief, and of Government, that on the morning of the 14th instant the force under my command successfully assaulted the city of Delhi. Under the present circumstances, Major-Gen. Gowan will, I trust, allow me to withhold for a time a full and complete detail of the operations from the commencement to their close, and to limit myself to a summary of events. After six days of open trenches, during which the artillery and engineers, under their respective commanding officers, Major Gaitskell and Lieutenant-Colonel Baird Smith, vied with each other in pressing forward the work, two excel- ! lent and most practicable breaches were formed in the walls of the place, one in the curtain to the right of the Cashmere Bastion, the other to the left of the water Bastion, the defences of those Bastions and the parapets giving musketry cover to the enemy commanding- the breach having also been destroyed by the artillery. The assault was* delivered on four points. The first column under Brigadier J. Nicholson, consisting of Her Majesty's 75th Regiment (:?00 men), the Ist European Bengal Fusiliers (200 men), and the 2nd Vunjaub Infantry (450 men), assaulted the main breach, their advance being admirably covered by the Ist battalion. Her Majesty's tiith Rifles, under Colonel J. Jones. The operation was crowned with brilliant success, the enemy, after severe resistance, being driven from the Cashmere Bastion, the Main Guard and its vicinity in complete rout. The '2nd co'hunn, under Brigadier Jones, of Her Majesty's Gist Regiment (550 men), the '2nd European Bengal Fusiliers (250 men), similarly covered by the 60th Rifles, advanced on the "Water Bastion, carried the breach, and drove the enemy from his guns and position, with a determination and spirit which gave me the highest satisfaction.

The 3rd column, under Colonel Campbell, of her Majesty's 52nd Light Infantry, consisting of 200 of his own regiment, the Camaoon Battalion (250 men), and the Ist Punjaub Infantry (500 men), was directed against tiie Cashmere Gateway. This column was preceded by an explosion party under Lieutenants Home and Halkeld, of the Engineers, covered by the 60th liifies, The demolition of the gate having been accomplished, the column forced an entrance, overcoming a strenuous opposition from the enemy's infantry and heavy artillery, which had been brought to bear on the position. I cannot express too warmly my admiration of the gallantry of all concerned in this difficult operation.

The reserve, under Brigadier Long-field, her Majesty's Bth Regiment, composed of her M;ijesty's 61st Kegiment (230 men), the 4th Kegiment Kifles (450 men), the Belooch Battalion (.300 men), the Jeheend Rajah's auxiliaries (300 men), and 200 of her Majesty's 60th Jiifles, who joined after the assault had been made, awaited the result of the attack, and on the columns entering the place, took possession of the posts I had previously assigned to it. This duly was ultimately performed to my entire satisla Aion.

The firm establishment of the reserve rendering the assaulting columns free to act in advance, Brigadier-General Nicholson, supported by Brigadier Jones, swept the ramparts of the place from the Cashmere to the Cabul Gates, occupying the bastions and defences, capturing the guns, and driving the enemy before him. During the advance, Brigadier-Gen. Nicholson was, to the gxief of myself and the whole army; dangerously wounded. The command consequently devolved on Brigadier Jones, who, finding the enemy in great force, occupying and pouring a destructive lire from the" roofs of strong and commanding houses in the city on all sides, the ramparts themselves being enfiladed by guns, prudently resolved on retaining possession of the Cabul Gate, which his troops had so gallantly won, in which he firmly established himself, awaiting the result of the operations of the other columns of occupation.

Colonel Campbell, with the column under his command, advanced successfully from the Cashmere Gate, by one of the ruain streets beyond the " Chandull Chouk," the centra] and principal street of the city, towards the Jumma Musjid, with the intention of occupying that important post. The opposition, however, which he met from the great concentration of the enemy at the Jumma Musjid and the houses in the neighbourhood, he himself; i regret to state, being wounded, satisfied him that his most prudent course was not to maintain so advanced a position with the comparatively limited force at his disposal, and he accordingly withdrew the head of his column, and placed himself in communication with the reserve—a measure which harl my entire approval—l being previously determined that, in the event of serious opposition being encountered in the town itself, it would be most inexpedient to commit my small force to a succession of strc-et fights, in which their gallantry, discipline, and organisation could avail them so little. My present position, therefore, is that which, under such a contingency, i had resolved to occupy and establish myself in firmly, as the base of my systematic operations for the complete po*se"ssion of the city. This embraces the magazine on one side, and the Cabul Gate on the other, with the Moree, Cashmere and Water Bastions, and strong intermediate posts with secure communication along the front and to the

rear. From this base I am now cautiously pressing the enemy on all points, with a view of establishing myself in a second advanced position, and I "trust, before many days, to have it in my power to announce to the Supreme Government that the enemy have been driven from their last stronghold in the palace, fort, and streets of the city of Delhi. Simultaneously with the operations above detailed, an attack "was made on the enemy's strong position outside the city, in the suburbs of Kissengunge and Fahareepore. with a view of driving in the rebels and supporting the main attack by effecting an entrance at the Cabal gate after it should be taken. The force employed in this difficult duty I entrusted to that admirable officer, Major C. Reid, commanding the Sirnoor battalion, whose distinguished conduct I have already had occasion to bring prominently to the notice of superior authority, and who was, I much regret, severely wounded on that occasion. His column consisted of his own battalion, the Guides, and the men on duty at Hindoo Raos (the main piquet), numbering "in all about 1,000. supported by the auxiliary "troops of his Highness the Maharajah Rumbeir Singh, under Captain K. Lawrence. The strength of the position, however, and the desperate resistance offered by the enemy, withstood for a time the efforts of our troops, gallant though they were, and the combination was unable to be effected. The delay, lam happy to say, has been only temporary, for the enemy have subsequently "abandoned "their positions, leaving their guns in our hands. In this attack I found it necessary to support Major Reid with cavalry and horse artillery, both of which arms were admirably handled respectively by Brigadier Hope Grant, of Her Majesty's 9th Lancers, commanding the Cavalry Brigade, and Major H. Tombs, of the Horse Artillery, who inflicted severe punishment on the enemy, though I regret their own loss was

very heavy. The resistance of the rebels up to this time has been that of desperate men, and to this must be attributed the severe loss we have sustained, amounting proxhnately, so far as I am able to judge, in the absence of casualty returns, to 46 officers killed and wounded, and about 800 men. Among those of whose services the Stale lias been deprived, are many officers of distinction and merit, holding superior 'commands, whose places cannot be supplied; and I have specially to lament the loss which has been sustained by that splendid corps, the Engineers—nine officers of that arm having fallen In the gallant performance o.' their duty. Until 1 am in possession of reports from brigadiers and otlier commanding officers, I shall be unable to enter more fully into the details of these operations, and I trust the circumstances under which I write, will excuse any slight inaccuracies or imperfections which my <le-<pmcU may exhibit.

The absence of such reports also prevents my ■bringing to notice the names of those officers and men who have specially distinguished thernseives. This will be my grateful duty hereafter. But I cannot defer the expression of my admiration for the intrepidity, coolness, and determination of all engaged, Europeans and natives, of all arms of the service.—l have, etc., (Signed) A. Wilson, Major-General commanding Field Force. [True Copy.] (Signed) H. W. Norma?,-, Asst. Adjutant-General of the Army.