THE INDIAN MUTINY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 9167, 29 July 1890, Page 6

THE INDIAN MUTINY.

A gallant soldier now living lias narrated to the writer the account which Outram himself gave him of this action. Outram did urge the halt, and for the reasons which his biographer speaks of. Finding Havelock bent on an immediate advance, and knowing through what a tempest of fire the advance along the street must pass, he urged the alternative of advancing on the Residency by the route traversing the successive courts of the palaces, confident that little molestation would be met with by this line, since the enemy would be holding the main street in anticipation of our advance along it. Havelock would not consent. " There is the street,” said he; “ we see the worst—we shall be slated, but we can push through and get it over.” Outram continued: “Then my temper got a little the better of me and I replied, ‘Lot us go On, then, in God’s name!’” And he added, " I have often since asked myself whether 1 should not then and there have resumed command ; and Whether I should not have said: * Havelock, we have virtually reached the Residency, and I now resume.’ ”

Well, they went on in God’s name. Th argument ended, Havelock’s staff-officers took their orders and rode away with them. The honour of leading the advance was assigned to the Highlanders; Brasyer’s Sikhs to follow them. Havelock and Outram, with the staff officers, rode up to the head of the Highlanders. The word was given, the advance began, and presently the foremost soldiers entered the narrow street which led with several sinuosities up to the Bailey Guard Gate of the Residency. Then, from side streets, from the front, from every window and balcony, from the top of every house, there poured a constant stream of bullets upon the men doggedly pushing forward, savage at their inability to return evil for evil. For except where now and then a flection, facing momentarily outwards, gob a chance to send a volley into the teeth of the mass holding the head, of a cross alley, there was little opportunity of retaliation. The natives. Sepoys, and townspeople, ensconced op the flat roofs, fired down into the street and then drew back to load hurriedly that they might fire again. The very women, in the passion of their hostility, plied muskets some of them, others hurled down on the passing, soldiery stones and pieces of furniture. One woman stood on a parapet with a child in her arms, disdaining in the madness of her hate to take cover, and yelled and hissed Hindoo maledictions till, having lashed herself into ungovernable fury, she hurled her babe down upon the bristling bayonet points. The Highlanders spared her, bub the Sikhs behind them had no compunction, and the wretched woman, riddled with bullets, fell on the roadway with a wild shriek. A downward shot crashed through Sandy M’Grath’s back and he fell. But he was not wounded so sore but that on hands and knees he made shift to crawl forward for over a hundred yards, till a second bullet struck him dead. In the foremost company of the Highland regiment were two staunch comrades, named Glandell and M'Donongh, Irishmen and Catholics among the Scots and Presbyterians. In this street of death M'Donough’s leg was shattered by a bullet. He fell, but he was not left to die. His stalwart chum raised the wounded man, took him on his back and trudged on with his heavy burden. Nor did the hale man thus encumbered permit himself to be a non-combatant. When the chance offered him to fire a shot, Glandell propped his wounded comrade up against some wall, and would betake himself to bis rifle while it could be of service; then he would pick M'Donough up agaih, and stagger cheerily onward, till the well-deserved goal of safety was reached. The cruel ordeal of firehad been endured for a distance of over fifteen hundred paces, when from the leaders and staff-officers in front there ran down the column an electric shout. For through the fast-gathering twilight had been descried the battered arch of the Bailey Guard Gate, whence came an answering shout of glad welcome. Ay, and through the hoarse bass of that cry there was audible ;a shriller note, which told the struggling soldiers that their countrywomen also were greeting and encouraging them. The horsemen gave spur; the men on foot lost their weariness and kept pace with their mounted leaders. For a few moments the folk of the garrison looked out on “a confused mass of smoke but then there was a glimpse through the smoke of officers on horseback, and battling infantrymen in their shirt sleeves. “ And then all our doubts and fears were over; and from every pit, trench, and battery; from behind the sandbags piled on shattered houses; from every post still held by a few gallant spirits; even from the Hospital, rose cheer on cheer.” With a final rush the head of the column was at the Bailey Guard Gate. All resistance seemed now over. There was a halt for reorganisation after the village fight, and than the troops resumed the advance. It lay up a low rise, the clumps of trees dotted about which interfered with the view to the front. The column crowned the slope, to encounter all of a sudden a fierce fire, and to confront a startling and ominous spectacle. Right in its path, distant a short halfmile, a great mass of rebel soldiery stood athwart tho Cawnpore road, the broad front of the array stretching far to right and left. In front of its centre a twenty-four-pound gun was in rapid action; two smaller pieces on the flank were being served not less energetically. A flutter of banners overhung the rebel cohorts. Clamorous shouts, clang of cymbals, blare of bugles, roll of drums filled the air with a medley of din in the intervals of the roar of the guns. Amid the throng was seen moving hither and thither a richly-caparisoned elephant carrying a howdah, the gilding of which flashed in the slanting sun-rays. Of that howdah the occupant was Nana, who had stiffened his courage to attempt by his presence to inspire with constancy the fresh levies he had led out for a final resolute / stand against the white men coming on with so much to avenge. The soldiers were sore spent, the guns were a mile in the rear, the enemy's fire came steong, and the officers did not wait for the general’s permission to bid their men halt and lie down. It is a trying situation for soldiers over whom the revulsion from the strain and excitement of battle is gradually creeping, to lie supine listening to the cannon shot whizzing over them. Gaining audacity from our immobility, the mutineer cavalry were moving round on the flanks, and the infantry had begun to develop an aggressive intention. Still Maude and his guns came not; the men began to. get restless, and the grumblers were growling in their beards that enough had been done for the day. The sun was on the horizon and the shadows were already deepening. The issue of the day was trembling in the balance. Havelock had his finger on the pulse.of his command. Invaluable as would be its co-operation, he durst not wait for the arrival of his artillery. Riding out to the front on a pony—his charger had been shot under him—ho reined up with his face to his soldiers and his back to the cannon fire ; then he spoke in the calm, highpitched voice that carried so far. And this was what he said : " The longer you look at it, men, the less you will like it. Rise up. The brigade will advance, left battalion leading .! ” The left battalion was the Sixty-fourth. What happened is told best in Havelock’s own words: —“ The enemy sent round shot into our ranks until we were within 300 yards, and then pouted in grape with such precision and determination as I have seldom witnessed. But the Sixty-fourth, led by Major Stirling and by my aide-de-camp, who had placed himself in their front, were not to be denied. Their rear showed the ground strewed with wounded; but on they steadily and silently came; then with a cheer charged and captured the unwieldy trophy of their 1 valour. The enemy lost all heart, and after a hurried fire of musketry gave way in total rout. Four of my guns came up, • and completed their discomfiture ■ by a heavy cannonade; and as it grew dark the r roofless barracks of _ our.. artillery... were

dimly descried in advance, and it was, evident that Cawnpore was once more ia : oar possession.” /