BULLETINS AND OTHER STATE INTELLIGENCE FOR THE YEAR 1858. IN FOUR PARTS. COMPILED AND ARRANGED FROM THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS BY T. L. BEHAN, SUPERINTENDENT. PART II. PRINTED BY HARRISON AND SONS, LONDON GAZETTE OFFICE, ST. MARTIN'S LANE. India Board, March 31, 1858. THE following papers have been received at the East India House: No. 1. GENERAL ORDERS BY THE GOVERNORGENERAL OF INDIA IN COUNCIL. Fort William, January 12, 1858. No. 55 of 1858. THE Right Honourable the Governor-General of India in Council has much satisfaction in publishing the following report of a successful attack, made by the troops under Colonel Rowcroft, on a body of marauding rebels in the neighbourhood of his camp, on the 26th of December last. To Colonel Rowcroft, to Captain Sotheby, R.N., commanding the Naval Brigade, and to the officers and men under his command ; to the detachment of Royal Marines under Lieutenant Pym, and that of the Bengal Police Battalion under Lieutenant Burlton; as well as to the officers, civil and military, honourably mentioned by Colonel Rowcroft, the GovernorGeneral in Council desires to offer his thanks for their services on this occasion. The Governor-General in Council has much satisfaction in acknowledging the good services rendered upon this occasion by the Nepaulese troops, acting under Colonel Rowcroft's command. To the officers and soldiers of that force generally, but especially to Major Captain Sree Bhuggut Khanka, commanding the Ramdull Regiment, to Captain Dercedass Opudiah, of the same corps, and to Captain Koolpurshad Singh Bushnial, commanding the Gorucknath Regiment, his Lordship in Council desires to tender the thanks of Government, for the great zeal and gallantry which they have displayed. No. 2. Colonel H. Rowcroft, Commanding Sarun Field Force, to Colonel R. J. H. Birch, C.B., Secretary to the Government of India, Military Department, Calcutta. Camp, Mujhowlee, on the River Chota Gundah, 25 miles West of Sewan, SIR, 28th December, 1857. I HAVE the honour to report, for the information of the Right Honourable the Governor-General, that the Field Force, under my command received a reinforcement of the Gorucknath Regiment of Goorkhas-500 strong-on the morning of the 25th December, sent on to join me by forced marches from Segowlee, by his Excellency Maharajah Jung Bahadoor and Mr. Samuells, the Commissioner. It was represented to me strongly that they were too fatigued, foot-sore, and hungry to march again that day, and that they had been without sleep for two nights. I therefore postponed for the day, though reluctantly, my arrangements to move and attack the rebels at Sohunpore -7 miles distant, and about midway between my entrenched camp at Myrwa and Mujhowlee. About half-past seven on the morning of the 26th December, I marched from camp with the force noted in the margin, leaving two companies100 men-of Goorkhas, and 50 matchlock-men of the Hutwa Rajah's, for the protection of the camp; and of these, half a company and twenty matchlock-men to watch and secure the narrow Causeway Bridge over the river Jurhaee, less than half a mile in front of my camp. It was reported to me that the rebels were posted in the village of Sohunpore, and in two or three large topes (woods) close to it, on either side of the Mujhowlee road, with a tank with high banks close in front of the village on the north, in which most of the sepoys, and three of their four guns were posted. On arriving within little more than half a mile of the position of the rebels, I formed line, and took ground to the right, to turn their left flank, and act more easily on the tank. During this movement, the enemy pushed forward numerous skirmishers into the topes and cultivation, and opened fire of guns and musketry on our line. Our skirmishers, consisting of the Marines, part of the Naval Brigade and Seikhs, soon returned their fire, doing much execution among the enemy, especially the marines with the Minié rifles. We also opened fire with our guns, and a few shells well thrown, in two or three directions, checked the rebels for a time. I advanced the line a short distance, when the main body of the enemy rapidly moved to their right, to join a force previously in position, I strongly suspect, on our left, their aim apparently being to surround us with their numbers. I changed our front immediately to our left. During * Royal Marines, 30; Naval Brigade, 130; Ramdull Goorkha Regiment, 500; Goruck nath Ditto, 350-one company of this regiment being at Sewan, and two in camp; four guns, 12-pounder howitzers, two being Mountain Train; Captain Rattray's Seikhs, 50. |