occasion as an instance of the never-failing readiness and quickness of the Horse Artillery of the Bengal Service. During the next three days I continued to hold the whole of the country from the Dilkoosha to the gates of the Residency; the left flank having been secured in the manner above mentioned, with a view to extricating the garrison, without exposing it to the chance of even a stray musket-shot. From the first all the arrangements have been conducted towards this end. The whole of the force under my immediate command being one outlying picquet, every man remained on duty, and was constantly subject to annoyance from the enemy's fire; but such was the vigilance and intelligence of the force, and so heartily did all ranks co-operate to support me, that I was enabled to conduct this affair to a happy issue, exactly in the manner originally proposed. Upon the 20th, fire was opened on the Kaiserbagh, which gradually increased in importance till it assumed the character of regular breaching and bombardment. The Kaiserbagh was breached in three places by Captain Peel, R.N., and I have been told that the enemy suffered much loss within its precincts. Having thus led the enemy to believe that immediate assault was contemplated, orders were issued for the retreat of the garrison through the lines of our picquets at midnight on the 22nd. The ladies and families, the wounded, the treasure, the guns, thought worth while to keep; the ordnance store, the grain still possessed by the commissariat of the garrison, and the State prisoners, had all been previously removed. it was Sir James Outram had received orders to burst the guns which it was thought undesirable to take away, and he was finally directed silently to evacuate the Residency of Lucknow at the hour indicated. The dispositions to cover their retreat and to resist the enemy, should he pursue, were ably carried out by Brigadier Hon. Adrian Hope; but I am happy to say the enemy was completely deceived, and he did not attempt to follow. On the contrary, he began firing on our old positions many hours after we had left them. The movement of retreat was admirably executed, and was a perfect lesson in such combinations. Each exterior line came gradually retiring through its supports till at length nothing remained but the last line of infantry and guns with which I was myself to crush the enemy if he had dared to follow up the picquets. The only line of retreat lay through a long and tortuous lane, and all these precautions were absolutely necessary to insure the safety of the force. The extreme posts on the left under Lieutenant-Colonel Hale, of H. M.'s 82nd Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Wells, of H. M.'s 23rd Foot, and Lieutenant-Colonel Ewart, of H. M.'s 93rd Highlanders, made their way by a road which had been explored for them after I considered the line had arrived, with due regard to the security of the whole that their posts should be evacuated. It was my endeavour that nothing should be left to chance; and the conduct of the officers in exactly carrying out their instructions was beyond all praise. During all these operations from the 16th instant, the remnant of Brigadier Greathed's brigade closed in the rear, and now again formed the rear-guard as we retired to Dilkoosha. Dilkoosha was reached at four A.M. on the 23rd instant by the whole force. I must not forget to mention the exertions of the cavalry during all the operations which have been described. The exertions of Brigadier Little and of Major Ouvry, respectively of the Cavalry Brigade and the 9th Lancers, were unceasing in keeping up our long line of communication and preserving our extreme rear beyond the Dilkoosha, which was constantly threatened. On the 22nd, the enemy attacked at Dilkoosha; but was speedily driven off under Brigadier Little's orders. The officers commanding the Irregular Cavalry-Lieutenants Watson, Younghusband, Probyn, and Gough-as well all the officers of the 9th Lancers, were never out of the saddle during all this time, and well maintained the character they have won throughout the war. I moved with General Grant's division to Alumbagh on the afternoon of the 24th, leaving Sir James Outram's division in position at Diskoosha, to prevent molestation of the immense convoy of the women and wounded, which it was necessary to transport with us. Sir James Outram closed up this day without annoyance from the enemy. I have, &c., C. CAMPBELL, General, Commander in Chief. LIST OF OFFICERS KILLED AND WOUNDED. KILLED. 4th Brigade-Lieutenant Benjamin Sandwith, H. M.'s 84th Regiment. WOUNDED. Artillery-Lieut. H. E. Harington, Bengal Artillery, severely. GENERAL ORDER BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE Head-quarters, La Martinière, Lucknow, The Commander-in-Chief has reason to be thankful to the force he conducted for the relief of the garrison of Lucknow. Hastily assembled, fatigued by forced marches, but animated by a common feeling of determination to accomplish the duty before them, all ranks of this force have compensated for their small number, in the execution of a most difficult duty, by unceasing exertions. From the morning of the 16th, till last night, the whole force has been one outlying picquet never out of fire, and covering an immense extent of ground, to permit the garrison to retire scathless and in safety, covered by the whole of the relieving force. That ground was won by fighting as hard as it ever fell to the lot of the Commander-in-Chief to witness, it being necessary to bring up the same men over and over again to fresh attacks; and it is with the greatest gratification his Excellency declares that he never saw men behave better. The storming of Secundra Bâgh and Shah Nujeef has never been surpassed in daring, and the success of it was most brilliant and complete. The movement of retreat of last night, by which the final rescue of the garrison was effected, was a model of discipline and exactness. The consequence was, that the enemy was completely deceived, and the force retired by a narrow tortuous lane, the only line of retreat open, in the face of 50,000 enemies, without molestation. The Commander-in-Chief offers his sincere thanks to Major-General Sir James Outram, G.C.B., for the happy manner in which he planned and carried out his arrangements for the evacuation of the Residency of Lucknow. By Order of his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, W. MAYHEW, Major, Deputy Adjutant-General of the Army. [The subjoined despatches describe the preparations Sir James Outram had made to enable him to co-operate with Sir Colin Campbell, and the series of movements by which this active co-operation was afforded.] Major-General H. Havelock, Commanding Oude Field Force, to Colonel R. Napier, Chief of the Staff, &c., to Major-General Sir James Outram, G. C.B. Lucknow, 16th November, 1857. I beg to report, for the information of Major-General Sir James Outram, G.C.B., the complete success of the operations in which the troops of my division were employed under his own eye this evening, in capturing a succession of houses in advance of the Palace of Fureed Buksh. I have given in the margin* the details of detachments employed. The nature of the enterprise may be shortly described as follows:The progress of the relieving force under his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief was anxiously watched, and it was determined that as soon as he should reach the Sikunder Bagh, about three miles from the Residency, the outer wall of the advance garden of the palace, in which the enemy had before made several breaches, should be blown in by mines previously prepared; that two powerful batteries erected in the enclosure should then open on the insurgent defences in front, and after the desired effect had been produced, that the troops should storm two buildings known by the names of the Hern Khana, or Deer-house, and the Steam Engine-house. Under these, also, three mines had been driven. It was ascertained, about 11 A.M., that Sir Colin Campbell was operating against the Sikunder Bagh. The explosion of the mines in the garden was therefore ordered. Their action was, however, comparatively feeble, so the batteries had the double task of completing the demolition of the wall, and prostrating and breaching the works and the buildings beyond it. Brigadier Eyre commanded in the left battery; Captain Olpherts in the right; Captain Maude shelled from six mortars in a more retired quadrangle of the palace. The troops were formed in the square of the Chuttur Munzil, and brought up in succession through the approaches, which in every direction intersected the advance garden. At a quarter-past three two of the mines at the Hern Khana exploded with good effect. At half-past three the advance sounded. It is impossible to describe the enthusiasm with which this signal was received by the troops. Pent up in inaction for upwards of six weeks, and subjected to constant attacks, they felt that the hour of retribution and glorious exertion had returned. Their cheers echoed through the courts of the palace, responsive to the bugle sound, and on they rushed to assured victory. The enemy could nowhere withstand them. In a few minutes the whole of the buildings were in our possession, and have since been armed with * 5th Fusiliers, 160, under Lieutenant Meara; 64th Regiment, 48. Captain Shute; 84th Regiment, 160, Captain Wills; 78th Regiment, 142, Captain Lockhart; 90th Light Infantry, 181, Lieut.-Colonel Purnell; Regiment of Ferozepore, 100, Lieutenant Cross. Reserve, 200 from 5th Fusiliers, 78th Highlanders, and Regiment of Ferozepore. Each column being accompanied by a party of Miners with tools and powder bags, under command of an Engineer officer. cannon, and held against all attack. It will be seen by the enclosed return that the loss has been small. I received throughout the operations the most effective aid from my Staff Lieutenant Hudson, acting deputy-assistant adjutant-general; Lieutenant Moorsom, 52nd Light Infantry, acting deputy-assistant quartermaster-general; Lieutenant Hargood, 1st Madras Fusiliers, my aide-de-camp; and Lieutenant C. W. Havelock, 12th Irregular Cavalry, my orderly officer. The officers of Artillery-Brigadier Eyre, and Captains Olpherts and Maude-have earned my best thanks. I must commend all the officers in charge of detachments; but most prominently Lieutenant-Colonel Purnell, 90th Light Infantry, whose conduct throughout the affair evinced the most distinguished gallantry, united to imperturbable coolness and the soundest judgment; as well as to Lieutenants Russell, Hutchinson, and Limond, of the Engineers, and Captain Oakes (attached), who showed the way to several points of attack. I have, &c., H. HAVELOCK, Major-General, Commanding Oude Field Force. Major-General H. Havelock, commanding Oude Field Force, to Captain Dodgson, Assistant AdjutantGeneral. Lucknow, 19th November, 1857. I beg to forward, for submission to Major-General Sir James Outram, G.C.B., the accompanying report of Captain Crommelin, field engineer, with plans, and rejoice in this opportunity of testifying to the merits of this officer, and his untiring industry when the state of his health has permitted his exertions to be fully developed. I have, &c., HENRY HAVELOCK, Major-General, Captain Crommelin, Chief Engineer, Oude Field Force, to Captain Hudson, Deputy Assistant AdjutantGeneral, Oude Field Force. Camp Alumbagh, 25th November, 1857. In continuation of my letter, dated 12th inst.,* I have the honour to report, for the information of the Major-General commanding the Oude Field Force, upon the "Final Engineering offensive operations" at the Palace and Gardens of the Chuttur Munzil. The Cavalier Battery, alluded to at the conclusion of my previous report, was completed during the night of the 13th inst., and was armed with the heavy guns on the morning of the 14th, viz., the day *This letter is not amongst the published despatches. |