Early on the morning of the 2nd March, Sir
Colin Campbell began to execute his plan. Taking
with him the headquarters of the Artillery Divi-
sion (Sir A. Wilson and Colonel Wood, C.B.)
and three troops of horse artillery (D'Aguilar's,
Tombs's, and Bishop's), two 24-pounders, and
two 8-inch howitzers of the Naval Brigade, and
two companies of sappers and miners ; the head-
quarters of the Cavalry Division (Hope Grant),
and Little's Cavalry Brigade (9th Lancers,
2nd Pan jab Cavalry, detachment 5th Pan jab
Cavalry, 1st Sikh Irregulars) ; and the 2nd Divi-
sion of Infantry (Sir E. Lugard), comprising the
3rd and 4th Brigades : (3rd Brigade (Guy), 34th,
38th, and 53rd; 4th Brigade (Adrian Hope),
THE ADVANCE ON LAKHXAO. 369
42nd and 93rd Highlanders and 4th Pan jab book xi.
Rifles) ; he marched on the Dilkiisha park. Pass-
ing the fort of Jallalabad within sight of the ^^2
Alambagh force, Sir Colin drove in the advanced on the du-
pickets of the enemy, and captured a gun. The W hich\ e
palace was then seized and occupied as an ad- ^ptures,
vanced picket on the right — a small garden, known
as Muhammad Bagh, fulfilling the same purpose
on the left. It was found impossible to bring up
the main body of the infantry, for the enemy's
guns, in position along the canal, completely com-
manded the Dilkiisha plateau. Sir Colin there-
fore drew back his infantry as far as was prac-
ticable, while he issued orders to erect batteries and ered a
with all convenient haste at the Dilkiisha and the there to keep
Muhammad Bagh to play on the enemy and keep J^V I^w'il'
down their fire. Until the batteries could be es-
tablished — and they were not established till late
on the night of the 2nd — the British troops were
greatly annoyed by an unremitting fire, directed
with precision on a point the range to which was
thoroughly well known.
But when, on the morning of the 3rd, the bat- March 3.
teries established at the Dilkiisha and Muhammad The batteries
open
B;igh opened their fire, that of the rebels began
perceptibly to decline. They were, in fact, forced
to withdraw their guns, and though, from the
further distance whence they directed a new fire, ami siionoe
the shot occasionally ranged up to and into the K1 ',', 1 ^"
British camp, it caused but a trifling loss. On
thai day and the day following, then, the r< v -
mainder of the siege-train, together with the :> >r<l
Division (Walpole's), comprising the 5th and 6th
11. 24
370
SIR COLIN BRIDGES THE GUMTI.
Book XI.
Chapter IX.
1858.
March 4.
More troops
are massed
on the Dil-
kiisha.
New line
occupied by
the British.
Franks and
his troops
arrive.
Sir Colin
orders the
conquerors to
bridge the
Gumti.
A picket is
thrown across
Brigades (5th Brigade (Douglas), 23rd Fusiliers,
79th Highlanders, 1st Bengal Fusiliers ; 6th Bri-
gade (Horsford), 2nd and 3rd battalions Rifle
Brigade, 2nd Pan jab Infantry) ; closed up on the
Dilkiisha.
The line now occupied by the British force
touched the Giimti on its right at the village of
Bibiapiir, then stretching towards the left inter-
sected the Dilkiisha, and proceeding towards
Jallalabad, stopped at a point about two miles
from that fort. The interval was occupied by
one native regiment of cavalry, Hodson's Horse,
nearly sixteen hundred strong. Outram's force,
from which three regiments had been withdrawn,
still occupied its old position.
To complete the position necessary to be occu-
pied, if the complete success at which Sir Colin
Campbell aimed were to be ensured, another
strong division of troops was yet required. This
want was supplied on the morning of the 5th by
the arrival of Brigadier-General Franks with the
gallant force of Europeans and Nipalese whose
gallant deeds have already been imperfectly
recorded.
But before complete communication with Franks
had been established, that is, on the evening of
the 4th, Sir Colin had directed that two pontoon
bridges should be thrown across the Giimti near
Bibiapiir. It was across those bridges that he
would despatch the division of the army intended
to march up the Giimti and take the enemy's
position in reverse.
The engineers worked at the bridges all that
OUTEAM ORDERED TO CROSS THE GUMTI. 371
night with so much energy and effect that before Boob xi.
the morning of the 5th dawned they had com-
pleted one of them. Across this was at once uStihs
despatched a strong picket, which began without one of these
a second's delay to throw up a small earthwork on t1 " 1 5th '
to defend the bridge-heads. As the enemy showed
shortly in some force in a village at a distance
of about a thousand yards, some guns were
brought down to the river-bank close to the
bridges to silence the enemy's fire whenever it
should become annoying. The precaution en-
abled the engineers to continue their work
throughout that day and during the following
night.
By midnight on the 5th the two bridges and the Both corn-
embankments connecting them with the level on !,'i!Vi',t of the
both sides were completed. Sir Colin, having 5th "
counted on this, had directed Outram to cross Outram is
to the left bank with a strong corps d'armee at
cross.
2 o'clock in the morning to carry out the plan March 6.
I have already detailed. Outram had with him
Walpole's division of infantry, the 2nd Dra-
goon Guards, the Oth Lancers, the 2nd Panjtib
Cavalry, detachments from the 1st and 5th
Panjab Cavalry, D'Aguilar's, Remmington'B,
and Mackinnon's troops of horse artillery, and
Gibbon's light field battery. Hope Grant accom-
panied him as second in command. It had been
intended that he should cross at 2 o'clock in the
morning; but the oighl was dark, the ground
broken :iud Full of wat ercoufscs, and the troops
had much difficulty in finding their way. Out- ouitie of the
ram, who had ridden on in front to the bridges, ! ,'' i ' ll , l ""
24 *
372
ODTEAM CROSSES THE GUMTI.
Book XI.
Chapter IX.
1858.
March 6.
Sir Colin's
anxiety for
the prompt
crossing.
Importance
of the posi-
tion on the
left bank of
the river.
dismounted, and knowing that nothing that he
could do would hasten the arrival of his corps,
sat on the ground and lighted a cigar. It was
close upon 4 o'clock when the 2nd Panjab Cavalry,
leading the way, reached the ground. Then the
crossing began. Sir Colin, angry at the delay,
anxious that the troops should cross before the
dawn should discover them to the enemy, came
down to stimulate their movements.* His pre-
sence, due to a natural anxiety, really added
nothing to the effect. The staff officers were in
their places, doing their work calmly and effi-
ciently, and before the day broke the whole force
had completed the passage of the Griimti. The
place which it had left vacant on the right bank
was at once occupied by Franks' s division, the
fourth.
The reader will not fail to see that Outram, on
the left bank of the river, was in a position to
execute the first move in the game. He was to
push up the left bank of the Giimti, and turn
and render untenable the strong positions of the
enemy on the other side of it. When it should
become apparent that he had turned the first line
of those works, then, but not till then, would
the second move be made by Sir Colin himself
with the troops waiting for Outram' s success in
the position of which the Dilkiisha may be called
the centre.
* " Sir Colin, being anxious
to get his men across before
the enemy could discover our
intention and open upon us,
rode down to the river- side
and pitched into everybody
most handsomely, I catching
the principal share." — Hope
Grant.
outram's advance. 373
In pursuance of this plan, Outram, drawing up Book xi.
his force in three lines, marched up the left bank a L!!_
of the river for about a mile. The river there March 6.
made a turn ; so Outram, throwing forward his Outram
right, and leaving the sinuosities of the river, S^rd^tSe
moved straight on in the direction of the city. Fai ™had
A party of the enemy's cavalry which shortly
afterwards appeared on his left was charged,
routed, and pursued, though with the loss of
Major Percy Smith of the Queen's Bays, de-
scribed as an excellent officer. No further inter-
ruption to the progress of the force was offered,
and it encamped that evening about four miles
from the city, which it faced, its left resting on
the Faizabad road, about half a mile in advance
of the village of Chinhat.
The following day and the 8th were spent He advances
.,.,..,. . -. -i • i his pickets
mainly in skirmishing — the enemy advancing ana and con .
being invariably repulsed. Outram, whilst main- {JJJJJJm.
taining his position, threw his pickets gradually March 7-8.
much more forward. On the 8th, in obedience
to instructions from Sir Colin, he sent back
D'Aguilar's troop of horse artillery and the 9th
Lancers, receiving in exchange twenty-two siege
guns. That night he constructed two batteries,
armed with heavy guns, within six hundred
yards of the enemy's works on the old race-
course.
At daybreak the following morning, the 9th, ffispianof
-ii- i hit -Ii i attack on the
he made his attack. Preluding it with a heavy mi,.
fire from the newly constructed batteries, he de-
tached ;i column of infantry under Walpole to
attack the enemy's left, und, after forcing it back,
374 OUTRAM STORMS THE YELLOW HOUSE,
book xi. to wheel to the left and take them in the rear.
hapter . jj^ designed, meanwhile, to lead in person the
™ 185 ?' a left column across the Kokrail stream to a point
March 9. x
whence, on the success of the right column being
pronounced, it could attack and occupy a strong
building known as the Yellow House — the Chakar
Kothi — the key of the position of the rebels, and
the occupation of which would turn and render
useless the strong line of intrenchments erected
by them on the right bank of the G-umti.
Waipoie The result corresponded entirely to Outram's
eneSy'^ieft soundly based hopes. Walpole drove the enemy's
left through the jungles and villages covering
their position, and then bringing his right for-
ward, debouched on the Faizabad road, in rear of
their most efficient battery, which, however, was
found empty. The left column, meanwhile, which
had marched at 2 o'clock in the morning to take
up the position assigned to it, as soon as it learned
that Walpole had reached the Faizabad road,
and Outram attacked the Yellow House. The rebels were
there in numbers, but, with the exception of nine,
they did not show fight, but made so rapid a
flight along the banks of the river that before the
guns could open upon them they were out of
reach. The "nine," however, clung to the
building, and killed or wounded more than their
own number. Amongst them were Anderson of
the Sikhs, and St. George of the 1st Fusiliers.
It was only by firing salvoes from the horse artil-
lery guns that they were eventually dislodged.*
* Hope Grant. They killed or wounded three officers and
uine men.
their risrht.
AND PUSHES ON TO THE BADSHAH BAGH. o7o
The success of the column was notified to Sir bookxi.
Colin Campbell by the hoisting of the colours of
the 1st Fusiliers on the roof of a small room March 9.
erected on the second storey of the Yellow House.
The column then pressed forward, following Pressing tho
the rebels, drove them rapidly through the old
irregular cavalry lines and suburbs to the Bad-
shah Bagh, and thence to the river, where they
effected a junction with the right wing. The
whole line then halted, and, occupying the houses
and breastworks on the banks of the stream,
opened and maintained a heavy fire on the rebels
who lined the walls and occupied the gardens.
Under cover of this fire three heavy guns and a Outram
. . .. mi /.i establishes a
howitzer were placed m position to ennlacle tne battery
works in rear of the Martiniere. Another battery ^ i ;^. i s ngthe
of two 24-pounder guns and two 8-inch howitzers works.
was likewise erected near the river to keep down
the fire from the town.
The first batterv I have mentioned — that com- The extreme
J ^ left of
posed of three heavy guns and a howitzer — occu- outram's
pied the extreme left of Outram's line. It was llue -
commanded by Major Nicholson, R.E., of whose
services at the Alambagh I have already spoken,
and protecting the guns was a party of the 1st
Fusiliers under a very gallant and capable officer,
Captain Salusbury. The guns had been mJimbered
when Nicholson remarked that the hostile lines
seemed abandoned by the rebels. Salusbury pro-
posed to cross with ;i party of Ins ini mi and ascer-
tain the fact, but Nicholson considered it would be
too hazardous to leave the guna without protection.
At this conjuncture a young lieutenant of the 1st
376
BUTLER SWIMS THE GUMTI.
Book XL
Chapter IX.
1858.
March 9.
Butler volun-
teers to
signal to the
Highlanders
on the right
bank.
Unable to
attract their
attention,
Butler swims
the river,
and attracts
the attention
of the 93rd.
Fusiliers, named Thomas Butler, and four privates,
volunteered to go down to the river-bank and
signal their presence to the Highlanders of Adrian
Hope's brigade, who were discerned at a distance
of about six hundred yards on the other side of
the river. They ran down accordingly ; but shout-
ing and signalling were alike useless — they could
attract no attention. It was very important to
open the communication, and, all other means
having failed, Butler did not hesitate an instant
to try the last and the most hazardous. It was
about 3 o'clock in the afternoon ; the river was
some sixty yards wide, its depth was consider-
able, the stream was strong. But Butler, caring
for no consequences, heedless of the chance that
the batteries on the other side might be occupied,
took off his coat and swam across. He landed
in rear of the batteries, which he found un-
occupied. Mounting the parapet of one of the
works, he quickly attracted attention, and after
some delay caused by the stupidity of a staff
officer, who considered it would not be correct to
occupy the abandoned works without special
orders, the Highlanders and 4th Pan jab Rifles
relieved him. During the time that Butler, wet,
cold, and unarmed, occupied the works, he was
twice fired at by the distant enemy, but he did
not leave them to swim back until he had made
them over to the men of Adrian Hope's brigade.
For his cool gallantry on this occasion Butler
received the Victoria Cross.
Outram's movement on the 9th had thus an-
swered every expectation. He occupied the left
SIR COLIN NOW ADVANCES. 377
bank of the Grumti as far as the Badshah Bagh ; Book xi.
the hostile batteries on the other side of the river Cbapter IX "
were enfiladed. The enemy were completely M 185 h' q
taken in reverse. I propose now to show how, Result of
on that same day, the 9th, Sir Colin Campbell 0utram ' s
«/ ' r operations on
profited by Outram s manoeuvres. theoth.
The Commander-in-Chief had waited patiently sir Colin, in
in his position at the Dilkiisha whilst Outram, advices,
on the 6th, the 7th, and the 8th, was executing
the manoeuvres which were the necessary pre-
liminaries of the attack on the 9th, just de-
scribed. Early on the morning of that day the
guns and mortars, which, by Sir Colin's orders,
had been placed in position on the Dilkiisha pla-
teau during the preceding night, opened a very
heavy fire on the Martiniere. This fire was main-
tained until, about 2 p.m., the hoisting of the
British ensign on the roof of the litttle room on
the second storey of the Yellow House, made it
clear to Sir Colin that Outram' s attack had suc-
ceeded. Then, without the slightest delay, he
launched Adrian Hope's brigade (the 4th), sup-
ported by the 53rd and 90th Regiments, the whole
commanded by Lugard, against the Martiniere.
The effect of Outram's work that afternoon then ;iml oamea
became quickly apparent. The enfilading tiro tini&re.
from the batteries which he had erected had
caused the abandonment of a post which other-
wise would have offered a strenuous resistance.
It fell, so to speak, without a blow. The rebels,
who had withdrawn their guns, fled precipitately
across the river. The British loss was extremely
small; and but for the fact that the return- re-
378
SIR COLIN ADVANCES HIS BASE.
Book XI.
Chapter IX.
1858.
March 9.
Adrian Hope
occupies the
works
from the
Gumti to the
vicinity of
Banks's
house.
Total result
of the
fighting on
the 9th.
Out ram
strengthens
his position
during the
10th.
cord a dangerous wound inflicted by a musket
ball on the gallant William Peel,* they would be
too slight to be specially recorded.
Not content with the capture of the Martiniere,
Adrian Hope's brigade pushed onwards. The
4th Panjab Rifles, gallantly led by Wylde, sup-
ported by the 42nd Highlanders, climbed up the
intrenchment abutting on the Grurati, and pro-
ceeded to sweep down the whole line of hostile
works till close to the vicinity of Banks's house.
It was to this brigade that the men belonged
who occupied the fortified place which the gallant
Butler had stormed single-handed. This and the
works forming a line from the Gumti to a point
not far from Banks's house were occupied during
the night by Adrian Hope's brigade and the 53rd
Regiment.
The work of the 9th had, then, resulted in suc-
cess on both the lines of operation. Outram, esta-
blishing himself on one side of the parallelogram,
had made it possible for Sir Colin to push up the
other side of it— and this he had effectively done.
The next day, the 10th, Outram intended to be
a day of preparation rather than of conflict. The
rebels being in considerable force in the suburbs
in his front, he wished to strengthen the position
he had already gained. But the rebels, fully
aware now of the danger threatening them from
across the Gumti, came on in considerable force
* " He went out with his outer walls of the Martiniere,
usual nonchalance to find a when he was shot in the thigh
suitable place for some guns by a musket ball." — The
to be posted to breach the Shannon's Brigade in India.
and attacked a picket held by the 79th High- bookxi.
landers. They were, however, repulsed with
loss, and the work designed by Outram pro- Malcifio.
ceeded thenceforward undisturbed. To ensure
its rapid execution, the cavalry under Hope Grant
patrolled the vicinity of the camp. This patrol-
ling produced occasional conflicts with detached
parties of the rebels, and in one of these Major
Sandford of the 5th Irregular Cavalry, an officer
of much promise, was killed. Throughout this
day Outram' s batteries at the mosque west of the
Chakar Kothi played on Hazratganj and the
Kaisar Bagh.
The same dav the Commander-in-Chief con- sirCoiin
J storms
tented himself by completing the work of the Banks's
previous evening by the storming and occupation
of Banks's house. This was accomplished by
Lugard with the troops already indicated, and
with but trifling loss.
Bv the evening of the 10th two sides of the Total result
it • j e
parallelogram were all but completely occupied, lighting on
The attempt to pierce its centre — to force the line
stretching from Banks's house to a point beyond
the Kaisar Bagh — was now to be made. Strong
as were the buildings which constituted the value
of that inner line, the position of Outram on tin- aodprospeote
opposite bank of the Giiniti, and of Sir Colin moorow.
Campbell now firmly established across the canal,
having in Banks's house a post strong for attack,
caused the chances to be very much in favour of
the assailants. For whilst Outram enfiladed the
enemy's works on one side, Sir Colin \v;is now
able to turn them on the other.
380 OUTRAM PUSHES TOWARDS THE IRON BRIDGE,
book xi. In pursuance of the plan already indicated,
ap^er On tram was directed to employ the evening and
Marchui-ii n i§' nt °f the 10th in establishing batteries which
Outramis should rake the enemy's works, and annoy the
directed to j£ a j sar Bagh with a fire vertical and direct. He
attack the o
positions wa s also instructed to resume his offensive move-
iron and ment on the morning of the 11th by attacking
stone bridges. ^ e p OS jt,j ons covering the iron and stone bridges
— the former leading to the Residency, the latter
to the Machi Bawan — and, by carrying them, to
command the iron bridge from the left bank of
the river.
He carries Outram carried out these instructions to the
leadLg to the letter. He established during the night batteries
iron bridge. ^jqJj bore, in the manner prescribed, on the
Mess-house and on the Kaisar Bagh. On the
11th, shortly after daylight, he led Walpole's
column — the right — (79th Highlanders, 2nd and
3rd battalions Rifle Brigade, 1st Bengal Fusiliers,
Gibbons' s light field battery, and two 24-pounders)
to gain a position commanding the iron bridge.
The column, covered by the Rifles, worked its
way through the suburbs till it reached a mosque
within an enclosure at the point where the road
from the Badshah Bagh joins the main road to
cantonments, about half a mile from the iron
bridge. The place being very defensible, Walpole
left there the 1st Fusiliers, and proceeded towards
the stone bridge. On his way to this bridge he
surprised and captured the camp of Hashmat Ali
Chaodri of Sandila, with that of the mutinous 15th
Irregulars, took two guns and their standards, and
killed many of those soldiers faithless to their salt.
AND TOWARDS THE STONE BRIDGE. 381
Sending 1 Gould Weston with a troop of the Bays to BoOK XL
«. i p • • r- , r ,, r . J . Chapter IX.
cut oil the fugitives from Makkaganj — a service
efficiently performed — Outram pushed on, without Maloif'ii.
serious opposition, to the head of the stone bridge.
Finding, however, that it was commanded by the
enemy's guus, as well as by musketry fire from
several higli and stone-built houses from the op-
posite side of the river, he deemed it more prudent
to retire to the mosque at the cross roads, there
to remain till the operations I am about to record
had been completed. He then fell back on his
camp behind the Badshah Bagh.
Meanwhile the left column (23rd Fusiliers, 2nd Pratt esta-
-. , blishes bat-
Panjab Infantry, two 24-pounder guns, and three teries near
field battery guns), commanded by Lieutenant- bridge"
Colonel Pratt, starting twenty minutes after the
right column, had met with considerable oppo-
sition, and, being exposed to the fire of a hostile
battery from the right side of the river, suffered
considerable loss. It succeeded, however, in oc-
cupying all the houses down to the river's bank
and the head of the iron bridge, to the right of
which the two 24-pounder guns were placed in
battery. It was a difficult and dangerous opera-
tion, and though it succeeded, it cost Outram the
lives of two of his most gallant officers, Captain
Thynne of the Rifle Brigade, and Lieutenant Moor-
so rn, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster- General, a
soldier of remarkable talent and promise. He was
guiding the column, and was killed whilst recon-
noitring in front of il.
It may I"' Convenient, For the sake ol* clearness,
here to add that the positions taken up by Out-
382 RESULTS OF OUTRAM's ADVANCE.
Book xi. rani on the 11 tli continued to be occupied by him
^— * ' on the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th. During those
Marchn-io. days he carried out, with vigour and accuracy,
the purpose he had in view — the maintenance of
an enfilading fire, raking the positions which the
Commander-in-Chief was assailing on the other side
of the river. Having been reinforced on the 12th by
four 18-pounder guns, two 10-inch howitzers, and
five 10-inch and four 5^-inch mortars, he erected,
in addition to the batteries already enumerated,
three more to play on the Kaisar Bagh ; and
when that strong place fell, as I am about to re-
count, on the morning of the 14th, he turned the
fire of those batteries against the Residency and
the buildings to the right of the bridge. It can
easily be conceived the enormous assistance ren-
dered to the main attack by this heavy enfilading
fire, maintained without the slightest intermis-
sion. It had been possible to do even more, but
he was hampered, as I shall show in its proper
place, by restrictions to action placed on him by
the Commander-in-Chief.
March io. I now return to Sir Colin. I left him, on
the evening of the 10th, established on the