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I N D I A FURTHER BURNINGS AND ATTACKS BY TANTIA TOPEE'S TROOPS. THE REBELS AGAIN ROUTED WITH GREAT LOSS The following telegram, dated Malta, received at the Foreign Office, 14th Nov., 8.30 p.m.: - ALEXANDRIA, Nov., 1858. The steamer Bombay arrived at Suez from Bombay on the 7th instant, dates, Bombay 25th October, Aden, 2nd November. Brigadier SMITH'S column was at Esanghur on the 5th October. The town had been set on fire by the rebels under TANTIA TOPEE previous to their leaving it that morning. Another detachment of Tantia's troops attacked Chanderee, and were met by SCINDIA'S troops, the fight lasting three days, and it is reported the rebels lost 800 men. Tantia entered there on the 19th Oct.; Captain FENTON and the police evacuating six hours before. General MITCHELL afterwards encountered the enemy at Moorgaw, Edenm, and again at Scindweb on the 19th Oct., entirely routing him and capturing all his guns. Want of cavalry alone has prevented the total destruction of this formidable mass of encampments, still estimated to be 14,000 strong. The difficulty is now being remedied by some valuable levies of Southern Mahratta Horse. Successful actions were fought near Lucknow on the 4th and 8th October, in which the rebels described as utterly purposeless and disorganised, are said to have been destroyed in great numbers. The Bombay newspapers report that, in spite of disturbances the country continues to enjoy an extraordinary degree of commercial prosperity, and the trade is increasing in amount and improving in profitableness, at a rate almost incredible. The accounts of the state of health among the soldiers are very satisfactory. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SUPPLEMENT TO MR. SECRETARY EDMONSTONE'S MESSAGE DATED THE 16th OF OCTOBER. OUDE A force was despatched from Sultanpore on the 20th Oct. to Daodpoor, where it completely defeated the Nusseerabad rebels' brigade, taking three guns, three elephants, and all the enemy's materials. The fort of Burrah was taken on the 21st. The British loss on these occasions amounted to about 40 wounded and a few killed. BENARES The deputy magistrate for Sassaram reports that the column under Colonel TURNER engaged a body of the enemy at the village of Baja (?), Captain Sir H. HAVELOCK at the same time pressing their rear with his cavalry. The enemy was completely routed, losing 500 in killed. The British, one officer killed and two wounded; and seven or eight men killed and wounded. CENTRAL INDIA On the 9th of October the Mhow field force, under the command of Major-General MICHELL, surprised, near the town of Mongrenlie, a body of the Gwalior rebels, numbering from 4,000 to 5,400 strong, and utterly defeated them, taking their six guns. The British loss was very trifling. On the 12th of October, the force under Brigadier SMITH joined that of Major-General MICHELL; and on the 19th the combined force came upon the enemy, 10,000 strong, at Saiswa (?), south-east from Chundalee, and total routed him, with a loss of 500 killed and all his guns. The enemy fought fiercely. The British loss was very slight. The fugitives have fled, it is supposed, to Behut, on the right side of the river Betwa. A force from Jhani covers the approaches to Tehree. MAUN SINGH is reported to have plundered Ramgorah, near Gooneb, on the 18th Oct. The following Cavalry reinforcements have arrived in Central India: -- The Buzerat and Guicowar Horse, under Captain BUCKLE, reached Sarumpore on the 20th October, and continued their march. On the same day Lieutenant KER, with the southern Mahratta Horse, will be at Bhilsa. On the 28th October, Major LEARMOUTH, with a squadron of her Majesty's 17th Lancers, was on the road to Gooneh. The remainder of this regiment, under Col. BENSON, arrived this morning at Mhow, together with the 5th Troop of Royal Horse Artillery. They proceed towards Gooneh to-morrow. KANDEISH METARAM, the leader of rebel Bheels in Kandeish, was killed on the 8th of October by a party of Holkar's Cavalry, under the orders of Capt. KEATING. Her Majesty's 6th Enniskillen Dragoons arrived in Bombay, per steamship Oneida, on the 16th inst. H. L. ANDERSON, Secretary to Government Bombay Castle, Oct. 25th, 1858 VINCENT G. MONTANARO. Malta, Nov. 14, 1858. ____________________________________________ SUMMARY OF INTELLIGENCE CALCUTTA, OCTOBER 1. - The cold weather is coming on apace, and the campaign is to commence in the last week of October. Lord CLYDE has already gone to Lucknow, which will be the head-quarters for the season, and the Governor-General is about to follow. The Commander-in-Chief keeps his plans secret, but, as far as I can learn, the campaign is not to be on a great scale. Large bodies of troops will be collected at different points, but rather to limit the area of operations than to share in them. The actual work of clearing Oude will be intrusted mainly to two columns, which will enter simultaneously from the north and south. The first, descending from Rohilcund, under Colonnel TROUP, will clear Mahomdee and Bareitch, driving in the rebels towards Lucknow. The second, commanded by Sir Hope GRANT, will clear Azimghur and Goruckpore, now infested by powerful gangs of dacoits, and then, pouring into Gonda, drive the section of the rebel force which has found shelter there, towards Lucknow. The garrison of the capital will at the same time be increased, and strong bodies of troops stationed at Cawnpore, Futtehpore, and other points along the river frontier. A glance at the map will show you that these movements leave the rebels but one alternative - either they must fly to the north-east, and so bury themselves in the Nepaulese Terai, or they must by forced marches turn the Azimghur column and break into Tirhoot. It is expected, however, that the force now concentrating in Shahabad, and which numbers 7,000 men, will by that time have driven the last rebel out of the province, and be ready to advance across the river for the protection of Tirhoot, should the Sepoys attempt the raid. That district, which is chiefly in the hands of the Europeans, has been getting rich for the last half century, and the losses of even a week's devastation would be very great. Very little fighting is expected, although the "Imperial Armies," as they call themselves in Oude, number some 68,000 men. They are chiefly armed ruffians with little discipline, and though formidable in a row, will not stand up long against the Enfield. Indeed, it is not impossible, if the proclamation of the Queen be accompanied by a general amnesty, that the campaign may be merely a promenade. The Hindostanees are said to be weary of the fight, convinced that their cause is gone, and sick of the field and its defeats. A native, however, never does the thing he is expected to do, and as the leaders, such as the NANA, THE RAJAH OF GONDA, and a few more, must be excepted from any amnesty, they may persuade their followers that it is merely a trick, or that we are completely beaten, or that the Russians are marching through the passes, or anything else sufficiently opposed to the evidence of their senses. I should have believed, myself, that submission was inevitable, but officers who come down from the north-west all declare the feeling among the people to be one of intense bitterness. The armed classes feel themselves beaten, but not subjugated. In Shahabad, where KOER SING had but 5,000 men, new levies have brought the force around Jugdespore up to nearly 20,000. You may regard these figures as exaggerations, and so should I but for irresistible evidence. On the other hand, we had on the 31st of August 204,000 men round the colours, of whom 142,000 are natives and 62,000 Europeans. Levies are still going on. Every officer feels himself in the presence of disaffection, and by March, 1859, we shall probably have a native army of 200,000 men. Of course so vast a force will smother the rebellion, but what is the state of feeling which, with actual war in only one province and one zillah, requires the levy of forces so enormous. The reports from almost all parts of the country speak favourably of the health of the Europeans. The Government deserves great credit for the rapidity with which they have been housed and the admirable character of the temporary barracks. For the first time, I fancy, in the history of the British army, the existence of the men's wives has been properly recognised, and a separate room 16 by 20 feet, provided for every married couple. Great pains, too, are taken to keep the men from drink; and if the stock were abolished by order, instead of being, as at present, kept in the kit and produced at inspection under penalty of a fine of 1s. and if the winter clothing were a little less excellent and heavy, the men would have little to desire. It is settled, I understand, that Sir John LAWRENCE proceeds to England in January, and that he will be succeeded by Mr. MONTGOMERY, now chief commissioner in Oude. The office of Lieutenant Governor of the north-west will also, it is reported, be filled up, probably by Mr. EDMONSTONE. It has been vacant since the death of Mr. COLVIN. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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