English and Foreign.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 516, 14 October 1857, Page 3

English and Foreign.

THE INDIAN INSURRECTION. [Erom the ' Mofussilite,' July 15.] THE BATTLE AT AGRA.

The last number of the ' Mofussilite' was published at our printing office in the station of Agra on Friday the 3rd instant, since which time events of the most stirring nature have occurred; and we now, in consequence, print the paper within the fortress of Agra, where we and the whole of our local subscribers have been located since the oth.

At the end of last month it was pretty generally suspected, and perhaps actually known in some quarters, that a very large body of rebels consisting chiefly of the men of the regiments which mutinied at Nusseerabad and Neemuch, were approaching Agra, and preparations were accordingly made for their reception—or rather it would be more correct to say, that preparations were made to avoid them, inasmuch as day after day the Christian inhabitants abandoned their houses and took up their permanent quarters in the fort, which the authorities had previously cleared out, and made as habitable as circumstances would admit, besides placing it in as good a state of defence as the means at their command rendered possible—guns and ammunition being abundant, but experienced gunners scarce.

On the 2nd instant the Kotah Contingent of Horse, Foot, and Artillery—up to that moment believed by some to be loyal—marched into cantonments to the great alarm of the majority of the residents; and then, to the astonishment of all, one detachment of them was sent to relieve the European guard over the gaol (in which four thousand desperate criminals were imprisoned): and another to guard Government House. It being known ou the afternoon of the 4th that the expected enemy were then close at hand, the Contingent was marched out of cantonments, in order to take up an advanced position on the road, but as might have been foreseen, no sooner had the Contingent reached the destined halting ground, and the opportunitjr offered, than one and all bolted to join the ranks of the rebels. Full particulars will be found iv another column.

The same afternoon every lady and child in the cantonments and civil lines, who had not previously done so, removed to the fort, and shortly after daylight the next morning probably no man was outside, excepting the regular European troops and the first division of Militia.

Early in the day the enemy about 10,000 strong (say 7000 infantry, 1500 cavalry, and 8 guns) encamped within three hundred yards of an open plain in the rear of the village of Sussia, close to the fourth mile-stone from Agra on the road from Futtehpore Seekree, and shortly >after mid-day our troops came in sight of that village, which they approached in a leisurely manner, but unfortunately instead of taking immediate possession and forcing the enemy to fight on. the plain, we commenced firing from a distance, and ultimately the enemy took pos-

session of it, and being then under cover inflicted heavy loss on us till they were driven out. We are promised a copy of the official despatches respecting the battle, but in the meantime we submit for the information of the distant reader, the subjoined narrative written by an eye-witness of the operations on the right flunk of our force:—

"The troops that went to meet the enemy on the sth inst. marched out of the station about 11 a.m., and proceeding along the road in the direction of the village of Shahgunge. and which is about six miles from Agra, entered the large sandy plain that lies to the right of the road, where the line of battle was formed, and in that order advanced slowly to meet the enemy, who were then distinctly visible, hovering in large bodies immediately to the right of the village. The British line consisted of a horse field battery on the extreme left and right, the infantry being in the middle, and the mounted militia somewhat in the rear. When about 600 yards from the village, the insurgents opened fire on our right battery by a furious discharge of round shot, grape and shells, which was immediately responded to with such excellent effect, that after two rounds from each gun they were seen retreating in great numbers. Loud cheering and r peated cries of ' follow them up, follow them up,' were heard from all parts of the right battery, and there can be little doubt had a fresh dash been made the enemy would have been driven from their position into the open field with the loss of their guns, and the action been brought- to an end with less sacrifice of life than eventually was the case. Our guns, however, limbered up', and the line agaiu advanced, but the enemy now stood to their guns, and having got their range, directed their fire with admirable precision, as the havoc amongst our men and horses painfully attested. Our attack was evidently being confined to a series of deliberate advances, for of such it consisted, until we were within two hundred yards of the village, which we then commenced to bombard, and it is to be feared with .small loss on the other side. The most unpractised eye could see our shots were being thrown away on high mud walls, which siege guns could alone have touched, whereas had our right battery moved only 50 yards further to the right every shot from it. must have told on the enemies two batteries, whence was so destructive a fire upon us. The consequences of this were just what might be expected, the enemy became emboldened, the cavalry in great numbers harassed our right, and the infantry spreading themselves over the field in skirmishing order, gave us great annoyance with their rifle firing, whilst we from the want of cavalry were powerless to repel them. A large number of their horse had the audacity to sweep round to our rear, and riding up the centre, endeavoured to reach our-main body, which many succeeded in doing. It is true that our mounted militia charged through a body of those hanging to the right of the line, when after five of them getting cut to pieces, and others severely wounded, they made a precipitate retreat into the batterj', and from the direction they took to reach it intercepted a fire about being opened from a gun that had been got into position for the purpose, and which would have blown off the field every trooper at whom it was pointed. ,

" The firing against the village continued for fully one hour, during which time a shower from the musketry was being poured on us from behind its walls and the tops of the houses; two companies of the European Regiment then entered it in a most gallant style, forcing their way through and driving out the enemy to the opposite side, and this they would hare done in a much earlier stage of the action had they been permitted. The left battery had ceased firing before the Europeans emerged from the village, though that on the right continued exchanging shot for shot with the enemy, and it was only very shortly before it had succeeded in silencing them, that the lamented Captain D'Oyley received his mortal wound. But a few rounds of ammunition remained in our waggons when that sad evt-nt occurred : nevertheless, the wounded man sat on a tumbril and continued to give the word of command until they were expended. Want of cavalry prevented our following up what we had so dearly gained, and nothing remained for us but to retrace oar steps to Cantonment, and this we proceeded to do in the most orderly manner possible. Immediately the rebels perceived the movement, they advanced with their guns, and nearly the whole way into Agra fired round shot on us after a fashion peculiarly humiliating to experience, whilst small bodies of their horse threatened us on either side with such activity as to prevent our getting a shot at them.

" The whole force succeeded in reaching the fort by hall-past six p.m., after being actively engaged for full three hours out of the time it was absent. The official, list of killed and wounded will best enable the reader to estimate the severity of the engagement."

There is no doubt that our men were fearfully outnumbered, but despite that, they would have remained masters of the field, instead of having to retire after having licked the enemy, had it npt been that both men and guns had fired off the whole of the small supply of ammunition they had taken to the field ! It is now supposed that the enemy were in the same predicament, and therefore had we not moved off but had waited a short time longer, perhaps they might have gone first. The Civil Line 3 Infantry Militia having met the tired troops coming in were formed across the road as rear guard, a position they maintained until the whole force reached : the fort.

But while still two miles from the fort, we had the mortification of seeing the enemy's cavalry galloping towards the defenceless sta-

tion, and before we entered, several houses were already on fire. After sunset, we saw irom the bastions houses burning on every side, and again the next night—so that hardly a house has escaped destruction—and such houses and •their contents as were not consumed by fire, have been completely gutted and destroyed by other means. In fact, if we were to leave the fott to-morrow, there are not four houses in the jplace with roofs remaining, under which we could obtain shelter—and as for household property and other things left outside, we suspect 'thereisaota single article in existence in serviceable order 3 The wood toru out, so that nothing remains but the bare brick walls.- Things strewed about the roads and streets in every direction, and wherever you move, you see broken chairs and tables, carriages broken in bits, crockery, books, and in fact every kind of property wantonly destroyed. This has not been done, we are satisfied, by the enemy, but by the budmashes of the city, and prisoners who were all liberated from the gaol The enemy disappeared the day after the action, and proceeded to Bhurtpore, but nothing with certainty is known of their after movements. | It is rumoured that we may expect a visit from the mutineers of the Grwalior Contingent, but. it is doubted by many whether they will venture to come—however, if they do come, we are ready to give them a warm welcome. The port is crowded, but not inconveniently «o —and all are in good health and spirits. We are well provided with provisions aud ammunition/and upon the whole we are pretty comfortable, and have become reconciled to the necessary imprisonment. Only two or three Christians are known to have been massacred outside, namely Major Jacob, formerly in Scindiah's service, and Mr. Hubbard, Agra College; but. every other Christian inhabitant is supposed to be safe within the fort. Tne Maharajah of Gwalior is said to be exerting himself for our advantage, and we have no one else to fear. Before concluding, it is right to mention that our retiring from the field may be considered an act of necessary prudence, for had the enemy succeeded in getting into our rear later in the day, they might have cut us off from the fort, and by overpowering the small farrison, have murdered four or five thousand efenceless men, women and children. The following is a correct abstract of the casualties which occurred in the action'on the 6th. It will be acknowledged that the fighting must have been severe, seeing that a full quarter of the men engaged were placed hors de ■ combat. The Artillery had two officers wounded, ■ Captain D'Oyler, since dead, and Lieutenant < Lamb ; three men killed and fourteen wounded, v including six native drivers. The 3rd. European Regiment had twenty ■ jnen killed: three officers, Major Thomas and lieutenants Pond and Followes, and fifty-four ? men wounded, of whom ten have since died. The Civil Lines Infantry Militia had five ;.gentleraen killed, Messrs. O'Connor, C. Horn, ,:'P. Horn, J. Carleton, R. Smith and Jourdan ; '>one officer, Major frendergast, and eight gentlevmen>iMegsrs. White, Hay, Blackburne, Bramley, :\<S., Freeze, Outram, C. S., and Oldfield, «C-5.5 wounded. The Civil Lines Infantry Militia had one •gentleman, Mr. Deedes, killed; and five gentlemen, Messrs. Bagley, Mahyo, Steadman, Haligan, and Faville, wounded. \T.ie Unattached Officers, &c,, had six wounvded, viz., Captain W. Alexander, 10th Light Oav airy, Lieutenants Cockburn, Williams, and Bramley, Dr. Watson, and Conductor Hunter. The number killed or since dead is forty; and the number wounded ninety-two, making a total of 141 killed and wounded out of a total force of about five hui dred men engaged.

EXECUTION OF M.TJTINEEBS. A correspondent of the 'Lahore Chronicle' •supplies the following account of the execution .of twelve mutineers of the 45th .Regiment .^Native Infantry, at Ferozepore. Lieutenant Hoggan, by order of Brigadier i.lnm s read out the proceedings of the General Court Martial, which iried the mutineers, and the sentence awarded them, to the troops and ■ establishments. He then informed the muti.neers. that if any would become Queen's evidence, .the brigadier would reprieve them. I believe, twelve accepted the offer, and were , inarched to the rear of the artillery. They their willingness to inform upon the ring-leaders, and to further divulge secrets, to sshow whence the mutiny originated and with what view. Of the remaining twelve, two (one being, the man with the amputated arm,) were itakeiE-to the gallows. They ascended the ladder with firm steps, and never betrayed any .emotions of fear. On gaining the platform, uthey adjusted their nooses with their own hands; their eyes then were bandaged, and their arms .pinioaed. Another second, aud they were -(launched into eternity. Death was instantaneous vwith one, tut the one-armed culprit lingered out for a considerable time, as the knot slipped -under his chin. The hangman had to re-adjust" the,inot, and giving him another drop, the throes* of ..the body rapidly ceased, and'the vital spark soon became extinct. SChe other *en mutineers were led away to the Artillery Guns, but while their irons were being struck off, some cried out: "do notsiicri■fice the innocent for the guilty." Two others, " hold, your snivelling, die men aud not cowards —you defended your religion, why then do you crave your lives f Sahibs! they are not Sahibs ! they are dogsJ" Some more began to upbraid their commanding officer. "He released the Havildar Majot who was the chief of the rebels." The ten men were fastened to the muzzles of thi ten guns which were charged with blank

cartridge. The commanding officer directed portfires to be lit. " Ready I" " Fire !" and the drama was played out. The scene and stench was overpowering; I felt myself terribly convulsed, and could observe, that the numerous native spectators were awe-stricken, that they not only trembled like aspen-leaves, but also changed into unnatural hues. The lesson, I trust, will hot be lost on them. Precaution was not taken to remove the sponge and loadmen from near the muzzles of the guns ; the consequence was, that they were, greatly bespattered with blood, and one man in particular, received a stunning blow from a shivered arm.

THE DELHI MAGAZINE,

j It becomes evident, as our knowledge of details increases, that the mutineers did not succeed without considerable difficulty, even where there was the least power of resisting them, as at Delhi. It appears that Lieutenant Willoughby defended the great magazine to the last, and that when compelled to evacuate his post he set fire to the powder and blew hundreds of the insurgents into the air. That he escaped with his life from this fearful hazard seems certain, but whether he eluded the other perils of the crisis, and survives to enjoy the credit of his splendid gallantry and devotion, we are not yet informed.* At Meerut the examples of individual heroism were numerous. Lieutenant Miller, of the 20th Native Infantry, galloped, into the midst of the mutineers, satisfied himself of the nature of their proceedings, and, by the aid of a revolver, fought his way back. A little later the same officer actually drove in his buggy into the heart of the city, seized a man notoriously concerned in the massacre, and carried him off to a gibbet, from which he was presently suspended. ♦Lieutenant Austin, of the 60th Queen's Rifles, writing from Meerut to his sister, states that Lieutenant Willoughby, who blew up the magazine at Delhi, had got to Kurnaul much burnt, but alive.