GENERAL WINDHAM'S' DEFEAT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 572, 28 April 1858, Page 3

GENERAL WINDHAM'S' DEFEAT.

(From the Dailjj News.) Ciiwnnore has been left under the cr^mmd of Gem'rul Wh.dham. the hero of Ihe lje&m. He ha.l with him 3,000 hum:, vov,*\*Urt; f l'Oy-tior-s of the 3-1 th, (i4th, S2u-.:, ar.d SBth l\e-i-------ments, besides Artiilcry. It is th.it Ins orders from Sir Coliu were on 1:0 account to

•risk an engagement. However that may be, on "ithe 20th of November the Gwalior rebels were -advancing on<sawnpore. On the 25th, information -reached him that the advauced guard had : arrived at-Fandoo Nuddy, about eight miles '^Vora Cawnpore. These were not'the Gwalior troops; they were Koour Singh's rabble, who, ' having been beaten out of Behar in August bj' Eyre, had since joined the Cxwalior disciplined troops, and had come on as their ad-wanced-guard. Windham, tJiinking they were * the Gwalior troops, went out on the 26th to ■ attack tfhem-; and, after a contest of an hour-and-a-halfs duration, beat them. He thought, -•most probably, that this defeat must so disorganize .the rebels, that they would make no >raore head against us. At all events, all accounts agree in stating that no precautions whatever were taken against surprise, that our standing 'camp remained as though we were in a peaceful cantonment, an'd'that no attack was anticipated for a moment. But the Gwalior men .were rather enraged than discomfited.. They liad sent forward Koour Singh's rabble as a feeler, both to deceive Windham and to mask ftheir own movements. They were very nearly being successful. Finding from Windham's attack on Koour Singh that he was prepared to ►expect them on the east side of Cawnpore, they ■moved rapidly on to the Delhi road, making a circuit, and then on the morning of the 27th inarched on the station from the, westward. Instead, however, of attacking with promptitude, "they conteuted themselves with assuming a threatening attitude at Nawabgunge, a suburb "two miles distant. from' Windham's standing camp. This enabled the latter to make preparations. He ordered out the troops, and marching at the head^ of more Europeans' than' the*lamented 'Havelock '. 'had ever had Tinder Iris command, went down of success to attack the rebels. Our troops, accustomed to be led to victory, went on with their usual dash; the 64th, one of Havelock's victorious regiments, leading. They •-charged a ''-battery in the "left -centre of tie -enemy's'line, arid gained it, the enemy yielding to them at every fctep. Tsy advancing the other regiments to support the 64th, the victory -would hare'been secured; but they were left alone, and the enemy closing on them with their left wing, they suffered-very severely; they -were compelled to abandon the guns they had gained. The want of a general was everywhere conspicuous; confusion reigned on all sides ;no distinct orders were issued, and our troops had to beat a hasty, it may be called a disgraceful ■retreat, into the intrenchihents.; leaving stand- '• ing-camp, stores, camp-eqiiipage, and the entire -station of Cawnpore to^the west of the canal, in the hands of the enemy. Our loss was proportionate^ heavy ; antl -several of our men, and -even some officers, fell alive into the hands of the enemy. It is stated ih; private letters that one of these -was forthwith hanged, a second to death with stones, and a third tied to a cart-wheel, which in a few successive TevoluHions crushed him to death. Oar camp and j -stores they burned ; and that same evening, advancing close to our intrenchment, they took possession of and burned the whole of the cold-, '^weather clothing for our men, whicn~had been •stored up at Cawnpore. -On the following day. *the rebels attacked-the" in treochment, -commencing with a very heavy eanncmade from the right -and'left of "their line. Windham attempted -a sortie ; in which, after some hard fighting, the. rifles managed to capture two guns, but our *right"were driven back with much loss. It was sound of the firing on this day which reached the ears of Sir Colin Campbell: a messenger at tbe same time arrived with accounts of the -critical state of Windham's party. Had the revbels at this time cut the bridge of boats, which affords the only means of eonvraumcation with '■Oude, Sir Colin would have found it a difficult ■ matter to cross the Granges ; but the rebels, not - expecting his return, and making sure of Windham's force, were probably anxious to avail of the bridge of boats-to crush Sir Colin Campbell. At all events, they let-it remain, and by so doing were lost. The movements of the favourite lieutenant of Sir Charles 'Napier were too prompt for them. 'With his .-.artillery and cavalry, he marched thirty-eight ■miles in fifteen hours; crossed the Ganges by :tbe bridge of boats on the. night of the 28th ; on :the next day fell upon the rebels, drove them 'back, in a way which made the troops feel that they once more had a general at their head, into »the town:; ana1 then returned to escort the ladies anfi wounSed across the river. Although liaranserl in this operation by the rebels, who poured in a desultory fire from ;the town, and threatened on the left bank by tbe Oude insurgents, he in the space of two day, successfully effected this very delicate operation. He did not at once attack tbe enemy. Commanding yfr»m the intvencbment the head of the road to he made arrangement* for a sxfe .-escort for the ladies, sick, and wounded, as far sis that station, remaining meanwhile on the de>fensive. ©n the morning of the 6th, the last wounded man having left the intrenchment, he 'turned his attention to the rebels, aud at eleven lo'clock moved out'to attack them.