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A COLUMN CLEARS SUBZEE MUNDEE.

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terprise, and about thirty-five were killed, including a native officer.

"All this time the cannonade from the city and from many field-guns outside raged fast and furious, and a heavy fire of musketry was kept up upon our batteries and on the Subzee Mundee picquets from the enclosures and gardens of the suburbs.

“A column was therefore formed to dislodge them, consisting of Major Scott's horse-battery, the available men of the wing, 8th and 61st Foot and 4th Sikh infantry—in all, about 700 infantry and six guns, reinforced en route by the headquarters and two companies of the 60th Rifles under LieutenantColonel J. Jones; the infantry brigade being commanded by Brigadier W. Jones, C.B., and Brigadier-General Chamberlain directing the whole. As this column swept up through the Subzee Mundee, Major Reid was instructed to move down and co-operate with such infantry as could be spared from the main picquet. The insurgents were cleared out of the gardens without difficulty, though the denseness of the vegetation rendered the mere operation of passing through them a work of time. At some of the serais, however, a very obstinate resistance was made, and the insurgents were not dislodged without considerable loss. Eventually everything was effected that was desired, our success being greatly aided by the admirable and steady practice of Major Scott's battery under a heavy fire, eleven men being put hors de combat out of its small complement.

"By sunset the engagement was over, and the troops returned to camp drenched through with rain, which for several hours had fallen at intervals with great violence.

"Our loss this day was one officer and forty men killed; eight officers and one hundred and sixty-three men wounded; eleven men missing.*

* The casualties on this memorable day were as follows:-Lieutenant Mountsteven, H. M. 8th, killed; Captain Daniell, H. M. 8th; Captain Burnside, H. M. 61st; Lieutenant Griffith, do. ; Ensign Andros, do.;

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IRREGULAR CAVALRY SENT AWAY.

"The enemy must have lost near five hundred men, most of whom were killed on the spot.

"The exact circumstances of the inroad of the cavalry into camp were never correctly ascertained ;* but there seems little reason to doubt there was some treachery on the part of the picquet of the 9th Irregulars; and the insurgent cavalry evidently reckoned upon assistance in our camp, particularly from the native troop of horse-artillery, who, however, behaved nobly."

Thus the danger was averted; but the adventure taught two lessons: the first was, that it was not wise to leave guns and a picquet on the most exposed point of our position in the charge of native guards alone; and the second, that it was not safe to keep in camp any corps containing so strong a Hindostanee element as the Irregular Cavalry. The result of a first lesson was, that H. M. 75th were moved out to the right to supply guards for the guns and picquets on the Subzee Mundee flank; while the second had been as promptly acted upon. Doubts had been often and strongly expressed of the fidelity of these corps, but they had powerful friends in camp, foremost among them Brigadier Neville Chamberlain, whose former connection with the 9th, and the loyal protestations of his old friends among the native officers, not unnaturally made him their champion. However, that there

Lieutenant Hills, Bengal Artillery; Captain Kemp (5th N. I.), with 2d Fusiliers; Lieutenant Eckford (69th N. I.), with Goorkhas; and Pullan (36th N. I.), with 4th Sikhs, wounded.

* It was openly said in the city, according to our spies, that the attack was preconcerted between the rebels of the 8th Irregular Cavalry and the picquet of the 9th.

ATTACK OF 14TH JULY.

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had been treachery on the 9th no one doubted; and a peremptory order came down from Sir John Lawrence for the immediate removal of all three corps from camp; the 9th and 17th* were sent back into the Punjab, and the 1st found occupation in the neighbourhood of Umballa,

In the beginning of the month there had been a comparative lull, which was broken by the attack on the 8th and the adventure of the 9th; then came another lull of four days, but on the morning of the 14th it was clear that the rebels meant to give us a day's work. Out they streamed from the Lahore Gate through the Kissengunge suburb, and advanced upon our Subzee Mundee picquet. This flank, however, had been within the last few days considerably strengthened. A guard of the 75th had taken possession; a strong breast work had been run up on the crest of the ridge; while a fresh battery had been mounted to command the approach from this point. On came the rebels, as usual, under cover of the gardens and the

* Proof was soon given that the 9th was not the only corps that contained traitors. The night before the order was given for the withdrawal of these corps from camp, a trusty native officer of the 17th reported to Captain Hockin that there were several men, all in one squadron of the left wing, who were resolved to desert and make for the city as the regiment marched out; this they could the more easily effect from that troop being in the rear in the line of march. The only notice Captain Hockin took of this information was to insert, in the regimental orders for the line of march, "Left in front." By this arrangement the would-be deserters found themselves in front, with the whole regiment at their backs! Thus outmanœuvred, they marched on in sullen silence, and Captain Hockin brought away his men intact, and on arrival at Ferozepore quietly made over the traitors to the authorities.

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ruined houses; but our men now had shelter also, and orders had been given that not a man should move from under cover of the breastworks. Here, strengthened by another body of the 75th and some of Coke's Rifles, they maintained the defensive, and at the same time did considerable execution whenever any Pandies came from under cover and ventured too near. The fighting had gone on for some hours in this manner; the men were beginning to fret at the restraint; they panted for the order to be "up and at them," when about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, to their great joy, permission was given to clear the Subzee Mundee. A column was formed, consisting of detachments of H. M. 75th, the 1st Europeans, Coke's Rifles, and six guns from Scott's battery, the whole under Brigadier Chamberlain. The order once given to advance, first over the breastwork sprang Chamberlain himself, and the day's work began in earnest. At the sight of our advancing column, the rebels, as usual, took to their heels; a pursuit ensued down the main street, through the by-lanes, over garden-walls-wherever a Pandy skulked our fellows followed; and, if a truthful one, the list of casualties sent into the King that day must have been a more than usually heavy one. A thorough clearance of Subzee Mundee was made.

Well had it been had the pursuit ceased here; but as the rebels scampered on in hundreds for the Lahore Gate, our men pressed on in full career, until unhappily they were carried away, and never stopped until they came within musketry-range of the city walls. Here they

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began to fall fast, and a retreat was ordered. No sooner did they retire than the rebels poured out again, though prudently keeping within cover of their own guns. At this moment Hodson, "who always turns up in moments of difficulty,"* arrived with some of his horse; a dashing charge sent the rebels again flying, and our column was drawn off without further loss. Yet dearly did we pay for the over-daring advance, a return of 15 killed and 150 wounded made a sad gap in our little body of effectives. The loss most heavily felt in camp was that of Brigadier Chamberlain himself, who had the bone of his left arm splintered by a grape-shot; for as Adjutant-General of the army, men had already learned to look to him as the life of the force.

A great change had gradually been taking place in the staff of the army. Major Laughton, who, being the chief engineer officer of that division, had accompanied the force from Umballa, had, in the end of June, been recalled into the Punjab; and Colonel Baird Smith, an officer of some distinction in that corps, had been summoned down from Roorkee to succeed him, and joined the force on the 13th, Lieutenant Alexander Taylor holding the post during the interval; Brigadier Graves had also been obliged to go to the hills for change of air, and Colonel W. Jones of 61st succeeded him. Then General Reed, who had been from the first so great an invalid as to be utterly incapable of taking any active part, and whose debility and disease increased under the discomforts of camp life,

* GREATHED'S Letters, p. 122.

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