6

AN ASSAULT AGAIN PLANNED.

Delhi, on the ground that it was more important to restore authority in the Doab, and to reopen communication between Meerut and its seat of government, Agra. However, the remonstrances of Sir John Lawrence prevailed, and for the time the idea of retreat was put off. Still the progress was slow and wearying; and some of the bolder and more daring spirits in camp revived the old project of an assault. The best that could be said of it was that it was only a forlorn hope; and the worst, that it was a little better than "a defeated gamester's throw."

It was decided on; the whole plan was concocted, those only who were to take part in it were admitted to the secret. One column was to effect an entrance by blowing in the iron grating of the canal near the Cabul Gate, another column to enter the Cashmere Gate after it had been blown in, a third column to escalade the Cashmere Bastion, and a detachment, creeping round by the river-side, to endeavour to effect an entrance in that direction. And all was ready for the venture-when all was suddenly abandoned. The secret, so well kept in camp that even some of the General's staff were sleeping soundly that night in blissful ignorance of what was in contemplation, was no secret in the city. The rebels, who knew every movement and every plan, were on the alert; a large body had been moved down by a circuitous route into a large walled garden, about two miles to our rear; and while the storming party, allowed to make their way in silence up to the palace

*NORMAN'S Narrative.

TRAITORS IN THE CAMP.

7

gateway, would there have found the guard waiting for them, the ambuscade on our rear would have rushed into camp, mastered the guards, and all have been lost. It was this intelligence, opportunely brought to the General's tent, that saved the camp-and thus ended the second and last attempt at carrying the city by coup-de-main.

It was clear that there must be traitors in camp, even among the choice few that composed our native force. Yet where could they be? There were the noble little Sirmooree Goorkhas, under Reid, holding on fearlessly and resolutely at their post of honour and of danger, at Hindoo Rao's house; there were Rothney's Sikhs, never flinching nor flagging; the Guides everywhere covering themselves with glory; Hodson's Horse, with their intrepid leader, winning golden opinions; and Coke's Rifles, who had more recently joined, giving promise of good and faithful service: still there was something wrong; desertions would occur; every plan and movement seemed known to the enemy-even that most secretly concocted assault. Then another circumstance aroused suspicion; the loss of European officers in some of these corps had been beyond all proportion to the men who had fallen. In the Guides, Quintin Battye had been killed; Daly, the commandant, Kennedy the adjutant, Hawes, Shebbeare, De Brett (57th N. I. doing duty), Chalmers (3d N.I.), Murray (42d N.I.), all wounded-some twice, and and even three times: twice had the complement been replenished, and twice knocked over. In the 4th Sikhs,

1

8

A FURTHER CLEARANCE OF POORBEAHS.

too, who had only lately arrived, already had Yorke (of the 3d N.I.) been killed, and Packe (4th N.I.) and Pullan (36th N. I.) been wounded. Now, even the gallantry and rash daring of young blood could scarcely account for such a list of casualties: moreover, some had been noticed to fall unaccountably at moments when the enemy were not firing! This had led men to wonder when the whole was discovered and disclosed. In the Guide corps, as a part of its very constitution, was a Poorbeah company, and the 4th Sikhs and other Punjab corps, though mainly composed of Punjabees, contained some Poorbeahs. Here were the traitors; many of the officers had been shot down, not by the enemy at all, but by the Poorbeahs of their own corps! Then came further disclosures, not only of spies and traitors, but of emissaries of treason from the King; some of the leading Poorbeahs were systematically tampering with the loyalty of the Sikhs and Punjabees, with offers of high pay in the King's service. All this was brought to light on the 2d of July.* One of these traitors was shot down on the spot by a faithful Sikh while attempting to tamper with him, and three more were given up and hanged the same evening; and before nightfall the entire lot of Poorbeahs in the several corps were cleared out; and the whole camp experienced a feeling of relief.

Allusion has been made to the arrival of Coke's Rifles, who, after their little exploit at Loodiana, had pushed on for Delhi. The camp had the day before * GREATHED'S Letters, &c., p. 90.

REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE.

9

received another valuable reinforcement. The right wing and headquarters of H. M. 61st had been moved down from Ferozepore under Colonel W. Jones, C.B., who, on hearing of the losses sustained at Badlee Serai, and being set free by the dispersion of the mutineers of the 45th and 57th N. I. at Ferozepore, had written to offer half his regiment. On the morning of the 1st they marched into camp to the thrilling notes of "Cheer, boys, Cheer!" *

But as if to qualify the joy caused by their arrival, at the very time they were being welcomed to the ridge, 450 strong, a force about ten times as strong was encamping on the opposite bank of the Jumna. The Bareilly, or more properly Rohilcund, brigade, which had been for many days threatening to advance on Meerut, and filling that garrison with consternation by its unwelcome proximity, had at length, to their great relief, moved off and marched for Delhi; and here they arrived in full force, the 8th Irregular Cavalry, the 18th, 20th, 29th, and 68th Regiments of Native Infantry, with 6 guns of Captain Gravenor Kirby's battery under Mahomed Bukht Khan, whilome a subahdar of artillery, and now General of the Brigade. The river had been rising rapidly during the end of June, and had broken the bridge, so that this force had to resort to the more tedious process of crossing in boats; but even this they were able to accomplish without any opposition. Not one of our guns could

* It was the first regimental band which had been brought to Delhi, and was all the more welcome.

10

THE BAREILLY BRIGADE.

touch them-there were no Armstrongs on the ridge -and two days after the bridge was repaired, when a long line of above 400 carts laden with treasure, elephants, camels, and horses almost without number, might be seen filing over and up the causeway into the Calcutta Gate. On the same day came 35 Sikhs, of the regiment of Loodiana,* from Benares, bringing the cheering assurance that mutiny had triumphed even to the borders of Bengal.

The arrival of this strong force foreboded more immediate danger to the camp than was anticipated. From their spies the rebels had been duly apprised of the expected arrival of a convoy from Umballa, and also of a large number of sick being sent off to the hills; so instead of carrying out their original design (for which our spies had prepared us) of a desperate attack in full force on our right flank, the Rohilcund and Nusserabad brigades moved out of the Lahore Gate and bore away in a westerly direction. A strong force was at once sent out from camp to follow them up, and, if possible, cut them off; but the country had been so flooded by the heavy rains, that when our party did come in sight, they found themselves hopelessly separated from the rebels by a wide jheel, and were compelled to retire re infecta.

The object of the rebels remained a mystery until next morning, when it was found that Aleepore, the first station on our rear along the Kurnal road, which had always been friendly to us, and was held by a small

*They had mutinied at Benares on the 4th of June.