The Revolt in Hindustan 1857 - 59 by Evelyn Wood

Author:Evelyn Wood [Wood, Evelyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Regional Studies
ISBN: 9780429594939
Google: 4wq5DwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-10-24T03:49:43+00:00

CHAPTER XIV

THE GWALIAR CONTINGENT AT CAWNPUR

THE instructions given by Sir Colin Campbell to Sir Charles Windham, whom he left to hold the bridge of boats over the Ganges at Cawnpur, were at first carried out to Sir Colin’s complete satisfaction, as was cordially acknowledged by the Chief of the Staff on November 13.

When General Windham heard of the advance of the Gwaliar Contingent towards Cawnpur, he represented the insufficiency of his force to hold the position, and on the 15th received orders to retain all detachments arriving from Allahabad. He then encamped near the junction of the Dehli-Kalpi roads, to the south-west of the city, 3 miles from the intrenchment which covered the bridge-head. Tantia Topi’s forces gradually approached from Kalpi, 45 miles distant in a westerly direction. That town stands on the Jamnah, which thence runs nearly parallel to the Ganges, and the rebels occupied all the country between the rivers to the west, and north of Cawnpur.

General Windham asked the Headquarters Staff on November 17 for permission to move two-thirds of his force, which on November 25 amounted to 1700 men, composed of small detachments of different battalions arriving from day to day, up the canal by night in boats, to attack one of the rebel forces encamped 15 miles from the city. He received no reply to this nor to three letters sent later.

Nov. 1857

General Windham heard that Colin Campbell’s troops had reached the Residency, and that the women and children were coming back to Cawnpur. Then communication was cut; but on the 22nd information was received that an armed police force, holding the Sai bridge at Banni, a communication post 16 miles from Lucknow and 30 miles from Cawnpur, had been surprised, and defeated. Sir Charles reoccupied the post with a Madras battalion and 2 guns.

On the 24th, the general, leaving 4 companies and 2 guns in the intrenchment on the southern bank of the Ganges, shifted his camp 3 miles westward, to the bridge over the canal on the Kalpi road, and Tantia Topi advanced his leading division to the Pandu River, 4 miles west of the bridge, at the same time. On the 26th General Windham moved forward with 1200 men and 8 guns through a well-wooded country to the Pandu River, where he met the enemy, and driving the Sipahis back captured 3 guns. The country was now more open with muddy fields under rice cultivation. As the 34th (1st Border) Regiment, on the left of the line passed through a small wood, some squadrons of the Gwaliar Contingent charged boldly, but were repulsed with loss by the 34th, formed in square, and the line advanced to a village, half a mile farther westward. From a hill on the far side of the village the general saw that he had dealt with only a portion of the enemy’s force, and therefore retired across the canal, up to which the enemy followed. Sir Charles encamped the troops across the Kalpi road, having some brick-kilns between his camp and the city.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.