to camp. "The energy displayed by officers and men in carrying out my orders after a long march in the five hours' laborious work in the city, was very creditable to them.-I have, &c., "JOHN COKE, Lieut.-colonel, "Commanding Infantry of the Force." "Head-quarters, Camp, Bareilly, 7th May, 1858. "List of rebels captured in the city of Moradabad, April 26th, 1858:-Mujjoo Khan; Shaik Eneautoolla Vakeel; Abid Ali Khan; Sayud Allie Khan; Niaz Allie Khan; Jhubbur Ali Khan; Abdul Kurreem Khan; Ala Ali Khan ; Shaik Goolam Hussein; Nusuroodeen; Mirza Yakoob Beg; Mirza Jahangeer Beg; Hoosain Bux; Kureemoolah; Elahie Bux; Jafur Hoosein; Rugwedeen Sha; Muddut Khan; Shuffaoodeen; Ahmud Hussein; Looman. "Killed in the city during the capture:-Nugeemoodeen, son of Mujjoo; Moobarick Allie Khan, grandson of Mujjoo; Emaun Sha, and Moona, servants of Mujjoo. "Forwarded by order of the commander-in-chief, to the secretary to the government of India, military department, for the information of the right honourable the governor-general. "H. W. NORMAN, Major, "Deputy-adjutant-general of the Army." Having so far successfully accomplished the object he had in view, the brigadier remained in camp before Moradabad during the remainder of the month of April, usefully occupied in re-establishing confidence amongst the inhabitants of the city and adjacent district, and awaiting instructions from the commander-in-chief for the advance of his column to join the Rohilcund field force on its march towards Bareilly. On the 9th of April, as already mentioned, General Walpole, at the head of the Lucknow division of the army destined to operate in Rohilcnnd, consisting of about 5,000 troops of all arms, and having with him Brigadier Adrian Hope, in command of the infantry, marched from Lucknow, for the purpose of clearing the left bank of the Ganges, and securing the passage of the Ramgunga at Allygunge, from whence it would accompany the division under the commander-in-chief, in its progress to avoid the numerous dangers and difficulties that beset the line of march on every side. In of this, the troops were unconsequence avoidably exposed to the heat of the sun as they advanced, and many sank under its scorching influences. Another difficulty also arose in moving forward the heavy guns of the force, for want of traversable roads, and the cavalry and infantry were much retarded in their progress on that account. For the first two days of his march General Walpole met with no obstruction from the rebels; and, on the third day (April 12th), he reported to the chief of the staff the favourable state of the country through which he had passed, in the following communication : : "Camp, Sundeela, April 12th, 1858. "Sir, I have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of his excellency the commander-inchief, that I marched yesterday to Ruheemabad, and this morning to this place. At Ruheemabad I destroyed a fort which was being constructed, which belonged to Soobah Sing, a man of considerable influence, and said to be the head of 4,000 men; he commanded two regiments at Lucknow, where he fought against us. In the course of the afternoon this man came into camp, and gave himself up to Captain Thurburn. he was, "The man who was kotwal here under the English government before the mutiny, met us on the road, and though very humble now, gave a very poor account of himself; and an old man, who was chuckledar in the king's time, also met us on the road; I understand, a man of influence; and the people upon being told that they would not be molested, remained in their villages, and opened their shops; but the thakoor, the most influential man here, has left the place, and is reported to be at Roeah. Hearing that a bridge was being made over the Goomtee, I sent a person to ascertain whether such was the case, and I find that the piers are made, and the boats for the bridge ready about ten or twelve miles from hence. "The country through which we pass is reported to be free from insurgents, and I believe such to be information of our movements; and there are stated the case, except a sowar or two to look out, and give to be 150 men at a place called Pomayech, a dozen miles to our right. From what I hear, I believe the march of this column will have a very beneficial fall of Lucknow, the influential people have become effect upon this part of the country; and since the fully aware of the hopelessness of the struggle, and their chief object now is to make the best terms they can. "The country is fine and well wooded, and the road, or rather track, good for marching and camels; but in parts near the streams, of which we have crossed two, it is intersected with ravines, and is, in those places, extremely bad, and difficult for hackeries. I have, &c., "R. WALPOLE, Brigadier-general, "Commanding Field Force." Notwithstanding the impediments occa Bareilly. From Lucknow to the last-named place the distance was about 156 miles, through a region so ill-provided with roads, that no dependence could be placed upon nightmarches throughout the entire route, as daylight was indispensably necessary, to sioned by a roadless march through an were forced to retire, amidst yells of triumph from the enemy. The heavy guns, which ought to have began the work, were then sent forward, and commenced battering the wall; but the enemy, too wise to risk the perils of an assault, quietly evacuated the fort during the night without sustaining any loss of men; while, on the side of the British, besides Brigadier Hope, several other officers were either killed or wounded; and nearly a hundred rank and file further swelled the list of casualties upon this unfortunate occasion. The following despatches afford some explanation of the disastrous attack upon the fort of Rooya, or Roodamow: enemy's country, and the glaring heat of the sun, it was earnestly hoped that the troops, by being enabled to rest at night on their way, might reach Bareilly about the 24th of the month, as, after that period, the state of the country in Rohilcund would become, from the numerous rivers by which it was bounded and intersected, almost totally impassable for troops; the rainy season, which commences in May, causing them to spread over the land in every direction. There was, consequently, no time to spare for unnecessary encounters with the enemy, and certainly none to be thrown away in insignificant siege operations, which could only have the effect of retarding the progress of the troops toward their proper destination, and might very India is pleased to direct the publication of the fol"The right honourable the governor-general of possibly be attended with serious loss. lowing despatch, from the deputy-adjutant-general of This, unfortunately, happened to be the the army (No. 257 A, dated 20th April 1858), forcase with the division under General Wal-warding copy of a report from Brigadier-general R. pole, who, on the 15th of April, reached a Walpole, commanding field force, detailing his operations against, and capture of the fort of Rooya, on jungle fort near a village called Rooda- the 15th inst. mow, about ten miles from the left bank of the Ganges, and fifty-one miles northwest from Lucknow. The place, which was in itself of mere secondary importance, was concealed from view by underwood and trees, and was crowded with matchlockmen, under the command of Nurput Sing, a rebel leader of some repute in the field. Unfortunately for the troops, Brigadier Walpole determined to attack this fort without first making a reconnaissance; and, as it happened, sent forward his infantry without artillery against the only strong side of the place. The troops selected for this hap-hazard experiment, were a portion of the 42nd highlanders and the 4th Punjab infantry; and they were no sooner descried by the garrison, than a murderous fire opened upon them from an enemy concealed from view. The troops were, for a moment, confused, for they had no means of effectually replying to the fire; and they fell, as it were, defenceless before the shot poured upon them from the jungle, and from the loopholed wall of the fort. Upon this unforeseen difficulty being reported to General Walpole, Brigadier Adrian Hope was dispatched to call back the troops engaged in so unequal a conflict, and had reached them for that purpose, when a bullet from the enemy deprived the army of a gallant officer. Everything now was thrown into confusion, and the troops, exasperated at being shot down without a chance of defending themselves, "His lordship participates in the grief expressed by his excellency the commander-in-chief at the heavy loss which the British army has sustained the Hon. A. Hope, whose very brilliant services in the death of that most admirable officer Brigadier he had had the gratification of publicly recognising in all the operations for the relief and final capture of Lucknow. No more mournful duty has fallen present contest, than that of recording the premature upon the governor-general in the course of the death of this distinguished young commander. "The governor-general shares also in the regret From the Deputy-adjutant-general of the Army to "In this despatch the capture of the fort of Rooya is described, an operation which, to the great regret of his excellency, has been attended with considerable loss. "Among the names of those who have fallen, appears that of Brigadier the Hon. A. Hope. The death of this most distinguished and gallant officer causes the deepest grief to the commander-in-chief. Still young in years, he had risen to high command, and by his undaunted courage, combined as it was with extreme kindness and a charm of manner, had secured the confidence of his brigade to no ordinary degree. "This brigade he had led in several assaults, of which the last was in the attack on the Begum Kotee at the late siege of Lucknow. "The service of her majesty could, in Sir Colin Campbell's opinion, hardly have sustained a greater 108s. I have the honour to be, Sir, "Your most obedient servant, From Brigadier-general R. Walpole, commanding Field Force, to the Chief of the Staff. "Camp Madhogunge, April 16th, 1858. "Sir, I have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of his excellency the commander-in-chief, that yesterday morning I marched to this place (which almost joins Roodamow) from Gosegunge. 66 Nurput Sing, who I stated in my despatch of yesterday was at Rooya fort, which is about one mile to the north of this place, did not come in or send any satisfactory reply to the message of Captain Thurburn, the magistrate, who accompanies this force. I therefore thought it advisable to attack him, particularly as Captain Thurburn informed me that he understood this man had received only the day before yesterday a letter from the begum, and that his intentions were certainly hostile to the government; and, under these circumstances, it would have had the worst effect to pass this fort without taking it. "I accordingly directed my baggage to be massed in the open plain, near Madhogunge, under a strong guard of cavalry, infantry, and two field guns, and proceeded with the remainder of the force towards Rooya, turning off from the road about two miles from Madhogunge, for the purpose of getting round to the north side of the fort, which was stated to be the weakest part of it, where there was a gate, and where there were very few guns. "The fort on the east and north side is almost surrounded with jungle, and at these two sides the only two gates were stated to be, which information proved correct. It is a large oblong, with numerous circular bastions all round it, pierced for guns, and loopholed for musketry, and surrounded by a broad and deep ditch: there is an inner fort or citadel, surrounded in like manner by a deep ditch, and with a high wall considerably elevated above the rest of the work. On the west and part of the south side there was a large piece of water, which was partially dried up. On arriving before the north side, I sent forward some infantry in extended order, to enable the place to be reconnoitred, when a heavy fire of musketry was immediately opened upon them, and an occasional gun; the cavalry at the same time swept entirely round to the west side, to cut off all communication with the fort. A tolerable view of the fort having been obtained from the road which leads into it from the north, the heavy guns were brought up; the two 18-pounders were placed on it; the two 8-inch mortars behind a wood still further to the right. "After a short time, a great many of the infantry were killed and wounded from having crept up too near the fort, from which the fire of rifles and matchlocks was very heavy: these men had gone much nearer to the fort than I wished or intended them to go; and some of the Punjab rifles, with great courage, but without orders, jumped into the ditch, and were killed in endeavouring to get up the scarp. I therefore gave directions that they should be withdrawn from their forward and exposed situation; and here it was, I regret to say, that the gallant and able soldier, Brigadier Hope, was killed by a rifle or musket-ball, fired by a man from a high tree within the walls of the place. "By half-past two o'clock the fire of our heavy guns appeared to have made little or no impression upon the place; and as no gun could be brought to bear upon the gate, the passage to which was not straight, and it could not be approached without the men being exposed to a very heavy fire from the bastion and loopholed wall that commanded it, I considered it better not to attempt an assault until more impression had been made upon the walls of the place, and, as it was getting late, to withdraw from the north side and commence operations against the south-east angle on the following morning, which had been reconnoitred by the engineers, and where they thought it would be easier to effect a breach, as it could be better seen, and a more direct fire could be brought to bear. I therefore directed the camp to be pitched on the south side, about a mile from the fort, and withdrew from the north side, where it would have been dangerous to pass the night, as it was surrounded by thick jungle. "This morning, at daylight, Major Brind, Bengal artillery, and Captain Lennox, royal engineers, proceeded to again reconnoitre the place thoroughly before recommencing operations, and found that the enemy had evacuated it, leaving their guns behind them (five in number), ammunition, a large quantity of attar, and some tents. As some of the carriages were found without their guns, and the track of a gun carriage could be traced to a well, where the water is very deep, I have no doubt other guns have been thrown down it; I had information that there were more in the place, and it is certain none were carried out. "The reports as to the numbers of the enemy vary so much that it is impossible to arrive at any certainty upon that point; but I am inclined to think the number stated in my despatch yesterday, viz., about 1,500, to be nearly correct; but the strength of the garrison consisted in the nature and situation of the fort, not in their numbers. I regret to say that this operation has cost us above 100 officers and men killed and wounded, and I have deeply to deplore the loss of Brigadier the Hon. A. Hope, from whom I had received the greatest assistance. "The loss of the enemy it is impossible to ascer tain; it must have been heavy from the fire of our guns, and especially from our howitzers and mortars. A few bodies which seem to have been overlooked, and three large funeral fires, with the remains of the bodies smouldering, were all that remained of their dead on our entering the place this morning. The fort, which has overawed this part of the country for the last year, is being destroyed under the superintendence of Captain Lennox, royal engineers, and I am in hopes that its destruction will be of the greatest advantage. 66 I have received the most willing support from all under my command during this operation; and I beg particularly to offer my best thanks to Brigadier Hagart, commanding the cavalry, and to Major Brind, commanding the artillery, for their most able and valuable assistance; also to Captain Lennox, the senior engineer officer; to Lieutenant-colonel Hay, commanding the 93rd regiment, who succeeded to the command of the infantry brigade on the death of Brigadier Hope; to Lieutenant-colonel Cameron, commanding the 42nd regiment; to Lieutenantcolonel Taylor, commanding the 79th regiment; to Captain Cafe, commanding the 4th Punjab infantry, who, I regret to say, was severely wounded; to Lieutenant-colonel Tombs and Major Remmington, com manding troops of horse artillery; to Captain Francis, nine; the fort of Rooya could be seen in commanding the heavy guns; to Captain Coles, comsome parts embosomed amid trees. No. manding the 9th lancers; and Captain Brown, commanding the 2nd Punjab cavalry. I beg also to 10 company 42nd royal highlanders was return my best thanks to the officers of my staff- ordered to go out skirmishing in front of Captain Barwell, deputy-assistant-adjutant-general; horse artillery guns, with No. 9 in support. Captain Carey, deputy-assistant-quartermaster-gen- About 300 yards from the fort, Nos. 7 and eral; Captain Warner, aide-de-camp; and Lieute-8 were sent up to Brigadier-general Walnant Eccles, rifle brigade, my extra aide-de-camp. "Enclosed I beg to forward a list of the casualties, and likewise a sketch of the fort, which has been made in a hurry, but will afford information of the nature of the work.-I have, &c., “R. WALPOLE, Brigadier-general, The following account of the progress of Walpole's force, and the attack at Roodamow, is from a letter of an officer in the highland brigade, engaged in the encounter. "Camp Allygunge, near Futteghur, Oude side of the Ganges, April 23rd, 1858. "On Thursday morning, the 8th instant, we started from the Dilkoosha, and, after a most annoying march, reached our campaigning ground, about three miles from the Moosabagh. From that day to the 15th everything went on smoothly and quietly. The events of each day were monotonous in the extreme. Up at 3 A.M., tents struck as soon as possible, slight breakfast, and march at five, getting to our next halting-place about 9 A.M., instead of before 8 A.M., which latter was the hour recommended by the commander-in-chief to Brigadier-general Waipole, as the most suitable for halting and encamping. A disregard to this simple direction has been the source of much sickness amongst both officers and men, as the number of officers on the sick-list and patients in hospital will clearly prove. Even at 8 A.M. the heat of the sun is most dazzling and oppressive. On one occasion (I think on Sunday, the 11th instant), it was 10 A.M. before the troops halted, and, as might have been expected from fatigue and exposure such as the men were subjected to, the number of men who reported themselves ill to the surgeons of the various regiments was very great. "On the morning of the 15th we rose and marched at the usual hour, with a sort of indefinite expectation of meeting the enemy, based on the reports that had lately reached us. An advance guard of companies 1, 2, and 3 of the 42nd royal highlanders, with cavalry and guns, under the command of Major Wilkinson, preceded the main column, which was headed by the 42nd royal highlanders left in front. Firing was heard, I think, about half-past pole in front of the guns, and were ordered by him to skirmish without support, and to advance till they came within sight of the gate of the fort, and to open fire. It was supposed by those concerned that this movement was for the purpose of preventing the rebels in the fort from escaping by the gate referred to, and that Major Wilkinson would make an attack on the weak side, and that the rebels, driven before him, would naturally think of leaving the fort by the gate. Acting on this supposition, Captain Grove, of No. 8, ordered his men to fix bayonets, so as to be ready to receive the rebels should they attempt to bolt by the way specified. On receiving the brigadier-general's order above-mentioned, Captain Grove advanced without resistance or cover till he came to the counterscarp of the ditch of the fort, where there was a bank which afforded protection. There was now only the breadth of the ditch between his company and the mud intrenchments of the enemy. In the course of a short time that company had one officer, two sergeants, and nine rank and file disabled. So critically alarming did this position and state of affairs become that he sent for support, which soon made its appearance in the shape of part of a Punjab regiment-in all, one hundred strong. These having formed on his left, and finding sufficient cover, rushed boldly into the ditch, attempted ineffectually to get over the parapet, and finally were obliged to retire with the loss of two officers and forty-six men in killed and wounded. The officer commanding the Punjabees, shortly after this fruitless but brilliant dash, came to Captain Grove and asked him for volunteers to bring in the dead body of Lieutenant Willoughby, who had been killed in this impetuous assault. Two men of the 42nd royal highlanders, supported by other two of the 42nd and two of the Punjabees (native officers I believe), went out on this most dangerous mission. In bringing in the body, Captain Cafe, of the Punjabees, had his left arm broken; and private Edward Spence, of the 42nd royal highlanders, received his death wound. All honour to these brave and 313 the hostile fire, had forty-two killed and wounded; two gallant young officers mortally wounded, Lieutenant C. Douglas and Alfred Jenkins Bramley; one officer severely, Lieutenant Cockburne; seven non-commissioned officers and men killed in action; thirty-two non-commissioned officers and men more or less wounded-two of these wounded soldiers since dead of their wounds. The 93rd highlanders had a few men wounded, and the 79th also a few. Lieutenant Harrington, of Major Remmington's troop of Bengal horse artillery, was severely wounded by a musket-ball. Only think of it: these brave fellows killed, all these brave fellows wounded, and for nothing-nothing achieved by it, nothing gained by it; the fort and the enemy abandoned as we found them. devoted soldiers! The conduct of Captain | loss, I am told, in killed and wounded, of Cafe (Punjab rifles), privates Spence and 120, including officers, non-commissioned Thompson (42nd royal highlanders), is be- officers and privates-retired to our camp yond all praise. After these events had downcast, disheartened at the proceedings transpired, Brigadier the Hon. Adrian Hope, of the day, and perfectly furious with wrath of the highland brigade, went forward to when the fact stared us in the face that, where No. 8 company, 42nd royal high- under a head possessed, not of high military landers, was stationed, for the purpose of qualities, but of common sense, the proseeing with his own eyes how matters ceedings and the results would have been stood. I dare say he thought that every- far different. The 42nd, who, along with thing that morning had been dreadfully the Punjabees, had borne the brunt of mismanaged. Before he had been a minute on the perilous ground, he was shot right above the left collar-bone, and, as he fell, he exclaimed, 'I am a dead man!' After a few words, he asked for water, which having drunk, he became insensible, and expired without pain. I cannot describe to you the gloom-the thick palpable gloomwhich the sudden and untimely death of our amiable and gallant brigadier has cast over the minds of all of us. He was the foremost and most promising of the young brigadiers; he was the man in whom the commander-in-chief placed the most implicit confidence, and whom all trusted and delighted to honour, and would have followed with feelings of success wherever he chose to lead the way. This is our heaviest, sorest, most terrible loss. Half-an-hour after this sad blow had been dealt, the company (No. 8) retired. It is the solemn conviction-the decided opinion-of all who were present, that, had scaling-ladders and sufficient support been sent when first asked for, and the order given to storm, the fort would have been taken with little or no loss. The fort is hexagonal, with two redoubts, two sides of the hexagon having no fortifications; the bastions circular, the ditch deep and narrow, the escarp and rampart in many places inaccessible, except by scaling-ladders. Everybody asks what did the brigadier intend to do? Why did he send men to occupy the position, which they did when nothing was to be gained by their being there? Why, if he really intended to take the place, was it not stormed at once at the point of the bayonet? Or rather-and this is the main query-why was it not shelled by the mortars, and smashed by the breachingcannon, if the brigadier was, like the commander-in-chief, careful and jealous of the precious blood of the brave fellows who served under him? "We retired, and left the fort uncaptured-retired and joined the force with a "Next morning the fort was cleared out (not by us, for they did not give us another chance, but by themselves); they had bolted during the stillness and darkness of the night. It was perhaps as well that they did so. Perhaps if they had stood, and we had gone at it, it would have been in the manner of the preceding day, and with the same expenditure of British blood. I say it was doubtless as well that they didn't stick to their post, for we know that there are persons, even in the British army, who won't be advised, who won't even learn by experience. A sad, sad scene it was that burial ceremony on the evening of the following day. A short distance from the camp, in a tope (cluster) of mangotrees, the graves were dug, and the bodies of the dead consigned to them. The church of England service was read by a chaplain of that church, and afterwards I had a short service, consisting of the reading of a portion of Scripture-Psalm xc.; 1 Thess. iv. 13, 18; then a short address; lastly, prayer. "We arrived here yesterday about noon, after having driven a party of the rebels before us, and killed a great number. I believe the chief is to join us with a large |