THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW.
On the 6th of November Captain Peel, with five hundred
of his gallant bluejackets, marched from Cawnpore,
taking with them the heavy siege guns. Three
days later they joined General Grant’s column,
which was encamped at a short distance from the Alumbagh,
and in communication with the force holding that position.
On the 9th Sir Colin Campbell, who had come out from
England with all speed to assume the chief command
in India, arrived in camp, and his coming was hailed
with delight by the troops, who felt that the hour
was now at hand when the noble garrison of Lucknow
were to be rescued.
The total force collected for the relief were:
Her Majesty’s Eighth, Fifty-third, Seventy-fifth,
and Ninety-third regiments of infantry; two regiments
of Punjaub infantry; and a small party of native sappers
and miners. The cavalry consisted of the Ninth
Lancers, and detachments of Sikh cavalry and Hodgson’s
Horse. The artillery comprised Peel’s naval
brigade, with eight heavy guns, ten guns of the Royal
Horse Artillery, six light field guns, and a heavy
battery of the Royal Artillery. A total of about
twenty-seven hundred infantry and artillery, and nine
hundred cavalry.
On the morning of the 10th Mr. Kavanagh, a civilian,
came into camp. He had, disguised as a native,
started the evening before from the Residency with
a native guide, named Kunoujee Lal, had swum the Goomtee,
recrossed by the bridge into the city, passed through
the streets, and finally made his way in safety.
He was perfectly acquainted with the city, and brought
plans from Sir James Outram for the guidance of the
commander-in-chief in his advance.
After an examination of the plans Sir Colin Campbell
determined that, instead of forcing his way through
the narrow streets as General Havelock had done, he
would move partly round the town, and attack by the
eastern side, where there was much open ground, sprinkled
with palaces and mosques and other large buildings.
These could be attacked and taken one by one, by a
series of separate sieges, and thus the Residency could
be approached with far less loss than must have taken
place in an attempt to force a way through the crowded
city.
On the 15th the troops marched to the Alumbagh, defeating
a small rebel force which attempted to stop their
way.
At the Alumbagh Dick Warrener—for Ned was
with his regiment, which, to his great disgust, had
remained at Cawnpore—had the joy of meeting
his father again, as Warrener’s Horse had not
shared in Havelock’s advance to the Residency,
but had remained as part of the garrison of the Alumbagh.
It is needless to tell of the delight of that meeting
after all that the lads had gone through since they
parted from their father, nearly four months before,
at Cawnpore. Colonel Warrener had heard of the
safe arrival of his sons at Delhi before he marched
