Hope Grant now desired me to hurry back to Cawnpore before it got too dark, and select the ground for the night’s bivouac.  As there was some risk in going alone, Augustus Anson volunteered to accompany me.  We had got about half-way, when we came across the dead body of Lieutenant Salmond, who had been acting Aide-de-camp to my General, and must have got separated from us in the pursuit.  His throat was cut, and he had a severe wound on the face.  Soon after we met Inglis’s brigade, which, in accordance with my instructions, I turned back.  On reaching the Gwalior Contingent camp, we heard that an attempt had been made to recapture it, which had been repulsed by the troops left in charge.

It was dusk by the time we reached the junction of the Kalpi and Grand Trunk roads, and we agreed that this would be a good place for a bivouac, the city being about a mile in front, and Mansfield’s column less than two miles to the left.  I marked out the ground, and showed each corps as it came up the position it was to occupy.  When all this was over I was pretty well tired out and ravenously hungry; but food there was none, so I had made up my mind to lie down, famished as I was.  Just then I came across some sleeping men, who to my joy turned out to be Dighton Probyn and the officers of the 2nd Punjab Cavalry, who were magnanimous enough to forgive the abrupt interruption to their slumbers, and to supply me with some cold mutton, bread, and a bottle of beer.  Never was man more grateful for a meal, and never was a meal more thoroughly enjoyed.  I lay down beside my friends and was soon fast asleep, in spite of the bitter cold and being much troubled about my horse; neither for him nor myself was there a vestige of covering to be found.

The next morning I was astir by cockcrow.  Patrols who had been sent forward to ascertain the truth of a rumour which had reached the Commander-in-Chief the previous evening, to the effect that the city had been evacuated, returned with confirmation of the report; but the news in other respects was far from satisfactory.  Mansfield’s movement had caused the enemy to retire, but they had got away without loss, and had succeeded in carrying off all their guns; so that only one half of Tantia Topi’s force had really been dealt with; the other half still remained to be disposed of, and to Hope Grant’s great satisfaction and my delight, the duty of following them up was entrusted to him.

His orders were to go to Bithur, as it was thought likely that the Nana’s troops would retire on that place.  But as the news was not very reliable, Hope Grant was told to use his own discretion, and act according to circumstances.