An urgent message now arrived from the Civil Officer at Kúnch, saying that unless Sir Hugh Rose marched at once to the right bank of the Jumna, Tántia Topi and the Rání at Kálpi, with the Nawáb of Bánda at Nowgong, twenty miles to the south-west of Kálpi, would cut him off, and so prevent him 'giving a hand,' as desired by the Government of India, to Sir Colin Campbell. He accordingly made forced marches towards Kálpi, leaving a small detachment[1] to strike the tents at Kúnch, and to join him as quickly as they could at Guláulí on the Jumna, seven miles from Kálpi.
The troops had now to contend, not only against the rebel army, fighting with all the advantages of superior numbers and knowledge of the ground, but with an Indian sun at its maximum of summer heat. The number of officers and men on the sick list increased daily, and added to the difficulties of transport. There was a scarcity both of water and forage. But obstacles were things that had to be overcome. A check, or worse still, a defeat before Kálpi, in the advanced state of the hot season and with the rains close at hand, while resuscitating rebellion throughout
- ↑ At one of the halting-places, the General found a party of sick and wounded lying on the ground in their great coats, with their knapsacks under their heads for a pillow. He asked if they had any complaints. 'Complaints, sir,' said the surgeon in charge, 'they haven't a single thing which they would have in an English hospital in camp, at home, or in the field; but,' he added, 'they have no complaints except one, and that is, they cannot march with you to-morrow against the enemy.' The men, raising their heads from their knapsacks, smiled in assent.
