thence to Kánhpur. For that the strengthened garrison must await the arrival of the new Commander-in-Chief, Sir Colin Campbell. His action will be described in due course. Meanwhile it becomes my duty now to describe how it had become possible for Havelock and Outram to accomplish the splendid feat of arms which had brought joy and consolation to the beleaguered garrison of the Residency.
I left Havelock, just returned to Kánhpur, on the 13th of August. He gave his men a rest on the 14th and 15th, then on the 16th marched against Bithor, at which place nearly 4000 rebels, mostly revolted sipáhís of various regiments, had congregated in his absence. Havelock attacked and defeated them, though only after a very stubborn fight. However, the victory was complete, the position was captured, and two guns were taken. But the British loss was heavy, amounting to between sixty men killed and wounded, and twelve who succumbed to sunstroke.
It was on the day following that Havelock read in the Calcutta Gazette the appointment of Outram to the command of Kánhpur. Outram's arrival could not be very distant This nomination removed Havelock from the position of independent commander to that of a locum tenens for his superior officer. In such a case a sense of responsibility must necessarily weigh upon a commander. I have already pointed out that the position at Kánhpur, with a small force, fronted on one side by Oudh in rebellion, in front by provinces in a state of insurrection, to the left rear by the gradually concentrating Gwáliár contingent, was not, in a military sense, defensible except by a large force. It had one merit, it was central. In the eyes of Havelock that fact alone almost compensated for the other disadvantages. He wrote, then, to the Commander-in-Chief to announce that if hopes of speedy
