having broken out amongst them; and he fell back on the 2nd August, on Mangalwar. On the 5th he again attacked the enemy at Bashiratganj, driving them out of the town with great slaughter. Preparations were next commenced for passing over the Ganges to Cawnpore. The baggage had already been forwarded across the river, when he resolved, on the 11th of August, to attack the mutineers a third time at Bashiratganj, where they had once more collected in great force, and again defeated them."
"Returning to their former position at Mangalwar, the troops, on the 12th and 13th of August, crossed the Ganges to Cawnpore, where they arrived, nearly worn out by fatigue, sickness, and constant exposure to an Indian sun. Almost immediately, however, they struck another effective blow on the mutineers. A large body of them had collected at Bithoor, and were menacing Brigadier-General Neill at Cawnpore. Major-General Havelock, uniting his force with the former, marched on Bithoor, and gained another victory. During these several encounters forty guns had been taken, and sixty more recovered for the Government. Great loss had been inflicted on the enemy, while the British casualties were comparatively small."
"The British column afterwards remained at Cawnpore waiting for reinforcements, and on the 16th September, Major-General Sir James Outram arrived with the welcome aid. The united forces amounted to no large number, barely sufficient to attempt the dangerous enterprise before them. But it was decided to advance immediately. General Outram, whose superior military rank placed him in command of the Army, declined to take it. He felt that it was due to General Havelock, and to the strenuous and noble exertions which he had made to relieve Lucknow, that to him should accrue the honor of the achievement. The Major-General, therefore, cheerfully waived his rank on the occasion, and accompanied the force in his civil capacity as Chief Commissioner of Oudh, tendering his military services to General Havelock as a volunteer. Accordingly the column left Cawnpore under Havelock's command, and on the morning of the 19th a force of 3,179 men crossed the Ganges by a bridge of boats, but in face of some opposition. Of these 2,388 were European Infantry, 109 European Volunteer Cavalry, 282 European Artillery, 341 Sikh[1] Infantry and 59 Native Irregular Cavalry. Directly the force arrived on the Oudh bank of the river, a letter was received from Brigadier Inglis, written at Luck-
- ↑ The Sikhs are natives of the Punjab, Northern India, who were conquered by the British in 1849. During the mutiny of 1857 they remained faithful to the British, and helped materially to subdue the rebellion.
