The success attained was magnificent; but, in Colonel Malleson's
words, it might, and ought to have been greater. On the 11th Outram
had pushed his advance on the left bank of the Goomtee up to the iron
bridge, to sweep which he had established a battery. On the 12th and
13th he continued to occupy his positions commanding the bridge, but
was restricted from crossing it by Sir Colin's orders. On the 14th,
the day of the capture of the Kaiserbagh, he applied for permission
to cross the bridge, which was in the vicinity of the Residency. The
presence of his division on the line of the enemy's retreat could not
but have produced important results in spreading panic and cutting
off the fugitive rebels. Outram was informed in reply by the Chief of
the Staff that he might cross the iron bridge, but with the proviso
that "he was not to do so if he thought he would _lose a single
man_." This of course was equivalent to an absolute prohibition.
The stipulation was utterly incomprehensible, and no explanation in
regard to the subject was ever made. Mr. Russell makes it clear that
the order emanated from Sir Colin himself. It is significant that his
biographer General Shadwell ignores the matter altogether, a course
which seems to savour of disingenuousness.
Already on the 14th the rebels had begun to recognise that the
game was up, and on the 15th they were streaming out of Lucknow
in thousands. Detachments of horse and foot were sent to cut off
their retreat by the Sundeela and Seetapore roads, but it appeared
that the fugitives had taken neither. Their chief exodus was by the
stone bridge, whence some twenty thousand followed the Fyzabad road.
On the 16th Outram with a brigade crossed the river and drove the
rebels out of the old Residency position. Pushing onward and taking
in reverse the iron bridge and the rebel batteries crossing it, he
opened a heavy fire on the Muchee Bawun which was followed by its
capture by the infantry, and the great Imambara later shared the same
fate. Although by the 18th most of the mutineers had been expelled
from Lucknow, it was found that a considerable body were threatening
to make a stand in the Moosabagh, a vast building on the right bank
of the Goomtee about four miles north-west of Lucknow. On the 19th
Sir Colin ordered out a column under Outram composed of an infantry
brigade and some artillery and cavalry, with instructions to make a
direct attack on the Moosabagh while Hope Grant from the left bank
of the Goomtee cannonaded it with his horse-artillery guns. A mixed
force of all arms under the command of Brigadier Campbell was put
in march with directions to intercept the retreat of the enemy when
dislodged from the Moosabagh. The dislodgment occurred so soon as
Outram's guns opened; but the expected interception of the fugitives
failed, and great masses of the rebels were allowed to escape with
comparative impunity in a northwesterly direction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account