In Times of Peril: A Tale of IndiaHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
In Times of Peril: A Tale of India
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
India -- History -- Sepoy Rebellion, 1857-1858 -- Juvenile fiction
It may, however, be said that the fight was decided as soon as begun.
The British artillery silenced that of the enemy; the British rifles
drove their infantry before them. Warrener's Horse and the irregular
cavalry moved on the flank, the infantry marched straight the swamps,
and while some of the guns kept on the solid road, others had to be
dragged and pushed with immense labor through the morass. As the
British advanced the enemy fell back, abandoning gun after gun. The
general of the Sepoy force was on an elephant, on rising ground in the
rear of his troops, and Captain Maude, who commanded the artillery, by
a well-aimed shot knocked the elephant over, to the great delight of
the gunners. After that the rebels attempted no further resistance, and
fled to Futtehpore. There they prepared to make a stand in the houses
and gardens; but our men, whose blood was now thoroughly up, and who
were disgusted at their failure to get at their foe, went forward with
a rush, and the enemy fled without hesitation.
The streets of Futtehpore were absolutely choked with the baggage train
of the defeated rebels, and the discovery of many articles of attire of
English ladies and children raised the fury of the troops to the
highest point. Pursuit of the enemy was, however, impossible. The
troops were utterly exhausted, and officers and men threw themselves
down where-ever a little shade could be found. At three o'clock the
baggage came up, and by the forethought of the commissariat officer in
charge some camels laden with rum and biscuit came up with it, so that
the men were able to have a biscuit and a little spirits and water,
which revived them; for whatever be the demerits of spirits upon
ordinary occasions, on an emergency of this kind it is a restorative of
a very valuable kind.
Singularly enough, in this battle, in which thirty-five hundred men
were defeated and twelve guns captured, not a single British soldier
was killed, the enemy never waiting until fairly within shot. Twelve
soldiers, however, fell and died from sunstroke during the fight.
On the 13th the troops halted to rest. The guns taken from the enemy
were brought in, and the great baggage train captured in the town
organized for our own service.
On the 14th the force again advanced along a road literally strewn with
arms, cartridges, chests of ammunition, shot, clothing, and tents,
abandoned in their flight by the insurgents. The most welcome find to
the army were forty barrels of English porter, part of the Sepoys' loot
at one of the scenes of mutiny. That night the force encamped at
Kulleanpore, twenty-seven miles from Cawnpore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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