reinforce the rear guard, which was getting most awfully mauled.

'But I must tell you my story as it occurred. We were off in no time, and when we reached the right of camp there was a proper scene of apparent confusion, though I fancy all the regiments were moving by order. Infantry were hurrying out at the double; other regiments were getting under arms; the horse artillery rumbling out half enveloped in dust; the noise of officers shouting, and all the time the cannonade in the valley becoming louder and

nearer.

'We moved steadily on, and very soon began to see the position of some of the enemy's guns by the wreaths of smoke, but we could not make out what they were blazing at. In a short time we-ie, the cavalry, for we were all moving independently at the time-emerged on to an open plain about half a mile long and the same broad, surrounded by low heights on all sides. On our left, and about in the centre of the amphitheatre, was a small fort which was firing into the valley, but at what we were prevented by a spur of the hills from seeing. This fort was a few minutes afterwards carried by our infantry. There were some heavy guns in position on the heights immediately in front of us, which, until we appeared, were firing into the valley on the other side of the heights, but when the enemy caught sight of us these guns were immediately turned upon us, and then for the first time in my life I heard the peculiar rushing sound of a heavy shot coming directly our way. They fired short at first, and the balls hopped high, but they elevated at every shot, and at last pitched a shot close to my troop. Brigadier Campbell

D

then took us under cover, where we waited for orders from General Grey. By this time our infantry had taken two or three of the enemy's batteries, but had suffered severely in so doing, and soon the dhoolies came hurrying over the brow bearing the wounded into camp.

'Soon after we had halted in the hollow General Grey came up at the head of a brigade of infantry, composed of the 50th Queen's, the 39th and, I think, the 58th N.I. The brigade were halted, and as soon as they had loaded they went over the brow with a loud cheer and were soon in the thick of it. I certainly felt very FitzEustace-like, and chafed much at the delay which kept us stuck under the hill with evening coming on, and the hope of gilded spurs becoming fainter every minute.

'At last I thought our moment was come, and a loud order was shouted from the hill to bring on the cavalry. Then it was " Draw swords," and away we went. It was ugly ground for cavalry, steep slopes covered with loose slaty stones. On descending the other side of the hill we had to spread out like a flock of sheep, each man taking his own line. We then crossed a deep nullah and ascended the opposite hill, where our artillery were firing shrapnel on the now retreating enemy-the prettiest thing I ever saw. It was so dark we could see the flash of each shell as it burst, and it seemed to me they always did so at exactly the right time. We were halted in rear of the artillery for about a quarter of an hour, and then a cloud of dust being observed in the valley to our right we descended, forming front as we went. We could see it was horse, but could make nothing of them, and they afterwards proved to be a body of Christie's horse.

'It was now quite dark and the artillery had ceased firing. We soon after received orders to return to camp, and so ended the first fight, in which you will say I saw nothing. Had there been an hour's more light we should have had our full share of the work.

'And now to the men who bore the brunt of the work -the infantry. The Buffs, I think, lost ten killed and sixty-one wounded; the Queen's 50th, eight killed and a considerable number wounded; and the 39th, sixteen killed and many wounded. I do not know the loss of the other troops engaged.' The enemy were supposed to have lost 300 killed and wounded; twenty-four of their guns were taken, some of them very fine ones. The artillery officers say they worked them deuced well; they sent a shot slap into Campbell's troop while he was blazing away at them himself, and killed a horse and man and injured Their numbers must have been very great, both horse and foot, and they were commanded by one Sikunder, who they say is wounded. About 7,000 rupees were found in different tumbrils. There is one thing I am very glad of in the whole thing, and that is that our General acted up to his orders and did not commence hostilities. We had marched considerably out of our way to avoid them, and they had come considerably out of theirs to attack us; ergo, the consequences were entirely their own look-out, and they certainly got an uncommon thrashing, considering the little time they left us to do it in. I shall ever regret we were not pushed on while there was light. We should have suffered severely, I dare say, but we should have read them a severer lesson even than they received. The enemy

'The total loss in this action amounted to 35 killed and 182 wounded.

fought most bravely, sticking by their guns till the very last, and being bayoneted at them. It would have been a great day for me had we had an opportunity, as I commanded the troop of my regiment that was present.

'I could not resist the temptation to visit the scene of action. I could not go the next day but went the day after, partly really because I wanted to understand the fight. I need not tell you the horrors I saw there, but there were some almost pleasant sights; one man who had sunk down with a gentlemanly bullet right in the centre of his forehead seemed quite to be envied among his riddled neighbours.'

On January 9 he writes again, this time from 'Before Gwalior,'

'I have not written for many days now, partly because I have such a deal to tell you that I have been afraid to begin. We have been here six days, during which I have been so employed gadding about with old friends in t'other army, and talking over our own and their smashing fight, that I have never had time to write; but here I am on picket again, and the result is that I must sit down and tell you something about Hugh Gough's battle of Maharajpore, which was fought the same day as our own, the two armies being then, I suppose, about sixteen miles. apart. We heard the distant cannonade in the morning on the march, and half-guessed what was doing, though the cold water gentry would have it that the Gwaliorites were fighting amongst themselves. We little thought that we should be hard at it ourselves before nightfall.

'The enemy, I must say, have excited my respect by the way they have fought. Nothing could have been more

gallant than the conduct of their artillery and cavalry in both these fights, but the far-famed Mahratta horsemen declined to have anything to say to our cavalry except in one instance, when the chiefs, I suppose, not being able to get their men to follow them, formed a body of themselves and charged down upon Scott's brigade, composed of the 4th and 10th Cavalry, who disposed of nearly all of them, though not without getting a little mauled themselves.

'The cavalry do not seem to have been well handled by our great chiefs. The 16th Lancers had nothing to do, but were kept under a tearing fire the chief part of the day. With them were also the 1st Cavalry and Body Guard. The 10th Cavalry charged some guns in the teeth, and cut down the men at the guns, but while a little scattered and confused the chiefs of horse, to the number of 70, came down upon them. The 10th, however, reformed, and killed nearly all their opponents.

'I shall not attempt to describe the plan of the battle to you, but leave you to gather an idea of it from the despatches. We had about 800 killed and wounded, of which 36 were officers.1

'I fancy there will be no more fighting, but there is no saying. There is to be a large contingent force raised, and I believe the men who composed the Ranee's army will be allowed to enlist. I have not ascertained satisfactorily whether the Ranee encouraged the soldiery to fight us, but I strongly suspect she did. When they were licked and had lost their guns, to the

and God knows how many men, she

number of 49,

went to Lord

'The loss at the action of Maharajpore amounted to 106 killed, 684 wounded, and 7 missing.