On the night of the 13th of September, two Engineer officers were sent
to examine the breaches made in the walls of Delhi. They stole through
the enemy's skirmishers, descended into the ditch, and ascertained that
the breaches were practicable, but that they might both be improved by a
longer cannonade. As, however, the enemy had begun greatly to
strengthen the fortifications, it was decided that the assault should
take place at once. The infantry were accordingly divided into five
columns of about 1000 men each, destined to carry the city in different
places. The first was composed of detachments of the 75th, 1st
Fusiliers, and 2nd Punjaub Infantry, to storm the breach near the
Cashmere bastion.
The second was made up from Her Majesty's 8th and 2nd Fusiliers, and 4th
Infantry, to carry the breach in the Water bastion. It was commanded by
Brigadier Jones.
The third column was composed of Her Majesty's 52nd Foot, the Kumaon
battalion, and the 1st Punjaub Infantry. This was to blow open and
enter by the Cashmere gate.
The fourth, composed of Goorkhas and the Guides, with some companies of
European troops, and the Cashmere contingent, was under Major Reid, and
was to assault Kissengunge, and enter by the Lahore gate.
The fifth column, consisting chiefly of native troops, was destined for
a reserve.
At one o'clock a.m. on the 14th, the men turned out in silence, not a
bugle nor a trumpet sounding, and noiselessly moved down to the
trenches. The batteries all the time kept up an incessant fire on the
city, which was responded to as usual.
When the troops arrived at the trenches, they lay down, awaiting the
signal which was to be given at daybreak. This was to be the blowing in
of the Cashmere gate. The party selected for this hazardous operation
consisted of Lieutenants Home and Salkeld, of the Engineers; Sergeants
Carmichael, Burgess, and Smith; Bugler Hawthorne to sound the advance;
and eight native sappers.
This work was to have been done before dawn; but, through some mistake,
it was daylight before they reached the spot. Lieutenant Home walked
through the outer barrier gate, which he found open, and crossed the
broken drawbridge with four men, each carrying a bag of powder. The
enemy in alarm shut the wicket, and Home had time to arrange his bags
and jump into the ditch. The firing party followed, with four more bags
of powder and a lighted port-fire. The enemy now understood what the
party were about. The wicket was open, and through it, from above and
from every side, came the bullets of the sepoys. Lieutenant Salkeld was
wounded in two places, but passed the light to Sergeant Carmichael, who
fell dead while attempting to fire the train. Havildar Madhoo was also
wounded. The port-fire was next seized by Sergeant Burgess. Scarcely
had he time to apply it successfully to the powder, than he too sank
with a mortal wound. Sergeant Smith ran forward to see that all was
right, while Bugler Hawthorne lifted up Lieutenant Salkeld; and barely
had they time to leap for safety into the ditch than the explosion took
place, and instantly afterwards the storming column burst through the
shattered gates. For ever associated with the storming of Delhi will be
the names of the two young Lieutenants Home and Salkeld, and the brave
men who accompanied them.
Bugler Hawthorne, after sounding the advance, bore away Salkeld on his
shoulders, and did not leave him till he had bound up his wounds and
deposited him in a place of safety. The four heroes who survived were
recommended for the Victoria Cross, but Salkeld died of his wounds, and
the gallant Home lost his life by accident not two weeks afterwards; so
that two only, Sergeant Smith and Bugler Hawthorne, received their
honours.
Meantime the storming columns had marched on with deep and steady tramp.
The Rifles ran forward in skirmishing order, and the heads of the first
two columns issued from the Koodsia Bagh at a quick march. No sooner
were their front ranks seen, than a storm of bullets showered upon them
from every side. At the breach of the Cashmere gate, for some minutes
it was impossible to put ladders down into the ditch. The ladders were
thrown down, but they were quickly again raised against the escarp.
Numbers are struck down, some to rise no more; others again scramble
up,--the groans of the wounded, the feeble cries of the dying, the
shouts and shrieks of the combatants, mingle together in wild confusion.
First to mount the breach was Lieutenant Fitzgerald, of the 75th: but
the young hero fell dead on the spot. On came stout hearts and strong
hands behind him. The enemy gave way. The British were in at last, and
the glorious old colours over the broken wall. The second column had
also burst through; and that line of ramparts which had so often turned
back the brave soldiers of England was now their own.
The first and second columns swept along the circuit of the walls,
taking the Moree bastion and the Cabul gate. On approaching the Lahore
gate they found, however, that they should have to push through a narrow
lane, barricaded and swept by some pieces of artillery, while the enemy
fired on them from the houses. In vain was the attempt made; the hero
Nicholson was shot through the chest, Lieutenant Speke killed, Major
Jacob mortally wounded, and Captain Greville severely.
The third column, ably guided by Sir T. Metcalf, had also to retire
before the massive walls of the Jumma Musjid. Part also of the 4th,
under Major Reid, hastening to the support of the Cashmere contingent,
was almost overpowered. Major Reid was wounded, and his troops
retreated; but the guns mounted on Hindoo Rao's hill poured shrapnel
into the enemy. The gallant Chamberlain came among the infantry a
little recovered from his wound; while Brigadier Hope Grant brought up
his old Lancers, with three regiments of Punjaub cavalry, and Hodson's
Sikh and Paton sabres, to their aid. However, from the nature of the
ground, the troopers could neither charge nor retire. They were
compelled, therefore, to sit on their horses till some infantry could
come to their relief. The horse artillery did what they could to keep
the enemy back, but they became every moment bolder, and spread out,
mending their sight and taking better aim.
Lieutenant Macdowell, second in command of Hodson's Horse--an
eye-witness--says: "The steadiness with which the cavalry confronted
this most anxious position for two hours is as deserving of praise as
the courage of the infantry who carried the breaches. At three a.m. we
moved down in column of squadrons to the rear of our batteries, and
waited there till about five a.m., when the enemy advanced from the
Lahore gate with two troops of artillery, no end of cavalry, and a lot
of infantry, apparently to our front. I think that they intended to try
and take their old position now that we had got theirs. In an instant,
horse artillery and cavalry were ordered to the front, and we then went
at a gallop through our own batteries, the men cheering us as we leaped
over the sandbags, and halted under the Moree bastion under as heavy a
fire of round shot, grape, and canister, as I have ever in my life been
peppered with. Our artillery dashed to the front, unlimbered, and
opened upon the enemy, and at it they went, hammer and tongs. We had no
infantry with us; all the infantry were fighting in the city. The enemy
came out against us with large bodies of infantry and cavalry, and then
began the fire of musketry. It was tremendous. There we were (9th
Lancers, 1st, 2nd, and 4th Sikh Guide Cavalry, and Hodson's Horse),
protecting the artillery, who were threatened by their infantry and
cavalry. All this time we never returned a shot. Our artillery blazed
away, of course; but we had to sit in our saddles, and be knocked over.
However, I am happy to say we saved the guns. The front we showed was
so steady as to keep the enemy back, till some of the Guide infantry
came down and went at them. Here we had had to sit for three hours in
front of a lot of gardens, perfectly impracticable for cavalry, under a
fire of musketry which I have seldom seen equalled, and the enemy quite
concealed. Had we retired, they would at once have taken our guns. Had
the guns retired with us, we should have lost the position."
Night put an end to the desperate struggle. A considerable portion of
the city remained in the hands of the victors, but in other parts the
rebels still held out. During this day's operations the casualties
amounted to 1170 killed, wounded, and missing.
The victorious British continued making progress day by day, driving the
enemy before them through the city. The magazine still remained in the
power of the rebels. Lieutenant-Colonel Deacon, of the 61st Regiment,
led the attack. In silence his men approached the city: not a trigger
was pulled till the stormers and supports reached the walls; when, with
a loud cheer, they rushed on at the enemy, who, taken by surprise, threw
down the port-fires at their guns, and fled before them. Some were
bayoneted close to the breach as they attempted to escape, and others,
flying, were followed by the 61st and the 4th Punjaub Infantry.
Captain Norman accompanied a party under Lieutenant-Colonel Rainey, and
spiked a gun which was in position, pointing at the College garden
battery, in spite of the desperate defence of the enemy.
Assistant-Surgeon Reade and Colour-Sergeant Mitchell, of the 61st, also
spiked a gun. Frequent attacks were made by the rebels on the troops
within the walls under Colonel Farquhar, but they were vigorously
repulsed on each occasion.
On the morning of the 20th, the enemy were driven from the Lahore gate,
and possession was secured. The troops now pushed triumphantly on,
capturing the other gates and bastions, till all the defences of the
rebel city were in the power of the British. The gate of the palace was
blown in early on the 20th, and here Major-General Wilson established
his headquarters. Major Brind, of the Artillery, with a detachment of
fifty men of the 8th Foot, and twenty of the 1st Bengal European
Fusiliers, under the command of Major Bannatyne, forced an entrance in
the most brilliant way into the Jumma Musjid, and contributed much to
the success of the operations.
The guns from the bloodstained battlements of Delhi thundering forth a
royal salute, as the rising sun gilded the summit of its domes and
minarets, on the 21st of September 1857, proclaimed that Delhi was once
more under the rule of Great Britain.