-camp were rolling on
the ground together, the horses of both shot dead; and the same shell
which had done this mischief exploded one of our ammunition waggons,
killing and wounding several men. Altogether the position looked black
and critical when Major Barnston and his battalion of detachments were
ordered to storm. This battalion of detachments was a body made up of
almost every corps in the service,--at least as far as the regiments
forming the expedition to China were concerned--and men belonging to the
different corps which had entered the Residency with Generals Havelock
and Outram. It also comprised some men who had been left (through
sickness or wounds) at Allahabad and Cawnpore, and some of the Ninetieth
Regiment which had been intercepted at Singapore on their way to China,
under Captain (now General Lord) Wolseley. However, although a made-up
battalion, they advanced bravely to the breach, and I think their
leader, Major Barnston, was killed, and the command devolved on Captain
Wolseley. He made a most determined attempt to get into the place, but
there were no scaling-ladders, and the wall was still almost twenty feet
high. During the heavy cannonade the masonry had fallen down in flakes
on the outside, but still leaving an inner wall standing almost
perpendicular, and in attempting to climb up this the men were raked
with a perfect hail of missiles--grenades and round-shot hurled from
wall-pieces, arrows and brickbats, burning torches of rags and cotton
saturated with oil--even boiling water was dashed on them! In the midst
of the smoke the breach would have made a very good representation of
Pandemonium. There were scores of men armed with great burning torches
just like what one may see in the sham fights of the _Mohurrum_, only
these men were in earnest, shouting "_Allah Akbar!_" "_Deen! Deen!_" and
"_Jai Kali ma ki!_"[20]

The stormers were driven back, leaving many dead and wounded under the
wall. At this juncture Sir Colin called on Brigadier Hope to form up
the Ninety-Third for a final attempt. Sir Colin, again addressing us,
said that he had not intended to call on us to storm more positions that
day, but that the building in our front must be carried before dark, and
the Ninety-Third must do it, and he would lead us himself, saying again:
"Remember, men, the lives at stake inside the Residency are those of
women and children, and they must be rescued." A reply burst from the
ranks: "Ay, ay, Sir C