where about the place where the
buildings of the Upper India Paper Mills now stand. In this charge Major
Percy Smith and several men galloped right through the enemy's lines,
and were surrounded and killed. Spies reported that Major Smith's head
was cut off, and, with his helmet, plume, and uniform, paraded through
the streets of Lucknow as the head of the Commander-in-Chief. But the
triumph of the enemy was short. On the 8th General Outram was firmly
established on the north bank of the Goomtee, with a siege-train of
twenty-two heavy guns, with which he completely turned and enfiladed the
enemy's strong position.
On the 9th of March we were ordered to take our dinners at twelve
o'clock, and shortly after that hour our division, consisting of the
Thirty-Eighth, Forty-Second, Fifty-Third, Ninetieth, Ninety-Third, and
Fourth Punjab Infantry, was under arms, screened by the Dilkoosha palace
and the garden walls round it, and Peel's Blue-jackets were pouring shot
and shell, with now and again a rocket, into the Martiniere as fast as
ever they could load. About two o'clock the order was given for the
advance--the Forty-Second to lead and the Ninety-Third to support; but
we no sooner emerged from the shelter of the palace and garden-walls
than the orderly advance became a rushing torrent. Both regiments dashed
down the slope abreast, and the earthworks, trenches, and rifle-pits in
front of the Martiniere were cleared, the enemy flying before us as fast
as their legs could carry them. We pursued them right through the
gardens, capturing their first line of works along the canal in front of
Banks's bungalow and the Begum's palace. There we halted for the night,
our heavy guns and mortar-batteries being advanced from the Dilkoosha;
and I, with some men from my company, was sent on piquet to a line of
unroofed huts in front of one of our mortar-batteries, for fear the
enemy from the Begum's palace might make a rush on the mortars. This
piquet was not relieved till the morning of the 11th, when I learned
that my company had been sent back as camp-guards, the captains of
companies having drawn lots for this service, as all were equally
anxious to take part in the assault on the Begum's palace, and it was
known the Ninety-Third were to form the storming-party. As soon as the
works should be breached, I and the men who were with me on the
advance-piquet were to be sent to join Captain M'Donald's company,
instead of going back to our
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