General Panic in Delhi

The King is still at the Red Fort and has been meeting with the Bakht Khan and Mizra Ilahi Bux and Mirza Mughal (the Prince who is supposedly the commander in chief).

If you ask me, the part of the loss was due to Mirza Mughal’s incompetence (his inexperience contributed to his incompetence); he couldn’t control all the soldiers. Sepoys had complained to the king for so long. Oh well, as I said, this is not the time to point fingers; the battle is being lost, let us all focus on the war.

The City had been captured but was not fully under the control of the British.

I understand that the king is being helped by Zeenat, one of his wives.

I hope she will help him escape safely from Delhi. The King, as a symbol of the freedom must not be captured.

Current state of the affairs in Delhi

Things aren’t looking too good in Delhi.

I will write more about the happenings in Delhi as soon as it is safe to do so.

Delhi Attack : 15th September - battles continue

The city has mostly been captured by the British. We still have some armed men and we have a few canons but its a lost cause.

At the same time, Muslims are complaining and fighting with Hindus; they think that the Hindus should have helped more during the Jama Masjid battle.

The king is still in the fort, so technically the city has not fallen yet.

Delhi Attack : 1.00 PM : 14th September ; The fight is over!

The fight is over and we lost! Now it is just a matter of time, before British take over the Red Fort.

Jama Masjid is not going to survive, British will blow it up.

Delhi Attack : 11.30 AM, 14th September The fight at the Jama Masjid

One part of the army was under Sir Thomas Metcalfe. He knew Delhi very well as he had been working there previously as a Collector and as a Magistrate.

His force managed to reach the Jama Masjid and waited there for reinforcements.

He thought that the forces from the Ajmeri Gate, the Kabuli Gate and the Sabzi Mandi will join up. He waited for half an hour but the forces did not arrive.

At this time there were thousands of Muslims praying their Juma (Friday) Prayers at the Jama Masjid. They realised that the British were attempting to blow up the Mosque with gunpowder.

They were armed only with swords and did not have any guns or cannon. One of them got up on the Mimbar and told his fellow men “The time for your test has arrived.

Those who want to fight should go to the North Gate, and those who want to escape should go to the South Gate as there is no enemy there”. Not a single person went to the South Gate.

All of them came out shouting Allah O Akbar and drew their swords, they cut off the scabbards and threw them away in a symbolic gesture of not willing to return their swords to their scabbards.

They attacked Metcalfe’s forces, but he was ready with guns and the moment they came out his forces fired and about 200 of the attackers died on the steps of the Jama Masjid, however, the rest of them kept attacking and sword fights broke out between the two forces.

The attackers fought with such valour that Metcalfe and his forces had to retreat towards the Church grounds at the Kashmiri Gate.

The Muslims followed them but in view of the large number of troops there they did not go any further.

Delhi Attack 10.30 AM 14th September

The Burn Bastion was retaken by the Rebels. Seeing this Mr Nicholson made a concerted attack on the Burn Bastion.

However, as soon as they advanced, Major Jacob was shot and a number of other Officers were also killed.

When the soldiers saw their Officers dying, they started retreating, but Mr Nicholson ran forward and asked them to follow him, however, he was also shot in the chest and the soldiers ran off towards the Kabuli Gate.

Rebels are loosing a large number of men at this point.

Delhi Attack : 14th September 9.00 AM - Kabul Gate Lost

British flag was mounted on the Kabul Gate.

Near Ajmeri gate, the rebels fought back so ferociously that the British had to retreat towards the Kabuli Gate.

Delhi Attack :8.30 AM Lahore Gate

The 1st Bengal Fusiliers took the lead in making the dash up the lane toward the Lahore Gate, which had to be opened to admit other British units.

Powerless against the sheets of rifle fire from the rooftops, the fusiliers fell back.

Delhi Attack : 14th September 8.00 AM

Near the Kashmiri Gate, the British blew up a window and entered through the breach.

The troops within the Kashmir Gate had to make their way some 250 yards down a 10-foot-wide lane flanked by flat-topped buildings, from which sepoys maintained a constant rain of fire. Making matters worse were two artillery pieces at the head of the lane and some 1,000 mutineers waiting to fire on the approaching British from atop the so-called Burn Bastion.

Delhi Attack in the morning: September 14th 4:30 AM

The British had decided to attack Delhi early in the morning.

First the 60th Rifles came forward shouting and advancing rapidly. At the same time General Nicholson attacked from the Qudsia Bagh and started moving towards the breaches in the city walls.

The Rebels showered the advancing forces with cannon and rifle fire and as a result the attackers suffered heavy losses, but soon they came up with ladders and the soldiers nearest to the wall started laying the ladders against them.

The first person to climb the wall was General Nicholson together with some other British soldiers and some native troops. All of them were killed or had to retreat. The space below the walls was soon filled with dead bodies.

Fighting at Jamma Masjid - British Retreat

Some Europeans, Sikhs, and levies ventured as far as the Jumma Masjid, and drove back the Sepoys. Many thousand Mahommedans were assembled in the Jumma Masjid, and attacked the English, and killed a great many of them, so many that the soldiers retreated.

They have retreated, but not far enough.

Cashmere Gate has been Captured!

CASHMERE GATE HAS BEEN CAPTURED

I do not know what king is doing and who is leading the attack inside but once the Cashmere gate has been breached, the big artillery will be brought in and we do not have the guns or ammunition to respond to that.

Click on the Picture for a better view.

Kashmere Gate is BLOWN UP

It’s confirmed, the Kashmere Gate has been breached.

You can see the sepoy peeking behind the gate.

This is really distressing!

A very heavy siege gun, to judge from the sound, is firing on Delhi

Throughout the day and night the artillery fire was constant, cannon answering cannon.

The English have made a breach in the masonry of the Cashmere Gates.

A very heavy siege gun, to judge from the sound, was firing into the city all night. All passed a night of anxiety.

The residents of Kajuzi Mohalla, one of the city wards, and of Sadat Ali Khan’s ward, left their houses, and sought refuge in a more distant part of the city.

Kashmiri gate Stormed

Ferocity of the battle is something that I have never seen before.

Kashmiri gate is still holding strong.

British assault on Delhi launched

The British assault on Delhi began on September 14, 1857.

Some of our people who were in the British camp at night witnessed an extraordinary sight: A little after midnight, in the flickering light of a lantern, commanding officers read final orders for the assault Wounded officers and men must be left where they fell; no man could be spared from the ranks to succour his comrades.

We have a mole at the highest level

The news of all the preparation in the Red Fort are somehow getting back to British.

We have a mole, a double crosser, at the highest level.

Mirza Ilahi Bux who is the father in law of the King is the main suspect. The Head of the spies seems to be Munshi Rajab Ali.

As if we don’t have enough trouble already!

Kashmiri Gate the focus of the attack

There is a lot of action near the Kashmiri gate; it seems that I know each and every stone of the gate and I am afraid it will either be covered with gullets or with blood

Bahadur Shah Zafar, prince and several important figure of the rebellion

Please click on the picture to see it in its full glory.

Bahadur Shah Zafar with some of the nobles who were especially related to the events during the Mutiny. The picture shows Prince Jawan Bakht, Mirza Elahi Bux, Hakim Ehsanullah Khan, Nawab Hamid Ali Khan, Mehboob Ali Khan. This awesome picture is From A Sattar Kpadia.

All guns pointing on the Kashmiri gate

British Canons from the ridge are pointing at the Kashmiri gate.