Arrival of Campbell is anticipated at the Residency in Lucknow 1857

The Campbells Are Coming: Lucknow, September 1857

Picture of the archway where Neill was shot dead

The Lal Bagh, the place in which General James Neill was shot. Click for a better view.

Brig. Neill of Cawnpore Shame was shot dead today

Good riddance!

He was shot dead near Lucknow today.

On the morning of the 25th Neill marched off at 8 A.M. with the first brigade in advance.

They had not advanced two hundred yards when they were met with a cross-fire from the rebel guns, and also with a heavy musketry fire. Neill pushed on.

As they approached the Mess-house and the Kaisar Bagh a sharp musketry fire was opened upon them. The fire was returned, but for some two hundred yards the column was exposed to an incessant storm of bullets and grape shot. It was now nearly sunset.

As they passed out of the lane into a courtyard, fire was opened from the tops of the houses on each side. Neill was on his horse giving orders, trying to prevent too hasty a rush through the archway at the end of the court, when he was shot dead from the top of a house.

Spurgin, of the Madras fusiliers, saved his body, and, putting it on a gun-carriage, carried it into Lucknow.

Captured of Alambagh

Today, Outram and Havelock captured Alambagh, a walled garden and mansion about 4 miles to the south of the city of Lucknow on the Kanpur Road.

You can see the rows and rows of the encampment that Havelock has set up. (Click for a better view).

The battle at Lucknow is going to be fierce.

Battery at Lucknow - The Defenders on the Look Out

Battery at Lucknow - The Defenders on the Look Out - click for a better view.

Map of Lucknow Residency

I was mistaken about the placement of the Gubbun’s house. This map shows it in more detail.

The Gubbin’s house and the post ion of battery is better seen in this map.

Another image of the Lucknow Residency battle

It was a fierce battle for sure.

Here is another picture.

You can hear each of the gun shot and the thud of the rifle stock hitting a sepoy!

Residency Plan

Detailed plan of the residency. Click for a better view.

Our initial attack was at building number 10, the Gubbin’s Post and then we focused on the building number 6 in the map above.

Outram heads towards Lucknow

We had been keeping track of the movements of James Outram right from the time he had reached Allahabad.

Now, we came to know that on September 5, 1857, he had left Allahabad with a small column comprising Fusiliers, some infantry and a battery of artillery under Major Vincent Eyre en-route for Kanpur. His intention was obviously to join Havelock and attempt to relieve the Residency at Lucknow.

Lucknow Residency Under Sepoy Fire

Lucknow Residency suffered the heaviest ever cannonade today since the siege began.

Well before sunrise, we began preparation for the attack as the infantry and cavalry stationed themselves around the British position ready to charge. The sepoys opened fire from a new battery of two guns from across the river and at around 10 am we exploded two mines.

The mines missed their mark and the explosions occurred just short of the British defences; undeterred we kept up the assault under tremendous fire. Our grit was tested to the maximum when we attacked Gubbin’s post, for just as we had placed our ladders against the bastion to begin our assault, we were attacked with musketry and hand grenades from those inside the Residency, forcing us to make a temporary retreat into the houses but we kept up a heavy fire not only on Gubbin’s post but also on the Sikh Square and the brigade mess. Specially an eighteen pounder that we shot caused much damage and panic as it ripped through the building.

We continued the assault till late at night and managed to inflict heavy losses on the enemy wounding many of the inmates.

Lt James Graham shoots himself

We also got the information that Lt James Graham shot himself — an event which caused great depression in the garrison

Lucknow Bazar Over The Old Bridge Near The Goomtee.

We are all focused on the residency at Lucknow, but thankfully the life goes on.

There are still the elephants in the bazar and there are still things that need to be bought.

But don’t let the calm fool you; British are coming! They really are!

Baillie Guard Gate at Lucknow residency

Click on the above picture for a better view of the Baillie Guard Gate at Lucknow residency.

Some want to rush in and take over the residency, but others want to take it slow.

Canon shots rang out yesterday at this gate; I can still smell the gun powder.

Lucknow Residency attacked

Today, the sepoys launched a fierce attack on the Residency at Lucknow beginning with a heavy cannonading on what is called Cawnpore battery.

They also succeeded in setting on fire, the Baillie Guard Gate.The flames leapt up the gate but the fire was put out before much damage was done.

Every village Against the British : Lucknow battle continues

Today Havelock launched his second attack on Bashiratganj. For a while they managed to push back our forces but they were unsuccessful in overcoming us. It must have become quite evident to Havelock by now that his chances of reaching Lucknow, with his present force, is very slender indeed. To make any progress, he would have to face three strong positions defended by 50 of our guns and 30,000 men.

The whole effective force with him is about a thousand men and at the end of the first day of battle, his loss has been quite high. 10 Europeans dead, 104 sick and wounded plus one fourth of his gun ammunition gone. There was much exuberance when we learnt the contents of his letter to the Commander-in-Chief. He has mentioned clearly, “The men are cowed by the number opposed to them, and the endless fighting.”

And yes, at last they are realising that it is not just the mutiny by sepoys the common man has also risen against the British. And how did we find this out? Well, in the same letter written to his, Commander-in-Chief, Havelock mentions that “Every village is held against us, the zamindars having risen to oppose us. All the men killed yesterday were zemindars. We know them to be all around us in bodies of 500 or 600, independent of regular levies. I therefore had no hesitation in giving it as my opinion, that the force had no chance whatever of forcing its way to Lucknow.”

Havelock Continues March Towards Lucknow

This day, Havelock left his fortified position at Mangalwar and again moved towards Lucknow , having received in the meantime a reinforcement of about 150 men and two 24 pounder guns ie half of Major Olphert’s battery under Lt Smithett.

Stiff resistance at Unnao and Bashiratganj : Unsung hero

We had already heard of Havelock’s proud boast that he would relieve Lucknow in six days but we feel that long before Havelock reached Lucknow, he realized that he had underestimated the courage and perseverance of the nationalist forces.

On 29 th July we came to know that Havelock had left Mangalwar, and was marching towards Unnao, on the Lucknow road. At Unnao he got a shock when he was faced with a vigorous confrontation. I am sure he had not expected the sepoys to put up such a determined fight. The nationalist troops were able to inflict heavy losses on the enemy, killing and wounding about a hundred men from the already depleting British army.

A few miles ahead towards Lucknow, there was another encounter at Bashiratganj. Here again, Havelock’s forces faced stiff resistance. In the pitched battle which ensued, the ordinary people of the villages came out in full force and joined the sepoys.

The common man’s allegiance to the cause was extremely encouraging and gave an added boost to the sepoys. The courage and daring of one particular villager was specially heartening. Hiding behind a mud wall and with a solitary matchlock, this unknown man played havoc with the elephants and guns of the invading army. However, after an extended struggle, he was smoked out of his hiding and was shot through the head. He is indeed one of the unsung heroes of 1857.

By now Havelock realized that his further march towards Lucknow would be suicidal, so he turned around and marched back to Mangalwar.

Brigadier Havelock crosses into Avadh

Brigadier Havelock, though in poor health, managed to cross the Ganges with about 1500 men and 13 guns and reached Avadh territory today.

His forces seem totally inadequate— he is short of everything. The shortage of cavalry was particularly galling to him.

Hopefully we can take advantage of the situation.

Havelock has been seen collecting boats and ferries to cross Ganges

We have destroyed the Bridge of Boats on the Ganges over which Havelock could move northwards to relieve Lucknow.

Havelock is collecting boats and ferries to get his force across the river which during this season is about a mile wide.

Mother of all rivers, Ganges, will save us.

Attack on the Residency, Lucknow

Though intermittent skirmishing had been taking place from the beginning of the month, the rebellious forces made their first big attack on the Residency today.

At 10.15AM in the morning, a terrific explosion was heard that shook the grounds. The “mutineers” had set off a mine to blow up the Redan battery, one of the batteries installed for the defense of the Residency.

But as luck would have it, it was short by a hundred feet from the intended target and its direction was also not accurate. Not realizing their error, the “mutineers” rushed forth under the cover of a heavy fire to what they thought was a breach, heavy smoke hindering their vision Their gallant leader waving a green flag jumped into the ditch leading a storming party but fell to an English bullet.

Undeterred, the sepoys kept advancing but grape-shots from the defenders tore into them causing heavy casualties. Eventually, the nationalists retired.