The Madras Fusiliers, in skirmishing line, preceded tho guns, and their Enfield fire as soon as they were within range astonished the enemy. Then the artillery opened with shrapnel, and nearly at the first round silenced tho enemy's guns by killing the majority of the gunners and smashing the sponging rods. Then the infantry advanced at a charge and the enemy who were massed to defend the bridge at once lost heart and fled. They tried to blow up the bridge, but in their haste they blundered over it; and while the parapets were injured, the arches remained intact.
After all this fighting the British loss was but six killed and twenty-three wounded—among the latter being that brave officer Major Renaud, whose leg was broken by a musket shot while leading the Madras Fusiliers.
Finding that the resistance was becoming more and more obstinate, General Havelock sent off a horseman to Brigadier-General Neil, at Allahabad, begging him to send up three hundred more British troops with all speed. On receiving the message General Neil sent off two hundred and twenty-seven men of the Eighty-fourth Regiment in bullock vans with orders to do twenty-five miles a day, which would take them to Cawnpore in less than five days. He himself came on with the reinforcements, Allahabad being by this time quiet and safe.
At daybreak next morning the troops marched fourteen miles, halted and cooked their food; after which at one o'clock they prepared to attack the enemy, who were, our spies told us, in a position extremely strong in the front, but capable of being attacked by a flank movement. In the burning heat of the sun, with men falling out fainting at every step, the troops, under a heavy artillery fire of the enemy, turned off the road and swept round to execute the flank movement as calmly and regularly as if on parade.
