Page:Allan Octavian Hume, C.B.; Father of the Indian National Congress.djvu/26

 battery. Colonel Patrick Bannerman, who, as a subaltern, was in the Fort with Hume (and is one of the few survivors), knew him well and admired his courage ; he says he was one of the pluckiest men he had ever met. He was out in the open with the guns for several nights, until he was laid low by cholera and had to be sent back invalided to the Fort.

"As soon as he was fit for work he was most anxious to return to Etawah, but was not allowed to do so until December 30th, when he started, with Mr. G. B. Maconochie, his assistant, escorted by fifty of the 2nd Punjab Infantry, under Lieutenant Sheriff. He managed to re-occupy the town of Etawah on January 6th. Once there he lost no time in raising local levies. By the end of the month he had drilled 200 infantry and 150 cavalry ; he also had five guns and fifty gunners. Later his force was strengthened by a detachment of Alexander's Horse.

"The position in Etawah was, however, very critical. They were twice threatened by a strong body of mutineers. On February 7, 1858, an action was fought at Anuntram, twenty-one miles from Etawah, in which Hume greatly distinguished himself. The rebels, some twelve or thirteen hundred in number, with one gun, were very strongly posted in a large grove of mango-trees with a six-foot wall all round and a small ditch in front and a village on their left. The attacking force were sixty troopers of Irregular Horse, under Captain Alexander, some three hundred matchlock men, and eighty Sowars of the Local Horse, with Mr. Hume and Mr. Maconochie. They had also one 3-pounder brass gun. It will be sufficient for the purpose of this article to record the following extracts from official reports,

"From Captain Alexander to Brigadier Seaton : 'Mr. Hume, having with some difficulty collected about two