Page:Allan Octavian Hume, C.B.; Father of the Indian National Congress.djvu/27

 or three hundred matchlock men out of the 700, advanced most gallantly with them towards the entrenchment ; the fire of the enemy had been directed towards my troop, but seeing the advance of our matchlock men, turned it towards them ; our gun then opened, advancing nearer each discharge. About the fifth discharge our gun was close up to the wall, and a rush being made, headed in the most gallant manner by Mr. Hume, the enemy began to retreat. A copy of Mr. Hume's report to Government is enclosed. . . and shows the active and gallant part taken by that officer and his matchlock men.'

"The Commander-in-Chief, in reporting to the Governor-General (Lord Canning), requests that he may 'bring to the special notice of his Lordship the extremely gallant conduct of Mr. Hume and Captain Alexander.'

"The Governor-General's reply is, that he 'has great satisfaction in publishing for general information the subjoined reports of an action fought with the rebels at Anuntram on the 7th instant by Alexander's Horse and a body of Zemindaree troops led by Mr. A. O. Hume, Magistrate of Etawah, the whole under the command of Captain Alexander. The Governor-General entirely concurs with his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief in considering this affair to reflect the highest credit on Captain Alexander and Mr. Hume, as well as Mr. Maconochie, who, with conspicuous bravery and cool determination, led their men against the very superior number of the rebels and obtained a signal victory over them.'

"The result of this action was that 131 of the rebels were killed, their gun, ammunition, baggage, ponies, and arms were captured. Hume, in his own report, says : 'The pursuit over, we returned with the captured gun to