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140 up for the Central Indian Force. Marching from Mhow in January, 1858, that force in five months had traversed Central India, had beaten the enemy in thirteen general actions and sieges, and had captured some of the strongest forts in India. Lord Canning telegraphed to Sir Hugh Rose on May 24th, 1858: 'Your capture of Kálpi has crowned a series of brilliant and uninterrupted successes. I thank you and your brave soldiers with all my heart.'

Sir Colin Campbell had decided that after the fall of Kálpi the Central India Field Force was to be broken up, and to be distributed at Gwalior and Jhánsí. The necessary arrangements were taken in hand; and Sir Hugh Rose, worn out with fatigue and sunstroke, was advised by his medical officer to return at once to Bombay. But before he could start, intelligence came which upset all his plans and created a sensation throughout India hardly inferior to that caused by the first mutinies. The rebel army under Tántia Topi and the Rání of Jhánsí, the report said, whilst retreating across the Chambal river, had changed their route, and had attacked the Mahárájá Sindhia at Bahádurpur, nine miles from Gwalior; whereupon his Highness' troops of all arms, with the exception of a few of his bodyguard, had treacherously gone over en masse to the enemy.

The Mahárájá, it seems, had called out his troops to co-operate with Lord Clyde's army against the rebels who were retreating into Rohilkhand; but when he paraded them in order to march, they