Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/242

 outside positions which they had occupied in the town and on the banks of the river, he invested the fort, and the following day constructed his breaching batteries and opened fire. By the night of the 28th a breach had been made, when the rájá of Bánpúr advanced to the relief of the place. Rose did not slacken his fire on the fort, but despatched his cavalry to attack the rájá's force, which was speedily put to flight, and in the night the disheartened garrison evacuated the fort. The rájá of Bánpúr, reinforced by the garrison, took up a position near Barodia, about fifteen miles off, and Rose attacked him on the 30th on the banks of the Bina, where he had made preparations to dispute the British passage of the river. The rájá was completely defeated, and Rose returned to Ráthgarh.

The fall of Ráthgarh had cleared the country south of Ságar of rebels, reopened the road to Indúr, and made it possible for Rose to march to the relief of Ságar, now beleaguered for nearly eight months. This he did, and entered the place on 3 Feb., escorted by the Europeans, officers, and others who had gone out to welcome their deliverers. The strong fort of Garhákóta lay twenty-five miles to the east of Ságar. In 1818 it took Brigadier-general Watson, with eleven thousand men, three weeks to take the place. Rose sent a small force on 8 Feb. to destroy the fort of Sanoda, and on the 9th marched towards Garhákóta, arriving on the afternoon of the 11th. He at once drove in the outposts, and next day opened fire with such effect that on the night of the 12th the rebels evacuated the fort. They were pursued, on the morning of the 13th, by the cavalry, and some of them cut to pieces. Garhákóta was found to be full of supplies, and, after destroying its western face, Rose returned to Ságar on 17 Feb. For these operations Rose received the thanks of the commander-in-chief and of the governor-general in council.

Having thus opened the roads to and from the west and north, Rose set himself to clear the way towards the east. Eager as he was to press on to Jánsi, he was forced to remain at Ságar until he should hear of Whitlock's advance, and until he should obtain supplies and transport; for the hot season was setting in, and he could expect to get nothing on the way. He set forth on the evening of 26 Feb. He took the fort of Barodia on the 27th, after some shelling. On 3 March he found himself in front of the pass of Máltún. It was of great natural strength, had been fortified, and was held in force. Rose determined to feign an attack in front, while with the bulk of his column he made a flank movement, and attempted the pass of Madanpúr. This also was strongly occupied, and a most determined defence was made. The guns of the Haidarábád contingent coming up at the critical moment, and opening fire, the 3rd European and the Haidarábád infantry advanced under its support, and, charging the position, swept all before them. The enemy fled to the town of Madanpúr for refuge; but Rose brought up his howitzers and opened fire upon it. The enemy did not long reply, but fled to the jungle. They were pursued to the walls of the fort of Sorai.

The effect of this victory was great; the enemy evacuated the formidable pass of Máltún and the fort of Nárút in rear of it. The discomfiture of the rebels was soon complete, and Sir Robert Hamilton, the agent to the governor-general, annexed the whole district, the British flag being hoisted at Sorai for the first time. Chandairi was assaulted and captured by Rose's first brigade, under Brigadier-general C. S. Stuart, on 17 March.

Rose now continued his march on Jánsi. So impressed were the governor-general and the commander-in-chief with the strength of Jánsi, and with the inadequacy of Rose's force for its attack, that, notwithstanding the importance of the capture of this stronghold of the mutineers in Central India, Rose had been authorised in February to pass it by and march in two divisions, one on Kálpi through Charkári, and the other on Bandá. Rose, however, declined to leave in his rear so strong a place, with a garrison of eleven thousand men, under one of the most capable leaders of the mutiny. In March the Indian government became alarmed at the perilous position of the faithful rájá of Charkári, who was besieged in his fort by Tántia Topi with the Gwáliár contingent, and the viceroy and the commander-in-chief sent orders that the relief of Charkári was to be considered paramount to the operations before Jánsi. Both Rose and Sir R. Hamilton replied that the order for the relief of Charkári would be complied with, but after, not before, the siege of Jánsi. It is necessary to be thus explicit, as it has been stated that Rose considered himself bound to execute the order of the government, and against his own judgment to attempt the relief of Charkári before the attack on Jánsi, and that Hamilton took the responsibility of directing him to proceed to Jánsi.

The fort of Jánsi stands on a high rock overlooking a wide plain, with numerous outworks of massive masonry, and commands