Page:Sir Henry Lawrence, the Pacificator.djvu/197

188 dency, and the 9-pounder Field Battery, with a few old guns, be left to accompany the troops at the last moment. The withdrawal will not be easy at any time, so the less there is left to bring away at the last moment, the better.'

Cholera now appeared to add to the troubles. Still Sir Henry showed a stout heart and a bold front. Supplies kept pouring in from the country, and a report — a letter — at length arrived, on the 23rd, stating, but incorrectly, that the Commander-in-Chief's force had taken Delhi. The event that had really occurred was the victory of Badli Serai, with the beginning of the siege of Delhi by the occupation of the ridge on its north.

This news, and the gallant defence of Cawnpur, with the singular backwardness that the enemy were showing, both as to facing the handful of English there, and also as to making any move against Lucknow, caused Sir Henry to think that it might be worth while, if only it deferred the evil day of close investment, to put on every additional appearance that could be suggested of our strength and of our determination to make a vigorous and forward defence; and accordingly, during the last week in June, he started a couple of small but heavily-armed batteries at the Mutchi Bhown to command the west approaches. The enemy, it was known on the 24th, were collecting at Nawábganj, Bara Banki, whence their advance would be by the Faizábád road; but they had the choice of a very wide range of avenues of near approach, and it was probably for this reason