Page:The Indian Mutiny of 1857.djvu/238

210 of the 64th, the 84th, the 78th, the Madras Fusiliers, and Brasyer's Sikhs.

At five o'clock, on the 29th, this little force began its forward movement. After a march of three miles Havelock discerned the rebels occupying a strong position in front of and in the village of Unáo. From this position he dislodged them after a fierce conflict, in which they lost fifteen guns and about 500 men. He then pushed on to Bashíratganj, six miles distant. Bashíratganj was a walled town, intersected by the high road its entrance protected by a turreted gateway, with lateral defences, and a wet ditch in front. Still more to the front of it was a large jhíl, or shallow pond, whilst another, still larger, lay behind the town, on the road to Lakhnao, traversed by a narrow causeway. Havelock conceived the idea of sending round the 64th to cut off the enemy from the causeway, whilst he should assail it in front Unfortunately the turning movement took longer than was expected, and the troops with Havelock made their front assault before the 64th had completed it. The result was that, though the rebels suffered severely, the bulk of them escaped across the causeway.

The British loss in the two actions had been severe also. Eighty-eight men had been placed hors-de-combat, and eighty-eight men represented nearly a twelfth of his European fighting strength. A nearly equal number of sick reduced that strength still further. Havelock had used up, too, one-third of his gun ammunition, whilst he had accomplished but fifteen miles out of the forty-five necessary to traverse. In front of him were positions which would be held against him still more steadfastly, and by a greater number of troops. Then, too, the question forced itself upon him, how could he carry his sick and wounded? He could not leave them, because he could