Page:The tourist's guide to Lucknow.djvu/55

Rh batteries, and, placing guns in position around the intrenchment, poured into it a continuous storm of shot and shell. The deafening peals succeeded each other with a rapidity which suggested the image of unchecked vengeance falling in thunder upon our heads. The enemy also occupied in force all the surrounding buildings, and, there-from, commenced a furious fusilade which was kept up unceasingly day and night to the end of the siege. The siege of the garrison at Lucknow, and its gallant defence, furnishes, perhaps, the most interesting episode in the history of the Indian Mutiny. It lasted for 146 days, reckoning from the 30th June to the 22nd November (midnight), the date of the complete evacuation of the entrenchment after the final relief by Sir Colin Campbell's army on the 17th idem.

60. After our defeat and unfortunate retreat from Chinhut there were still a few hundred men in the Machhi Bhawan Fort, but this position could no longer be maintained. The untoward event of the 30th June diminished the whole available force, so much that there was not a sufficient number of men to defend the two positions; and if the original intention of holding the two posts had been adhered to, both would have inevitably fallen. Sir Henry, accordingly, sent orders to blow up the Fort and withdraw the men into the Residency. Fortunately there was a semaphore telegraph on the Residency roof, and this was now had resort to. Captain Fulton, Engineers, accompanied by Mr. G. H. Lawrence, C. S., and a third officer, ascended to the roof to convey the message. The arrangements for the evacuation of the Machhi Bhawan were admirably carried out by Colonel (now General) Palmer, the Commanding Officer. The force moved out noiselessly, at mid-night, and reached the Water-gatet without a shot being fired at them. Providentially the enemy had selected that night for plundering the city, and the two garrisons were concentrated without any loss. The arrangements for blowing up the fort were made by Lieutenant Thomas, who fired the train so as to explode the magazine half an hour after the troops had left. The explosion did not take place till the column had safely reached the Residency. The shock was terrific; it resembled an earthquake, and created great alarm till the cause was made