Thirtieth, Thirty-eighth, and Fifty-third Regiments; the Fourth Brigade, which included the Forty-second and Forty-ninth Highlanders; the Fourth Punjaub Rifles; the artillery divisions of Sir A. Wilson and Colonel Wood; three troops of horse artillery; two 24-pounders, two 8-inch howitzers of the Naval Brigade, and a corps of sappers and miners. After passing the fort of Jalalabad, Sir Colin encountered the rebel pickets, which he drove in, and then captured one piece of artillery. The palace was immediately occupied as an advance picket on the right of the line. The enemy's guns which were placed along the canal completely dominated the plateau where the Dilkusha Palace stands, and it was found impossible to bring up the main force of the infantry. Accordingly, Sir Colin ordered batteries to be erected at Dilkusha to silence the enemy's fire. The batteries were established during the night of the 2d, and were ready for operations at daylight on the 3d. As soon as their fire began, that of the enemy slackened materially.
Then the infantry was brought up, massed around the Dilkusha, and enabled the British to establish a new line. This line rested its right on the Gumti at the village of Bibiapur. From this village, extending toward the left, it touched the Dilkusha and extended in the direction of Jalalabad to within two miles of that fort. The line was completed by Brigadier-General Franks with a force of English and Nepaulese troops. While General Franks was getting into position, Sir Colin ordered two pontoon bridges to be thrown over the Gumti near Bibiapur, and this work was accomplished by the morning of the 6th. Anticipating the completion of the bridges, Sir Colin ordered General Outram to cross to the left bank of the river at two o'clock in the morning with a strong division of all arms.
The night was very dark, and over the broken ground intersected with ravines and waterways, Outram's men
