Page:The Indian Mutiny of 1857.djvu/378

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344
Preparations for the Oudh Campaign.

over the Kálí Nadí, in face of a very strong opposition, and drove the survivors of the rebels into Rohilkhand. The next day he occupied the fort of the rebel Nuwáb of Fathgarh, a man who had almost equalled Náná Sáhib in his cruelties towards Englishmen, and who was now a fugitive. There, the following day, the junction of Walpole and Seaton's divisions raised his force to more than 10,000 men. Sir Colin was anxious now to push on at once to the recovery of Rohilkhand. But Lord Canning, who now unfettered by the mischievous Calcutta councillors who had misled him, was at Allahábád, strongly insisted, and rightly insisted, that the reconquest of Oudh demanded the earliest consideration. Sir Colin gave way, and made immediately preparations for carrying into effect the determination of the Governor-General. Manœuvring so as to induce in Rohilkhand the belief that he intended to invade that province, he directed Seaton to hold Fathgarh and the Duáb, Walpole to make a demonstration against Rohilkhand, whilst, on the sandy plain between Unao and Banní in Oudh, he massed infantry, cavalry, engineers, artillery, commissariat waggons, and camp followers. By the 23d of February he had collected there seventeen battalions of infantry, fifteen of which were British; twenty-eight squadrons of cavalry, including four English regiments; fifty-four light and eighty heavy guns and mortars. There we must leave them waiting for the order to advance whilst we examine the events which had occurred in the interval in Eastern Bengal, in Eastern Bihár, and, finally, in the Banáras districts, and in Eastern Oudh. The operations in these latter served as adjuncts to the great movement Sir Colin was contemplating against Lakhnao.