Page:The Indian Mutiny of 1857.djvu/415

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Kunwar Singh in Western Bihár.
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pursuit ceased. On the 20th, however, Douglas succeeded in catching the rebels whilst halted at Sikandarpur, almost, indeed, in surprising them. But again they disappeared by several paths, to reunite again at some fixed spot. Not only did they so reunite, but, succeeding in putting on a false scent the officer who had been charged to pounce upon them should they attempt to cross the Ganges, they actually crossed that river, and reached Jagdispur unmolested. There Kunwar Singh received a large addition to his force. His first overt act was to completely defeat, with considerable loss, a party of troops led against him by Captain Le Grand of the 35th Foot (April 23). Again did Western Bihár seem at the mercy of the rebels. Expresses were sent across the river urging Douglas to come to the rescue. Douglas at once crossed into Sháhábád, but, before he could act, the veteran chief, who had been driven by his wrongs into rebellion, and who had more than repaid the British for the insults he deemed they had showered upon him, was no more. Kunwar Singh died three days after he had defeated Le Grand.

From that date till the pacification at the close of the year the contest in Western Bihár assumed all the character of a guerilla warfare. The rebels were surrounded, they were beaten, they were pursued, only again to reappear. From the end of April to the end of November they kept the district in continuous turmoil. To the genius of the present Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, then Captain Havelock, it was due finally that they were expelled. That officer devised a system of mounted infantry who should give them no rest. In three actions, fought on the 19th, 20th, and 21st of October, he killed 500 of them, and drove 4400 across the Kaimur hills. In those hills, on the 24th of November, Douglas surprised these,