The Siege of Lucknow (The Honourable Landy Inglis)

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About the Book The siege of Lucknow may be divided into three parts - the defence under sir Henry Lawrence and Brigadier Inglis; the reinforcements by Generals Havelock and Outram; and the relief by Lord Clyde. Now, the two first of these parts have been much mixed up in the mind of the peoples, so that the services of Inglis, Havelock, and Outram are often spoken of as being the same. All honour, indeed, is due to those noble and brave men who came through innumerable difficulties and dangers to our rescue - truly have they deserved all the glory and praise given to them; but they were not the real defenders of Lucknow, for they did not come until after the place had been invested for eighty-seven days. The force before their arrival numbered only about 1,800 fighting men opposed to about 15,000 of enemy. This little band, with its 800 women and sufficient to man the defences, doubtful if it were possible to hold out till relief came, daily losing men from wounds and sickness, and exhausted with incessant toil and insufficient food, maintained a defence described by General Outram as unparalleled in European history.

Preface I QUITE feel that an apology is due from anyone who at this time ventures to write about the Indian Mutiny of 1857 and 1858, or the events connected with it. Thirty-three years have elapsed since that eventful period, and many books have been given to the world relating to it-some merely containing the historical facts, others personal reminiscences, and others the narrative of events in some one or other particular place; and it certainly does appear as if nothing fresh could be found to say.