The explosion had not yet taken place; but soon, a shake of the earth, a volume of fire, a terrific report, and an immense mass of black smoke shooting far up into the air, announced to Lucknow, that 240 barrels of gunpowder, and 594,000 rounds of ball and gun ammunition, had completed the destruction of Muchee Bhawun, which we had with so much labour provisioned and fortified.
July 2nd.—Arrangements were made for posting and stationing the Muchee Bhawun force which came in last night, and placing the field-pieces in position; all of which Sir H. Lawrence himself personally superintended. About 8 A.M. Sir Henry returned to the Residency, and, being much fatigued, laid down on his bed. Soon after an eight-inch shell from the eight-inch howitzer of the enemy, entered the room at the window, and exploding, a fragment struck the Brigadier-General on the upper part of the right thigh near the hip, inflicting a fearful wound. Captain Wilson, who was standing alongside the bed with one knee on it at the time, reading a memorandum to Sir Henry, was knocked down by falling bricks and slightly wounded in the back by a piece of shell. Sir H. Lawrence's nephew, Mr. Lawrence, had an equally narrow escape, being on another bed close by: he was not hurt; the fourth individual in the room was a native servant, who lost one of his feet by a fragment of the shell. It was at once pronounced that Sir Henry Lawrence's wound was mortal, and his sufferings were great. He immediately sent for Major Banks, and appointed him to succeed him as Chief-Commissioner, and appointed Colonel Inglis to command the troops. He was then removed to Dr. Fayrer's house, which was somewhat less under fire. About noon this day, a round shot came into a room on the lower story of the residency, and shattered the thigh of Miss Palmer (daughter of Colonel Palmer, 48th Regiment, Native Infantry) so dreadfully, that instant amputation was obliged to be resorted to. All the garrison were greatly grieved, and the Natives much dispirited at our severe loss, in that popular and very distinguished officer, Sir Henry Lawrence.
A perfect hurricane of jinjal, round shot, and musketry all day and all night. Probably not less than 10,000 men fired into our position from the surrounding houses; the balls fell in showers, and hardly any place was safe from them. Many of the garrison were hit in places which, before the siege, it was considered would be perfectly safe; but the enemy fired some of them from a great distance out of the town, from the tops of high houses, and the balls fell everywhere.
July 3rd.—It is difficult to chronicle the proceedings of these few days, for everywhere confusion reigned supreme. That unfortunate day of Chinât precipitated everything, inasmuch as we were closely shut up several days before anything of the kind was anticipated. People had made no arrangements for provisioning themselves: many indeed never dreamt of such a necessity; and the few that had were generally too late. Again, many servants were shut out the first day, and all attempts to approach us were met by a never-ceasing fusilade. But though they could not get in, they succeeded in getting out; and after a few days, those who could boast of servants or attendants of any kind formed a very small and envied minority. The servants in many instances eased their masters of any superfluous article of value, easy of carriage. In fact, the confusion can be better imagined than described.
The head of the Commissariat had, most unfortunately for the garrison, received a severe wound at Chinât, which effectually deprived them of his valuable aid. His office was all broken up; his goomastahs and baboos were not with us, and the officers appointed to assist him were all new hands. Besides all this, the first stores opened were approachable only by one of the most exposed roads, and very many of the camp followers preferred going without food to the chance of being shot. Some did not know where to apply, so that for three or four days, many went without rations; and this in no small degree added to the number of desertions. Owing to these desertions, the commissariat and battery bullocks had no attendants to look after them, and went wandering all over the place looking for food; they tumbled into, wells, were shot down in numbers by the enemy, and added greatly to the labour which fell on the garrison, as fatigue parties of civilians and officers, after being in the defences all day repelling the enemy's attack, were often employed six and seven hours burying cattle killed during the day, and which from the excessive heat became offensive in a few hours. The artillery and other horses were everywhere to be seen loose, fighting and tearing at one another, driven mad for want of food and water; the garrison being too busily employed in the trenches to be able to secure them.
Poor Sir H. Lawrence suffered somewhat less to-day, but was sinking fast, and at times his mind wandered. A tremendous fire all day, more particularly on the Baillie Guard and Dr. Fayrer's house where Sir Henry was lying. We thus early in the siege learnt that all our proceedings inside were known (through some party or other) to our enemies. Miss Palmer died to-day, and Mr. Ommanney of the Civil Service, was dangerously wounded under the ear by a grape shot, while in the Redan battery.
July 4th.—A tremendous fire all night; but no effort was made to storm our position. To the great grief of our garrison, Sir Henry Lawrence died this morning about 8 o'clock, from the effects of his wound. Shortly before his death, Mr. G. H. Lawrence while standing in the front verandah of Dr. Fayrer's house, was wounded by a musket-ball through his right shoulder.
At night, there was a great uproar in the city, which evidently underwent a thorough plundering. Notwithstanding this, the same heavy fire was kept up throughout the night. Every one at work trying to throw up some shelter for himself. In the course of the day, a 9-pounder, brought by the insurgents and placed behind a small mosque close to our furthest water-gate, was spiked by a private of the 32nd and four others from Innes' post, who shot four of the enemy. The enemy were taken by surprise while at their dinner.
July 5th.—From 2 till 6 o'clock A.M., heavy rain; and extremely heavy firing all day. Several casualties among our garrison. A soldier of the 32nd was said to have killed five men in ten shots from the Cawnpore battery, which was subjected to a very severe musketry fire. Continued efforts were made to collect all the horses and secure them, but it was impossible to do anything during the day. The fire was so heavy, and the night was so dark, it was difficult to get hold of the animals, who were half mad; added to which four or five horses were killed daily, which had to be buried at night by parties of officers, who, after being exposed to a fearful sun in the trenches all day, were often out in the rain till 12 and 1 o'clock in the morning, engaged in burying horses and bullocks, in order to prevent the dreadful stench which would otherwise have been increased, and which had already become almost insupportable.
July 6th.—The usual amount of musketry and cannon fire all the morning: about 2 o'clock in the afternoon it became very severe, especially towards the Baillie Guard, which seemed the favourite point to-day for the heaviest fire. A heavy cannonade heard about three miles off for about half an hour. About 4 P.M. the flashes of the guns were distinctly seen. The cause was unknown. The enemy digging trenches in all directions. The carriage of one of our 9-pounders was disabled by the enemy.