July 25th.—The night passed away tolerably quietly; the enemy firing several 18-pound shot into the Cawnpore battery. At daylight they were tolerably quiet, contenting themselves with musketry; but about 8 A.M. they fired an 8-inch shell, which fell through the centre of the roof of the Post-office, and lodged on the table on which the officers of that post breakfasted; fortunately it did not explode, and no mischief was done. Immediately after, several shells, apparently thrown out of mortars, were thrown in, and continued to be so during the forenoon. One fell in the verandah of the Post-office, and shattered the hand of an artilleryman. Two men of the 32nd were shot this morning by the enemy's sharp-shooters. Still not one word of intelligence from any quarter, though this was now the twenty-sixth day we had been besieged. We knew nothing; but the most absurd rumours were afloat amongst the natives, and indeed among many of the Europeans, who were credulous enough to believe them. Removed the powder out of the place in which we had it, to a tykhana under the Begum Kotee which the engineers considered safer than where it was first removed to. Very slight firing on the river side, but the enemy still very active near the Redan. Much difference of opinion existed as to the object of the work; the majority believed that they were mining, while the engineers thought they were only making a trench. Although the earlier part of the morning had been quiet enough, towards 11 and 12 o'clock, a very sharp fire was opened and maintained on the side of the Post-office and Cawnpore battery.
The casualties on this side alone amounted to six, besides three others in different places, which made the total of the day's casualties one of the heaviest on record. Towards evening the enemy commenced shelling us. Seven shells were sent in, but did no damage. Opinions differed whether they were discharged from howitzers or mortars.
About 11 P.M. a pensioner, who had been sent out from this on the 22nd instant with a letter, effected his entrance into Mr. Gubbins's compound, and produced a letter which he had brought back from the camp. He was at once brought to Brigadier Inglis and examined. The letter proved to be one from Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser Tytler, Quartermaster-General with General Havelock's force. It was determined to transmit to General Havelock by this man a plan of our position and of the roads approaching it, with memoranda drawn up by the engineers.
July 26th.—At daybreak cloudy and sultry: enemy tolerably quiet, but about 8 A.M. they threw in several shells. From 11 to 1 very heavy rain, and a partial cessation from firing, during which Lieutenant Lewin of the Artillery, who was reconnoitring from the Cawnpore battery, was shot dead by one of the enemy's sharp-shooters. Enemy recommenced shelling from the city side: few of them to be seen, all being under cover. Supposed to be mining at the Cawnpore battery. A countermine commenced by us, out of the house next the battery; but having no workmen except our harassed soldiers, the work was slow; however, as the engineers seemed to entertain little or no doubt but that the enemy were mining, it was necessary to endeavour to counteract them. Little musketry fire during the afternoon; the enemy throwing in heavy shot, fired at a great elevation (apparently out of howitzer). One or two cases of cholera. Garrison in good spirits at the prospect of early relief.
A letter and plan of our position forwarded at night by a messenger to the officer commanding the relieving force: 5000 rupees promised the messenger if he brought a reply. Suddenly at 10 P.M. the enemy commenced a heavy fire along the whole of the city front of our position; but nothing came of it, as after a few shells had been thrown amongst them, their fire gradually subsided, and all became tolerably quiet again. During this heavy firing, a sad accident occurred; Lieutenant Shepherd of the 7th Cavalry being shot dead in the brigade square, by a shot fired from the top of the brigade mess by one of our garrison. This was the only casualty of the night.
July 27th.—From midnight all quiet, save the usual musketry fire. Cloudy, sultry weather. About 7 A.M. two planks were observed laid across the road in front of Johannes' house. They were not seen the night before, and being carefully watched, a man's hand was seen coming up from below; and soon after some eight feet of earth fell in, showing the direction of a mine of the enemy right across the road, and pointing direct for our stockade, within six feet of which it had apparently reached. This was a most fortunate discovery for us: they had evidently kept this mine too near the surface, and the heavy rain had broken it in. Our mine continued to be pushed on as rapidly as possible, and our sharp-shooters from the top of the brigade mess kept up so hot a fire on the enemy's sap from above, that they could make no attempt to repair the mischief. Much fever prevalent, consequent on being constantly wet day and night.
Towards the afternoon, the enemy again covered their trench with boards; but we got a mortar under our wall, and after one or two failures, a shell fell right into the hole and blew all the planks away, leaving the remains of the trench exposed to view, giving us no further anxiety. Fine weather in the afternoon. Enemy heard mining towards the brigadier mess; on which a shaft was commenced by the officers, and the enemy ceased working. Late in the evening, the enemy were very distinctly heard mining towards the Seikh lines; on which the Seikhs, under Lieutenant Hardinge, commenced and sunk an eight feet shaft; hearing us, the enemy seemed to stop working. All quiet, with the exception of the usual amount of firing. Fever, diarrhœa, dysentery, and painful boils, from constant wet and exposure, still prevalent amongst the garrison. Mrs. Grant (wife of Lieutenant Grant) died of cholera. Captain Boileau, 7th Cavalry, was wounded to-day.
July 28th.—Much shouting and bugling amongst the enemy during the early part of the morning: heavy rain at daylight. Made repairs to the Redan battery, also made a small field work for a 9-pounder. Sickness much increased, and for many days past only one engineer officer was available for duty: hard work, privation, and exposure day and night to wet and heat, few could long stand against. We had no further news of our coming friends, but trusted that to-day they would reach Bunnee.
The enemy threw in several shells, also a number of stink-pots, which were a very curious composition of large pieces of our exploded iron shell sewn up in canvas, and surrounded by flax and resin, with dry powder in the centre: these, from the commencement of the siege, had been thrown in daily from a howitzer; they made a fearful hissing noise and great stench, and finally exploded. They were not very dangerous, unless they exploded very close to a person. We also had a few rockets thrown in, but not many; and lately a number of shrapnel shells, fired apparently from a howitzer with a very great elevation. The enemy's miners could now be distinctly heard working close to the Seikh Square sap.
The room in the Residency containing the jewellery and valuables belonging to the late King of Oude, was broken into last night by some of the garrison, and most of them stolen. Enemy tolerably quiet in the afternoon. About 5 P.M. our sap in the Seikh Square, which had been going on as fast as we could push it in the direction of the enemy's, met theirs, which they continued to work to the last moment. On our crowbar, however, going through into their gallery, they instantly fled out of it, and commenced to fill in their shaft. We immediately made use of their gallery, and blew the whole up with 100 lbs. of powder, which brought down all the adjacent houses, &c. After this the enemy tolerably quiet. Good progress made in our Cawnpore sap.