August 8th.—A tolerably quiet night. Dr. McDonnell, of the 41st Native Infantry, died early this morning of cholera. A soldier of the 32nd was shot, and a native woman-servant of Mrs. Banks had her thigh broken by musketry at Mr. Gubbins's post this forenoon.
A heavy smoke was distinctly seen in the far distance in the direction of the Cawnpore road. Many reports were made of heavy firing being heard in the same direction: a Sikh attached to the cavalry brought repeated accounts of it, but no European, save Captains Forbes and Hawes, of Mr. Gubbins's post, could say he heard it. The natives (some of them) very anxious about the arrival of the reinforcements, of whom we could hear nothing.
In the afternoon, a regiment of infantry, about 600 strong, with drums beating, marching in quarter distance column with colours, was seen marching through the city, in the direction of the Cawnpore road.
Seven hundred yards from the brigade-mess was a street in the city which was commanded by Lieutenant Sewell's double Enfield rifle, and on which spot he had killed several sepoys and others: this was this afternoon barricaded right across, which was a nuisance, as it entirely obstructed our view of what passed along. Lieutenant Bryce of the artillery, who had been severely wounded, died of cholera.
No intelligence came in this evening, and much anxiety as to our reinforcements was evinced by some of our native troops and servants. Rice was served out to most of the natives in lieu of flour, and wheat to the native camp-followers, in order to husband our stock of flour. All the tea and coffee for the Europeans expended; the last issue being made yesterday. This was the first day on which we had no casualty.
August 9th.—The heat excessive, and children sank rapidly under the effects of want of good air, food and exercise: several deaths occurred among them, both yesterday and to-day. The enemy fired heavily in the morning, but providentially, no one was hurt. Ensign Studdy, who had had his arm amputated from the effects of a 24-pounder shot, died this morning. The enemy were thought to have recommenced mining near the Redan battery.
Divine service was performed in the brigade mess-house to all officers not on duty. No signs or symptoms of our reinforcements. In the middle of the day Ensign Loughnan of the 13th (on duty at Innes' house) went out with a few men and quietly spiked a small gun of the enemy's, and returned without any loss. A very heavy shower in the evening, which filled our trenches. One or two doolies were seen going across the Goomtee, accompanied by sepoys. About 9 P.M. a Seikh sowar of the 3rd Oude Irregular Cavalry came in by the Seikh battery. His having been permitted to pass the enemy's outposts induced a belief that he had come in to try and make the other Seikhs desert; consequently he was placed under British bayonets, and not allowed to converse with any one.
August 10th.—About 10 A.M. a great number of sepoys, probably 1600, were seen, with two guns, marching up our left flank and across the Cawnpore road, behind their trenches. Very shortly after, a large force was seen to be approaching the bridge of boats from cantonments; and, in consequence, all were quickly at their posts. About half an hour after, the enemy fired a shell into the Begum Kotee, which appeared to be a signal; for the instant after, a mine was sprung opposite to Johannes's house, which blew in a great portion of the house occupied by Mr. Schilling and the Martiniere boys, and entirely destroyed our pallisades and defences for the space of sixty feet. One of the heaviest timbers was pitched right on the top of the brigade mess-house, among the officers and men of the 32nd, who occupied the post. As soon as the smoke blew away, the enemy pushed up, under a tremendous musketry fire, right into Johannes's house and garden, and into all the buildings close round the Cawnpore battery; but all their efforts to enter our position were met with such a steady fire, that they fell back, and kept up an incessant fire of musketry on our defences. About thirty of them, however, lodged themselves in the ditch of the Cawnpore battery, within a few feet of our guns. A hand grenade was rolled over right into the centre of them, on which they bolted and ran back, exposed to a sharp fusillade from our people on the top of the brigade-mess.
While this was going on, a very sharp attack was made on Mrs. Sago's house, where the enemy blew up a mine, which destroyed some of the outhouses and blew two soldiers out into the road, outside our defences: extraordinary to relate, they fell unhurt, and got safely back to their posts. The enemy then made their attack, but were soon driven back with considerable loss, and confined themselves to keeping up a tremendous storm of round shot and musketry on our position, which after two hours, in a great measure, subsided. About 5 P.M., they made a sudden rush on Captain Saunders's post. One of the enemy even seized a bayonet of one of the 84th Foot, and tried to wrench it off through a loophole, but was instantly shot; after a smart fusillade, which lasted for about 25 minutes, they withdrew, and gradually the fire ceased.
About 9 P.M. a third attack was made, and was similarly repulsed; nor were these efforts confined to the places above noted. At Innes' house, Anderson's, and Mr. Gubbins's post, large bodies of men came forward, bringing up large scaling-ladders, several of which they abandoned. During the day, we lost three Europeans and two sepoys killed, and about twice that number wounded. Our garrison were under arms the entire day, the heat was excessive, and all were greatly exhausted; nevertheless, every officer and man remained under arms all night: after 10 o'clock all became tolerably quiet. Captain Power, of the 32nd, who had been wounded early in the siege, died in hospital to-day, and Major Anderson, chief engineer, was reported very dangerously ill. The enemy must have had a considerable loss this day, as a great number of them were seen to fall; and we threw 150 shells, besides great quantities of round shot and grape, from which also many casualties must have occurred.