August 11th.—A slight alarm about 2 A.M., after which all subsided into the usual routine firing. A very fine morning, very little to be seen of the enemy, who however were not idle, as they were to-day busily employed constructing earthworks and trenches in various directions close to our position. Early in the morning the enemy fired many round shot, some of which struck the Residency, already much shattered; and about noon a very distressing accident took place. There was a high wind, and it brought down a great portion of the left wing, on the ground floor of which, in a room, six men of the 32nd were asleep. They were completely buried in the ruins. Two were got out alive after very great exertions, but the remaining four were left under the ruins. Immediate arrangements made for the removal of the few European women and children who still occupied one of the rooms on the ground floor.
Major Anderson, chief engineer, died during the afternoon. He had been ailing before the siege, but on the commencement rallied somewhat, owing to the excitement and novelty of the position. Latterly he fell off again, and to-day expired; his death no doubt hastened by the impossibility of any change of air or diet. The look-out officers yesterday reported having seen some few doolies going across the river with sepoys after the day of attack, and to-day some dead and wounded were also seen being conveyed away. The enemy were busy close under Mr. Gubbins's ramparts, whence they had once before been expelled by some hand grenades. At the corner of the Seikh square also, from across the road, they amused themselves by pushing out over the wall bamboos with lighted straw at the end; but with what object was not very clear: in the meanwhile not one of them showed themselves, but kept well under cover. Smart firing in the evening. The corpse of a soldier of the 32nd was extricated from the ruins of the Residency; three others still remained.
August 12th.—A fine moonlight night. About 3·30 A.M. the enemy suddenly commenced a very heavy fire of round shot and musketry, which lasted for three-quarters of an hour. We kept close, and hardly fired a shot, beyond throwing a few shells. At day light, they commenced a very heavy cannonade and musketry fire on the Cawnpore battery; this gradually became so sharp, that it was impossible to work our guns, or even remain in the battery; and we were obliged to withdraw every one but the sentry, as the enemy's round shot had destroyed our musketry shutters, and completely swept the battery: later in the day, our sentry, the only man in the battery, was killed by a round shot. This portion of our position caused us great anxiety, as we were quite unable to hold it as it should be held; we would not withdraw our guns, for fear of giving the enemy confidence. The enemy were busily employed to-day also in digging close to Sago's house. In order to see what they were about, at 12 o'clock a sortie was made with twelve Europeans of the 32nd Foot under Lieutenant Clery, accompanied by Lieutenant Hutchinson of the Engineers. The enemy were, however, well on the alert, and had a large covering party over their work, and as our men appeared, they threw in such a heavy fire that our people were compelled to retire; this brought on a very great fire from all that side of the enemy's attack, and they kept up a smart fire of round shot and musketry for fully an hour, when it gradually subsided. Finding we were unequal to meet the enemy by a sortie, we determined to push on our mine as fast as possible, and continue working all day and night, hoping to blow them up.
In the evening we had as strong working parties of Europeans as we could afford, and removed from the Cawnpore battery, a 9-pounder which had been disabled by a round shot of the enemy. We also dug a trench and threw up earth on the top of our parapets, and endeavoured to our utmost to repair the damage the enemy had done, and make the place as strong as possible. Several shells came in after dusk. The heat throughout the day was excessive, and there were several fatal cases of cholera, and also several deaths among the children, who were all greatly emaciated.
In the evening, a letter to General Havelock, rolled up and put inside a quill, was despatched by the hands of an old woman; she left our position about 9 P.M., and we hoped, would be permitted to pass the enemy's sentries without being stopped. During the past forty-five days, we had sent by different hands, in a similar manner, some twenty letters, to only one of which was any reply received. The garrison, very greatly harassed and fatigued from continued exertion night and day and want of rest.
August 13th.—An excessively hot night. During the early part of the morning the enemy threw in a very heavy fire, which lasted for nearly half an hour, when all subsided into the usual routine firing.
Our mine near Sago's house was pushed on all night with the greatest possible speed. Every possible means was adopted by the enemy to prevent our miners working, and as only a wall and a few feet of ground divided the two parties, they resorted to squibs, rockets, brickbats, and lights at the end of bamboos, to annoy our workmen. As the latter were thrust forward with the hope of setting fire to our tiled outhouses, the ends were successively cut off by us. Several reports alive in the garrison, but on what grounds, or how stated, no one could say. However, as these were all more or less favourable to us, and encouraging to the natives, if credited, no harm was done.
Shortly before 10 A.M. the engineers reported our countermine as ready; the neighbouring outposts and garrisons were duly warned, and the mine fired, with the happiest results: the brick house in which the enemy was, and from which they had started their mine, settled down, burying all inside; the earth was thrown up to a considerable height, and only one outhouse of our own, of no consequence, destroyed. Up to the last moment, the people inside the enemy's mine were hard at work, and after the explosion the groans of the sufferers were plainly audible. In the course of the day, some few of the enemy were shot from Sago's post. In the afternoon, after several shells had been thrown in to drive as many out as possible, it was determined to go out and see what the enemy were doing near Mr. Gubbins's post. A hole being cut in the wall out of our defences, a party of Europeans, with the engineer officers, went out and found a deep trench dug through the outhouses for some distance towards our position. The work was not deemed of any great importance, and after it had been well examined, the party withdrew.
Many cases of fever to-day, and four deaths in hospital among the Europeans. Enemy very quiet during the evening; unusually so, till about 10 P.M., when they threw an 8-inch shell into our position. This appeared to be a signal; for instantly they commenced a tremendous fire with round shot and musketry, which lasted half an hour, and completely lit up the darkness around. They were busy mining us in several places, and their workmen could be distinctly heard at work. Our engineers were hard at work, trying with the best means at their disposal to frustrate their efforts; but our people were so harassed that they were not capable of any prolonged exertion. A shaft, however, for a mine was made in Mr. Anderson's house, and sunk to the extent of eight feet, in view to running a sap to meet the enemy. Heat very great, and mosquitoes, bugs, and fleas most troublesome.
August 14th.—Enemy unusually quiet all the morning; more so than they had yet been. Our people were all busy preparing new sandbags, as the old ones were so rotten, from long exposure to the rain, that they would bear no removal: also in countermining the enemy from out of a corner of Anderson's house. A Mater came in this morning, but could give no information. Provision for the cattle growing short; and every means adopted to reduce the daily consumption. The various look-outs reported no movement of the enemy: in a word, it was the quietest day we had yet had. About 4 P.M. they began a more brisk fire. Many cases of fever and several deaths amongst the children. Many rumours abroad regarding our relieving force; but all was conjecture. Most of our outpost houses were now so riddled with round shot, that it was a wonder how any of them stood up at all: indeed most of them were in ruins, and at Mr. Anderson's house part of the garrison had been twice pulled out of the ruins which had suddenly fallen on them; nevertheless, these posts, in spite of many casualties, were held with the same courage and devotion as was displayed the first day of the siege. At dusk we had a severe thunderstorm, with exceedingly heavy rain, which lasted for several hours, falling in a complete deluge; the night was exceedingly dark, with extremely vivid lightning. Captain Fulton and Lieutenant Hutchinson of the Engineers went down and examined all the outhouses in Dr. Fayrer's premises, to see if any mining operations could be heard. They afterwards went down to the Buxee Khana, and examined the wall in front to some distance.