[297] On the evening of the battle 24 men were buried in one grave.
[298] Water-carriers.
[CHAPTER XII.]
The rains having come on, the 2nd Battalion was ordered to remain at Nawabgunge, and proceeded to build huts for shelter on raised platforms; but this was done but slowly, the supply of Coolies for the work being scanty, the Government having engaged them for other work; and before the huts were completed the Battalion was moved, as will be presently narrated.
The 3rd Battalion marched from Nawabgunge on the 21st at three in the morning, and proceeded to Chinhut, where they encamped. Here they had left their sick on the 12th, and it appeared that a fearful panic had occurred on the next day. For some irregular cavalry and camp followers had fled from the field while the battle was raging, and, passing through Chinhut to Lucknow, had spread a report that we had been cut up, and that the enemy were advancing. Some of the sick, terrified by this intelligence, left their beds or their doolies, and madly rushed about with scarce any clothing in the sun. This was attended in some cases with fatal results. However, these alarmists had better have faced the hostile fire on the field of Nawabgunge than the face of the General at Lucknow, who, knowing their reports to be false, ordered them to be soundly flogged.
On this march the Battalion brought with them five of the six guns taken at Nawabgunge; and as their carriages were old, and the road very bad, they much retarded their progress. However, they succeeded in pitching their tents before the sun was powerful.
On the 22nd they marched again at three A.M., and arrived at the Cantonments at Lucknow at nine, where they encamped. Soon after this the rains set in, with a violent thunderstorm which flooded the tents on July 8; and the men were employed to build huts, partly out of the remains of ruined bungalows which had been destroyed by the rebels, in order to shelter them during the rainy season. But no such provision was made for the officers, who continued in tents. Here the Battalion remained for more than three months, during which time the men suffered much from cholera and from their recent exposure to the weather.
On July 22 the 2nd Battalion left Nawabgunge for Fyzabad in order to assist Maun Singh, who was besieged by the rebels. They struck tents and marched eight miles to Dundirah, many men falling out from fatigue. On the next day they proceeded to Turkani, six miles, and on the 24th, intelligence having been received that Maun Singh could not hold out four days longer, they pushed forward to Derriabad, thirteen miles, instead of halting at the end of eight miles, as was intended. This was a most distressing march; the weather was very hot, the thermometer being at 105° in the tents; and numbers of men were taken ill on the way. They halted on the 25th, it having rained all night, but started again at four on the 26th, and encamped at Burehke Serai. On the next day they proceeded to Begumgunge, and on the 28th tents were struck at four in the morning; but in consequence of the heavy rain they did not start till half-past-six. They marched seven miles, and encamped at Samao, on the banks of the Gogra. On the 29th they reached Fyzabad after a march of thirteen miles, only to find that the rebels had left it that morning, and crossed the Gogra; however, the Horse Artillery got up to the bank in time to get a couple of shots at the last boat-loads. The Battalion halted at Fyzabad for a fortnight, during which time, on August 6, the camp was shifted to platforms on account of the rain; but while this was being done a violent storm came on, and the men were drenched before the tents could be pitched.