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CHAPTER XIV. 



THE SIEGE OF DELHI. JUNE-AUGUST 1857. 



By June 21 Hodson had so far recovered that he 

 was able to mount his horse and go about his various 

 duties in spite of the bodily weakness which still 

 annoyed him. " God," he said, " has been very good 

 to me, and in nothing more so than in preserving 

 what is most precious to me from the horrible danger 

 and suffering of so many of our poor countrywomen 

 and children." The sight of so many refugee officers 

 wandering about the camp made him the more 

 thankful that his stepson, Reginald Mitford, then 

 serving at Agra with the 3rd Europeans, " was safe 

 from that at least." Pending the arrival of rein- 

 forcements from the Punjab, he felt that nothing 

 more could be done against Delhi, although, like 

 many others, he still cherished the hope that a few 

 days more might " end this business, . . . and so 

 enable a part at least of the force to move on to- 

 wards Aligarh, and reopen the roads and daks, and 

 restore order for the time ; but when the end will 

 be who can say ? " 



On June 23, the centenary of Plassy, the rebels 

 made a furious attack with all their available men 

 and guns along the whole of Barnard's position. All 



