2 28 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



lately stepped into Barnard's place, was compelled 

 by failing health to go up to Simla on sick-leave. 

 Before starting he made over his command to 

 Colonel Wilson of the Bengal Artillery, who, not 

 being the senior officer in camp, was promoted by 

 Reed to the rank of major-general. Chamberlain's 

 wound alone disabled him from taking up the com- 

 mand, to which his past services and present stand- 

 ing would have justly entitled him.^ 



On the afternoon of the 18th Hodson was sum- 

 moned " to take the Guide cavalry down into the 

 suburbs to support some guns, and assist in driving 

 the enemy back into the city. My own men, whose 

 duty was the difficult one of enduring a very hot 

 fire without acting, behaved admirably, and I had 

 the satisfaction of losing only one killed and two 

 wounded, besides a few horses, who generally come 

 off second best where bullets are flying about. 

 My poor Feroza was hit by one, but not danger- 

 ously, and I was again most mercifully preserved 

 unharmed." 



From this time there was no more serious fighting 

 in the Sabzi Mandi, for our engineers had at last 

 succeeded in clearing away the old serais, walls, and 

 gardens for some distance round the posts held by 

 our pickets in that suburb, while the breastworks 

 connecting these pickets with the crest of the Hindu 

 Rao post on the ridge were also completed and 

 made secure.^ 



When the earliest tidings of the Cawnpore mas- 

 sacres reached camp on the 19th, the consequent 



1 Norman's Narrative, The Chaplain's Narrative of the Siege of 

 Delhi. 



2 Norman's Narrative. 



