THE STORMING OF DELHI. 25 7 



strong body of rebels had taken up their post. 

 The advance of this column over very difficult 

 ground, under a galling fire of guns and musketry, 

 was soon checked by the fall of its gallant leader. 

 Major (afterwards Sir Charles) Eeid, who was 

 carried off severely wounded from the field. The 

 Kashmiris on the right were driven back in hope- 

 less disorder with the loss of four guns. After 

 some hard fighting the rest of Reid's column fell 

 back to their old positions in the Sabzi Mandi. 



By this time — about 7 a.m. — Hope Grant's 

 cavalry, about 600 strong, who had been drawn 

 up that morning along the ridge in front of 

 Delhi, were speeding towards Kishnganj in order 

 to prevent the rebels there posted from re-entering 

 the city and impeding the progress of our victorious 

 troops inside. On taking up their new position 

 they encountered, says Gough, " a most severe fire 

 of round-shot, shrapnel, and grape from the walls, 

 to which we could only reply by an equally deter- 

 mined fire from our guns, of which, I think, we had 

 ten in action." ^ 



It was then that Hope Grant " saw Brigadier 

 Nicholson on the top of the Mori Bastion leading 

 on his brigade. He called out to me that the 

 fighting was going on well for us in the town, and 

 that he was on his way to attack the Lahore gate 

 and bastion, about 500 yards farther on. Forward 

 he went ; but the gate was defended so obstinately 

 that he could not dislodge the enemy ; he himself 

 was mortally wounded, shot through the body, and 

 his brigade was obliged to retire." 



"A few men," he adds, "of the 9th Lancers who 



^ Hugh Gough's Old Memories. 

 R 



