LUCKNOW 77 



Lawrence went out to meet the army of rebels who, 

 having finished their work at Cawnpore, were 

 marching on Lucknow; he was defeated by over- 

 whelming numbers, and driven back to the city, and 

 the siege began. 



The five succeeding months were thrilling ones, 

 for the stubbornness of the garrison's resistance, the 

 determination of the attacks and counter-attacks, 

 the individual acts of bravery, for which many a 

 Victoria Cross was awarded, and finally the gallan- 

 try of the struggle of the relieving force through 

 the city, only themselves to be besieged in turn, are 

 unsurpassed in the annals of war. At dawn on the 

 2d of July Sir Henry Lawrence started on a tour of 

 inspection of the defences, encouraging the men and 

 explaining his views for the conduct of the siege. It 

 was very hot, and on returning to the Residency 

 at 8 A. M. he said that he would rest for a couple of 

 hours and then move to a safer and lower room, 

 since his own apartment had been struck by a shell 

 on the previous day. Half an hour later, while he 

 was lying on his bed listening to a report by Cap- 

 tain Wilson, a second shell tore through the wall, 

 knocked Wilson down, cut off the foot of a native 

 servant, and carried away the top of Sir Henry's 

 thigh. He appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Inglis to 

 succeed him in the military command, gave detailed 



