The Capture of Delhi
The Bombardment
The siege train, consisting of fifteen 24-pounder guns, twenty 18-pounder guns and twenty-five heavy mortars and howitzers,[16]
with almost 600 ammunition
carts, arrived on 6 September. Wilson's chief Engineer Officer, Richard Baird Smith,
had drawn up a plan to breach the city walls and make an assault.
Wilson was unwilling to risk any attack, but was urged by Nicholson to
agree to Baird Smith's plan. There were moves among the British
officers, in which Nicholson was prominent, to replace Wilson as
commander if he failed to agree to make the
attack.
As a preliminary step, on 6 September the Company
forces constructed "Reid's Battery", or the "Sammy House Battery", of
two 24-pounder and four 9-pounder guns, near the southern end of the
ridge, to silence the guns on the Mori Bastion. Under cover of Reid's
Battery, on 7 September the first siege battery proper was established,
700 yards (640 m) from the Mori Bastion. Four of its guns engaged the
artillery on the Kashmir Bastion, while six guns and a heavy mortar
silenced the rebels' guns on the Mori Bastion after a long duel. The
direction of this attack also deceived the rebels that the storming
attempt would be made from the east, rather than the north.[16]
A second battery, consisting of
nine 24-pounder guns, two 18-pounder guns and seven 8-inch
mortars, was set up near a flamboyantly-designed house known as "Ludlow Castle"
in the Civil Lines, and opened fire against the Kashmir Bastion on 11
September. A third battery of six 18-pounder guns was set up near the
old Custom House less than 200 yards (180 m) from the city walls, and
opened fire against the Water Bastion near the Yamuna next day.[16]
A fourth battery of ten heavy mortars was set up in cover near the
Khudsia Bagh. Because the element of surprise had been lost, the Indian
sappers and pioneers who carried out much of the work of constructing
the
second and third batteries and moving the guns into position suffered
over 300 casualties,
but the batteries quickly made breaches in the bastions and walls.
The
opening of this phase of the siege seems to have coincided with the
exhaustion of the ammunition the rebels had captured from the magazine,
as the rebel fire became suddenly much less effective. By this time
also, the rebels had become depressed through lack of supplies and
money, and by defeatist rumours which were spread by agents and spies
organised by William Hodson.
Preparation for the Assault
The attack was scheduled for 3 a.m. on 14
September. The storming columns moved into position during the night of
13 September. The future Field Marshal Lord Roberts, then a junior staff officer, recorded their composition.
- 1st Column – Brigadier General Nicholson
- 75th Foot – 300
- 1st Bengal Fusiliers [17] – 250
- 2nd Punjab Infantry (Greene's Rifles) – 450
- Total – 1000
- 2nd Column – Brigadier Jones
- 8th Foot – 250
- 2nd Bengal Fusiliers [17] – 250
- 4th Sikhs – 350
- Total – 850
- 3rd Column – Colonel Campbell [18]
- 52nd Foot – 200
- Kumaon Battalion (Gurkhas) – 250
- 1st Punjab Infantry (Coke's Rifles) – 500
- Total – 950
- 4th Column – Major Reid
- Sirmur Battalion (Gurkhas)
- Guides Infantry
- Collected picquets
- Total – 850
- Plus Kashmir contingent in reserve – 1000
- 5th Column – Brigadier Longfield
- 61st Foot – 250
- 4th Punjab Infantry (Wilde's Rifles) – 450
- Baluch Battalion (one "wing" only) – 300
- Total – 1000
Detachments (totalling 200) of the 60th Rifles preceded all the columns, as skirmishers.
There was also a cavalry brigade in reserve, under James Hope Grant, which probably consisted of:
-
- 6th Carbineers (one "wing" only)
- 9th Lancers
- Guides Cavalry
- 1st Punjab Cavalry (one squadron)
- 2nd Punjab Cavalry (one squadron)
- 5th Punjab Cavalry (one squadron)
- Hodson's Horse (irregular levies)
