principal Bazaar, they beheld, much to their consternation, four of the
guns of the horse artillery, which immediately opened upon them with
grape and canister, which told fearfully among them, as the number of
riderless and wounded horses plainly showed, and the irregular horse,
not being trained to act in concert with the regular troops, the whole
were thrown into confusion, and were unable to reform or advance upon
the guns. By a rapid movement, Major Huntingdon had brought his two
twelve pound Howitzers to play on the Sepoy battalion, with shrapnel,
shell and spherical case, with considerable effect. The native officer
who commanded them deployed his right wing into line, and sent the left
to endeavour to take the artillery in flank or rear. But in order to
accomplish this they had to make a _detour_ to the right, and in so
doing came to grief. The road they had taken led them across the open
plain and in front of the station gun, a long thirty-two pounder. This
movement had been anticipated by the artillery officer, consequently it
was loaded with as much canister as was considered safe, and a Sergeant,
who volunteered, was appointed to take charge, and act as circumstances
might require. A small pit had been dug, in which the Sergeant was
snugly ensconced, and there was nothing to indicate to those passing
within a short distance, that there was anything to be feared from that
quarter; but in this they were terribly mistaken, for at the right
moment the gun belched forth its storm of bullets into the very centre
of the little column of infantry with fearful effect. So unexpected was
the charge that the utmost confusion prevailed, which was considerably
increased by the sudden appearance of about one hundred well mounted
horsemen, acting as cavalry, sweeping down upon them, sabreing right and
left. This party of horsemen consisted of officers of all corps in
garrison, and every other available European that could sit on a horse
or handle a sabre, and had been quietly organized, in expectation of an
event like the present, by Major Collingwood.