when the siege began, over a thousand women and children, defended by a
few hundred British troops and civilians, and about a hundred and fifty
men remaining faithful from the Sepoy regiments. Upon that day the enemy
opened fire from several batteries. A shell penetrated the small room in
the Residency in which Sir Henry Lawrence was sitting, and passed between
him and his private secretary, Mr. Cowper. His officers begged him to
change his room, but he declined to do so, saying laughingly that the room
was so small that there was no chance of another shell finding its way in.
He was, however, mistaken, for the very next day a shell entered, and
burst in the room, the fragments inflicting a mortal wound upon Sir Henry,
who died a few hours afterward. The loss was a heavy one indeed, both to
the garrison, to whom his energy, calmness, and authority were invaluable,
and to England, who lost in him one of her noblest and most worthy sons.
On his death the command of the defense devolved upon Colonel Inglis, of
the Thirty-second Regiment, a most gallant and skillful officer. After
this, day after day the fighting had continued, the enemy ever gaining in
numbers and in strength, erecting fresh batteries, and keeping up a
ceaseless fire night and day upon the garrison.

The Warreners with their guide experienced the difficulties which this
increased activity of the attack caused to emissaries trying to enter or
leave the Residency. After it had become dark they swam the Goomtee, and
made a wide circuit, and then tried to approach the river again opposite
the Residency. Several batteries, however, had been erected on this side
since the guide had left, five days before, and these were connected by a
chain of sentries, so closely placed that it would have been madness to
endeavor to pass them unseen. It was clear that the mutineers were
determined to cut off all communication to or from the garrison. The
little party skirted the line of sentries, a line indicated clearly enough
by the bivouac fires on the near side of them. Round these large numbers