e defence. The
whole garrison amounted only to 1616 officers and men fit for duty, and
with 80 officers and men sick and wounded. Sir Henry's first care was
to withdraw the garrison from the old fort of Muchee Bowen; and in the
course of the night of the 1st July, such provision as could be removed
having been carried off, it was blown up with vast quantities of
gunpowder and ball cartridges. An intrenched position had been
commenced round the British Residency, and to complete this all the
energies of the garrison were first devoted. Long, however, before all
the proposed batteries were thrown up, the rebels, assembling in vast
numbers, began the blockade of the place. Unhappily, Sir Henry Lawrence
was mortally wounded by a shell on the 2nd of July, and closed a
distinguished career on the 4th. Brigadier Inglis then succeeded to the
command. At this time only two batteries were finished. No spot was
safe: the sick and wounded were killed in the hospital, and women and
children in private houses suffered the same fate. On the 20th of July,
the enemy, after exploding a mine, attempted to storm the defences, but
were driven back, after a desperate struggle which lasted four hours.
Day and night a murderous fire was kept up on the garrison, who were
already suffering dreadfully from sickness, while famine stared them in
the face. On the 10th of August, the enemy attempted another assault,
after, as before, springing a mine. On the 18th, a similar attempt was
made. On this occasion three officers were blown up, though without
injury, and the enemy established themselves in one of the houses of the
British position; they were, however, driven out in the evening by a
gallant charge of the 32nd and 48th Regiments. No men could have
behaved more splendidly than did those of these two regiments. The 32nd
was reduced to less than 300 men. The artillery behaved admirably, and
suffered so much, that at length there were only 24 European gunners to
work guns, including mortars in position; so that, although ably
assisted by the men of the 32nd and by civilian volunteers, they had to
run from gun to gun to defend the points most threatened by the enemy.

Five sorties were made during the siege by the British, for the purpose
of destroying buildings which commanded the intrenchments, and of
spiking guns. On all these occasions, both officers and men of the 32nd
Regiment particularly distinguished themselves. In a sorti