Second Battle of Cawnpore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Second Battle of Cawnpore
Part of Indian Mutiny of 1857
Date 19 November — 6 December 1857 Location Cawnpore, India Result British–EIC victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom East India Company	Sepoy mutineers
Commanders and leaders
Sir Colin Campbell	Tatya Tope Rao Sahib
Strength
10,000 men 65 guns	14,000 men 40 guns
Casualties and losses
99 killed and wounded	Unknown; but heavy 32 guns captured

The Second Battle of Cawnpore was a very important fight during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. It stopped the rebels from taking back the cities of Cawnpore (now called Kanpur) and Lucknow. This battle was a big turning point in the rebellion.

Why the Battle Happened

During the uprising in 1857 against the East India Company, the city of Kanpur (then spelled Cawnpore) was taken by a rebel leader named Nana Sahib. British forces, led by Major General Henry Havelock, recaptured the city on July 17, 1857.

Soon after, Havelock heard bad news. Henry Montgomery Lawrence, a British official in Awadh (also called Oudh), had died. British soldiers were trapped and losing a fight in Lucknow. Havelock decided to try and rescue them.

He fought against rebel groups blocking his path. He won battles at Unnao and Bashiratganj. But these wins cost him many soldiers. He then learned that the army from Gwalior had also rebelled. Havelock realized his forces were not strong enough. He went back to Cawnpore on August 13 to wait for more soldiers.

Building a Bridge and Heading to Lucknow

Once Havelock had more troops, the British began building a bridge over the Ganges River. Rebel soldiers attacked the bridge from the other side. Havelock sent a Sikh regiment to protect the builders.

The Sikh soldiers made the rebels retreat. The bridge was finished without more trouble.

The stronger British army, now with Havelock and Lieutenant General Sir James Outram, then left for Lucknow. They managed to get into the city. But once inside, they became trapped themselves.

New Commander and Rebel Plans

A larger British army gathered in Cawnpore. This army was led by General Colin Campbell, the new top commander in India. His goal was to rescue Lucknow a second time.

Campbell took his main army to Lucknow. He left about 1,500 men in Cawnpore. These soldiers were led by Brigadier Charles Ash Windham. Their job was to hold Cawnpore, protect a key bridge made of boats over the Ganges, and guard a fort.

Windham was known for being brave in the Crimean War. People called him "Redan" Windham. But Campbell gave him very strict orders. These orders seemed to stop Windham from making his own decisions.

Meanwhile, Tantya Tope, a leader working for Nana Sahib, gathered an army. He wanted to take back Cawnpore. The main part of his army was the Gwalior Contingent. These were soldiers who worked for the ruler of Gwalior. But they were trained like the East India Company's army.

The Gwalior Contingent had rebelled against their British officers in June and July. They didn't know what to do next until Tantya Tope took charge. He led them to Kalpi on the Jumna River on November 10. Tantya Tope left 3,000 men and 20 guns in Kalpi. He then crossed the river with 6,000 men and 18 guns. He moved east towards Cawnpore.

Tantya Tope Takes Back Cawnpore

By November 19, Tantya Tope's first soldiers controlled all the roads west and northwest of Cawnpore. They cut off all supplies to the city. Windham knew on November 20 that Campbell had done well in Lucknow.

But on November 22, Windham got a wrong report. It said that rebel forces had taken a bridge over the Bani River. This bridge was on Campbell's way back from Lucknow. Windham sent a small group, including two guns, to get it back.

By November 24, Windham had no contact with Campbell. He decided to ignore Campbell's orders. He chose to attack Tantya Tope before the rebels could threaten the fort.

On November 26, a rebel group of 2,500 men, 500 horsemen, and 6 heavy guns reached a river called the Pandu Nadi, west of Cawnpore. Windham moved to attack them. He had 1,200 foot soldiers, 200 horsemen, and 12 guns.

He pushed the rebels back and captured three of their guns. But then he saw Tantya Tope's main army. It had 20,000 soldiers and 40 guns. Windham tried to retreat in an orderly way. But some of his soldiers, from different regiments, ran away without orders. They also stole drinks and supplies when they reached the fort.

By midday on November 27, Windham had been forced back into his fort. The rebels took all the supplies and baggage left outside the fort. These were in a building on the road to Bithoor. The rebels were also threatening the very important bridge of boats over the Ganges.

Helping Civilians Escape

Meanwhile, Campbell was leaving Lucknow. He had 3,000 soldiers and a group of 2,000 sick, wounded, and non-fighting people. These people had been rescued from Lucknow. On November 26, Campbell heard cannons firing from Cawnpore.

He worried about the bridge and Cawnpore. Campbell left his foot soldiers to protect the rescued people. He rode ahead with his horsemen and horse artillery. He was relieved when he arrived on the north side of the Ganges on November 28. The bridge was still there.

Windham held the fort. But Tantya Tope's army had taken over the city of Cawnpore. They also controlled the land between the city and the Ganges River.

Campbell crossed the bridge the next day. He placed his cannons on the north side of the river. They fired at the rebels who were threatening the bridge. Then, he slowly moved the carts and other vehicles with the rescued people across the bridge. This took three days to finish.

Some officers wanted Campbell to attack right away. But Campbell waited five more days. All the non-fighting people were sent safely down the river. Campbell later became known for being very careful. Some even jokingly called him "Sir Crawling Camel."

Tantya Tope is Defeated

The rebels kept attacking the British positions. On December 4, they tried to destroy the bridge. They sent burning rafts down the river. On December 5, they attacked the entire British line, but they were pushed back.

Campbell was now ready to attack. He had received 5,600 more soldiers and 35 guns.

The rebels had 14,000 men and up to 40 guns. Their left side, which included some of Nana Sahib's followers, was near the Ganges. It was protected by a canal from the river. Their middle part held the city of Cawnpore itself. The city had thick walls and many narrow streets. Their right side, which included the Gwalior Contingent, was on an open plain with scattered lime kilns and brick mounds.

Campbell thought that the city of Cawnpore would make it hard for the rebels to move from their left to their right side.

On December 6, Windham started a strong cannon attack from the fort. This was to trick the rebels into thinking Campbell would attack their left. The real attack was on their right side. The British army moved around the city of Cawnpore. This threatened to cut off the rebels' escape route to Kalpi.

Campbell's cannons were very powerful. Many were heavier than the rebels' guns. The 24-pounder guns, used by sailors from the Naval Brigade, were especially important. Campbell reported that "24-pounder guns [were] advancing with the first line of skirmishers." This means the big guns were right up front with the first attackers.

As the Gwalior Contingent broke and ran, Nana Sahib's own followers were defeated north of the city. Campbell's horsemen chased the rebels as hard as they could. They captured almost all of the rebels' guns and carts. The next day, Nana Sahib's hidden treasure was found in a well at Bithoor.

What Happened After the Battle

The rebels had attacked Cawnpore at the best possible time for them. They were led by one of their most energetic leaders. Yet, they were defeated.

After this battle, more and more British soldiers arrived in India. The rebellion was now sure to be defeated. However, Tantya Tope and other determined leaders kept fighting for more than a year.