The night of the 14th was spent by the General and staff in ’Skinner’s house,’[1] close to the church.  Rest was badly needed, for almost everyone in the force, officers and men alike, had been hard at work, night and day, for a week.  That night, luckily, we were allowed to be at peace, for whether it was that the rebels were as tired as we were, or that they were busy making preparations for further resistance, they did not disturb us; and when day broke we were all refreshed and ready to continue the struggle.  At one time, indeed, early in the evening, the enemy appeared from their movements to be preparing to attack us, but just at that moment the band of the 4th Punjab Infantry struck up ‘Cheer, Boys, Cheer!’ upon which the men of the regiment did cheer, most lustily, and other regiments caught up and continued the inspiriting hurrahs, which apparently had the effect of disconcerting the mutineers and keeping them quiet.

[Footnote 1:  The house belonged to the Skinner family, and was originally built by James Skinner, a Eurasian, who served the Moghul Emperor with great distinction towards the end of the last century.  When Lord Lake broke up that Mahomedan Prince’s power, Skinner entered the service of the East India Company and rose to the rank of Major.  He was also a C.B.  He raised the famous Skinner’s Horse, now the 1st Bengal Cavalry.  His father was an officer in one of His Majesty’s regiments of Foot, and after one of Lord Clive’s battles married a Rajput lady of good family, who with her father and mother had been taken prisoners.  Skinner himself married a Mahomedan, so that he had an interest in the three religions, Christian, Hindu, and Mahomedan, and on one occasion, when left on the ground severely wounded, he made a vow that if his life were spared he would build three places of worship—­a church, a temple, and a mosque.  He fulfilled his vow, and a few years later he built the church at Delhi, and the temple and mosque which are in close proximity to it.]

* * * * *

CHAPTER XIX. 1857

  Capture of the Burn bastion—­The 60th Rifles storm the palace
  —­Hodson captures the King of Delhi—­Nicholson’s death
  —­Gallantry of the troops—­Praise from Lord Canning

On the morning of the 15th the situation was reviewed, and preparations made for the conquest of the city.  Order was restored amongst the troops, who, as I have shown, had become somewhat demoralized by the street fighting.  Regiments and brigades were got together; raids were made on all the store shops within reach, and every bottle of beer and spirits was broken.[1] Some of the liquor would doubtless have been of great use in the hospitals, but there was no means of removing it, and the General wisely determined that it was best to put temptation out of the men’s way.  Guns and mortars were placed into position for shelling the city and palace, and a few houses near, where