July 15th.—The enemy opened fire from their 9-pounder battery, situated about fifty yards from the end of the brigade mess, and fired many shots; but the garrison laid close, and up to 3P.M.no casualties occurred. Towards the middle of the day, the enemy's fire lulled to a greater extent than it had ever done since the siege commenced.
The stores out of Anderson's house got in; the house being entirely destroyed by round shot; though still nobly held by the garrison. A mortarmoved down to the gate of the Post-office, behind the traverse, and several shells were thrown into Johannes's house. All much as usual. The enemy fired three rounds of grape into the Redan battery during the night, but fortunately hit no one.
July 16th.—The heat during the night was fearful. A slight alarm about 2A.M., but it was soon over. The enemy fired smartly throughout the night, and in the morning sent several round shot through the roof of the brigade mess, and hit the Residency. They were busy, besides, making batteries in the garden of Johannes's house, and opposite the 13th and the Cawnpore battery.
We shelled the enemy heavily during the forenoon, throwing them far into the town and across the river. Lieutenant Bryce was badly wounded in the thigh early this morning; and later in the day, Lieutenant O'Brien of the 84th was shot through the arm. In the evening the enemy kept up a heavy fusilade, and we shelled them smartly; they fired a shell which narrowly escaped falling into our bhoosah stack. At half-past 11 o'clock, they fired agood deal on the Cawnpore battery, and made a feint of attacking, but finding us well on the alert did not do so. Our wheat-grinding operations continued, and we now had hand-mills sufficiently well worked to grind twenty maunds of atta daily. During the night we threw up a stockade and traverse, as a protection against the musketry which swept the entrance of the Residency.