July 22nd.—Very heavy rain began to fall at 1A.M., and continued till 8A.M., when it cleared off. During the heavy rain, the enemy only fired slightly. After 8A.M.it became more brisk, and they fired several round shot, but were not very active during the forenoon. Cholera still prevalent. Our numerical strength much diminished, as we had had 151 casualties in the 32nd Regiment alone. The enemy moved the 8-inch howitzer from its old position, and brought it across the river by elephants, with a tumbril behind it. Up to this date, we had no intelligence of any kind from any quarter, and, indeed, we had received none since the 27th ultimo.Many messengers were sent with letters, but not a single line did we receive in reply. A letter was sent off to Cawnpore to-day, and conveyed by a man named Ram Singh, a Seikh subadar of the 63rd Native Infantry. The enemy steadily loop-holing all the houses close round about, and evidently up to some new attempt at our position.
At dusk heavy rain; we got out a strong working party, and opened our large powder magazine, and after much labour and exertion got up 150 barrels out of the 240 we had buried. The night was pitch dark, and the rain fell heavily, and the work being outside of our entrenchment, over which all the barrels had to be handed out of mud knee deep, rendered the work fearfully fatiguing. Many of the officers and civilians worked for five hours at this work. Only a few shots during the night. Boils still very prevalent. A Seikh from the cavalry deserted. One or two cases of cholera. Mortification having set in, Mr. Hely's arm was amputated.
The buildings outside Mr. Gubbins's position were shelled at sunset, and after we had driven the enemy out, we made a sortie through the wall (in which wehad cut a large hole), and rushed out and examined the houses in which the enemy had been. We failed to find any trace of mining. We lost one man of the 32nd, killed. Mrs. Dorin was killed dead by a musket ball in Mr. Gubbins's house to-day.