August 8th.—A tolerably quiet night. Dr. McDonnell, of the 41st Native Infantry, died early this morning of cholera. A soldier of the 32nd was shot, and a native woman-servant of Mrs. Banks had her thigh broken by musketry at Mr. Gubbins's post this forenoon.
A heavy smoke was distinctly seen in the fardistance in the direction of the Cawnpore road. Many reports were made of heavy firing being heard in the same direction: a Sikh attached to the cavalry brought repeated accounts of it, but no European, save Captains Forbes and Hawes, of Mr. Gubbins's post, could say he heard it. The natives (some of them) very anxious about the arrival of the reinforcements, of whom we could hear nothing.
In the afternoon, a regiment of infantry, about 600 strong, with drums beating, marching in quarter distance column with colours, was seen marching through the city, in the direction of the Cawnpore road.
Seven hundred yards from the brigade-mess was a street in the city which was commanded by Lieutenant Sewell's double Enfield rifle, and on which spot he had killed several sepoys and others: this was this afternoon barricaded right across, which was a nuisance, as it entirely obstructed our view of what passed along. Lieutenant Bryce of the artillery, who had been severely wounded, died of cholera.
No intelligence came in this evening, and much anxiety as to our reinforcements was evinced bysome of our native troops and servants. Rice was served out to most of the natives in lieu of flour, and wheat to the native camp-followers, in order to husband our stock of flour. All the tea and coffee for the Europeans expended; the last issue being made yesterday. This was the first day on which we had no casualty.